June IS, 1884-1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



391 



Lady Viucm—Ma.e Adler. Or. B. I. Royee'S white and mouse Eng- 

 lish greyhound bitch Lady Vmem (Qount Ouster-Lady Rose) to Mas 

 A cllBr TV) f\y 4 



.,., '■ pi, tf<';-i>i- Cfi-oxti -Hi. Mr J. 0. Heckscher's pointer bitch Lady 

 LhifiVrm to Mr. A. 10. GrOddoffroy's Croxtcth, May 12. 



//„„ ■/» Mi -i O. Donner's pointer bitch Fan Fan to 



Mr. a B, GoddeHroy's Ortixteth, May 90, 



Ftime—Croarteth. Mr. A. E < bxldeflroy's pointer bitch Vinne to 

 bis Croxteth, June 5. 



Dot II. — Saamw. Mr. John a. Crahani's black, white' anil tan setter 

 bitch Pol II. (hVx-Dol! to Scamp (Fred-Flora). April 2(5. 



Ladu If.— Joe Hindu. Mr. John A. Graham's liver and white 

 pointer bitch Lady N. (Marshall— Talulali) to Joe, Hinds (Hindoo— 

 Flight), May 18. 



Flora II.— Blank Prince, Mr. Charles Wrny's (Mousey. N Y i cocker 

 spaniel bitch Flora If. (Cumming'S Flora— Cumtning's Snipe) to Mr. 

 \. C Wilmerditis's Ulaek l-'rmce .A.K.R. 62), JMay 81. 



Rose— -Jack Mr )J E. Eleton's dark red Irish setter bitch Rose 

 (Darkness- Ruth i to Mr. Geo. W, Whelen's Jack (F,Ieho— Nettie), 

 June 1 



Beauty— Napoleon. Mr W. D. Peck's (New Haven. Ct.) pug bitch 

 Beauty to bjfl Napoleon, June 6, 



Crivket- h-<i.iint-rmun. Mr Arthur M. Wood's (West Philadelphia, 

 Pa.) English beagle bitch Cricket ('Bugler— Pitts) to Mr. Louis I). 

 Sloan's imported Bannerman, May 86. 



Kitty Wells- Frits. Mr .1 . Tl. Thompson, Jr.'S i Patterson, N, Y.) 

 pointer bitch Kitty Wells (A.K.R, 1043) to his Fritz (A.K.R 868), 

 June 4. 



Grand Duke— Busy. Bon Fdmuud Sandy's bull-terrier hitch Rosy 

 to Messrs. R. & W. Livingston's champion Grand Duke (Mink's Dutch 

 — Young- Mat'net), May II 



Ultby d'More— 'Nimrod. The Ashtuont Kennel's red Irish setter 

 bitch itubv ii'More (A.K.R. fiMSI) to their champion Nimrod (A.K.R. 

 B81), May 88. 



Madqe- Hern 11. TlieAsluuont Kennel's gray mastiff bitch Madge 

 (A.K.R. 548) to their Hero II. (A.K.R. 546), May 80, 



Lizzie— Hiram . Mr. Jus, Lindsay's (Jersey City, N. J.) collie bitch 

 Lizzie (KeS— TopBey) to his Hiram (A.K.R. 882J, May 10. 



Fairy— Brack Mr. Jas. Liudsay's (Jersey City. N. J.) collie bitch 

 Fairy (Hex -Kitty Mae) to Brack i A.K.R. 3), May 13. 



Noneie (i. — T'arnley. Mr. Jas. Lindsay i.lersey City, N.J.) collie 

 bitch Nannie 0. (Hex— Kitty Mae) to Mr. I. Vau Schaaek's imported 

 Daffiley, May BG, 



Chiquita—Oberou. Mr. E. S. Hawks's (Ashfield, Mass.) English 

 setter hitch Chiqiiita iDrnid— Pocahontas) to Mr. P.H. Foster's Oberon 

 (Count Noble -Rosalind), May 8. 



Music IJI.—Bin</wood. Mr. E. S. Hawks'S (Ashfield, Mass.) beagle 

 bitch Music I II (Flute— Victress) to Mr. N. Elmore's imported Ring- 

 wood, May 13. 



WHELPS. 



Ki?° See instructions at head of this column. 



Cricket, Mr. John Drus's (Little Rock, Ark.l Irish water spaniel 

 bitch Cricket, May 10, eleven (six dogs), by cocker spaniel Lou; all 

 solid liver. 



Mwtle, Mr. Louis D, Sloan's (West Philadelphia. Pa.) imported 

 beagle bitch Myrtle, June 1, five (three dogs), by Mr. Crane's (South- 

 over House, Eng.i champion beagle Marehboy. 



Little Maqqie. Messrs. R. & W. Livinston's (New York) bull-terrier 

 bitch Little Maggie (Sink's Dutch-Young Venom), May 81), six (five 

 dogs), by their champion Grand Duke fHink's Dutch— Young Magnet); 

 throe since dead. 



ffleda. Air. Jess. M. Whaite's (Chester. S. CM pointer bitch Fleda 

 (champion Bow— Flight), Juue 3. ten (six dogs), by Young Sleaford 

 (Lort— Lass), 



Graceful. Mr. Luke White's Graceful. May 82, four (two dogs), by 

 champion Bang Bang; three lemon and white and one liver and 

 white 



Grace. Mr. Luke White's champion Grace, June 1, seven (three 

 dogs), by Mr. C. H. Mason's Beaufort; four liver and white and three 

 lemon and white. 



Maqqie (VMnre. Major Lovejoy's (Bethel, Me.) red Irish setter 

 biteh'Maggie O'More (A.K.R, 981), May 16, seven (five dogs), by Mr. C. 

 F. Crawford's Arlington. 



Jennnie Nettles. Mr. Jas. Lindsay's (Jersey City, N. J.) imported 

 collie bitch Jeanuie Nettles (Old Sweep— Lassie), May 3, seven (five 

 dogs), by champion Rex (A.K.R. 149). 



Benui'y. Mr. Jas. Lindsay's (Jersey City. N. J.) coUie bitch Beauty 

 (Ayrshire Laddie— Moosey)* May 7, five (four dogs), by Rex (A.K.R. 



Nellie. Mr. Jas. Lindsay's (Jersey City, N. J.) collie bitch NeJlie 

 (Rex— Flora), April 80, nine (six dogs), by Ayrshire Laddie (A.K.R. 



Countess C. Mr. J. Yearsley, Jr.'s (Coatesville, Pa.) English setter 

 bitch Countess C. (Dashing Tim— Armida), May 3, nine (four dogs), 

 by Mr. J. M. Avent's Rush Gladstone, 

 SALES. 



t® 1 " Sec instructions at head of this column. 



Leader. Beagle hound (A.K.R, 319), by Messrs. K. & W. Livingston, 

 New York, to Mr. A. Winsor, Providence, R. I. 



Nimbow. Red Irish setter dog. whelped April 9, 1884 (Nimrod, 

 A.K.R. 031— Cleo), bv the Ashmont Kennel, Boston, Mass., to Mr. F. 

 M. Harris, Worcester. Mass. 



Nimrod II. Red Irish setter dog. whelped April 9. 1884 (Nimrod. 

 A.K.R. 031 — Oleo), by the Ashmout Kennel, Boston, Mass., to Mr. A. 

 I,. FhdOte, North Parma. N. Y. 



Cast el ar. Fa.wn mastiff dog, whelped Jan. 36, 1884 (Diavolo, A.K.R. 

 543— Madge. A.K.R. 548), by the Ashmont Kennel, Boston, Mass,, to 

 the Philadelphia Kennel, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Bened iet\s Bm/. Solid black field spaniel (A.K.R. 130), by Mr. Her- 

 man F. Schellhass, Brooklyn, N.Y., to Dr. H. C. Eno, New York 

 City. 



Benedict's Boy— Lady Bub whelp. Black cocker spaniel hitch, by 

 Mr, Herman F. Schellha.ss, Brooklyn, N. Y.. to Mr. Geo.W.Whitcomb, 

 Boston. Mass. 



(ilencho— Bess whelps. Red Irish setter bitches, wbelped Jan. 21, 

 1884. by Mr. Fred. Waterman, Hudson, N. Y., one each to Mr. Walter 

 B. Peet, Mr. Jerome B. Wheeler. Mr. Lawrence M. Kosf weight and 

 Mr. W. B. Wetmore, New York; Mr. F. Carroll Hankes and Mr. Henry 

 M. Haner, Hudson. N. Y.: Mr. Theodore Ferpe, MadalLn, N. Y.; Mr. 

 Win. R. Caminoni, Brooklyn, N. Y., Mr. Eberhard Vollmer, Trenton, 

 N. J., and one te Miss Stella B. Jones, Chicago, III. 



Glenclw— Daisy whelps. Red Irish setters, whelped April 2, 1884, by 

 Mr. G. Hills, Hudson, N. Y , to Mr. F. I. Church, Concord, N. H.; Mr. 

 F. C. Herriek, Albany, N.Y.; Miss J. Stott, Stottville, N. Y.; Mr. Chas. 

 Epelstyu, Hudson, N. Y. ; Mr. Harry W. Livingston, Livingston, N. 

 Y.; Mr. H. Spencer, Catskill, N. Y.: Mr. J. M. Leekley, Galena, 111.; 

 Mr, H. E. Chubb, Cleveland, O. 



Guard. Yellow fawn, black muzzle, mastiff dog (A.K.R. n 43), by 

 Mr. J. A. S. Gregg, Fordhaui, N. Y., to the Strawberry Hill Kennel, 

 Leicester, Mass. 



Norah Hock. Irish terrier bitch, by Dr. J. S. Niven to Mr. Aug. Jay, 

 Nova Scotia. 



Tim. Irish terrier dog (A iloen— Rock), by Dr. J. S. Niven to Mr. 

 Henry Young. New York. 



Erin Badger. Irish terrier pup, by Dr. J. S. Niven to Mr. Henry 

 Young. New York. 



i:rah, i<i,i— Dolly ichelp. Blacii spaniel, by Dr. J. S. Niven to Mr. 

 Thos. Myers, Fust Saginaw. Mich. 



Baronne, Burgee and I'iclor. Rough-coated St. Bernards, two 

 bitches and one dog, by Rev. J. C. Maedona, West Kirby, Eng. 

 (through the Neversink Lodge Kcnnoli, hitch Baronne, to Mr. Pope, 

 Boston, Mass. ; bitch Burgee to the Chequasset Kennel, Lancaster, 

 Mass. ; dog Victor to Lieut Ward, Newport. 



I. a rem el,- '•/,,, /'. By Mr. H. C. Waddell (through Neversiuk Lodee 

 KeonelS), do? Lav eraott Chief to Major Piatt. Bangnor, North Wales. 

 wtteiu. By the Neversink Lodge Kennel to Mr. 



Cro.rlelh Doli 



Lynch, Newtourg 



Fairy. Pointe 

 Major Lovejoy,: 



Cork. Rcdlri 

 984— Bridget O'J 

 Mr. A. S.Hubbat 



Dash. Redlri 

 984— Bridget O'J) 

 Mr. A. P. Stuck, 



/hi,,. Kawn a 

 Ayrshire La 

 Mr. H. Belkuap, S 



Major, Sable and 



(i— Li? 



j. whelped Jan. 1, 1884 (Sam, Jr.— Quilley), by 

 , .Ale., to Mr. A. S. Hubbard, Thomaston. Conn. 

 ,c dbg, whelped March 14 (Ned Eleho. A.K.R. 

 V.K.R. 904). by Major Lovejoy, Bethel, Me., to 

 omaston. Conn. 



terdog, whelped March 14 (Ned Elcho. A.K.R. 

 . i>: I;, •ii.j,. by Major Lovejoy, Bethel, Me., to 



lite" collie dog, whelped June 22, 1883 (champion 

 ie), by Mr. Jas. Lindsay, Jersey City, N. J., to 

 .water county. Wyoming Ter. 

 hite collie dog. Omos. (cnainpion Rex— Jeannie 

 Nettles), by Mr. Jas. Lindsay, Jersey City, N. J., to Mr. G. B. Grinnell, 

 New York City. 



I'ido. Black, white and tan collie dog, whelped Sept, 15, 1882 

 (champion Rex— Beauty), by Mr. Jas. Lindsay, Jersey City, N. J., to 

 Mrs. Parker, WilliauisbrKlge, N. Y. 



Ivanhoe. Sable and white collie dog, whelped Aug. 4, 1883 (Robin 

 Adair— Lark), by Mr. Jas, Lindsay, Jersey City, N. J., to Mr. Thomas 

 Willing, Warwick, N. Y. 



PRESENTATIONS. 

 JET" See instructions at head of this column. 



Mack Spaniel Pups. By Dr. J S. Niven, London, Ont., to Mr. Ed. 

 Fisber, Toronto, and Mr, J. F. Kirk, Toronto. 



AodlDffltWS will BAPPBN, whether you like to think so or not; and 

 if you do not wish to run in debt while, disabled, or have your family 

 suffer if you die. insure in the Travelers, of Hartford, Conn,— Adv. 



\ifh mid H[fny ^lwating. 



ARMY RIFLE PRACTICE. 



THE DEFECTS AND OMISSIONS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, 



EditO) Fotest and Stream: 



Having had something to say about the faults of the army 

 system of target practice, perhaps you will indulge me in a few re- 

 marks upon modes and methods that I consider better, stating at the 

 very outset that I can hardly present anything very new, novel or 

 startling, but only such ideas as my experience and reading dictate. 



To give my ideas I must necessarily follow and criticise our present 

 system to some extent, in order to point out by contrast what I claim 

 should lie the proper system. The germ of our present system lies in 

 "LaidleyV Rifle Firing," and passing over all preliminary instruction 

 as probably as good as any that can he given to establish the elementary 

 principle, and therefore needing no criticism, we come to the appli- 

 cation of those principles in practice upon the rauge. 



Right here begins the fault of our system, and let me say that I 

 never believed it to be the original idea' of Laidley that such a system 

 should have been developed, and, therefore, the fault is not bis, ex- 

 cept- i hat he confines the llrst practice to five shots, whereas I think 

 the first practice should be unlimited in order to be able to teach im- 

 provement by each successive shot, while ideas of improvement, and 

 errors to he corrected are fresh in the man's mind. By the time five 

 shots have been fired the man may be just on the point of compre- 

 hension and success, and could he fire five more his success would be 

 reasonably assured. But, stopping at five shots, and just at this 

 point, before the next firing day comes around, bis impressions and 

 recollections are dulled, and he begins again almost at (be same point 

 he did the previous da_y, instead of at the point and with the knowl- 

 edge and impressions where he left off on that day. Existing orders 

 allow fifteen shots per man at not to exceed two ranges, but the usual 

 practice is to have each man fire but five shots; this obtains because 

 there is not sufficient time to shoot off every man on each firing day 

 up to the limits of fifteen shots, and as each manmust shoot his shoot- 

 ing becomes limited to five shots only. 



With this exception, had Laidle.v's system been left alone, we would 

 have been much better off, but , as stated in a previous letter, amplifi- 

 cation of his system, under orders from the various Department 

 Headquarters, the vicious system of reports, etc., has caused the first 

 principles of success to be lost sight of, and the men now are crowded 

 too rapidly over the range iii order to get as many men with marks- 

 men's, first class men's, etc., scores, in order to have a good showing 

 and a high figure of merit at the end of the target year. 



Let us analyze and explain my meaning: Laidley, par. 461 to 407, 

 revised edition, gives the instruction for the first firing on the range at 

 100yds. He says nothing about 50 per cent., or 66 per cent, in two or 

 three best scores being any qualification such as to warrant the man 

 being advanced and firing at 200yds. In par. 468, he says: "The 

 squad is next practiced at a target 200yds. distant, or such members 

 of it as have attained the required skill" (the italics are mine), and 

 right here comes in the vicious order. Laidley leaves it to the in- 

 instructor's judgment when the man has attained the required skill. 

 The "cast-iron" orders leave the instructor no judgment, no discre- 

 tion, but the man must be advanced when he has made 66 per cent, 

 for three best scores at this 100yd. range, even though he knows such 

 advancement to be sheer folly and waste of time and ammunition. 



Now, who is the best judge of when this man should be advanced, 

 I, who stand and watch each shot fired, observe the errors and try to 

 correct them, see whether the man comprehends and is applying 

 proper principles and is bunching his shots close together somewhere 

 on the target or is scattering them indiscriminately high, low and 

 laterally, or the Department rifie instructor, who, perhaps, never saw 

 either me, my men, or my target range, and who judges from his 

 office, perhaps a thousand miles away? He gets up these orders, he 

 is desirous of emulating with other Departments in the number of 

 marksmen Qualified, and he, therefore, with honest enough inten- 

 tions too, under the system, causes this system to be followed. 



Right here let. me say that I know the intentions and desires of the 

 instructors are honest, and that these orders result from other causes 

 as well as those mentioned. To particularize, I will say that, to their 

 shame be it said, there are troop, battery and company commanders 

 who are either lukewarm or indifferent to the requirements of target 

 practice, who perform their duty in only the routine manner neces- 

 sary 7 to keep themselves free from censure, and they cause such 

 orders to bo originated; for, without a "cast-iron" order to compel 

 them to exert themselves, they never would advance any one, and 

 their men not acquiring any enthusiasm from example, and becom- 

 ing disgusted with their want of advancement, "shoot and shoot, 

 and don't, hit," because they shoot in the same routine manner, sim- 

 ply to get the duty done, and back to their quarters, where they can 

 read, and loaf and smoke. 



But are such orders just? Is Captain John Smith to be bound down 

 and held to an order he knows to be folly, and that does not instruct, 

 simply because Captain Tom Jones is lazy and indifferent, and wants 

 "punching up." finds target practice "distasteful," and not in ac- 

 cordance with his ideas or "dignity?" I say the order is eminently 

 unjust. What have we post commanders fo'r except to see that Cap- 

 tain Tom Jones does his duty and does it properly, as well as Captain 

 John Smith? If post commanders are also lazy and indifferent, then 

 what more important duty have the Department commanders to do 

 than to "punch them up," and "ride them around with a watering 

 bridle and pair of spurs" until the laziness and indifference is taken out 

 of them. What have we inspectors for except to look into such things 

 and "haze everybody around" that does not show competence, effi- 

 ciency and interest in his profession ? If every one was compelled to 

 perform his duty properly by proper means, then neither I nor any 

 other commander would be compelled to follow such an order as 

 those given, laying out a programme that we know is not conducive 

 to the best results in the simplest way. 



Let us see what riflemen in civil life think about the efficiency 

 requisite to be advanced from one short range to the next, as well as 

 what my expet ience and judgment would dictate. 



Every book I have ever read that gave methods of becoming ex- 

 perts in rifle shooting, lays great stress on preliminary instruction, 

 and requires as near perfection in the preliminary exercises as possi- 

 ble before advancement is made, in order to properly- ground the rifle- 

 man, give him confidence as well as familiarity with all the require- 

 ments of successful shooting, so that intuitively he always shoots 

 properly and accurately at the shorter distances, and, therefore, 

 makes more rapid advancement when he comes to shoot at those 

 longer. Every rifleman knows that constant practice at short ranges 

 is beneficial even at the longest range, not only from the hardening 

 of muscles to the exertion, but from the confidence acquired by the 

 siiill developed. And does 66 per cent, in three best scores give such 

 training? Is the man ready to go back to the 300yds. range and do 

 anything successfully who only has such qualification f Would it not 

 be better to keep the man at the 100yds. target until he can do better, 

 Dprreet all his errors, and average 80 per cent, before being advanced ? 

 And when he is so qualified at 100yds., would he not then be prepared 

 to succeed much more quickly at ttie 200yds. range, overcoming the 

 increased distance, the apparent diminution of bullseye and target, 

 and. from his traiuing and steadiness, in a fewer shots again make a 

 higher average? Instead of being a "smatterer," would he not soon 

 become an expert, able to put his bullets where he pleased, instead 

 of as now once in a while, and, as the result of hard effort, making 80 

 per cent.? 



Instead of being a high, impossible average to obtain and maintain, 

 I claim that 80 per cent, at 100yds. is rather a low one with our 

 present, 8 inch bullseye and 20-inch center ring. I think I can hear 

 many riflemen say that auy compecent shot should be able to hit the 

 bullseye from twice to three times out of five at this distauee; but I 

 put the average at 80 per cent because that is the best we can expect 

 from the average man in the ranks, some of whom unfortunately are 

 slow of comprehension, awkward in their attempt at anything, and 

 from whom nothing else can be expected. Patience and perseverance 

 overcome their difficulties so as to teach them to "bunch their shots" 

 somewhere on the target, then to get them all into the 4 ring, but 

 perhaps never succeed in getting them into the bullseye. Better 

 this than any such scattering five as may make a 17 out or 25 and so 

 make the required percentage for advancement, to go back to the 

 200 yard range and scatter so badly 7 as to miss the target, and always 

 lie a "scatterer," even though the magical 80 per cent, is sometimes 

 made by confining the scattering to the 4 ring. With such careful 

 instruction and average requirements as I have mentioned, the rifle- 

 man should soon become a good shot, off -hand; but. when he comes 

 to the 300-yard range a new difficulty presents itself, which, to bo 

 overcome, needs an entire change of method. 



The 100-yard practice gave him steadiness for off-hand shooting, so 

 that he soon acquired skill at COUyds., and if allowed to try it, would 

 soon have also acquired ofl'-hand skill at 300yds. When I first went 

 back to the 300-yard target, although I could make 80 per cent, or 

 more three times out of five at the 200-yard range, and could, stand- 

 ing, do almost as well at the 300yds., yet I found I had something new 

 to learn, and that too at BOOyda. distance. My off-hand practice had 

 taught me. steadiness with my left elbow unsupported, and all my 

 deviations were in a vertical direction ; hence I had only this devia- 

 tion to combat. 



When kneeling, however, I found, my left elbow being supported, 

 that all my deviation was horizontal; my left hand and arm would 

 swing to right and left in spite of all I could do, and at this distance 

 the target was hard to hit. The bullseye appeared very small, and the 



width of the target very narrow, and but a slight horizantal deviation 

 carried me off the target, My first score was five "goose eggs," fol- 

 lowed by 3, then 8, and so on with small scores for over efefilj) shot: 

 I icf ore I made 80 per cent, and a marksman's score, After ' I once 

 "caught on" I had no further very great difficulty, but I am satisfied 

 that I would have overcome my difficulties sooner had I been allowed 

 to take the target at 2(H) yds. range as a place for my preliminary in 

 structjon in kneeling, the same as the 100-ydS. range was my prelim- 

 inary to (he 200 off- hand ; I would then have commenced anew pOSii- 

 tion'arid new instruction at the same range where I had acquired 

 skill off-hand. I would have not had 100yds. added on to the diffi- 

 culties to be overcome in the new kneeling position, and 1 would 

 soon have acquired skill in shooting kneeliug at this distance, so as to 

 agaiu have averaged high there as I bad previously at tOOyds. before 

 shootiug at 200, and when I went back to the 300-yard, rarigo I would 

 only have had the distance to overcome. 



But the order and system prevents (his; it: does not recognize the 

 fact that, although off-hand practice is beneficial and gives a man 

 steadiness everywhere, there is nothing new— except the greater dis- 

 tance— to lie learned when the man begins to kneel It only recog- 

 nizes the increased distance and teaches that the. kneeling position is 

 given as the steadier position to be taken because of this increase of 

 distance, and that before this new position has been learned and the 

 new conditions of steadiness have become familiar, True euougbtb 

 is that the. kneeling position is the steadier when known; but who 

 will say that the recruit can take it properly, and shoot properly 

 from it, until he has had time to become familiar with it? Would it 

 not be better to try and learn one thing at a time, "make haste 

 slowly," and advance much more rapidly in reality thau is the case 

 now? 



Then the system and order exacts another thing. No matter what 

 a man's individual peculiarities may tie, or what the condition of bis. 

 strength, nerves or eyesight, of which only the instructor personally 

 present can judge, he must follow the order. He must make a cer- 

 tain percentage at each lower range before he is advanced to a. 

 higher, when perhaps his ability to shoot at short ranges is a mini- 

 mum or even a minus quantity, while he may 7 be able to make a fair 

 or even an excellent shot at longer ranges, could he. only tie allowed 

 to go back there and try it. But his commander and instructor has 

 no discretion, cannot plaee him at the longer ranges because he has 

 not "qualified" at the shorter, and the man is never a good shot any- 

 where because he is unable to succeed at short ranges, and there- 

 fore never has the chance to try at the long. I have just, such men 

 in my troop. They 7 cannot, from some individual peculiarity, suc- 

 ceed at 200yds; they therefore never have the chance to try beyond, 

 never have a chance to learn to shoot kneeling and lying, where the 

 peculiarity would be overcome, and hence they stay poor shots 

 always for want of opportunity to learn the conditions necessary to 

 be learned at the distances and "posit ions where they could learn. 



Again the orders and system are at fault in that they give no discre- 

 tion to the instructor in the handling of his men under various con- 

 ditions of weather. To-day may be my day to shoot, but if may be a 

 day eminently unsuited for practice at 200yds, where ihe man is 

 bu'ffetted about by the wind that is blowing. True it is thai; men 

 should learn to shoot in all winds and weathers at all ranges; but we 

 must "creep before we can walk," and to-day it is blowing too hard 

 for the off-hand range, and .yet when lying down, good shothig can 

 be done, and experience gained that will be of value to all. 



But my men have not qualified at the short range, therefore tbey 

 cannot be put to shoot at the. long range, where they can lie down and 

 be steady in the wind. Shoot at 200y 7 ds. they must, or not shoot.it 

 all, and if they do shoot, which will be the exception and not the 

 rule, there will be so much powder and lead thrown away uselessly, 

 so many 7 shots used up from the total allowance per man per year, so 

 many the less on which to continue instruction, and no advantage 

 gained, because they havenotyet advanced enough, from first shoot- 

 ing in light winds to have learned to acquire, steadiness iu the, heavy 

 breeze that is blowing. 



I claim that our orders and system should recognize the fact 

 that is known to all riflemen, namely that there are three 

 styles of shooting, almost entirely distinct from each other, 

 and while some can succeed equally well in all others cannot, 

 and each commander and instructor be given the necessary use 

 of his judgment to place the man where he can succeed the best. 

 Short-range or off-hand, mid-range or kneeling, and long-range 

 practice have each peculiarities of their own, and because one suc- 

 ceeds in one is no criterion that he will succeed in all, or because he 

 fails in one no sure sign he will fail in all. And would not the man 

 who can shoot at 600yds. be more dangerous ai that distance than a 

 man who can't, and who can't because \\e n ver learned from baying 

 failed at 200? The times when he will shoot at 200yds. against an active 

 enemy may be and probably will be few and far between, while lie 

 may be called upon frequently to exercise his skill or show his want 

 or it, at the longer distance. Let me quote Mr. Farrow on tin's point: 



"I do really 7 think it far easier to become an expert marksman at 

 800, 900 and 1,000yds. than at the shorter distance. In the former 

 the position allowed the marksman is such that, after some practice, 

 the rifle can be held as steadily on the bullseye as though fired from 

 an artificial rest, and it is easier to become expert in estimating the 

 varying forces of the wind and changes of light, winch are the princi- 

 pal difficulties encountered at these distances. 



"It is easier to do that I will say than when a marksman is stand- 

 ing hi the open, with no rest for his rifle but bis own strength of arm 

 and nerve, to maintain a steady hold upon the bullseye. bringing 

 the pressure on the trigger with sufficient f ' rce to cause the dis- 

 charge at the right instant, and following this in successive, shots to 

 the fulfillment of a complete score. Ah, yes! I could name yon 

 many who, with the experience of one season at the long ranges, 

 have become so proficient that scores with but few points off from 

 the 'possible' have been repeated many times, vet these same gen- 

 tlemen, after years of practice at the 200yds., had become only me- 

 dium in proficiency." 



My experience ami observation exactly agree with the above, so far 

 as I have observed, up as far as we have ever shot at the long ranges, 

 and the same doubtless holds true up the longest, and we therefore 

 see that probably many men would succeed in becoming fair shots at, 

 the long ranges for all they may have failed at the short, provided 

 they only could get. there to shoot, and I would be glad of the author- 

 ity to give me the use of my judgment and discretion to use in de- 

 veloping men as shots where they can succeed and not have to keep 

 them hammering away at a range where it is perfectly evident they 

 cannot, and the waste of lead and their own discouragement and 

 disgust as shots. And proper classification can be given such men 

 also; they could enter into their proper place in flic figure of merit of 

 the troop, battery or company; would have their usefulness on the 

 field of battle, and probably from the encouragement received from 

 their success at long ranges would finally succeed at the short. 



But there are other kinds of shooting necessary to the field of bat- 

 tle, and so far our orders and system have not developed them. We 

 have seven targets to shoot at, calling for different siyles of firing- af- 

 fixed objects, and two calling for firing at moving or vanishing ob- 

 jects, and y r et I have never seen but three of those nine targets, much 

 less fired at them. 



Beginning as we. do at 100yds. at the beginning of each target year, 

 and "dragging the men over the ranges" to make marksmen for 

 "glory and buncombe," there has never yet been time to give the at- 

 tention to anything else but the regular rauge firing up to and to in- 

 clude 1,000yds, in some" few cases, generally only up to ttiiOyds. Skir- 

 mish firing, thau which there is no more important training that can 

 be given, receives no attention whatever, except at the annual com- 

 petitions by a few men selected to compete at Department. Division or 

 Army contests, and perhaps even by these men for the first time in 

 their lives, because why? Because all their time and energies have 

 been devoted to making successful shots and marksmeu on oho regu- 

 lar ranges, and there being no comparative excellence established, 

 and skirmish firing not entering into any classification. ,pjalitieation 

 or figure of merit, it is viewed with indifference, because it does not 

 help Captain John Smith's company to excel and take a high stand 

 as compared with that of Captain Tom Jones's company in the tar- 

 get reports. 



I have been shooting at army target practice off and on since 1870— 

 when first Laidlcy's system was inaugurated— and I have never seen 

 targets D, E, F, G, or either the movable or vanishing targets, and 

 have never seeu skirmish firing except at target B, in competition at 

 Department headquarters. 



Laidley, par. 473 to 487 inclusive, eives the instructions for file, 

 volley and skirmish firing, as well as at movable and vanishing tar- 

 gets, and an examination of these instructions shows a good system, 

 except that only ten rounds annually are required at skirmish 

 firing, at distances from 400 to 200yds., showing how little importance 

 was attached to this mode of tiring by him; and but little more encour- 

 agement has beeii given by the supplemental orders on the subject, 

 (J. O. 53 -A. U. O., 1882, only mentioning skirmish competitions from 

 UX i to 200yds, , and that "skirmish competitions will be encouraged 

 and should extend to ranges of 800, 900 and 1,000yds." 



How can men compete who have never been trained at this tiring' 

 I was a competitor last fall, and I never had tired before as a "skir- 

 misher'' in my life. All my time had been spent on the range, from 

 100 to 600yds., trying to follow the orders, and I had had neither time 

 nor opportunity to practice as a skirmisher. I had even been refused 

 permission to build a long rauge up to 1,000yds. to exercise the men 

 at long-range, tiring up to this distance, even although Laidle\ 

 the orders state that "marksmen wdl fire at targets "up to V-'OUyds 

 range," and I was therefore debarred from any chance to pracl ; 

 a skirmisher, as long-range practice for marksmen comes first m 

 order and importance in the system and orders, 



Another vital fault in the system aud orders is the want of recog. 



