Targets

When ever I here a “target” uses in a metaphor I always think of the rifle range.

I like the range because it is something quantifiable. I am an expert with the rifle and sometimes younger Marines will ask me how to get from where they are to where I am at. I enjoy the feeling of getting someone across that river of being an unqualified shooter to qualified Marksman, or even better when they shoot a high Sharpshooter or join me in the coveted “Expert qualification” and get to ware the crossed rifle badge that clearly states “RIFLE EXPERT”.

Our Targets are big. There are about 12 inches of black and a whole lot of white on the “Able” target. That still looks pretty small from two and three hundred meters. Now the course of fire has changed a few times over the years but the principals remain the same. I wrote briefly about this before here : Slow Zen: I fire my weapon.

When I am put in the role of a marksmanship instructor or coach I find myself always encouraging marines to make broad adjustments. Marines like to adjust the windage knob only slightly, so that instead of hitting the target 20” to the left they make a small adjustment and now they are hitting 18” to the left. This still puts them outside of the black where it counts. Making a broad adjustment may still leave them outside of the black but then they are better prepared to zero in on the black.

I think this line of thinking can be applied to our daily lives. When we find ourselves constantly missing our “target” maybe it is time to consider making a broad adjustment.

Jordan