Cadet Shooting Stars at CCF Range Camp

Straight after school broke up on the last Friday of Autumn Term and as their peers headed off for three weeks of Christmas rest, eighteen cadets made for Pirbright to celebrate the festive season by making holes in targetry.

The cadets joined their fellows from Trinity School CCF, with whom we shared the camp, and were soon making new friends. After a first evening revising principles of marksmanship and weapon handling, Saturday saw the cadets zeroing their weapons and applying fire at pop-up targets at 100m. There was some super shooting and a vast majority of cadets achieved a pass, with many also winning their ‘Marksman’ awards. Cdts Mulcaire (42/50), McMillan J (41/50) and Cassidy (39/50) put in particularly impressive shifts at the top of the pack. A quiz and film night was the reward for such strong showings all-round.

Sunday allowed the cadets to try an advanced competition shoot. As the targets popped up, they had to sprint 100m, load their rifles and apply fire from the prone, kneeling and sitting position at targets up to 300m away – no mean feat at all in cold weather and with iron sights. Again, there were some excellent performances, but Cdts Bandy and McMillan D were Caterham’s best, chosen for the final competition against two boys from Trinity. As their peers cheered them on, the Caterham pair (both shooting a fine 29/40) brought home the win over their South London rivals to conclude a cracking Range Camp.

Capt Mathew Owen

OC Army Section