Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army Part 41

=987.= =Forced and night marches=: To conduct a rapid march of a command of any magnitude successfully, horses must be =in condition= (pars. 950, 959) and men must have been trained (par. 175); if either is lacking, the daily marches at first must be short.

A night march, being slow and fatiguing to horses and men, is seldom undertaken unless as a forced march to seize a position or to surprise an enemy by attacking him at dawn. In a forced march frequently the gait, if the footing is favorable, and always the number of hours in the saddle, are increased. Under favorable conditions a rate of 50 miles in 24 hours for three or four days can be maintained. During such a march, in addition to the usual hourly halts, a halt of 2 hours is made toward the end of the first half of each day's march, during which bits are removed, horses unsaddled, watered, fed, and their legs hand rubbed; the rate should be about 5 miles an hour, exclusive of halts.

Under very favorable conditions a single march of 100 miles can be made in from 24 to 30 hours. During a march of this character, in addition to the usual hourly halts, halts of 2 hours are made toward the end of the first and second thirds of the march, during which bits are removed, the horses unsaddled, watered, fed, and their legs hand rubbed; the rate of march should be from 5 to 6 miles an hour, exclusive of halts.

CHAPTER VIII.

TARGET PRACTICE.

=Section 1. Preliminary training in marksmans.h.i.+p.=

Effective rifle fire is generally what counts most in battle. To have effective rifle fire, the men on the firing line must be able to HIT what they are ordered to shoot at. There is no man who can not be taught how to shoot. It is not necessary or even desirable to begin instruction by firing on a rifle range. A perfectly green recruit who has never fired a rifle may be made into a good shot by a little instruction and some preliminary drills and exercises.

Before a man goes on the range to fire it is absolutely necessary that he should know--

1. How to set the rear sight.

2. How to sight or aim.

3. How to squeeze the trigger.

4. How to hold the rifle in all positions.

If he does not know these things it is worse than useless for him to fire. He will not improve; the more he shoots the worse he will shoot, and it will become more difficult to teach him.

=Section 2. Sight adjustment.=

Men must be able to adjust their sights correctly and quickly. An error in adjustment so small that one can scarcely see it on the sight leaf is sufficient to cause a miss at an enemy at 500 yards and over.

Notice your rear sight. When the leaf is laid down the =battle sight= appears on top. This sight is set for 547 yards and is not adjustable.

When the leaf is raised four sights come into view. The extreme range sight for 2,850 yards at the top of the leaf is seldom used. The open sight at the upper edge of the drift slide is adjustable from 1,400 to 2,750 yards. To set it the upper edge of the slide is made to correspond with the range reading on the leaf, and the slide is then clamped with the slide screw. This sight also is seldom used. The open sight at the bottom of the triangular opening in the drift slide is adjustable from 100 to 2,450 yards. To set it the index line at the lower corners of the triangle is set opposite the range graduation on the leaf and the slide clamped. This and the peep sight just below it are the sights most commonly used. To set the peep sight, the index lines on either side of the peephole are set opposite the range desired and the slide clamped.

Notice the scales for the various ranges on either side of the face of the leaf. The odd-numbered hundreds of yards are on the right and the even on the left. =The line below the number is the index line for that range.= Thus to set the sight for 500 yards the index line of the slide is brought in exact line with the line on the leaf below the figure 5 and the slide clamped. To set for 550 yards the index lines of the slide are set halfway between the index lines on the leaf below the figure 5 on the right side and the figure 6 on the left side. Look at your sight carefully when setting it and take great pains to get it exact. An error in setting the width of one of the lines on the leaf will cause an error of about 8 inches in where your bullet will strike at 500 yards.

The =wind gauge= is adjusted by means of the windage screw at the right front end of the base of the sight. Each graduation on the wind-gauge scale is called a "point." For convenience in adjusting the line of each third point on the scale is longer than the others. If you turn the windage screw so that the movable base moves to the right, you are taking right windage, which will cause your rifle to shoot more to the right.

It is seldom that a rifle will shoot correctly to the point aimed at at a given range with the sights adjusted exactly to the scale graduations for that range. If your sight is not correctly adjusted for your shooting and you wish to move it slightly to make it correct, remember to =move it in the direction you wish your shot to hit=. If you wish to shoot higher raise your sight. If to the right, move the wind gauge to the right. Always move your sight the correct amount in accordance with the following table:

=Section 3. Table of sight corrections.=

_Showing to what extent the point of impact is moved by a change of 25 yards in elevation or 1 point in windage._

+--------+--------------+-------------+ Correction Correction Range. by a change by a change in elevation in windage of 25 yards. of 1 point. +--------+--------------+-------------+ _Yards._ _Inches._ _Inches._ 100 0.72 4 200 1.62 8 300 2.79 12 400 4.29 16 500 6.22 20 600 8.59 24 800 15.43 32 1,000 25.08 40 +--------+--------------+-------------+

An easy rule to remember the windage correction by is: "A change of 1 point of wind changes the point of impact 4 inches for every 100 yards of range."

Copy this table and take it to the range with you.

Example of sight adjustment: Suppose you are firing at 500 yards. The first two or three shots show you that your shots are hitting about a foot below and a foot to the right of the center of the bull's-eye.

From the above table you will see that if you will raise your sight 50 yards and move the wind gauge half a point to the left the rifle will be sighted so that if you aim correctly the bullets will hit well inside the bull's-eye.

=Section 4. Aiming.=

=Open sight=: Always align your sights with the front sight squarely in the middle of the "U" or notch of the rear sight, and the top of the front sight even with the upper corners of the "U." (See fig. 1.) All the sights on the rifle except the peep sight are open sights.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 1.]

=Peep sight=: Always center the tip of the front sight in the center of the peephole when aiming with this sight. (See fig. 2.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 2.]

Always aim below the bull's-eye. Never let your front sight appear to touch the bull's eye in aiming. Try to see the same amount of white target between the top of the front sight and the bottom of the bull's-eye each time. The eye must be focused on the bull's-eye or mark and not on the front or rear sight.

Look at figures 1 and 2 until your eye retains the memory of them, then try to duplicate the picture every time you aim. Aim consistently, always the same. Never change your aim; change your sight adjustment if your shots are not hitting in the right place.

Many shots have been wasted when the point of aim has been moved to what the firer thought was the necessary change on the target, instead of changing the sights according to the table on page 191.

=Section 5. Battle sight.=

The battle sight is the open sight seen when the leaf is laid flat. It is adjusted for a range of 547 yards. It is intended to be used in battle when you get nearer to the enemy than 600 yards. Always aim at the belt of a standing enemy, or just below him if he is kneeling, sitting, or lying. On the target range this sight is used for rapid fire. With it the rifle shoots about 2 feet high at ranges between 200 and 400 yards, so you must aim below the figure on the target "D."

Find out in your instruction practice just how much you must aim below to hit the figure.

=Section 6. Trigger squeeze.=

Use the first joint of the forefinger to squeeze the trigger. It is the most sensitive and best controlled portion of the body. As you place the rifle to your shoulder, squeeze the trigger so as to pull it back about one-eighth of an inch, thus taking up the safety portion or slack of the pull. Then contract the trigger finger gradually, slowly and steadily increasing the pressure on the trigger while the aim is being perfected. Continue the gradual increase of pressure so that when the aim has become exact the additional pressure required to release the point of the sear can be given almost insensibly and without causing any deflection of the rifle. Put absolutely all your mind and will power into holding the rifle steady and squeezing the trigger off without disturbing the aim. Practice squeezing the trigger in this way every time you have your rifle in your hand until you can surely and quickly do it without a suspicion of a jerk.

By practice the soldier becomes familiar with the trigger squeeze of his rifle, and knowing this he is able to judge at any time, within limits, what additional pressure is required for its discharge. By constant repet.i.tion of this exercise he should be able finally to squeeze the trigger to a certain point beyond which the slightest movement will release the sear. Having squeezed the trigger to this point the aim is corrected, and when true the additional pressure is applied and the discharge follows and the bullet flies true to the mark.

=Section 7. Firing positions.=

When in ranks at close order the positions are those described in the Cavalry Drill Regulations. When in extended order or when firing alone these positions may be modified somewhat to better suit the individual. The following remarks on the various positions are offered as suggestions whereby steady positions may be learned by the soldier.

=Standing position=: Face the target, then execute right half face.

Plant the feet about 12 inches apart. As you raise the rifle to the shoulder lean very slightly backward just enough to preserve the perfect balance on both feet which the raising of the rifle has somewhat disturbed. Do not lean far back and do not lean forward at all. If your body is out of balance, it will be under strain and you will tremble. The right elbow should be at about the height of the shoulder. The left hand should grasp well around the stock and handguard in front of the rear sight, and the left elbow should be almost directly under the rifle. The right hand should do more than half the work of holding the rifle up and against the shoulder, the left hand only steadying and guiding the piece. Do not try to meet the recoil; let the whole body move back with it. Do not be afraid to press the jaw hard against the stock; this steadies the position, and the head goes back with the recoil and insures that your face is not hurt.

=Kneeling position=: a.s.sume the position very much as described in the Cavalry Drill Regulations. Sit on the right heel. The right knee should point directly to the right; that is, along the firing line.

The point of the left elbow should rest over the left knee. There is a flat place under the elbow which fits a flat place on the knee and makes a solid rest. Lean the body well forward. This position is uncomfortable until practiced, when it quickly ceases to be uncomfortable.

=Sitting position=: Sit down half faced to the right, feet from 6 to 8 inches apart, knees bent, right knee slightly higher than the left, left leg pointed toward the target. Rest both elbows on the knees, hands grasping the piece the same as in the p.r.o.ne position. This is a very steady position, particularly if holes can be found or made in the ground for the heels.

=p.r.o.ne position and use of the gun sling=: To adjust the sling for firing, unhook the straight strap of the sling and let it out as far as it will go. Adjust the loop so that when stretched along the bottom of the stock its rear end (bight) comes about opposite the comb of the stock. A small man needs a longer loop than a tall man. Lie down facing at an angle of about 60 to the right of the direction of the target. Spread the legs as wide apart as they will go with comfort.

Thrust the left arm through between the rifle and the sling, and then back through the loop of the sling, securing the loop, by means of the keeper, around the upper left arm as high up as it will go. Pa.s.s the hand under and then over the sling from the left side, and grasp the stock and handguard just in rear of the lower band. Raise the right elbow off the ground, rolling slightly over on the left side. Place the b.u.t.t to the shoulder and roll back into position, clamping the rifle hard and steady in the firing position. The rifle should rest deep down in the palm of the left hand with fingers almost around the handguard. s.h.i.+ft the left palm a little to the right or left until the rifle stands perfectly upright (no cant) without effort. The left elbow should rest on the ground directly under the rifle, and right elbow on the ground about 5 inches to the right of a point directly under the stock. In this position the loop of the sling, starting at the lower band, pa.s.ses to the right of the left wrist, and thence around the left upper arm. The loop should be so tight that about 50 pounds tension is placed on it when the position is a.s.sumed. This position is uncomfortable until practiced, when it quickly ceases to be uncomfortable. It will be steadier if small holes can be found or dug in the ground for the elbows. In this position the sling binds the left forearm to the rifle and to the ground so that it forms a dead rest for the rifle, with a universal joint, the wrist, at its upper end. Also the rifle is so bound to the shoulder that the recoil is not felt at all. This is the steadiest of all firing positions.