Rifle Qualification - Table One
Recruits get their first opportunity to fire their service rifles during Table One marksmanship training during Firing Week. All Recruits will fire hundreds of rounds either at slow, regular intervals or in quick, timed-constrained bursts from the sitting, standing, kneeling, and prone positions. Ranges for firing start at 100yds to zero the weapons optic and culminate at 500yds. At the completion of this event, recruits will earn shooting badges to be worn as prescribed: Marksman (lowest qualification), Sharpshooter, or Expert (highest qualification).
Recruits will begin the week by completing a zero of the weapon optic to ensure they hit center mass of their target no matter what the distance. They will then spend three days practicing each distance with no pressure to receive a score. On the fourth day of firing, recruits will fire the prescribed course of fire known as pre-qualification, or pre-qual. Pre-qual will allow recruits to receive a score to see how they may perform on qualification day so they may make final adjustments. If recruits show enough proficiency to get the score of an Expert qualification, they will not be required to fire again on the qualification day.
On qualification day, recruits will again fire the same course of fire as on pre-qual to earn their shooting badges. The Marine Corps recognizes some individuals have difficulties with marksmanship, so recruits who fail to qualify will be provided another opportunity to do so. Those who continue to fail will be dropped.
Successful completion of the qualification course of fire is required for graduation. Any recruit who commits a safety violation may be removed from the range and dropped back to another company to remediate Grass Week or other training.