ORIGINAL: RedAllison
much about ballistics and related topics?
As a result of being in the business (hunting/fishing)off and onfor over 20years I often deal with many military people, but before 9/11 (and really didn't see all that many vets from Desert Storm) most of the military guys I dealt with were either retired or had been into hunting/shooting for many years in addition to being in the military. Most of them seemed to have at least a working knowledge of ballistics, caliber, terminal performance etc...
The reason I ask is that lately I have been coming into contact with a fair number of Iraq/Afghan vets, most of which the full timers are still in their 20s-30s. But almost too the man, unless they didn't have prior gun/hunting/shooting experience before joining the military many of them are nearly clueless or have ALOT to learn and understand about basic ballistic theory.
One such case happened too me yesterday, I had a kid come into the store and started asking about .375 H&Hs. Being in west TN we certainly don't have much call for such a caliber, I showed him the closest thing I had (.325WSM A-bolt Hunter Field) and then began asking him where he was going and what he was hunting (expecting to hear about bears in AK/CD or an African trip). I had to hold back a laugh when he said that a good buddy of his was from CO and that he was going to go elk hunting with him there this fall...
Now I'm NOT bagging on these kids nor our military. I LOVE EM and THANK GOD we have them, I care about each and every one of them and thank them personally for their service when I meet em. But I just see such a large percentage of the military guys nearly in complete blindness about what I consider to be basic ballistic theory and hunting arms knowledge. The kid was under the assumption that a .375 would be a great round not because of it's knockdown and legendary penetration, but because since it was bigger than most then it must be a better long range weapon. He also hinted at it as "probably being a great western caliber"? Without laughing or being rude, I spent about 20 minutes with him and explained a few basic things too him and why he should perhaps look at other tools for the job. Like I said, he's certainly not the first and wont be the last.
Again, NO disrespect for our finest. I just have to wonder just how much time the military honestly spends with these kids on the range and in the classroom with their guns?
RA
The Army, anyway, has never taught the average soldier anything about BALLISTICS! However, they have always taught at least the rudiments of weapons operation & maintenance, shooting positions, sight picture, breath control and trigger squeeze, etc., and taken the troops to a range or other type of shooting facility where they learn to shoot effectively, either with bullseye or silhouette targets.
But don't for one minute believe that it is easy to apply what they've learned whern the bullets tstart flying, or worse, there's large-caliber incoming! Unfortunately, most recruits don't get ENOUGH small-arms training and practice for weapons use to become instinctive to the point that it is automatic/subconscious when the shooting starts! (If the new guy survives long enough, he/she does acquire this kill, however! Note that most KIA's happen during the first 10 days to 2 weeks of exposure to the enemy. If a grunt makes it through the first month uninjured, he has a pretty good chance of coming home alive.
(BTW, there is nothing at all ignorant or dumb about the idea of using a .375 H&H for elk hunting! It is indeed on the high end for such use, but many an old-time elk hunter has ended up opting for one, in hopes that it might keep a big bull from getting away with a hole in it's anatomy. The last time I zeroed in my elk rifles at the Meeker CO gun club range just before opening day of the local elk season, there were at least three guys there [locals!!] with .375's. If you use properly loaded spitzer bullets of 250 grains or more in the .375 H&H, it shoots just flat as a .30/'06, so it is every bit as useful for western hunting as an '06 or equivalent. Granted, that big bullet is not really needed for much other than coastal brownies or an occasional LARGE grizzly....)