11-01-2011, 01:35 PM
As far as the sniper guys, I am not attached to a sniper unit, but have a few buddies of mine that are. They don't get to the range every drill weekend, but when they do, they usually have sore shoulders. They claim to do about 100+ rounds a day, and that is for a 2-3 day weekend.
Now on my side of it, I'm an MP in the Guard, and our primary weapon is the M9 pistol (Beretta 92FS) and I am LUCKY to shoot more than 50 rounds a YEAR. Our unit goes to the range once a year to qualify. We get a few "familiarization" rounds, and then the qual rounds. I usually have to go through a few times... Do I ever fail my qual? I only fail (in my eyes) when I score less than 100% hits. I'm quite proficient as I reload and I'm a recreational shooter. Now, for the others in my unit, not so much. So they are put in a lane next to me... see where this is going???
It's really sad because our M4 qual is the same way. We get 9 rounds to sight the rifles in, and then it's to the qual. I'm in a small little detachment, but it's still necessary in my eyes to stay up on your skills. It's like a surgeon that only gets one practice cut before performing triple bypass surgery. I think this is one reason that I'm opposed to the Guard. I love it, but there is just too much politics in it for me. The state claims that they need more funding, but they have all these O-6 and E-9's running around telling all the units how great they are, and they don't even know what our MOS is! Want to save some funding??? Cut officer pay and bull like that (sorry, little off topic there...).
Anyway, I would say those numbers are HIGH for what I have experienced... I have attended the TAG shoot for the state of NE once in my 7 years in the military, even though I have been offered to go MULTIPLE times, but the unit "does not have the funding" from the state. Not sure how they want us to get better when they don't give the opportunity...
Now on my side of it, I'm an MP in the Guard, and our primary weapon is the M9 pistol (Beretta 92FS) and I am LUCKY to shoot more than 50 rounds a YEAR. Our unit goes to the range once a year to qualify. We get a few "familiarization" rounds, and then the qual rounds. I usually have to go through a few times... Do I ever fail my qual? I only fail (in my eyes) when I score less than 100% hits. I'm quite proficient as I reload and I'm a recreational shooter. Now, for the others in my unit, not so much. So they are put in a lane next to me... see where this is going???
It's really sad because our M4 qual is the same way. We get 9 rounds to sight the rifles in, and then it's to the qual. I'm in a small little detachment, but it's still necessary in my eyes to stay up on your skills. It's like a surgeon that only gets one practice cut before performing triple bypass surgery. I think this is one reason that I'm opposed to the Guard. I love it, but there is just too much politics in it for me. The state claims that they need more funding, but they have all these O-6 and E-9's running around telling all the units how great they are, and they don't even know what our MOS is! Want to save some funding??? Cut officer pay and bull like that (sorry, little off topic there...).
Anyway, I would say those numbers are HIGH for what I have experienced... I have attended the TAG shoot for the state of NE once in my 7 years in the military, even though I have been offered to go MULTIPLE times, but the unit "does not have the funding" from the state. Not sure how they want us to get better when they don't give the opportunity...