Mad Minute

It will soon be 100 years since Sgt Snoxall set the record for the mad minute. Does anybody fancy trying to beat it?

The rules are simple. You have a bolt action centre fire rifle. You start with the bolt forwards on an empty chamber in the "on guard" standing position. On the command you start to fire shots at a 12" bull 300 yards away. You may use as much ammunition as you want. After 1 minute you cease firing. The number of hits is your score.

How's that for a simple challenge?

Forgot to mention- it is normal to hit the dirt as you are cycling the first round but I don't think this is a requirement.

I doubt on a flat range, no wind and a good scope....that I could score with practice anymore than a 3. And that would be with my heavy barreled Ruger M77 22-250.

Quite interesting. The record is 38 rounds in a minute.

According to this article it was/is done in the prone position, no sling, open sights.

"The current world record for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by a musketry instructor in the British Army Sergeant Instructor Snoxall who placed 38 rounds into a 12" target at 300 yards in one minute."

As a person who does know military weaponry with more than a passing fancy, my instantaneous intuitive reaction was that this was not possible. NO ONE could fire a bolt action rifle that fast with such accuracy over such a distance! NOT possible.

The British Army in the years prior to World War One [WW1] was very professional and promoted to a high degree marksmanship with the SMLE rifle. Ability to fire the SMLE rifle with accuracy and speed [a contradiction] OVER DISTANCE was stressed. It seems that marksmanship of the quality as demonstrated by Sergeant Snoxall was NOT unique among English soldiers of the time. What the good sergeant did WAS indeed possible.

"The original feat was performed by Sergeant Instructor Snoxall in 1914. I [It] was 38 shots into a 12" bull at 300 yards. Prone, iron sights, no sling, loading with 5 round chargers."

"A Sgt. Instructor Snoxall at the British School of Musketry set the record in 1914 with 38(!) hits. Scores of 34- 35 hits were not uncommon."

Demonstrations and exhibitions of superlative skill with the SMLE rifle were periodically held to validate techniques of "musketry" as to taught to the pre-WW1 British "Old Sweats"??

Mike

great follow up..

Thats impressive.
Thanks for the post!

Thanks.

I doubt if I could equal it using a self loading rifle.