Chances to shoot at USMA

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Hopeful2025

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Jan 11, 2020
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How much does a cadet at USMA get the chance to shoot guns? I know at USNA the chances of you doing a lot of shooting is very minimal, and you will most likely never shoot other than during plebe summer unless you are on the combat arms team. Shooting is one of my hobbies and I was wondering what are the chances of you being able to shoot guns recreationally at west point?
 
You will do about a week of preliminary marksmanship during CBT and will qualify on your M4 during the following summers. That is the bare minimum of what everyone will do. You will also do weapons familiarization on ranges w/ M240s, M249s, M320s, and AT-4s which I enjoyed.

During the academic year, you can sign up to go to the EST range, which is a simulator w/ air-powered M4s (and 240s, M9s, whatever you really want) to practice grouping. Depending on your company, during weekend military training you may get to go to the Buckner ranges as well. We went and did some target shooting with M9s, which was fun. I do believe we have an indoor range that is open for us, though I have never used it so I cannot comment on it.

In addition, we have a Corps Squad rifle team, club combat weapons team, irregular warfare group, skeet and trap team, pistol team, hunting club, etc. If you are more interested in military-oriented shooting then you can join your company Sandhurst team and will be able to get out on the range.
 
prospective2019 said:
You will do about a week of preliminary marksmanship during CBT and will qualify on your M4 during the following summers. That is the bare minimum of what everyone will do. You will also do weapons familiarization on ranges w/ M240s, M249s, M320s, and AT-4s which I enjoyed.

During the academic year, you can sign up to go to the EST range, which is a simulator w/ air-powered M4s (and 240s, M9s, whatever you really want) to practice grouping. Depending on your company, during weekend military training you may get to go to the Buckner ranges as well. We went and did some target shooting with M9s, which was fun. I do believe we have an indoor range that is open for us, though I have never used it so I cannot comment on it.

In addition, we have a Corps Squad rifle team, club combat weapons team, irregular warfare group, skeet and trap team, pistol team, hunting club, etc. If you are more interested in military-oriented shooting then you can join your company Sandhurst team and will be able to get out on the range.
Click to expand...
Is the club combat weapons team open to anyone?
 
It is selective.

Combat Weapons Team-please help

Hi everyone, I have a couple of questions about USMA's Combat Weapons team. First, a bit of background on myself: I am applying for the Class of 2018, and as far as activities germane to this team go, I am involved heavily with my school's cross country and track teams, and am very...
www.serviceacademyforums.com
 
AROTC-dad said:
It is selective.

Combat Weapons Team-please help

Hi everyone, I have a couple of questions about USMA's Combat Weapons team. First, a bit of background on myself: I am applying for the Class of 2018, and as far as activities germane to this team go, I am involved heavily with my school's cross country and track teams, and am very...
www.serviceacademyforums.com
Click to expand...
Are there any other clubs or teams or activities that one can join that allows them to shoot on a regular basis?
 
prospective2019 said:
You will do about a week of preliminary marksmanship during CBT and will qualify on your M4 during the following summers. That is the bare minimum of what everyone will do. You will also do weapons familiarization on ranges w/ M240s, M249s, M320s, and AT-4s which I enjoyed.

During the academic year, you can sign up to go to the EST range, which is a simulator w/ air-powered M4s (and 240s, M9s, whatever you really want) to practice grouping. Depending on your company, during weekend military training you may get to go to the Buckner ranges as well. We went and did some target shooting with M9s, which was fun. I do believe we have an indoor range that is open for us, though I have never used it so I cannot comment on it.

In addition, we have a Corps Squad rifle team, club combat weapons team, irregular warfare group, skeet and trap team, pistol team, hunting club, etc. If you are more interested in military-oriented shooting then you can join your company Sandhurst team and will be able to get out on the range.
Click to expand...
Curious about this: My DS is a new cadet and in the midst of CBT right now. He got to call home over the weekend and told me he shot 350 with his m4. What I failed to ask is if this was a distance? a score? I'm part of multiple parent groups who can't seem to decide - some have said they don't shoot past 300yards during CBT, others are saying it is definitely his score and means he hit 39/40 targets. Can anyone confirm what 350 means? It'll be a few weeks before I get to talk to him again and have him explain in more detail.
 
My DS is also in Beast right now. On our phone call, he said he passed the marksmanship test with a 24 (23 was passing he said). So definitely not sure what 350 means! LOL
 
My son has gone to the indoor range, which is open shooting on Thursday and Friday I think.

The 350 means he scored very well. The scoring goes 40 targets x 9 max points. So a perfect score is a 360. The 24 means hitting 24 of the 40 targets.

As far as CWT, tryouts are very difficult, one of the most difficult for a club. It starts with a smoker of a PT day where the majority fallout. I think my son said something like 130 signed up, and 20 or less advanced to the next stage, luckily he was one of them. A few days later, there is a butal interview session (another 50% are dropped), then finally a shooting qual. The number of folks they take is only like 5-10 between Plebes and Yucs.

If you are on a Company Sandhurst team, you could also get some range time. Just depends on how far your Company progresses.

Honestly, the most range time my son gets is when he is home sadly.
 
Just a perspective:

When I was a cadet, I tried out for the rifle team, made it, and shot pretty much every afternoon for 2 years at the indoor range. And I got corps squad tables, which was huge as a plebe. But I decided not to continue to shoot after yuk year because it was difficult to lift weights and work out beforehand and still hold a steady position for afternoon rifle practice. So if you like to do that sort of thing, practice and try out.

As an aviation officer, I fired my M9 fewer times in 7 years than I would typically shoot in an hour or so at our local pistol range. And I never carried a rifle again. On the flip side, ranges can offer opportunities to throw grenades and set off claymores, fire M19s, M240s, etc. You kind of make it what you want. And other branches, like Infantry, offer more opportunities.
 
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