Boot Camps

What is a boot camp?

For some people, attending boot camp represents the fast-track to becoming an RWVA instructor. To others, it's an opportunity to learn a great deal more about rifle marksmanship.

In the words of one of our boot camp graduates: "Its a place where a group of dedicated volunteer instructors take a week or more off from their jobs, and travel to Ramseur (or elsewhere) to instruct a bunch of new guys in both rifle marksmanship basics and teaching that very skill to others..."

He's right.

During that week instructors and students get to know each other, and if history is any indication, they oftentimes forge lifelong friendships.

The training consists of class room instruction, range safety instruction, shooting at 25 yards, shooting at longer ranges, shooting at pop-ups (if available), and helping each other work out individual problems discovered during the short range work.  The type of target will be variable during the 25-yd work, the pop-ups are pop-ups and the full distance AQT targets are standard military D targets. 

The training first focuses on the basics at the 25 yard range to uncover and correct any problems the students have before moving on to the longer ranges.  Once the students demonstrate their newly learned abilities at 25 yards consistently, longer distance instruction starts.  During that process the students learn that all that repetition at 25 yards really does translate into hitting targets at 100, 200, 300 and 400 yards.

The last day at boot camp calls for more practice at running a firing line, and instructing fellow students in preparation for the Appleseed that weekend where they'll get to repeat that line calling. They'll also cover range safety officer work and instruction in basic rifle marksmanship techniques to the Appleseeders.

And lastly, if you go to a boot camp and don't have one of the best times of your life, "something is wrong with you and you need professional help." (M1A4ME Boot Camp Graduate, RWVA Instructor)