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March 6, 2020 Grunt.com Admin

16th Award Expert

By: Robby J. Hookham

As a retired Marine who served from 1981 thru 2001, the only ‘service rifle’ I ever knew was the M-16. I started out with the A1 in boot camp, shot high Sharpshooter (1 point out of Expert), but at the 500 yard line I was 10 for 10!
About the time I reenlisted we received the A2, I decided that if I was going to be a part of this ‘gun club’, I needed to get my act together and qual Expert. Thereafter, I qualified Expert 16 consecutive times. In my 20 years I only missed the 500 yard bulls eye twice!
While on Okinawa in 1999, I was able to score 9 out of 10 hits in the black with 6 in the ‘X’ ring with a 3 – 5 mph left to right breeze …at 800 yards! Don’t tell me that the M-16 is not capable of accuracy.

But I was able to shoot (recreationally) the ’03 Springfield, man, what a FUN rifle to shoot!!

Filed in: Marine Corps Stories
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Comments

Nick - March 27, 2020

Scout Sniper Clyde?

Nick - March 27, 2020

Back during my time it was 8531 Marksmanship Instructor . Might mean something different today. Nick 0311/8531 Worked Stone Bay at Camp Lejeune 69-70

Clyde - March 27, 2020

What,s a 8531? RVN, 8/66-12/68, 0311/8541 We traded our M-14’s in the bush for 16’s, we soon learned to keep our cleaning rods assembled and strapped to our packs!! I will take a Remington and M-14 and you keep all of the “M’ variants you want! We would gladly hump the extra ammo and not “whine” which seems to be almost a requirement today! Semper Fi!

Reinhold Woykowski - March 27, 2020

It was a rifle. How did I ever forget. Our DI made us all get undressed, march around singing that song, holding our rifle in one hand and the other our fun.

Nick - March 27, 2020

Reinhold, One’s for killin, one’s for fun. Is it rifle or gun Nick

Reinhold Woykowski - March 27, 2020

Started out with M14 but then went over to M16. I go with the M14. I was only a Marksman in Boot Camp. The country/farm boys really were the best shots. I guess they started out very young shooting. Me, never picked up a gun till I was 18. USMC 1972-1974

Bill 0331 - March 27, 2020

with all fairness I might have injured someone while trying tokill them.

Gerald M. Hill - March 27, 2020

Your Kill! Kill! Kill! brought back Boot Camp Mar/1964 memories to me. Thank You 0311/8151. 1964-1968

Barry Thatcher Viet Nam 1966-68 - March 27, 2020

We called them Matty Mattels in Nam because they failed miserably and cost us LIVES on hills 861 and 881. Give me a M14 or AK47 any day which I still own today.

Bill - March 27, 2020

Shoot to injure? What Marine Corps were you in. KILL! KILL Always Kill. May be you are thinking of some movie that you saw. Bill0331

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