The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Last weekend I got to use the electronic small arms range in conjunction with my state defence force drill. The range has a rifle line using replica M4s and M16s weighing the same as the real arms that are air operated to function the action and provide recoil like the actual rifle. The screen that you 'shoot' at has either a 25 meter zero range or a 300 meter pop up range or 'shoot the bad guys' range. We got to do the zero and 300 meter qual range. the unit CSM zero'd his rifle first, then me then the rest of the relay lagged behind so the CSM and I swapped range stories while we waited for the rest to finish their zero. I had the highest qual for my relay, sharpshooter, which wasn't bad for 58 year old eyes! The whole thing was pretty interesting and the only two things lacking compared to the real thing was the noise of live fire and having to deal with wind. The pop up range is fun either with live ammo or electronically. there was also a simulator in the building for a guntruck/Humvee that I hear is pretty intense but there wasn't enough time to play with it.

Most armories used to have a small bore range in them where the weekend soldiers would shoot with .22 adapters in the M16s but concerns about lead exposure on the usually substandard ranges caused them all to be closed. The electronic range is the next best thing to actual range time which usually only happens once or twice a year.

I used one during a Mil Skills comp for the emergency services hosted by the TA in Edinburgh. We were firing on the 'shoot the bad guys' scenario, which was an an assault by mechanised infantry.

Very happy to say I was top shot with 73 out of 90, not bad as at that time I hadn't handled a rifle in about two years, first time with an SA-80 and was using iron sights.

I thought I was doing well when, while shooting, I heard the WO call some troops over to pay attention to how I was shooting. At one point I heard one them ask, "Why isn't he shooting?" to which the WO replied in an exasperated voice, "Because there isn't any targets, now be quiet and watch!"

At the end of the day I was quite chuffed the have shoot so well and even happier to say that I was ex-RAAF! :lol:

Yeah, DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer) ranges are good to practice on. The Army have them with L85s that are given realistic recoil with compressed air. Very good to sort out your position before progressing on to live firing!

DCCT is an extremely clever bit of kit as long as you are given time to use it properly, it can tell you everything from 'cant' trigger pressures, length of time in hold all sorts of good stuff for coaching, if using the susat indoors u need the lens adaptors. All rifle practices are available on it up to live fire 11 ACMT. In addition all sorts of snap shooting and shhot the bad guy scenarios, shame never enough time to have a proper play. There is also facility within the program to hook up GPMG.