What's the best target for shootin' an '03...

[oakfarm]

German Sniper at 200yards.

[Lancebear]

You know, I think I could hit that target easier than the SR-1 at a hundred. Haven't tried yet but I'm gonna'.

LB

[Lancebear]

Hey Jim,

Bob states that the black on the SR1 is 6.35 inches in diameter. What's that look like over the post at a hundred yards? It is my choice when I eventually get to the range.

Didn't make it to the Garryville range today. Shoulder wasn't up to it, loading all of the rifles and ammo up and then driving thirty miles both ways is a chore, the weather was perfect for shootin' though. Partly cloudy and a gentle nine mile an hour wind most of the day, mostly less.

I will definitely hit the local indoor range tomorrow. Ten minutes away. Twenty five yards. Will shoot my Iver Johnson pump .22 (Don't laugh, Erma made it and it's a tack driver) a Ruger .22/45 pistol and my mom's little Beretta. Maybe drag something out of the collection also. Remington Rand .45 sounds good right now or maybe an old Webley, haven't shot one of those in a while.

Think the twenty two work I have been doing lately will pay off when I go and shoot the thirty's. Never think about recoil, just the front sight and pulling the rifle into my shoulder.

Man I miss the days when I could go over to my parents house in Carierre, Miss. and walk out the back door and shoot anything I wanted to at fifty yards. Shot a Chilean 1895 rifle, Argentine '91 carbine (Wanna talk recoil?) all the time. Drilled coffee cans, those rifles almost never missed. Shame I didn't have any '03's back then, and yea they would have been a helluva' lot cheaper than now. Shot Broomhandles, Webleys, a Tokarev, antique Smiths and Colts. There's pounds of lead behind my old backstop.

Damn, the good old days...when simple things didn't hurt so much.

Robert...and yea...death to bad guys!

[Bob S]

Hey Jim,

Bob states that the black on the SR1 is 6.35 inches in diameter. What's that look like over the post at a hundred yards?

It appears to be about the same width as a service grade (i.e., not NM) front sight. The NM front sights for both the M1 and M14 (.062" wide) were developed when we shot at the Baker target, and then the decimal MR, at 600 yards. Those aiming black of those targets subtend only about 4 MOA, and they were difficult for me to see even when I was 20-something. Since about 1981 or 82, all US High Power target subtend "about" 6 MOA at the distance that they are used ... the scoring rings are the same as the original decimal targets that were adopted in 1967, but the 8 ring of the SR has been made black for shooting at 300 yards, and that's called the SR-3; and the seven ring of the MR target is now black for shooting at 600 yards, and that's called the MR-1. (They have come out with a new target for 500 yard shooting that I have not seen yet.)


Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Lancebear]

Thanks Bob,

I've never been in the service, but I understand your first sentence.

The M1903A1 I will shoot next at the range is a Marine rifle with an early C stock and has USMC sights. I can now understand the principle behind the Marine sights. Service post is like trying to center a razor blade under a BB. Think the Marine front blade allows the shooter to center the BB in the middle of the front sight blade, seems like that would be much easier. Nice concept if I'm right. Let you know what happens. I'll take an '03 with service sights with me and shoot at the same target. That could be interesting.

Regards,

LB

[Bob S]

It appears to be about the same width as a service grade (i.e., not NM) front sight. The NM front sights for both the M1 and M14 (.062" wide) were developed when we shot at the Baker target, and then the decimal MR, at 600 yards. Resp'y,
Bob S.

With apologies! I thought I was in the M1/M14 forum!!!

The "service" and "NM" front sights for the 03 were all .050 wide. The Marine Corps sights were .100" wide, and some commercial offerings were even wider.

It's difficult to shoot really good scores with a front sight that is wider than your aim point. Some shooters do really well with a sight that is narrower than the aim point, but a good starting point is a fiont sight that is the same width as the aiming black. Of course with an issued '03, you have no choice. (although the latest CMP rules allows some variance in the widfth of the front sight).

The .100" USMC front sight was way too wide for me on the old HP targets and is a little too wide for me with the currect HP targets. It was designed for "minute of man" at 200 yards under less than ideal conditions of visibility, and for that it was exemplary. Given a free choicer, I prefer a post of about .080" width. YMMV .....

On a historical note ... an acquaintence from my old club enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1924, and shot on the Marine Team in the 30's ... and he told me he never even saw a set of "special USMC" sights. They used the regular .050" front sight, and a No. 8 (.080") rear peep. Standard Army Ordnance "peeps" were made in No. 4 through No. 9, and competitors could buy a small reamer to open them up to whatever size suited the shooter.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[JohnMOhio]

Jim, get a trailer for your riding mower or get a used golf cart. Both should load up well with your equipment and you can just drive it into the barn.

[Jim Tarleton]

Bob,

I noticed that NDM #0067, does that mean you were the 67th Navy DM? If so, either you must be about my age (little younger than dirt), or Navy guys just can't shoot:-). I don't know about everyone else, but I am impressed to the nth degree.

Under that much pressure, I would have tightened up like a horse's a$$ in fly season.

Jim

[Jim Tarleton]

Jim, get a trailer for your riding mower or get a used golf cart. Both should load up well with your equipment and you can just drive it into the barn.

I just drive my truck to the barn if the load is more than one rifle. I like the walk actually. After every shooting session, old Sabre and I take a walk through the swamp. The swamp is breaking out with growth right now, and pretty soon the mosquitos will be so bad I will have to bathe in OFF to go in.

I have a rifle scabbard for my new Harley, but the pigs keep biting off the leather fringes. My poor Harley looks like my dad's 6" comb-over.

The Canadian honkers are still here, and a pair of them sit in the creek behind my house. I love to watch them take off.

Jim

[Bob S]

Bob,

I noticed that NDM #0067, does that mean you were the 67th Navy DM? If so, either you must be about my age (little younger than dirt), or Navy guys just can't shoot:-).
Jim

Jim:

Whoever started keeping track of numbering Navy Distinguished Badges decided to number the Enlisted badges with E-xxx and Officer with O-xxx. So I was the 67th officer to get The Badge. I got mine in 1989. There are a heck of a lot more Enlisted badges than officer. I retired in 1993 with 24 years; 4 enlisted, 20 commissioned. I guess I'm older than dirt. Even my retired ID is an antique, and the Marines at the gates at Quantico get a kick out of looking at it.

Resp'y,
Bob S.