967 (BAE Warton) Sqn ATC - Target Shooting

Shooting

Cadets at all levels of the Air Training Corps have the opportunity to participate in the sport of rifle shooting. Since the ATC was originally a recruiting organisation for the Royal Air Force, it made good sense for marksmanship to be on the training syllabus. Though the military ties are not as strong now, shooting has been retained as a cadet activity and a popular one too. In fact, shooting remains one of the most popular cadet activities on our Squadron.

A "range" is a location designed so that people can take part in shooting under controlled conditions and ranges come in many shapes and sizes. Initially, shooting takes place with the target 25m from the firer, either on our local indoor range at Great Birchwood or on the 25m outdoor range at Weeton Barracks. There is little to choose between these two as the air conditioning on an indoor range ensures that it is as cold as the outdoor Barracks range. As the firer advances through the weapons they will start to shoot at ranges of 100m or more.

Safety is paramount with all ATC activities and shooting is certainly no exception. Training is an integral part of the system and each cadet is fully trained in whichever rifle they will be using. Supervising staff are similarly trained to deal with any eventualities and to ensure that the range is run safely and efficiently. All rifles are fired from the prone position (the firer is lying on their stomach) at static, targets.

At the moment, initial training on a weapon (of which Cadets will get the opportunity to fire a number of varieties) is carried out by members of staff provided by the Wing. This is then backed up by coaching and regular 'Weapons Handling Tests' by the Squadron's qualified and highly experienced shooting staff.

As with many Cadet activities, shooting is used to develop discipline and respect, all rounds fired are done so under the strictest of control of the Range Conducting Officer. Shooting is also a surprisingly physical activity, especially for the smaller Cadets. Many will find that after an evening on the range, their arms will ache the next day! Finally it teaches patience, control and concentration. Target shooting is a fine art with every movement a controlled action to ensure the most accurate shot. Each time a Cadet shoots they are encouraged to learn something new and improve their shooting. By the time they are competent, every breath and movement whilst shooting will be thought about and controlled.

The development within shooting will begin with the 'Number 8', firing .22” rounds. This is the easiest to use of the weapons that the Squadron uses and is a single shot weapon(some Squadron's have air rifles as the first weapon). Once some competency has been demonstrated on this weapon training is available on the 'L98', a magazine fed single shot full bore weapon firing 5.56mm rounds. This is a much more complicated weapon, the training being over twice the length and the Handling Test being far more complex. The final weapon is the L81A1, this is the much the same in operation as the Number 8, however is fires much larger rounds – 7.62mm.

Cadets will be given the opportunity to participate in a number of competitions, from Squadron competitions to National competitions competing against people throughout the country. They will also be given the opportunity to gain marksmanship proficiency awards, there are 4 different levels, Squadron, Wing, Region and Corps. All of which are a fantastic achievement for any Cadet and can be worn on the uniform with pride.

The diary shows a number of different shooting based activities. These consist of:

1. Full day training sessions - Saturday's or Sunday's starting at 0900 at either Kendal Squadron's HQ or Wing HQ, Weeton Barracks. Training will be available on all Cadet weapons.

2. Evening sessions - 1st Wednesday of every month from 1900 to 2115 at Wing HQ, Weeton Barracks. Training will be available on all Cadet weapons.

3. 25m ranges - Saturday's or Sunday's at Weeton Barracks. These will be firing L98 or No 8.

4. Long Range Shooting - Saturday's or Sunday's at RAF Sealand. These will be firing L98 or L81.