As part of their training syllabus cadets are given the opportunity to use and fire weapons. The two main weapons the cadets use are the .22 No 8 Rifle and the 5.56mm L98 A1 GP Rifle.
Before the cadets are allowed to use the weapons they are trained and tested to prove they are safe and competent when on the rifle range.
The only position cadets can fire in is the 'Prone' position which is lying on their front.
Cadets are given the opportunity to earn badges and awards whilst using the weapons and these are detailed below.
The most commonly used weapon is the .22 No 8 Rifle. This weapon is mostly used on an indoor range and can be used to gain the cadet the 'ATC Marksman Badge'. Learning about this rifle is part of the 1st Class training syllabus. The cadets are taught about the different parts of the weapon and how to use it safely and to clean it.
The No 8 Rifle is based on the No 4 rifle which used to be a military weapon. It is a hand fed, bolt action, single shot weapon and was designed as a accurate target and training rifle.
The principles of gaining a marksmans badge has now changed and can be gained by using an air rifle, the No 8 or the L98. To gaing a badge is now run on a points system and there are 4 different badges on offer.
The L98 Rifle is a cadet version of the British Forces SA80 weapon. It has been adapted so that it is safe and more ergonomically friendly for the cadets.
The rifle is a Bolt Action, magazine fed, single shot weapon.
The Rifle fires a 5.56mm round that is considerably larger than the .22 round used in the No 8 rifle and can fire a magazine of up to 30 rounds. The rifle is said to have a low recoil which makes it ideal for cadets to fire and train with.
- Left: A regional Marksmans Badge
The 'Cadet 100' badge is a very high award in the ATC. The badge is earned by the top 100 cadets throughout all cadet corps by competing to earn the highest amount of points.
Deliberate Fire
The Historical and military term for Deliberate fire is the type of fire used once the battle has been won to stop the enemy returning aimed fire and to keep them at distance. In cadets deliberate fire is still used as aimed shots at a target either grouping or on a points system. Cadets have between 30 - 45 seconds to take an aimed shot at the target in front.
The Command on the range for deliberate fire is 'GO ON'
Rapid
The use of Rapid Fire in the military would be to win the fire fight. In cadets it is used to teach the cadet to fire quickly and safely with a good degree of accuracy. Cadets may be given a time limit such as 10 rounds in 60 seconds. Using a No 8 rifle this is extremely hard.
The command for this type of fire is 'RAPID............... FIRE'
Snap
The Historical and military use for snap shooting would be a moving target, perhaps an enemy running between trees. Cadets would use this to practice aimed shots in a shorter period of time. Once they have an exposure (the target facing them) they have a limited amount of time to fire 1 or 2 rounds. In the Interval (when the target is facing away or not in view) the cadets have the time to reload the weapon if needed and concentrate.
The command for this type of fire is 'WATCH AND SHOOT, WATCH AND SHOOT'
Below is a breif description of the different types of shooting you can do
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