, at this stage of his education, he could not account were
he advanced to firing with full charges. Furthermore, as there is no
recoil to induce nervousness or flinching, the soldier soon finds that
he can make good scores, and this success is the surest stimulus to
interest.

Not only to the beginner is gallery practice of value; to the good
shot it is a means of keeping, to a certain extent, in practice, and
practice in shooting, as much as in anything else, is essential. Since
it can be carried on throughout the year, gallery practice is of much
value in fixing in the men the _habit of aimed fire_, than which
nothing in his training is of more importance.

RANGE PRACTICE

=1386.= Having completed the gallery practice course, the soldier is
then advanced to known-distance firing on the target range where he
uses the service rifle, with service ammunition.

This known-distance practice is divided into certain regular courses
and special courses.

The regular courses and Special Course A are for troops of the Regular
Army.

There is also a special course for the Organized Militia and
Volunteers and one for Volunteer recruits.

All the various courses are described in detail in the Small-Arms
Firing Manual and anyone having occasion to use any of them should
familiarize himself thoroughly therewith.

OTHER INSTRUCTION

=1387. Use of sling.= After the soldier has been drilled in the proper
standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone positions in the foregoing
exercises, the use of the sling will be taught. Adjustments and their
advantages will be taught with the idea of noninterference with
quickness and freedom of action. The trigger squeeze exercises will
then be continued in the different positions, using the sling.

=1388.= _Description and adjustment._ The sling is made up of four
parts: the long strap, A, forming the arm loop; the short strap, B;
and the two keepers, C and D. At one end of each of the straps there
is a metal claw, used for adjusting the straps. At the other end of
the short straps there is a metal loop through which the longer strap
is passed, thus connecting the two straps.

[Illustration: Fig. 37]

To adjust the sling for firing, the claw of the short strap is
disengaged and reengaged in the proper holes of the short strap, such
adjustment as may be necessary being also made in the long strap (the
arm loop).

=1389.= _What the sling does._ It does two things: (1) It steadies the