Category Archives: Service Rifle

Musketry & Combat Practice Firing

by John M. Buol Jr.

Note how often that competition was suggested as a good approach to training.

US Army Training Film TF-24
Musketry & Combat Practice Firing
1935 US Army Training Film

The application and control of collective fire of rifle units (Rifle Squads & Rifle Sections) is called “Musketry.”

This film covers rifle firing skills.
– Reel 1 provides an introduction to methods of estimating range to target.
– Reel 2 shows how unit members communicated knowledge of the target in the field.
– Reel 3 instructs squad leaders on the construction and use of ranges for landscape target firing.
– Reel 4 details technical characteristics of rifle fire and its effects.
– Reel 5 demonstrates the application of rifle firing techniques in field exercises.
– Reel 6 features a schematic drawing of the effect of combat fire.

North Carolina State Championship

by John M. Buol Jr.

At Camp Butner, North Carolina Captain(p) Samuel Freeman shot a 998-43x in the North Carolina State Championship in the 1000 point aggregate match with a Service Rifle.

The course of fire was an 80 round Regional Course (20 rounds per stage) with an additional 20 round 600 yards for record, working out to two complete National Match Courses.

Line scores were:
Standing 199-10x
Sitting rapid 200-8x
Prone rapid 199-9x
600 yards prone 200-11x and 200-5x

For a total 998-43x with a Service Rifle, the equivalent of shooting two 499 NMC scores back to back.

For point of reference, the current NRA National Record for a 100 Shot Regional Course shot with a Match Rifle is 999-67x, putting CPT Freeman with his Service Rifle one point away from the best ever 1000-point aggregate score.

http://competitions.nra.org/national-records.aspx
100 Shot Regional Course – Metallic Sights – 999-67

A notable Army Marksmanship Unit shooting champion and coach adds:

That record is a Service “Category” record, meaning that Service relates to the category of the shooter, not the type of rifle. Sherri Gallagher shot her score with a Match Rifle (Tubb gun chambered in .260). The previous record of a 998-52x? (not sure of x’s) was fired by Eric England, a Marine shooter. He used a model 70 match rifle in .30-’06. I’m 100% certain that Freeman’s score is the highest ever in that course of fire with a Service Rifle. The InterService record is “only” a 995.

– Emil Praslick

Unfortunately, the National Rifle Association hasn’t bothered to update this or formally list this accomplishment among the other national records.

NRA Long Range Nationals

by John M. Buol Jr.

CPT Samuel Freeman of the U.S. Army Reserve Competitive Marksmanship Program won the Service Rifle Aggregate at the Long Range Nationals.

SFC Russ Theurer was second place in the Edward D. Andrus match. SGT Nick Mowrer took third in the Sierra Trophy match for the 1000 yard Palma rifle aggregate and MSG Mango took third in the Remington Trophy match.

NRA Service Rifle

by John M. Buol Jr.

U.S. Army Reserve Competitive Marksmanship Program shooters made a clean sweep of the podium for the NRA High Power Nationals. Competing in the Service Rifle division, SGT Nickolaus Mowrer took first place Service Rifle with a new Army Reserve National Record of 2381-114x. He also finished 3rd in the overall aggregate among Match Rifle shooters. MSG Robert Mango took second place and SPC Bryant Wallizer took third.

For the overall, USARCMP shooters . power service rifle competitions, took 3rd.
The Army Reserve had an incredibly strong finish in the individual aggregate taking home a number of trophies and 1st,2nd,3rd,5th,6th,& 7th place Service Rifle.
Congratulations and good luck to our shooters as they start NRA Long Range competition today.

NRA Rifle Nationals, Service Rifle
SGT Nickolaus Mowrer (new Army Reserve National Record of 2381-114x) 1st place Service Rifle
MSG Robert Mango 2nd, SPC Bryant Wallizer 3rd, CPT Samuel Freeman 5th, SFC Joel Micholick 6th, SSG Kris Friend 7th, and CSM Steven Slee 11th.

The Vandenberg Cup is presented to the winner of an aggregate of the scores fired in the Members’ Trophy, Scott Trophy, Coast Artillery Trophy and Army Cup Matches.
SGT Mowrer won the Vandenberg Cup with SPC Wallizer taking 3rd and MSG Mango taking 5th.

MSG Mango won the Scott Trophy for winning the 200 yard rapid fire stage.

SFC Micholick was second and SSG Friend was third in the Marine Corps Cup match (300 yard rapid)

SGT Mowrer won the Appreciations Cup match and Members’ Trophy and took second in the Erdman Trophy match.

CSM Slee won the Coast Guard Trophy match.

For team events, Army Reserve Anderson took second the Enlisted Men’s Trophy Team match. With MSG Norman Anderson as Team Coach and SGM James Mauer as Team Captain, CPT Freeman, MSG Mango, SFC Micholick, and SSG Friend fired the team-winning score.

NRA-awards
MSG Mango, SGT Mowrer, and SPC Wallizer won the NRA High Power Service Rifle Nationals.

CMP National Match Air Rifle

by John M. Buol Jr.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program hosted their National Match Air Rifle event in conjunction with the National Matches. Conducted similarly to International matches, qualifying shooters made a shoot off with a sudden death finale.

Three shooters of the U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship Program made the shoot off and ultimately won the overall event. SSG Kris Friend, SGT Nick Mowrer, and SPC Bryant Wallizer made the final shoot off. SSG Friend and SGT Mowrer advanced, with SGT Mowrer winning the overall event.

DSC_0071
SPC Bryant Wallizer, SGT Nick Mowrer, and SSG Kris Friend made the CMP National Match Air Rifle finals.

DSC_0094
SGT Nick Mowrer won the CMP National Match Air Rifle finals.