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Learn to shoot, first

There’s a debate taking place among the Corps’ weapons experts over plans to equip Marine snipers with a new rifle that would nearly double the reach of their M40, which the service’s distance shooters have used since the mid-1960s.

A study conducted two years ago determined that the Corps needs the ability to hit targets out to 1,500 meters, almost twice the M40’s range of 800. For that mission, Marine Corps Combat Development Command identified the SR-21, a bolt-action rifle that can fire the .300 and .338 Winchester Magnum rounds common in longer-range weapons, and is now determining caliber requirements and other specs.

But there’s a problem: When it counts in combat, too many snipers can’t consistently hit targets at 800 meters, let alone 1,500, says the Corps’ senior gunner, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeffrey Eby. The reason? The Corps doesn’t have enough training facilities that replicate lifelike scenarios, he says. Plus, it can’t keep snipers in the service long enough to let them perfect the skill.

Eby and other Marine gunners, the specialists who advise infantry commanders on weapon capabilities and training, believe that introducing a more powerful rifle now would only make matters worse. Solve the training and retention issues, they say, then let’s talk.

It’s the right way to proceed. When a baseball team struggles to produce runs, it won’t solve the problem by having hitters swing for the fences. A good coach will force his team to focus on “small ball” — singles, bunts and sacrifice flies, key fundamentals that when practiced repeatedly are proven to put points on the scoreboard.

The same logic applies to combat marksmanship. If snipers aren’t performing well enough at 800 meters, they won’t get better by aiming for targets farther out. Nail down the basics first. Then build out.