The Marine Corps’ primary mission is “to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver and to repel assault by fire and close combat during amphibious assaults and subsequent operations ashore”. In order to guarantee the success of this mission recruits must train for and test for their Marine Corps rifle qualification.
Common to all Marines & recruits, the foundational skills required to achieve this mission is initially provided during Marine Corps Boot Camp. Well-trained Marines & recruits have the confidence required to deliver accurate fire under the most adverse battle conditions. The rifle is the primary means by which Marines & recruits accomplish their mission, and recruits will be tested on their proficiency with their rifle.
Grass Week
Before a recruit can shoot their rifle with real ammunition they must learn the fundamentals of marksmanship. Recruits will learn these fundamentals during Grass week at Marine Corps boot camp.
During Grass week recruits will learn how their rifle functions, sight picture, sight alignment, trigger and breathing control, how to snap in and the various different shooting positions.
Grass week will be all about the fundamentals and it won’t be until the following week at the firing range that recruits fire a live weapon.
Firing Week
During Firing week recruits will be coached by a Combat Marksmanship Coach (CMC) for one and a half weeks on the Table 1 and 2 course of fire. The CMCs are on the front lines every day coaching your recruits to be proficient with the weapons that may save their lives in combat.
During this week recruits will learn the four rifle range safety rules:
- Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
- Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
- Keep finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
- Keep weapon on safe until you intend to fire.
Firing week will give recruits the opportunity to put all of the fundamentals that they learned during Grass week into action. After training with their rifles for two and a half weeks, recruits will test for their Marine Corps rifle qualification.
Marine Corps Rifle Qualification Levels
“Marksmen” is the lowest score obtained, with a scoring range of 250-279
“Sharpshooter” is obtained with a combined score falling between 280-304
“Expert” is obtained with a combined score falling between 305-350
These rifle qualification scores are composites of the scores obtained on Tables 1 and 2.
Marine Corps Rifle Qualification Table 1
Table 1 is the known distance range and is comprised of three targets, each scored from 5 to 0 points (5, 4, 3, 2, Miss). Each recruit fires 50 shots for a maximum score of 250.
- The “Able” target is 4ft x 6ft with a 12in bullseye and is used for slow fire at the 200 and 300 yard lines, from the sitting, kneeling and standing positions.
- The “Dog” target looks vaguely like a person looking over a barricade. It’s on 6ft x 6ft paper and used for rapid fire (10 shots in 60 seconds) at the 200 and 300 yard lines, from the sitting and prone.
- The “B-Modified” target is a human silhouette, also on a 6ft x 6ft paper, and used for slow fire at the 500 yard line from the prone.
At the 500 yard line the recruit is shooting at a target with just a sling for support. The rifle can not touch the ground or anything other than the shooter’s body.
Mastery of the fundamentals of marksmanship is the difference between a 5 and a miss. During the first two days of training, prior to qualification, there are coaches on the line helping recruits to improve their positions and master the techniques. On qualification day, it’s all on the recruit.
Marine Corps Rifle Qualification Table 2
Table 2 is combat marksmanship. It consists of 50 rounds (scored 2, 1 or miss), fired at a pair of silhouette targets from the 25 yard line.
The recruit earns:
- 2 points per hit in the head, chest or pelvis
- 1 point per hit elsewhere on target
After completing their Marine Corps rifle qualification, recruits well be basically trained with their rifles. Upon successful completion and graduation of boot camp, Marines will continue their training in marksmanship at the School of Infantry (SOI).
You can learn more about the events that happen during Marine boot camp, or what you need to know before you go to Marine boot camp.
Early 70s we fired the M-14 at MCRD-San Diego…..I shot ‘Expert’…..reminded me of Grandpa’s wooden shotgun….hehe…. I lived that rifle allot better than the plastic M-16. Today I understand the boots shoot with a scope. I am glad I was in the “Old Corps”. It was a great ride. Semper Fi, Cpl. B., USMC
OK, youngsters. The year is 1955 — marched to Camp Matthews (historic San Diego MCRD range) through Rose canyon. Tents all around WWII sheds in remote area (now UC San Diego campus). Carrying the M-1 rifles we had been issued in early recruit training. Shooting for record at the big “E” range — 200-300-500 distances, 50 each, 250 max. The traditional offhand/sitting (200yd); sitting/kneeling (300), and prone (500). Mix of slow/rapid at 200/300. 190 MM, 215 SS, 225+ EX. I think I remember getting 228. Mighty proud 17 year old. Qualified 3 more times with M-1, all in same Expert category. We never saw much less fired an M-14 and certainly not a M-16 except in pics and film.
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I remember at the Insane Asylum, Parris Island, for those West Coastee’s s who were issued Sunglasses and Sun Tan Lotion. I shot a 238 on Pre-Qual Day. Needless to say, I prayed for rain on Qual Day. It didn’t happen! Qual Day was sunshine with Zero windage. Perfect Day for qualifying! I’m perfect to the 500 prone. I was perfect 50 for 50 since first day of live fire. No way I miss 250 perfect in my sites. First shot, Maggie’s Drawers. A miss, what the f*CK? I didn’t dial in my front sight for 500 meter change? Long story short, I shot a 245 recruit record at Parris Island. I was a God!! The next week, 4th Battalion shot next on the Rifle Range, I went from God to Goat. A WM recruit beat My Record, she shot a 246. Trust me I have lived with this for over 30 years. Semper Fi Devil Dogs!!
Yea, it was prone only at 500 yards when I was there in ’72 and my good friend said it was prone only at the 500 yd mark when he went through in ’64. We both went through at MCRD SD. Don’t know how it was in the land of sand fleas and flat ground.
It was the same when I was there in ’75. I was high shooter for our platoon. Scored a 238. That was my Drill Instructors highest score so I got to do bends and MF’rs because I didn’t beat his score. We were issued sand fleas instead of suntan lotion. (Couldn’t resist. Boot camp is boot camp.) to Hawaii and scored a 241 and held the record for about 2 minutes. Another Marine shooting next to me had a 242. Still ended up on the Battalion Shooting Team. Mainly for rifle. I wasn’t very good with the pistol. Got out and joined the local police dept. Learned how to shoot better and got mostly perfect scores. Ended up on ERT (SWAT) as 1st spotter, 2nd sniper. Semper Fi.
1966
Offhand 100yds. 38
Kneeling200yds. 50
Sitting. 300yds. 50
Rapid fire sitting or kneeling. 50
Prone 500yds. 50
Expert. 238
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1st Battalion Charlie Co. Plt. 1026 in 1977. Out of 250, I fired 241 with a rebuilt M-16 from Viet Nam. The key was to pay attention to your PMI. Forget your squirrel timber habits and learn to shoot correctly. Even the old pencil barrel M-16’s were very deadly and extremely accurate in the hands of a Marine! Current qualification appears to be a walk in the park compared to back then. The new AR platforms are even more accurate than the old 16’s. Correct twist rate and better ammo. If I were a young recruit, I would be highly upset to fire anything but expert as the new course favors the shooter. 70% of shooting in mental, the rest is on Sight Alignment and Sight picture. Semper Fi and ALWAYS control your breathing and trigger!!
i just got word that my son got a score of 222, im guessing this is good
Hi Jennifer, Was your son’s 222 score for table 1?
By the new scoring standards he just made it into the marksman category which is the lowest shooting badge. He qualed though thats good.
Darn, my Marine Corps had it easier as we only fired at under 100 yards … Of course, we had muskets and loaded them from the muzzle so ‘rapid fire’ really wasn’t very rapid …
Went through in 1976 plt-283 500yrds was prone for us (Paris Island).
Martin Z Semper Fi Brothers !
I went through OCS in 1981. We shot with M16 from 200, 300 and 500 in standing, sitting and prone positions, respectively. If memory serves only the target for 500 was different. While we were timed I don’t recall slow fire and rapid fire drills. So perhaps the scoring criteria has changed since then. I shot 340, tied for 1st in my company. I credit the M16 I drew from the armory. I got lucky. Some carbines were accurate shooters but most were not. JMHO. I never shot that high again.
Same here. I had 3 different M16A1 rifles, the last one I had, I couldn’t miss fireing expert, same score as you. The Rifle you had, did make a big difference.. shows that they were mass produced without too much care.
Able target was used at 500 yard prone position. 1971 we qualified with and did everything else with the M-14.
Only 3 people in our platoon, I believe, qualified as Expert that week, Drill Instructors said there was a batch of bad ammo. I had been qualifying all week as Expert and on the last day qualified Sharpshooter. Very disappointing. Platoon 349 MCRD Parris Island July 1962.
mike v I was at MCRD in summer 1964, I qualified with 10 bulls at 500 yrd with aa M-14
I was in Platoon 156 (June 64-Sep 64) at MCRD, San Diego. We were the last series to live in WWII and Korea era tents at the rifle range. We used standing, sitting and prone positions at 100yds, 200yds or 300yds and 500yds, respectively. The M-14 was the first rifle I ever fired. It was such a good platform I was an expert marksman. The M-14 served me well Viet Nam in 66-67.
Make them
6′ x 6′ I think
In a wooden frame
Ours were paper
Mounted in wood frame
Each marine got a new target
Where can I get these targets?
Make them
6′ x 6′ I think
In a wooden frame
Ours were paper
Mounted in wood frame
Each marine got a new target
’79 to ’85
500 yards – offhand and prone
Only the prone (10 rounds slow-fire) from 500.
84 was prone only at the 500 with 10 rounds. The others were sitting kneeling and off hand
In ’75 the 500 was a prone position. I loved it, but never prayed so much when qualifying on the range.😀
I was at PI in 78 and the 500 was still yhe prone position as well…
I went through in 1970 and at 500 yds. I only remember the prone position with our M-14’s.
Good for you. I guess you deserve a metal of honor.
Well t, it’s “Medal of Honor”. When did you go through?
What happened to shooting in the off hand or standing position at 500 yards to qualify?
I was Kilo Co plt 3027 in 1993 and we only qualified in the prone @ 500 yds. You must have gone to that extra hard bootcamp lol
Was there in 87 and it was only prone at 500 with iron sites
Yeah, that never happened!
Never happened. 500 was prone only. In 84 it was anyways. 10 rounds