My apologies, I stand corrected, it was the M-1 not the M-14, trying to do 2 different things this morning.
Once scored 48 out of 49, and most of the time went unqualified. The 2 times he did qual was 210 in Boot Camp, 191 before he left the corps.
Anyone who is that inconsistant with a rifle is not a good rifleman. Hunter or not.
The 2 times he did qual was 210 in Boot Camp, 191 before he left the corps. Anyone who is that inconsistant with a rifle is not a good rifleman.
Inconsistency may say more about his motivations than abilities. 210 (it was 212 actually) is a respectable score and the 191 came when Oswald was already trying to leave the Corp. According to Posner 212 "indicated that he could hit a ten-inch bull's-eye, from a minimum of 200 yards, eight times out of ten" citing John E. Donovan, a lieutenant in Oswald's unit. Inconsistency can also be attributed to many other factors like fatigue, weather, rifle qualities, ammunition qualities, etc. The remark on hunting is meant to suggest that he had other opportunities to hone his shooting skills and even if he was a lousy shot in the Marines (which he wasn't) it doesn't necessarilly indicate his abilities in November of 1963. And it might suggest that he kept up what skills he did have in the Marine Corps.