A letter from Connaught Range - CFSAC 2009 - Ottawa

200m

September 14th 2009

Tomorrow is the big day. The competition begins and we are shooting for score.

In the morning we shoot matches 1 to 4 (200m), afternoon 5 to 8 (300m). Sept 15th we shoot matches 9 to 12 (500m). Each match has a deliberate, snap, rapid and run-down stage.

We haven’t actually been practicing that much. Range time simply has not been available to be honest. There are a lot of competitors and limited range time and thus we have had a fairly significant period to consider ways of improving and performing dry firing and timing exercises. We are critiquing one another on our styles, methods and techniques. Quite constructive and educational. I have received some coaching and have learned two important fascets of shooting that I was not deploying very effectively. Since I have adopted these lessons my shooting has improved. I shot a 12” 5-round grouping today at 500 metres in full factor 20+ kph winds. My point of impact was not perfect but the grouping in the prone unsupported was very good.

500m

At 500 metres one cannot really see the figure 12 (face) target. The target itself at 500m resembles the period at the end of this sentence which makes a sight reference very difficult. Therefore I am aiming at the four foot target frame in the 6 o’clock position as my visual point of reference. What I have discovered however is that the bottom of the target frames are partially covered by the grass mounds in front of the rifle butts. Depending on the shooting lane you are in the mounds may be taller or lower and thus the two sighting shots before every deliberate are vitally important to make sight adjustments prior to shooting for score.

The other night I was trying to get wireless internet access over at the mess. I was plunking away on my laptop when I heard some chaps from the Royal Canadian Regiment talking about the Rangers and our shooting. I was in civies and they had no idea who I was.

What they had to say was very complimentary not just because what they had to say was positive but due to the fact that no Rangers (or apparent Rangers) were in earshot.

To sum it all up we have been shooting quite well. Of the fourteen 4-CRPG Rangers about half of us regularly hit V-Bulls, Bulls and the Inner rings of the target at all ranges. Thankfully I can count myself amongst those rangers. The fact that we are achieving this with open sights is sufficient to turn a lot of heads. The fact that we are doing this with 70 year old lee enfields with worn and copper fouled bores is another. These shooters were astonished that we were capable of getting any shots on target let alone reliably achieving high scores. Today at 100m Tom Nickel put five rounds under one target indicator at 100 metres. The target indicator is 3” across and covered all of his bullet holes. Many of us are achieving this kind of accuracy reliably. At the end of the day many C7’s will have scored less than the shooters on 4-CRPG. We have three good shooting teams, Red, Green and Black teams. We are forecasting medals for Red and Green Teams.

I was observing some of the other Ranger patrol Groups today. There are one or two good shooters in each group however they are the minority. In 2009 4-CRPG should do very well.

Had better sign off for now. I don’t want to get too confident.

For me winning or losing is not a priority for me. The only entity I am competing with is myself. So long as I improve and have fun doing it I can’t lose. If I get a medal in the process then that’s an extra bonus. Having said that I’m going out there to kick some Ranger ass.

Cheerio folks
Richard