SDM article

[CharlieHotel]

Read this Article in G&A Book of the AR15. Found the author online and he sent it to me in pdf. He also did a great writeup on Appleseed for New Pioneer Magazine. Here are both...

Modern Musketry
The Squad Designated Marksman
by John M. Buol Jr.
http://firearmusernetwork.com
"Marksmanship is a fundamental skill and a core competency that every Soldier needs to be lethal."
- LTG Benjamin C. Freakley, Commander, U.S. Army Accessions Command
Theories of rifle marksmanship are as old as the concept of groove-cut bores. In his video entitled
"Urban Rifle" noted instructor Clint Smith comments that he owns a book published in 1877 describing
the fundamentals of marksmanship as commonly taught today, and the principles were established long
before that. Schützenfests began in the Old Swiss Confederacy with participants competing with
crossbows before the advent of firearms and the marksman's organization Schweizer
Schiesssportverband has been arranging events in Switzerland since 1824.
Despite this early interest rifle marksmanship was not be commonly taught to most troops and the
manual of arms was often limited to orderly loading technique and fixing bayonets. Rather than
training recruits to shoot, riflemen were more specialized and selected if they could first demonstrate an
already developed proficiency, such as those regiments organized by Colonel Hiram Berdan during the
Civil War. The problem was these arms remained too slow to manufacture and too slow to employ in
practice. Most soldiers were armed with smoothbore muzzle loaders that weren't accurate enough to
reliably hit an individual man-sized target beyond 75 to 100 yards. Units maneuvered en masse and
fired volleys as they approached enemy formations before the inevitable charge to meet man to man. In
a way, this was the same basic tactical principle of a phalanx that had stood for millennia before, with
muskets replacing spears.
The existing knowledgebase of riflecraft would not begin to fully blossom until the mid-19th Century
when the Industrial Revolution made possible mass production with precision and the rifle became a
practical, common issue item. In a span of years common long guns went from volley fire-capable
bayonet platforms to tactical tools effective on point targets at a quarter mile and beyond. Schools of
Musketry (yes, the name is a misnomer) were formed to exploit this, as were civilian organizations, in
an attempt to teach the skills of precision marksmanship needed to military and citizen down to the
individual level. Various programs were instituted to acknowledge and reward the best shooters.
Prior to the Korean War the US military would often provide extra pay to those who excelled at
shooting and qualifications to retest were held every few months. Beyond basic qualification organized
events were supported to encourage further development. The first Distinguished Rifleman Badge was
awarded in 1887 and shooting events from post and station teams all the way up to the National level
were offered.
This competitive heritage has proven to be the best route to top proficiency. Herbert McBride openly
acknowledged his experience in competitive shooting, as did his contemporary, Medal of Honor
recipient Sam Woodfill. Their exploits during The Great War are the stuff of legend. During Viet Nam,
a group of Marines were tasked with training precision marksmanship in country, but no official course
of instruction existed then. In an interview for a History Channel program entitled "Sniper - One Shot,
One Kill" Jim Land discussed a number of challenges he faced and how his instructors were left to
their own resources in acquiring equipment and personnel.
Land knew what resources mattered most: "I had no guns, no instructors, I never had an office. But the
one thing I did have was that I knew the location of just about every Distinguished Marksmen in
Vietnam." One such marksman was fellow competition shooter and Wimbledon Cup winner, Carlos
Hathcock.
Despite this heritage and proven success, emphasis on marksmanship dwindled. Within the Army the
death knell to effective riflery was the near complete elimination of shooting on Known Distance
ranges and the exclusive use of Remote Engagement Target System (RETS) "pop up" ranges for
qualification. While the Trainfire doctrine has merit, in practice it nearly eliminates any feedback of
shooting skills because a shooter never can tell exactly where bullets are going, much less why, with
RETS targets. Soldiers with a full twenty year career in the military rarely progress their marksmanship
skills beyond the initial, elementary levels taught in boot camp. Unless he takes up competitive
shooting on his own, it is a rare NCO or officer that can demonstrate true proficiency with small arms.
The Industrial Revolution created a tool that would eventually smash doctrine that had stood for
thousands of years but the march of progress would not stop there. In less than one century the tool of
power went from rifled shoulder-fired arms all the way to rocket-launched atomic weapons. Almost as
soon as it appeared the rifle was made apparently obsolete. What major military could be bothered with
individual rifles when bomber and missile-delivered nuclear weaponry was available? Where troops
had previously placed an emphasis on individual marksmanship, qualification programs of the Cold
War largely degenerated into minimalist affairs.
As it turns out this thinking was a mistake and a painful one. Exchanges of nuclear munitions between
super powers in all out war have never happened. Despite harnessing the power of the atom within
multi-billion dollar weapon systems, conflicts to date have been fought only on the conventional scale
and the man on the ground is still a vital element. If anything, individual small arms have become more
important in these early phases of the 21st Century. I'm sure the warriors embroiled in the conflicts of
the Cold War era and the conflicts of today would disagree with the notion that this style of war is "low
intensity", but not only have we remained within the confines of conventional war, even staples of 20th
Century militaries, such as armor and indirect artillery, are considered too heavy handed. Our forces
may command the most potent examples yet devised, such as the Abrams Main Battle Tank and
Paladin, but it won't help win the hearts and minds of a populace where the vast majority of inhabitants
are non-combatants. Someone has to go in on foot and root out individual enemy and the only
reasonable tool immediately available is what can be hand carried.
The Poor Man's Sniper
"The primary mission of the Squad Designated Marksman is to deploy as a member of the
rifle squad ... He fires and maneuvers with his squad and performs all the duties of the
standard rifleman. The secondary mission of the SDM is to engage key targets from 300 to
500 meters with effective, well-aimed fires using the standard weapon system and standard
ammunition... The SDM program will provide the squad with a designated marksman that
has been trained to engage targets from 300 to 500 meters [operating as a rifleman] but will
have the added responsibility of engaging targets with effective, well-aimed fires out to 500
meters."
- FM 3-22.9, US Army
There is nothing "poor" about this skill set. In fact, experience has taught many times that the shooting
skills of enthusiastic graduates from good SDM courses exceed those of traditionally trained snipers. A
sniper is as much an intelligence-gathering asset as a shooter. Shots taken are methodical and planned,
possibly passed up if a high probability of success doesn't exist. The SDM has to react to ever evolving
situations as they affect the team. Maneuvering as a member of a rifle squad, or possibly over watching
them, the Designated Marksman may be tasked to engage more distant targets when a weapon other
than a rifle would be too heavy handed or imprecise. Why riddle a window in a distant building with
machine gun fire, or air drop a munition, to take out an enemy hide when a few well-placed bullets
from the rifle in your hands will do the job? In the hands of a trained marksman, standard issue rifles
become precise guided munitions costing dimes per shot.
Training
The core of any Designated Marksman training mirrors any conventional shooting course, establishing
the basics of position rifle shooting in a field environment. A critical component is offering near perfect
feedback to allow the shooter to see the exact placement of every shot fired. A Known Distance range
allows marking the location of groups and individually fired rounds at full distance and environmental
constraints along with the opportunity to record the results for later study. Zero settings and
marksmanship error is readily observable and more easily diagnosed.
Contrast this to the current Army norm of shooting on RETS "pop up" targets where this lack of critical
feedback is simply not available and hinders the Soldier from improving skills. Numerous mobilization
platforms have recruited civilian Service Rifle competitors participating in Civilian Marksmanship
Program events as instructors because too few military personnel had the needed expertise. A
background in competitive Across-The-Course shooting is beneficial to anyone wanting to use a rifle
better and directly applicable to the SDM.
This is not an equipment problem, as any basic, quality, modern rifle, such as the AR-15, will do. It is a
training problem, understanding the realities of longer range shooting and learning how to get the most
out of what is at hand. Purpose built Designated Marksman rifles have been created and optical sights
can offer some advantages but a trained and practiced rifleman with an issue M16A2 and ball ammo is
deadlier than a mere "qualified" soldier and a DM rifle with ACOG. As the Field Manual points out,
standard rifles and ammunition is called for.
The first step is to relearn (or learn for the first time) the basics of effective position shooting. A poor
hold, inconsistent position, lackluster trigger control and flinching are all common maladies found in
most military trained shooters, to say nothing of the general gun owning public. Yep, the boring ol'
basics. No benches, sticks, or rests of any kind. Just learn to hold the rifle and get bullets to hit the
same place. A big problem in shooting is that everyone seems to "know how" but few can actually
execute when tested. A commonly repeated line in competitive shooting circles is that a novice level
shooter is one that understands the fundamentals of marksmanship and a Master level shooter is one
that can actually apply them.
Group shooting on bullseye-type targets interspersed with dry fire and ball and dummy is the initial
order of the day. Bullseye-type target can be anything that provides an easily referenced aim point
while maintaining appropriate sight focus during shooting and offering feedback shortly thereafter. In
some classes we've modified silhouette targets with a defined center point, for example. You don't
necessarily need a full distance range at this stage. For some students we've done all this initial work on
a 25 meter range with scaled targets. Shooting at under 100 yards or so allows the use of a spotting
scope to track impacts without needing someone to pull targets in the pits. The "Army Qualification
Test" as used by the Appleseed Project, which is a National Match Course-derived event based on an
All Army match reduced to 25 meters, is an excellent example of how effective scaled target training
can be. The point is to learn and/or review fundamental marksmanship skills because everyone, no
matter how good, will benefit from a refresher.
Initial zeroing and ranging exercises can be conducted at short range, too. Trijicon, for example, uses
scaled targets for 25 and 300 meter shooting. At twenty five meters paper targets with appropriately
sized silhouettes and offsets simulate shots all the way to 800 meters. If the shooter has a good zero,
and uses the reticle appropriate for the simulated distance, then the shots will go into the indicated
offset point. The same idea is used at 300 meters, but steel gongs for impacts are offset from the
cardboard aim point.
The next order of business is theory, with discussions of ballistics, sight adjustments, zeroing, angular
deviation (minutes of angle), environment, wind, along with a realistic assessment of rifle capability.
This is the book part of Designated Marksman training, with shooters learning to record data. A trained
SDM shouldn't need more than a sticker with recorded zeros on his stock for field use, but keeping a
data book on the range is a useful training tool. Recording data of previous engagements forces the
shooter to pay better attention to the feedback received and, hopefully, learn from it.
The benefits of a KD range are lost on a flincher. Full distance shooting with feedback exposes a
shooter to most of the factors involved with field shooting, but adding more variables to a person with
fundamental errors confuses things. Was that wide shot due to a marksmanship error, bad wind call,
poor no-wind zero or something else? To a person incapable of consistently calling shots and recording
data the experience is often wasted, however, a marksman with good basic skills can finely hone zeros
at full distance and better learn what effects the environment will play on his bullets.
Given a shooter with solid grounding in marksmanship, and recorded data from a KD range, the sky's
the limit depending what range and target availability allows. Many classes don't have anything but a
KD range available so the pace is quickened by shooting from less stable positions, reduced time limits
and rundown courses (shooting after sprinting to the firing point.) Unknown distance ranges, especially
with self-resetting steel targets combines range estimation with the shooting challenges. Some facilities
offer shoot towers so SDMs can learn to deal with slope angle as well.
Anyone armed with an AR-15 can learn the skills of a Squad Designated Marksman. Lacking formal
training, the one thing every AR-15 owner can work to improve is basic fundamentals along with
zeroing and group shooting from position. Combine this with a knowledge of ballistics and
environment factors and you're well on your way to learning the skills of modern musketry and
designating yourself as a true marksman.
--
John M. Buol Jr. is a former active duty small arms instructor for the US Army having served
as Course Writer and Machine Gun Gunnery NCOIC at the Small Arms Instructor Academy
at Camp Bullis, TX. Having returned to a reserve status, he is the editor of American
Gunsmith magazine, director of the Firearm User Network and is a freelance writer on
marksmanship-related topics. Buol is a member of the US Army Reserve Shooting Team, has
earned both Distinguished Rifleman and Pistol Shot badges and a classification of Master in
several shooting disciplines. He can be reached through his website at
http://firearmusernetwork.com


The Appleseed Project:
Forging Responsible Citizens Through Marksmanship
by John M. Buol Jr.
http://firearmusernetwork.com
"The Revolution was affected before the War commenced. This radical change in the principles,
opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution."
- John Adams
The Appleseed Project, hosted by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, a 501(c)3 organization
comprised of volunteers, promotes the American tradition of rifle marksmanship along with
Revolutionary War history and grass-roots participation in the political process in a safe, non-partisan
environment. RWVA believes that teaching rifle marksmanship and early American heritage provides a
direct relationship between understanding American history and civic virtue. Americans losing sight of
our country's founding principles is resulting in reduced involvement in government, leaving a
citizenry relegating governmental decisions solely to elected officials.
The media has long been referring to elected representatives as "leaders" when our nation's true
leadership is the citizenry. Elected officials are appointed by vote and should be considered legislative
janitors, conducting day-to-day affairs on behalf of voter-constituents who have authorized them to act
as an agent. Project Appleseed events are designed to counter the comfort of couch and television with
reality. Conducted as two-day, family-friendly clinics, civic virtue is learned through stories of
America's founding and by cultivating skills of persistence and determination through rifle
marksmanship. Learning heritage while developing shooting skills creates the appreciation needed to
rekindle civic responsibilities. Attendees are driven to succeed through perseverance and challenged to
apply their new-found appreciation of the Founding Fathers toward regular involvement in local, state
or national government.
Pretty heady stuff for a shooting program, but you'll quickly learn that Appleseeds are more than rifle
clinics. Founded by Jack Dailey, a successful real estate developer turned entrepreneur known as
"Fred" for his surplus sales company (Fred's M14 Stocks, named after his dog) and Shotgun News
column, this self-described "ne'er do well" has presided a gun club and wrote a State-level NRA
newsletter, earning awards for both. Getting involved in high-level competition shooting, running a
firearms-related business and managing a gun club gave him insights that the eroding appreciation of
our founders along with the decline of skilled marksmanship among American gun owners is due to
apathy. The Appleseed Project represents his mission to fix both.
On the political front his message is regular, constructive action. Simple steps done consistently over
time yields results. An example is regular use of the One Minute Letter. Similar to the book The One
Minute Manager, citizens should regularly voice their position to their government with short
correspondence. A succinct letter or email gets to the point, can be read in a minute and, being quick to
write, requires less motivation to actually do. Even token action beats the best intention and encourages
political activity. "Fred" describes this as winning the "soft war," meaning the best way to improve the
situation is to use our already-established political process and communicate your position now. This
runs counter to misinformed fabrications claiming the Appleseed Project is some anti-government
militia movement. Quite the contrary, Appleseeds teach our heritage as a motivator to work with the
established system our Forefathers gifted us.
Of course, shooting is a big part an Appleseed and what lures most participants. While a number of
exercises are used, the main course of fire is dubbed the Army Qualification Test. The AQT copies a
previous Excellence In Competition course used in military-sponsored matches and is derived from the
rifle National Match Course. Shot on F-type silhouettes, competitors fire 40 rounds in four, ten-round
strings consisting of two minutes at 100 yards offhand, 50 seconds at 200 sitting, 60 seconds at 300
prone and ten minutes at 400 prone. With 250 points possible the goal is to break 210 earning a
Rifleman rating from RWVA. To make it accessible for all, the targets are scaled, all shooting is
conducted at 25 meters and .22 rimfire rifles are encouraged.
Don't let the short distance fool you. Marksmanship principles learned on scaled targets translate to
accurate shooting out to 500 yards. A centered, four-minute group will hold a twenty-inch silhouette at
the "rifleman's quarter mile" and this can be trained on a one-inch paster at 25 meters. The
marksmanship challenge is essentially the same. Some of the most accomplished marksmen are
Smallbore competitors. International Rifle shot in the Olympics consists of rimfire rifles and these
courses are based on gallery courses designed to teach the use of full-power battle rifles. Good
marksmanship translates everywhere and can readily be learned on a reduced course. Appleseed
instructors break the shooting process down into positions, natural point of aim and six steps of firing a
shot and recognize mastering a .22 allows you to master a bigger center fire.
As for equipment recommendations, Ruger 10/22 rifles are the runaway favorite because they are
plenty accurate out of the box, reliable, inexpensive, magazine fed and, with good aftermarket sights
such as Tech-Sights, closely mimic self-loading centerfire rifles. From the factory the 10/22 has a short
stock, so a comb raising kit and extended recoil pad fits it to a normal adult. A loop sling is preferred by
knowledgeable marksman and a simple, GI-type (nylon or cotton) works well. For comfort during a
long shooting day a simple padded shooting coat, such as used by the US Marine Corps, and mat helps.
Beyond a data book or notebook to record dope and a few odds and ends, that's it. A person with zero
shooting gear can purchase a complete, top-notch spread of equipment for this shoot for just over $300
and this gear will last a lifetime. In light of ever-escalating ammo prices, .22 rimfire remains a
reasonable buy.
The real message to be learned from the Appleseed Project is: Get involved! Two centuries ago our
ancestors had two options, submit or fight. Today, we enjoy a third option. Interact with your
community, correspond with editors, become active in government decisions and host shooting
activities. Make your voice heard and become a good example for others. Attending an Appleseed
event is a great first step.
--
John M. Buol Jr. is a former active duty small arms instructor for the US Army having served
as Course Writer and Machine Gun Gunnery NCOIC at the Small Arms Instructor Academy at
Camp Bullis, TX. Having returned to a reserve status, he is the editor of American Gunsmith
magazine, director of the Firearm User Network and is a freelance writer on marksmanshiprelated
topics. Buol is a member of the US Army Reserve Shooting Team, has earned both
Distinguished Rifleman and Pistol Shot badges and a classification of Master in several
shooting disciplines. He can be reached through his website at http://firearmusernetwork.com

[Ratchett]

Thank you for sharing these articles

[dragonfly]

Nice article on Appleseed Mr. Buol got it so right   

D-fly  Keeping the Faith

[oladcock]

Really good perspective...O.L.