My squadron is (un)fortunate to have ready access to a 15m tube range.
While I generally dislike tube ranges it is better than nothing and it means that (now that all manner of obstacles have been set aside) we can actually run some shooting for our cadets.
However, I note that all of hte marksmanship tests for indoor ranges are geared around being run on a 25m range. It is easy enough to get targetry scaled for 15m and to adjust the criteria proportionately but I get the feeling (since this has not already been done in the manual) that there is an expectation that marksmanship tests on indoor ranges need to be done at 25m only. That would scupper us somewhat.
Does anyone here have experience of running marksmanship shoots on a 15 or 20m range and what obstacles, if any, did you face?
Ours is 15m. We regularly get marksmanship from it, I think we simply scaled down the criteria from 25m to make it applicable at a shorter distance and checked with our wing shooting officer to get approval.
New procedure in our Wg, local RCO can sign off Sqn & Wg marksman awards; Wg Shooting Return + Annex G claim still required to WSO (retain tgts for 6 months, random audit possible).
Region + Corps to WSO (with Shooting Return + Annex G).
That will save some scanning/emailing! :cheer:
If you have the hall space, you could always go for a sqn 5.5m air rifle range, details here:
We have the hall space but the South end is entirely glazed and I’d be nervous about firing towards it.
Besides, if we have the facility to allow our cadets the experience of using a proper firearm why on earth would we choose to use a toy gun instead?
If the light is important from the glazed areas, you can have a “free-standing” backing board that could be taken down… The safety angles (of course) are taken into account.
Accuracy & consistency! It’s also a much better rifle to transition to tgt rifle shooting - & with (easily adjustable! aperture sights, & much better balance than the No 8 (especially for smaller cadets). No lead exposure too.
Even with the in-service life extension on the No 8, alternative options are very useful.
Waiting for the formal details, but there will be an “air rifle only” RCO Cse at some stage in the near future = only one weekend, rather than the 2 required for the SR RCO Cse.
