The Military and range time

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John828

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I've been seriously thinking of enlisting in the army for about eighteen months. Finally going to "pull the trigger."

The question is after basic and MOS training, how much free time will I have for shooting? Also, if and when I get deployed, how much free range time will I be able to get? (I am laughing as I type this and I read the questions back to myself, but I'm serious.) MOS will most likely be 19D -- Calvary Scout.

Any recent vets or active duty soldiers comments would be appreciated.
 
It would depend on your duty assignment. Some units go to the field allot and some don't. Since you picked a combat arms mos you are liable to be in the field allot.
 
If you take away the deployments, field problems, 24 hour duties and details, then it is just like your normal 9-5 job. I shoot about once a month, mainly because I am pretty busy dealing with other non-army related stuff.
 
Okay, what about the PX? Is ammo sold at the PX, and if so, how do prices compare to retail?

And guns. I wonder if guns are sold at the PX.
 
No ammo or firearms are sold at the PX. You can order firearms through the Sportsmans Center (or equivalent at various posts) but, as far as I have seen, it's cheaper to buy them at local shops.

As for range time, it varies with your unit and MOS type. Infantry will obviously do more than most others. I'd say a majority of units do maybe 2-3 ranges a year and that's for quals only. On the 2-way range, I've fired more rounds in one year than I ever have my whole career at a post.

Also, while trigger time is important, once you are in a unit, tactics will be the mainstay of your training.

That's just my varied experience. Things change are always changing according to the threat.
 
Not true...several of the PXs at some of the major posts have started selling firearms. The one at Fort Knox has been selling them since 2005.

The only way you will get alot of trigger time is to get selected for the army marksmanship unit. Otherwise, you would be lucky to shoot every few months.
 
Okay, that makes a lot of sense. I guess...

I am clueless as to what to expect. I was thinking something along the lines of:

"It's late afternoon...I got a couple of hours...I think I will go shoot."

Is this not accurate?
 
Not true...several of the PXs at some of the major posts have started selling firearms. The one at Fort Knox has been selling them since 2005.
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First time I hear about them having that available through the AAFES PX. Ft Hood only has an on order basis at the Sportsmans Center. I think Rucker is the same...TRADOC post so different flavor of units there too. I know Germany used to sell them on the Kasernes too but that wasn't directly at the PX. It was through the Rod and Gun Clubs. Not sure about now.


You can register you're privately owned weapon at the PMO and then bring it on post to shoot at certain ranges in your off-time. But you aren't legal to drive around with it on post. At least not at Hood. Drive in, straight to the range, get done, straight back off post or to your Arms room. Not sure about post housing.
 
Guys, I don't know where we've been getting our members, but it seems like quite a few think that they need to be police officers or members of our armed services in order to shoot.

That is FAR FROM THE CASE. In fact, police and soldiers generally shoot a lot less than many of our civilian long term members on this forum.

Either you guys need to move to a free state, or maybe check with your supervisor on the message you are supposed to be disseminating.
 
hey bogie, I don't feel that way, but I am enlisting, and I am wondering what kind of free time there is available to shoot since I already like to shoot.

I knew before that I would have to give up just about all my freedoms when I enlist, but I was just wondering what the climate would be like to at least get to a range for personal shooting.
 
Unless there is a new MOS that involves looking for Jesus, I think you mean "Cavalry Scout."
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ROFL!:D

Not sure about the army... but I would guess an MOS like Cav is going to require a lot of field time. Not like a 9 to 5 job. I'd say you will probably get a chance to shoot a weekend or two a month, depending on deployment.

Now, if you were a supply clerk, you might well be able to shoot at the end of your workday whenever you like... dunno for sure, though.
 
I am in a stryker brigade(in iraq right now) and when in garrison we did 2-3 ranges a month. Most were very good CQB training with some very well trained retired SF guys. I am not a combat MOS. The CAV and Infantry guys in my brigade were at the ranges daily. They did a lot of the battle drills and they were always in the shoot houses. Many of them also got unofficial sniper training and are now carrying M-14that they get to customize pretty much however they like. So basicly you will get range time according to your job, and according to your unit. Non Units of Action get little time (1-2 range days a year) Units of Action get as much range time as they want and need.
 
Shooting at the POW (Privately Owned Weapon) range on Post is a royal pain in the butt.

First your weapons must be registered with the Provost Marshall and if you are living in the barracks they must be stored in your unit arms room. Getting them out of the arms room means having your CO, XO, or 1SG signing a request usually 48 hours in advance saying when you may drawn, where you are taking them, and when you must return them. Amorers can be a pain to deal with also. Forget about buying ammo in bulk, you can only store 100 rounds per weapon.

The one good thing about POW ranges is that they usually have sight-in targets and the usual M-16 and M9 targets for free. No full-auto is allowed, but most joes cannot afford those toys.
 
Actually at fort polk they have a great range program. Civillians and military can use the range, and weapons didn't have to be registered on post back a few years ago. If you were active military you didn't even have a range officer, just bought targets from the range cadre, went down to the line, and could shoot as long as you wanted for five dollars. It really depends where you are stationed and what unit you are with as to how much required and personal range time you can squeeze in. At Ft. Drum I got zero personal range time but was at the range with my unit rather frequently. As far as buying guns, I found most shops give a decent military discount.
 
When I went to ROTC Advanced Camp and Infantry Officer Basic Course in the '70s and early '80s, BRM was a joke. Range maintenance was simply despicable. You couldn't shoot AT the close in targets because the middles were shot out and the bullets would just pass through without touching anything that would make them fall. We were actually taught to shoot into the ground in FRONT of the targets so that gravel would be thrown all over the targets, hopefully causing them to fall.

On active duty in Korea, we spent little time on the range. Of course that was the dregs of Mr. Carter's "Army". Things started to get better under Reagan, but I was off active duty by '84. It's been more than 20 years, so I can't tell you what things are like now.

While stationed at Ft. Knox, I spent a lot of time on the Ft. Knox Public Range. It was just down the hill from my Basic Training Company. I had to register my guns but kept them in the BOQ. It was a very rudimentary range. You had to bring your own targets, stands etc. Occasionally there were problems with civilians who engaged in unsafe behavior, such as shooting when people were downrange. I think EMs billeted in the barracks had to keep their privately owned firearms in the arms room, but we never had any who did. Off-post personnel seemed to be on their own.
 
My question is: How did you get an enlistment for only 18 months?? I went and talked to a recruiter a while back and talked to him a while about enlisting to serve and the shortest contract they would think about giving me was 4 years and they were really wanting me for 6.. and that was the reason I decided I couldn't do it. Furthermore, that's the same reason I turned the Navy down back when I was getting out of highschool.. they wanted to send me to nuke school and stick me in a nuclear reactor room for six years..


I commend you for your commitment to service and to our Nation.
 
Thanks. I guess YMMV applies here as well. I probably will not know what to expect until I am actually assigned to wherever I am assigned and then I will just deal with whatever I have to deal with in order to get to whatever range I can get to.

Surely, I can at least shoot five hundred rounds a month on personal time. But I expect to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, so all bets are probably off as far as personal range time when that happens.
 
As a combat engineer from 94-98 we did little range time. Twice a year with the M16's for quals, then random ranges for the M203 if you had one, or the M60/M249 if you carried one of those, and if you were a track commander the M2. I never touched a grenade after basic which was weird.
 
My question is: How did you get an enlistment for only 18 months??
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I'm surprised you're the first one to bring that up. I noticed my wording was a little ambiguous but decided to let it stand.

What I was trying to say is: For the past eighteen months, I've been seriously thinking of enlisting in the army.

Back in December, I took the ASVAB, went to MEPS, but was still waiting on a waiver, when I just decided to put everything on hold (for a stupid reason.) Anyway, I called the recruiter back after I finally decided to enlist.

I am 35 and so enlisting has been a little drawn out. It just seems I have a little more to think about than the 18 year old who is enlisting, but then again not really. If only I would have enlisted at 18 like I wanted to. :banghead:
 
As a combat engineer from 94-98 we did little range time. Twice a year with the M16's for quals, then random ranges for the M203 if you had one, or the M60/M249 if you carried one of those, and if you were a track commander the M2. I never touched a grenade after basic which was weird.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should rephrase the question.

How much free time will I have for shooting?
Click to expand...

Or, 41magsnub, supposing you had a desire to go shoot your personal weapon when you were enlisted, how much of an opportunity would you have had?
 
98 in forty-five minutes. yes, I am proud of it. But if we were face to face, I would be a little more humble about it seriously.

Also scored between 139 and 145 on all the subset thingies. Apparently good enough to choose my own MOS except for the fact that I got a DWI in 2005. That knocked me out for my first choice. What a foolish mistake.
 
Ah... sorry, for personal weapons as others have said if enlisted in barracks it had to be in the Armory and plan 48 hours ahead and be friends with the armorer to get them out if it was after hours. At Ft. Riley there is a pretty nice public range. I did not bother, having to check my guns and get permission to get them out was just too much control for me.

Time wise no big deal, some weeks were brutal and we worked long days. Other times we were bored off our collective butts and usually weekends were free unless in the field. If there was nothing going on I could usually talk the platoon SGT into letting us go hide somewhere instead of loitering an making the CO ask questions.
 
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