Day seven of the training began with students on six firing points firing ten rounds at targets 200 meters away within eight minutes.  Each point had one of the Army Marksmanship Unit instructors or one of theCivilian Marksmanship Program volunteers acting as coach.  Ten morerounds, including a magazine change, were fired from the kneelingposition at targets 300 meters distant in a two minute time limit. Next, ten shots were fired, again including a magazine change, withintwo minutes from the prone position at targets 400 meters away.  Andfinally, five minutes was given to shoot ten rounds at 600 yard targets.

These exercises were repeated several times during the day.  Soldiers,whose skill level had improved during the week, were asked to make theirown wind calls.  Confidence in their own abilities grew noticeablyduring the day.

Conditions, which were excellent at the start,  deteriorated during theday as winds increased and cloud cover made reading mirage and watchingbullet trace more difficult.  Late in the day I was told that we wereunder a tornado watch but storms skirted our location.

During the afternoon firing we had our first major malfunction.  One rifle lost it's extractor.  All of the bolt parts were located at the firing point and the rifle was taken behind the line to be reassembledby one of the CMP volunteers.  This rifle was function tested and then put back into use.

By Kent Stonecipher-Oklahoma City Firearms Examiner