Take the shot
When I make it down to the range the next morning, I see a few people this time, not just Siler and Lily, but another four have joined them. "Good morning you six how was your night last night?" They all simply responded, "our night was good sir and how was yours?" Thinking about it my night wasn't to eventful but still fairly nice, "it was a good one, so all of you can keep firing until o-nine hundred, that's when I have a suprise for everyone.
They all look at me confused, but I can't blame them since I didn't tell them that they would be testing out some new weapons. When they get back to firing I notice one of them do much better then the rest of them, "if I remember correctly, your name is Stevenson?"
"Yes sir Daniel, am I doing something wrong sir," my mind doesn't exactly believe his story, weather it's because of the chill going down my spine or how professional he is at hitting the target. Even if his story is true I feel I should test his skills a bit more, "do you mind if you and I have a range test real quick?" He smiles a little, "sure I'd be more then happy to have a range test with you."
After explaining the rules to him both Mr and him lay on the ground and ready ourselves. The test goes form the start at one hundred yards, all the way to our maximum range, slowly going in increments of fifty extra yards.
Once we both begin, we both are basically neck and neck on the first five targets, once it gets up to three fifty marker is when he starts to get a little slower with his aiming, but still keeps a fair pace with me. This isn't normal, even if he's had some experience keeping right up behind me shouldn't even be possible. After another three hits he missed a shot, "well looks like I'm out, you can keep going if you wish."
That hits a string in my head, and so I do continue hitting my shots, my farthest ever hit shot was with my grandfather, I can't remember the exact distance, all I remember is that it was maybe three quarters of a mile.
After another five hits I missed my sixth shot, "that was a miss, well looks like that's my maximum distance." They all look in amazement as to what I had accomplished, "Instructor Daniel, you realize your last target was almost a thousand yards out!" That distance seemed about accurate since my last maximum distance check was with my grandfather, and I don't even remember what that distance was.
"That works for me, and I expect all of you to eventually reach at least half that distance or a little more, am I clear!" They all say yes sir, after that they go back to firing, even after that I still keep my eyes on Stevenson, he still doesn't feel right to me, but I can't judge.
After some more time has passed I see everyone else join us, as they all one by one start taking shots at the targets down range, I see James out of the corner of my eye. "Morning James nice of you to join us this early in the morning."
The grin on his face says everything, "hey what can I say I did promise you didn't I, also take a look." When I look behind him I see a truck stopped just before the range entrance, "is that what I believe it to be?" The quick nod from James says yes, and instantly I'm grateful to him.
"Alright everyone listen up!" They all stand with hand behind their backs, "everyone here listen up, in the back of that truck are some new rifles, the same rifle that my grandfather had used, however this one has been modified some, so it should be easy for you to shot since it will be fairly easy to operate, I hope everyone is ready, now go grab a rifle!"
Every single one of them heads towards the truck to grab one, seeing them holding it makes me a bit happy, since it's nearly the same as grandfather's, so in my opinion I should have an easier time teaching them. Once all of them return they all line up to start taking shots at the targets down range.
"Hold fire everyone, once you have your rifles, let me instruct you on how these ones work, compared to the other ones you've all been using so far!" The Air is quite with no shots going off just yet, which sets the stage for me to instruct them on this guns usability.
"This rifle you all hold now, is called a bolt action rifle, not as scary as those other semi auto one's, but what they lack in fire rate they make up for in distance!"
"This rifle is capable of in the right hands of doing up to, eight hundred yards out, where as those semi autos are only good for around four hundred!"
"Alright everyone take aim at the target that I have all set for you at five hundred yards out, and once that is done, take the shot!"
Once I get done saying that whole speech I hear half the trainees fire the rifles, quickly followed by more taking their shots. While looking down range I see the targets being hit, sure only a few of those shots would be kill shots, but all shots fired would severely injure an enemy, possibly killing them later.
The shots keep going out, as I keep watching I notice something off at the far end of the range, "everyone hold fire!" Omce they all stop firing they turn to me, asking why I stopped them, "there is a rabbit down range, maybe a thousand yards out, who ever feels confident enough to take that shot gets to have rabbit as dinner."
Staring at one another, they all shake there heads, as if saying that it's to far for them to actually get. That was until I see Stevenson, lining it up for a possible shot, along with Lily and Siler, and a few others. Without hesitation Stevenson fires first, followed by Siler, and then Lily, of course all of them miss making the rabbit scamper off. That was until another person took the shot, hitting it in the head.
Unable to judge the distance all of us quickly head out to see how far that was. Once we get there I had noticed we had crossed the thousand yard line, so we are probably another fifty or eighty yards farther out. "The person who took the shot come forward." When he does come forward he still has his rifle in hand, "your name if you don't mind saying it," he looks a little nervous, but not unresponsive, "that is going to be Jake, instructor Daniel."
When I smile he lightens up a bit, "Congratulations on taking the first longest shot with this rifle, you did a good job." Everyone starts to applaud him for what he did, "thank you very much, but I was just focused on having somthing a little different for dinner." Everyone around laughs a little hearing what he said, but we all still applaud him for what he accomplished.
After that all of us get back to the firing range, but I have Jake take his catch of the day over to the mess hall so that way they can cook it up for him once he's done with training. After seeing that performance I feel everyone else is also a bit more on point, I'm guessing seeing one of their trainee members actually hit something that far out motivated them. That makes me feel that I'm probably gonna have to step up the training a bit more, if they start doing this good.
Around late day I have them all stop for the day, seeing as these are all still proto types, and possibly going any further may damage something. They are all a little reluctant, but quickly understand, as they all place the unloaded rifles back inside the truck. "Thanks for bringing the guns down to the range." While I shack hands with James he smiles some, "thanks for the show, they are all amazing, I'm sure they will turn out to be very fine students."
While watching him drive off, I think about his words of they will turn out to be fine students. Thinking it over they already are great students, sure some better then other, but all of them are good, "everyone since it's this late your free to go enjoy the last two hours of day light, then get some sleep, tomorrow will be something different."
They all salut before walking off, and once they walk away I also head in the direction of my room. However I see Siler running back to talk, "hey sir Daniel one question, what will tomorrow's training be?" Knowing it would be less surprising, "that's for you to find out tomorrow, now off you go." After seeing him run to catch up, I continue back to my room, where I have tomorrow's training all planned out.