Rifle merit badge, need explanation

[AlexScout]

Hi,

Im trying to understand the target practice requirements for the Rifle Merit Badge. For the .22 cal rifle it says:

Adjust sights to center the group on the target* and fire five groups (five shots per group). According to the target used, each shot in the group must meet the following minimum score: (1) A-32 targets - 9; (2) A-17 or TQ-1 targets - 7; (3) A-36 targets - 5.

Questions:

- Does only one of the 5 groups need to meet the criteria that each of its 5 shots have the minimum score?
- Do you need to use iron sights, or is a scope permitted?
- When shooting from bench, can the rifle be supported with sandbags?

 

Thanks,
Alex 

[NJCubScouter]

Welcome to Scouter.com Alex!

[ItsBrian]

I have taken the Rifle Merit Badge (have a partial though because I didn’t know I needed to know PA gun laws). 

We didn’t have any support of sandbags or anything, we had to lay in the prone position. 

We used a scope, I don’t think many youth would be able to hit accuractly with only a iron sight.

And from what I recall, I can’t completely remember about the shooting requiremnet. 

[RememberSchiff]

7 hours ago, AlexScout said:

Hi,

Im trying to understand the target practice requirements for the Rifle Merit Badge. For the .22 cal rifle it says:

Adjust sights to center the group on the target* and fire five groups (five shots per group). According to the target used, each shot in the group must meet the following minimum score: (1) A-32 targets - 9; (2) A-17 or TQ-1 targets - 7; (3) A-36 targets - 5.

Questions:

- Does only one of the 5 groups need to meet the criteria that each of its 5 shots have the minimum score?
- Do you need to use iron sights, or is a scope permitted?
- When shooting from bench, can the rifle be supported with sandbags?

 

Thanks,
Alex 

Rifle Shooting Merit Badge.

Yes, only one group. In requirement 1l. you learning grip, sight picture , breathing, and squeeze to group your 3 shots within a quarter.  Takes practice.

Then in the following requirement 1m.  you are learning to adjust the sight windage and elevation controls to zero that group on target at same distance. You get 4 targets to learn your left from right and up from down , so hopefully by the fifth attempt of 5 shots you are zeroed and make the minimum score. Some zero quicker such that they score the minimum sooner.

No, as long as the optic has windage and elevation controls you are okay.  BTW the Marines dropped iron sights (well except as backup...)

Yes sandbags, sleeping roll, sweatshirt,...are okay.

Lets see if @cyphertext , @Oldscout448 , @Sentinel947agree. 

Oh and welcome to scouter.com

 

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by RememberSchiff

[Oldscout448]

Alex you raise an interesting questuon, one scored group or five?

It says you must fire five groups of five shots and all the shots must be in the 5 ring (assuming an A-36 which is the most common target).   The 5 ring is 1.75 " in diameter,  at 50 feet with a scoped gun on sandbags, or some other rest that should be no problem.  Even with a cheap wal-Mart rifle and ammo.

A good 22 can shoot 0.25 " groups at that range.  A dedicated target rifle will put all five shots through one hole if the shooter does his part.

But one group or five? I could argue it both ways, the wording makes it unclear .I never had a scout object to shooting four more targets. But then i was buying the ammo. At camp the scouts only had to do one, but I suspect that was due to time constraints more that anything else. 

Ramble alert!

Back in my day ( I'm living up to my name here)  you had to shoot 20 targets. Five prone with a score of 35, five sitting  and kneeling scoring 30? and five standing with a score of 20.

I was a pretty good shot but it still took half my day every day at summer camp.

The camp had a scoutmaster shootout the winner got a watermelon to share with his Troop. My scoutmaster .Mr Tom Kavanagh went down to the range and shot a 49 out of 50 with some cheap camp guns.with iron sights yet!  45 years later I'm still trying to match that score!

But the watermelon was delicious! 

Edited January 27, 2018 by Oldscout448

[Oldscout448]

 Todays practice-5 shots at 60 feet with a benched stock ruger 10-22 using remmington goldens and a 4x scope sighted at 50 yards

 

[Jameson76]

Remember to wet your sites

[Oldscout448]

I'm not bad  maybe,but I ain't no Alvin York, those West by God Virginiains can some shoot.  

Just wanted to show Alex that it's not all that hard.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Oldscout448

[Pselb]

My wife and I were invited over for dinner to an elderly couple's home.  We were served a venison roast.  In the conversation that ensued, gentleman told me he had been hunting deer for over 50 years.  Shot only once and never learned how to track because the furthest he had to go was about 10 yards.  I complimented him on his marksmanship.  He chuckled and said he was a terrible shot.  He just researched the area, found a well traveled path and sat for hours until a deer walked within 20' of him and as long as he got the gun up to his shoulder without the deer seeing him, it was a done deal.    I guess one has to focus in on what's important. 

[HelpfulTracks]

6 hours ago, Oldscout448 said:

I'm not bad  maybe,but I ain't no Alvin York, those West by God Virginiains can some shoot.  

Just wanted to show Alex that it's not all that hard.

Just for the record, Alvin York was a Tennessean. I have been camping up near is birth place and there are markers everywhere.

[Oldscout448]

[Back Pack]

16 hours ago, Oldscout448 said:

I'm not bad  maybe,but I ain't no Alvin York, those West by God Virginiains can some shoot.  

Just wanted to show Alex that it's not all that hard.

True Story: Summer Camp sm shoot off between a guy from Texas and one from Georgia. All others had been eliminated. The Georgia guy gets up there and shoots a 48 then steps back and says “In Georgia we shoot for fun.” The Texas guys steps up and shoots a 49 and says “In Texas we shoot for food.”

[Sentinel947]

On 1/27/2018 at 12:32 AM, AlexScout said:

Hi,

Im trying to understand the target practice requirements for the Rifle Merit Badge. For the .22 cal rifle it says:

Adjust sights to center the group on the target* and fire five groups (five shots per group). According to the target used, each shot in the group must meet the following minimum score: (1) A-32 targets - 9; (2) A-17 or TQ-1 targets - 7; (3) A-36 targets - 5.

Questions:

- Does only one of the 5 groups need to meet the criteria that each of its 5 shots have the minimum score?
- Do you need to use iron sights, or is a scope permitted?
- When shooting from bench, can the rifle be supported with sandbags?

 

Thanks,
Alex 

The way it's written I'd say they need to shoot 5 groups, and each shot must have the minimum score, but I can see how it is vague and questionable. 

Scopes are fine. Camp I worked at used iron sights because we didn't buy scopes.

Rifle can be supported. I highly recommend it whether they are prone or seated a shooting table. Even a fairly light gun like a .22 can be unsteady in the hold of an adult, even more so for Scouts. 

Edited January 28, 2018 by Sentinel947

[cyphertext]

We had our Scouts submit 5 targets that met the score.  They got to shoot 5 groups of 5, and if they only had 2 targets that qualified, they could shoot again later after everyone else who wanted to shoot got a turn.  At the end of the campout, if they could show us 5 targets that met the scoring requirements, we signed them off.

The rifles we used had iron sights, however I don't see that optics are banned in the requirements.  If I remember correctly, when I took the NRA course, we were restricted to iron sights only.

You may use sand bags or some other means to support the rifle, and I recommend doing that.

[ShootingSports]

Alex, 

For the scoring, they look for an ability to hold good groups.  The requirement is for five of the target faces to have the five shots within the minimum scoring ring. So, if one of the groups has a "flyer" outside the minimum level ring.  It must be shot again, until you have five groups completed.

Absolutely yes, on scopes, lazer sights, aperture sights, open sights, etc.  There are no written rules that exclude any time of sights. (for Boy Scout merit badge (Venture does have some restrictions)

Same with sand bags, rests, etc. There are no written rules excluding these.

Hope you have fun shooting.  More importantly, as you progress with the sport: look to challenge yourself by changing shooting positions and trying different sighting systems.