M60
NES Member
Um, Yes. I have been to a Marine Corps qual range. I learned on iron sights out to 600 yards. Today I prefer optics, but tend to try to memorize the clicks for each distance for my load.Have you ever actually been to a Marine Corps qualification range? I'm just an OK shot and typically lose to a 74 year old at OCSA Garand shoots, but somehow managed to out-shoot 3 companies of Marines at my last qualification (with fixed magnification 4x Acog and M16A4). Most of these guys don't get the trigger time they need to even become proficient at identifying and clearing malfunctions, let alone be able to manipulate a variable magnification optic.
There was a very simple 'tick' with the Acog's we used, where after making an adjustment, you had to smack the thing to get the springs to move and let the adjustment register...most of the Marines I coached couldn't even handle THAT.
"Hey Marine...your shot was still in the same spot as your last group. Did you smack your optic like I told you to...?"
crickets.
I was one of the last Marines to train with irons at PI. Literally every Marine under my charge went through basic with optics. As soon as I got to my unit there was a fresh new M16A4 with an ACOG waiting for me. I've seen both sides, and actually MUCH prefer combat optics in the way of an ACOG, even though I shoot more accurately with irons. The confidence I always had that when I looked into my eyepiece, I knew what I was going to be looking at.
I'll believe it when I see it working well (and it very well may)...but for the time being, I'm a big proponent of the ACOG...simple, durable, effective out to 600m (pretty much the effective range on a point target for M855).
My point was that the bad guys, might not always give Marines a choice, regarding the distance at which they are forced to engage. A optic better suited for a greater variety of distances can't be a bad thing. When a Marine knows his ass will be on the line, he'll learn what he has to learn to survive and he'll learn it quickly. In boot camp as well as ITR, and on the jungle training course at Pendleton, we trained with M14's. When the guys got to Nam, they were handed M16's. No one had seen a M16 before. The next day they were carrying these M16's in the bush. They learned quickly.
Another thing to consider, is that from what you said, The guys that you were working with, sound like other than 0311 types. It's 0311's, that will be doing the shooting for the most part. I never met a 0311 that couldn't shoot, after having been taught.
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