I was in the CDN Artillery, shot 105mm howitzers and our rifle is similar to the m-16(called the C-7). I had been shooting since I was young kid. The instructors knew what they were told and that is it. I asked how many grains the bullet was and got no answer..... I wanted to get something at least close to a ballistic table made for this round. They did not know the ballistics of it neither did they know much else. When we got to the range for the first time they would not allw me to touch the sites on my own rifle..... the instructor would come down the line and make adjustments for you. I was horrified that someone that had less knowledge than me was going to 'zero' my weapon. When he came by to 'adjust my weapon I told him how manty clicks I wanted him to move the site and he gave me a look of disdain.... then he humoured me and made the correct adjustments. The rifle started to perform, 2-2.5" groups dead center...... the Sgt. that was making the adjustments never came back..... the Capt did w/ an invitation to shoot on the Regimental team.
In my 'shoot'(exam) I missed putting one on for score and called it b4 the range officer sent back the signal. I was one of only 6 people that passed the shoot w/out having to redo....... one person (can't say man) was given 8 attempts and still couldn't pass, so they changed to shoot to meet her and she finally passed. Scary isn't it.
I the end of therange sessions I had to give the Capt my answer about the shooting team. I told him that when I could get my 5-10 shot groups under 2" (100m) I would get back to him. Due to budget cuts they never had the shooting team that year anyways. Then a WO needed to re-qualify much to his chagrin...... he took my rifle and took the test..... and failed! I was not in his good books for the rest of the time we worked together.
The wife had problems too. She didn't have a shooting background and went off to do her basic training..... after failing the shoot twice she called me.I asked her where her problems were and she told me a little. I told her to have the instructors move the sightsuntil the POI was about 2" high at 100m and get your breathing in order...... then squeeze of a shot. That little556 doesn't kick much and you shouldn't loose the sight picture after a shot is fired..... your sights may hover but as soon as you get it back on squeeze off again(timed testing). She called back that night and told me that she passed just under marksmen.
The thing I learned..... being a good shot can get you out of a hole mess of crappy-details, you know the ones that all the people get that can't shoot, cleaning pots, peeling poatoes and even the real grunt work w/the big guns. I enjoyed my time on the howitzer', hurtling 33lbs of steel at speeds in which you can watch your rounds leaving the barrel and know that it is going to hit a target 10km away w/in 10m of point of aim.
Doesn't the AK shoot .311" bullets and not .308". Ballistically I think the 7.62x39 is b/w a .300 savage and a 30-30...... the bullets I have pulled from surplus ammo are only 125gr.