Shooting practice before a safari. A poll.

25 November 2011, 00:06

Some people are better shooters that other ,but shooting isnt instintive ,anybody can make some good shots ,long distance ,snp shots or running shots but to be a good marksman you need to do this shots everytime and under pressure SO IF YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE A GOOD SHOOTER YOUR PLACE IS IN A MACHT SPECIALLY PRACTICAL SHOOTING TOURNAMENTS THERE YOU WILL SEE that you are not so good .......AS I LEARNT SEVERAL TIMES

26 November 2011, 05:00

AnotherAZWriter

quote:
Originally posted by jetdrvr:
quote:
Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
quote:
Originally posted by jetdrvr:
Richard Marcinko, the original CO of SEAL Team Six, had an ammo budget greater than the entire Marine Corps's.

Assuming that there are 200 operators in Seal Team six and 100 support staff, and assuming the USMC is 200,000 strong means each member of ST6 shoots 1000 rounds for every round a marine fires. So if the average marine only shoots 40 rounds per year, the average ST6 member would shoot over 40,000 rounds per year, or go through a rifle barrel every month, to say nothing of the suppressors...

If this is true, it is a failure of leadership in the USMC. If the average Marine fired 100 rounds per year, the average ST6 member would have to fire 100,000 rounds a year and go through a boatload of barrels. I know when I shot competitively and the ammo was free, I was hard pressed to shoot 1000 rounds a day. At that rate you would have to shoot for 100 days to shoot 100,000 rounds in year. Granted, I didn't shoot full auto, but I doubt ST6 does much of that either. I also suspect that ST6 practices a lot more than just shooting.

Read the man's book, Rogue Warrior. I bet it outsold yours. I'm simply quoting him, and I had a few friends on the original Six, one who was killed in Grenada, and they supported this. So shove your figures. Call him up and ask him. I'm the last guy who would ever consider calling Cmdr. Marcinko a liar, but if you're feeling really froggy, then jump. I could care less. Always the wise guy, aren't you?

JetDrver:

I simply did some math. I also said, "If true, that is a failure of USMC leadership."

I also used a force of 200; at the time Marcinko made this quote he had only 75 operators. So you can more than double my numbers.

Did I post a "BS Flag?" No.

Here is the quote I found on the internet:
According to Dick Marcinko, the annual training allowance for the command was larger than that of the entire U.S. Marine Corps.

That is even more stunning - at the time he had 75 operators and had a training budget more than the Marine Corps?

Note that isn't ammo, although ammo would ostensibly be part of this.

That the Commandant of the Marine Corps would let ST6 have more resources than the entire USMC is truly a failure of leadership.

26 November 2011, 22:23

jetdrvr

A valid point. But that's the way it was in those post Vietnam days at Little Creek. I knew a guy who was an E-6 who was checked out in Lears. They did all kinds of wild stuff and Marcinco's Red Cell pissed off the brass so they locked him up. But anyone paying attention in those days knows that it was a carefully built frame.

One only has to look at the dismal performance of the various military units at Grenada to ascertain that there was a real hangover from Nam. Six was an aberration, a unit that worked smoothly. They lost four guys in the Grenada thing, but I still don't believe the press release. Who knows?

26 November 2011, 23:20

Hizzie

Well, based on my savings plan I will be able to go to Africa in 10 yrs. I plan on shooting at least 20rds/month through my 458. I also plan on hunting a bit over the years till then. 12 months per year x 20 rounds per month x 10 years = 2400 rounds minimum.

RE: Demo Dick Marcinko. I remember reading about the ridiculous amount of ammo they put through their S&W Model 66's with full house 357 Magnum ammo.

29 November 2011, 10:53

NitroX

quote:
Originally posted by ozhunter:
I quite enjoy getting out and field testing my big rifles prior to Safari.
Dry firing as stated above is great practice also.

Great post Oz. The best practice we have here in Oz, is a feral pig hunt, followed by feral goats, and maybe even a skippy cull (permits).

Water buffalo culls are also great practice for the Cape versions.

29 November 2011, 11:01

NitroX

quote:
Originally posted by ErikD:.
Question:
How many rounds do you shoot with the guns you will be hunting with, before going on a safari?

Note that the question is about the rifles you will be hunting with, and not other rifles you may shoot besides anyway. If you do shoot a lot of other rifles for practice anyway, even a .22LR, feel free to comment this with a post.

If I'm taking a plains game calibre I will practice with that a lot. Maybe 100 plus rounds or 200 over several months. A feral game hunt before hand is a great opportunity too.

If using big bores, I will shoot them less, as recoil is not pleasant and not good to overdo. However again one feels it less if shooting at a feral.

I do use a .22 for practice as well. I shoot a few boxes of it, using up the ten shot magazines to reinforce the keeping the rifle at the shoulder when working the bolt. Works well. Also of course us the centrefire bolt action practising this as well. It is amazing watching videos how many safari hunts drop their rifles to their waists to work their bolts, then shoulder them again to shoot a second shot.

Shooting BGRC (Big Game Rifle Club) rapid fire shoots with say a .375 is also great practice.