Have you shot out to 600 yards? Of course you have, and then some, but have you done it at Bisley? Probably not, to be fair to US readership, but we did back in the halcyon days of the '80s. Picture the scene, a lot of kids (Cadets) up at the firing line with .303s. "Adjust your sights!" bellowed our RSM, who'd fought at Arnhem, and we did.
Not hard on the Lee Enfield Mk. IV #1, just dial up the rear sight to the required distance. No sooner said than done and there we were, waiting for the firing order. Ah, but not so fast boys. A Navy Chief walked in front of us and our RSM cried out, "Alright there, Chief!" They were contemporaries, let the reader understand.
Then, after this short Army & Navy excursus, we received an order to fire. A big black silhouette, your .303, and that was that. I did alright, scoring around center mass, and it was a heckuvva thing shooting out that far for the first time at the age of 15, with iron sights no less.
More memorably, it was a chance to see an Arnhem vet Para get collegial with his Naval counterpart. History, and then some. You'll note I haven't forgotten the scene.
Bridge too far? You be the judge.
Semper Paratus,
LSP
PS. The RSM Para featured above had a Colt 1911, which he kept in the armoury safe, he loved it. This was taken from him by UKGOV in the late '90s, when it banned pistols. You can't scorn the Left too much, to say nothing of their rainbow corporate overlords.
6 comments:
SP RN sez, 600 yds?? Me ‘n my lever gun are good to 100 yds. Beyond that be dragons.
Hey, RN, the old Lee can shoot right out there in the right hands, irons to boot.
A story to go with --
https://bobrohrer.com/sea_stories/end_of_an_era.pdf
LSP, oh to have those young eyes again, wot?
Most definitely, RHT.
Crusty Old TV Tech here. In Army JROTC in High School, we shot something like that range with the M-14, probably less. Don't recall the actual range distance. I qualified, but not the best shot in the bunch, that would have been an old friend of mine, dead shot at any range. I do know me and my mates would go out shooting our own personal weapons on weekends, me with my SMLE 3* chambered in good ole .303 Brit (as we called it), later on hand-loaded by me and me buds. Still have that SMLE. 8mm Mauser, Remington 742 in 6mm, other long rifles and shotguns. A good time was had by all, except the cottonmouth snake who happened to cross the road in front of us once...
In the USA we have boating accidents.
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