ARMY RIFLE QUALS IMPROVE SCORE

[Caballoflaco]

In case some people missed the picture that UNK posted, she looks like a smaller mammal which might affect gear set up, and what gear actually works.

Also, just a question to ask yourself @UNK. You said it breaks your heart that they qualified marksman. Does she actually care that much to put in the work to get better? Would she actually enjoy being in a rifle class during a weekend vs hanging out with friends? I would be careful about pushing the issue to much at that age if she doesn’t seem interested and try to be supportive in other ways.

[Yute]

Can you provide me with a photo example of well thought out pouch placement.

Basically you want a setup you can access a magazine with your support hand in any position.

Right now I run a Velocity Systems 5.56 Placard for my prone and kneeling reloads, and then use my belt pouch for my standing reload.

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Shooting at a square range with no stress and no Drill Sergeants is a different thing entirely. Add in the varying ranges and a lot of 'good' shooters in Basic end up not shooting so well. Meanwhile, BCT privates who've never shot before in their lives but manage the Drill Sergeant stress well often do very well at the rifle qual. It's just one of those people things.



Sounds like another day in the Army. Though at least they did a solid to all shooters by bumping scores up across the board, IME they have the next-lane 'ringer' or 'helper' only assisting the idiots who couldn't qualify at all.

AAM's going to Soldiers who don't deserve them is common. Even higher awards like ARCOM's going to Soldiers who did nothing, and nothing going to Soldiers who worked their ass off is also incredibly common. Awards are the biggest crock of shit in the entire Army so I'd strongly advise anyone wearing the uniform to stop worrying about them or giving a shit about their existence. The faith and confidence of your leaders, peers, and subordinates is the best award that exists. Try to win that instead of getting some fish-dick S1 staffer to push a DA638 up the chain instead of arbitrarily denying it.




The TAPS panel is a gigantic piece of shit and I'd advise against using it if possible. The basic rifleman's kit includes three 2-magazine double stack pouches with MOLLE loops. I'd advise simply lining up the three of those across the exact front of any MOLLE plate carrier or vest. Consider the manipulation of your reload and position your magazines accordingly. Being a left-handed rifle shooter my magazines are brass-down, bullets pointing to my left. So when I pull it out of the pouch with my right hand, I just rotate my wrist upward and it's in the right position to be inserted into a mag well. Righties will need to do the opposite, usually.

Aside from the 3 2-pack mag pouches, I'll only put my IFAK (first aid kit), one CAT, and one canteen or water bottle pouch on the carrier/vest itself. If you're in a combat arms/manuever unit you might have an SOP about grenade pouches, etc. Everything else can go into an assault pack or otherwise. I am a big believer of 'less is more' when it comes to putting MOLLE stuff on MOLLE vests.

Solid post thanks. What are you recomendations for options to the issued TAPS?

Ive got plenty of info to go on. Thanks to everyone who has posted to assist.
I dont have anywhere to go where they will allow me to simulate a real qual but i think I can come close enough to provide some value.

[JRB]

Solid post thanks. What are you recomendations for options to the issued TAPS?

Ive got plenty of info to go on. Thanks to everyone who has posted to assist.
I dont have anywhere to go where they will allow me to simulate a real qual but i think I can come close enough to provide some value.

Your Soldier will get issued an IOTV which is a full armor vest that uses BALCS kevlar soft panels and SAPI rifle plates.
They will also be issued a box full of stuff called a 'Rifleman's Kit'. The Rifleman's kit includes the TAPS panel, 2x 3 mag 'shingle' style pouches, and 3x 2mag double pouches, and a bunch of other misc pouches and stuff.

I would advise setting up the IOTV with either a single 3-mag 'shingle' panel pouch in front, and one of the 2-mag pouches offset on the side somewhere, or using the 3x 2 mag pouches and setting them up on the very front-center of the IOTV as I already described. Run the minimum amount of crap on the IOTV, but use the IOTV. It is likely that their unit will have an SOP on how their vests are set up (as in which pouches are where) in which case I'd say match the SOP until they can offer a compelling justification otherwise.

The TAPS panel is basically 8 single mag pouches all in a row as a single panel, which can be attached as a front panel to a vest or worn as a 'chest rig' sort of thing. IME it's an overly bulky and awkward/floppy piece of crap so I'd advise just tossing it into a duffel or toughbox full of all the other gear you keep to get inspected but never use.

[Wake27]

In case some people missed the picture that UNK posted, she looks like a smaller mammal which might affect gear set up, and what gear actually works.

Also, just a question to ask yourself @UNK. You said it breaks your heart that they qualified marksman. Does she actually care that much to put in the work to get better? Would she actually enjoy being in a rifle class during a weekend vs hanging out with friends? I would be careful about pushing the issue to much at that age if she doesn’t seem interested and try to be supportive in other ways.

Yeah so I was one of those that somehow scrolled right past that. The official Army answer, aside from the actual uniform, is the same for males and females. It’s all the same gear. Commercial stuff is starting to vary slightly but not much.

Your Soldier will get issued an IOTV which is a full armor vest that uses BALCS kevlar soft panels and SAPI rifle plates.
They will also be issued a box full of stuff called a 'Rifleman's Kit'. The Rifleman's kit includes the TAPS panel, 2x 3 mag 'shingle' style pouches, and 3x 2mag double pouches, and a bunch of other misc pouches and stuff.

I would advise setting up the IOTV with either a single 3-mag 'shingle' panel pouch in front, and one of the 2-mag pouches offset on the side somewhere, or using the 3x 2 mag pouches and setting them up on the very front-center of the IOTV as I already described. Run the minimum amount of crap on the IOTV, but use the IOTV. It is likely that their unit will have an SOP on how their vests are set up (as in which pouches are where) in which case I'd say match the SOP until they can offer a compelling justification otherwise.

The TAPS panel is basically 8 single mag pouches all in a row as a single panel, which can be attached as a front panel to a vest or worn as a 'chest rig' sort of thing. IME it's an overly bulky and awkward/floppy piece of crap so I'd advise just tossing it into a duffel or toughbox full of all the other gear you keep to get inspected but never use.

I’m not surprised to hear that the TAPS is trash, but I refuse to lay in the prone with plates on and double stack mags on top of that. F that bulky noise.


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[Wake27]

Solid post thanks. What are you recomendations for options to the issued TAPS?

Ive got plenty of info to go on. Thanks to everyone who has posted to assist.
I dont have anywhere to go where they will allow me to simulate a real qual but i think I can come close enough to provide some value.

I try to offer this to anyone with younger relatives in the Army so if she has bigger picture career questions, I’m happy to discuss, especially if one of those questions is the debate on becoming an officer. I’m at an ROTC program right now so I may be able to answer questions on college and all of that mess if it ever comes up.

Also, I can’t speak too much to the reserves but I have a reserve recruiter and a full time reserve Captain in my office. I also have a female ARNG E6 next door and two of the best friends I’ve ever had are females that were in command with me, plus another that’s one of the few Ranger tabbed females. There are tons of females in the Army and yet, sometimes some of the junior ones feel pretty lonely because they’re so heavily outnumbered in their immediate unit.


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