Our range in basic training was called a "train fire" range. It consisted of pop-up upper body silhouettes. The furthest were at 500 yards. The skinny was that if you fired low you had a chance of hitting the target with dirt and rocks and thus knocking it over. Later in my career I fired at bulls eyes.
After careful consideration I have to recant what I said about having a left-handed M1, especially after explaining to Steve how to load a right-handed weapon with the left hand. I got to thinking: I only had one rifle in basic training. It was a Winchester, but it was a right hand model that I loaded and fired from the left shoulder. Everyone else had a Springfield.
I don't know when or how I got the idea that it was left-handed, but the idea has been with me for a long time. My basic training took place in 1958. I hope you all don't think I was trying to deceive; I guess I was simply acting my age.
I think the Coasties must have employed the practice of aiming low at targets over 300 yards. There might have been a chance of a rock flying up and hitting the bull in the eye.
