Inside the Quick Kill Point Shooting Course Used for Vietnam

In a video from JackCarrUSA, a veteran recounts the Quick Kill point shooting course he went through at Fort Bragg, a training method the Army used to prepare soldiers for close-range jungle contact in Vietnam. He walks through how the drills progressed from BB guns to live fire with the M16, and why hip-shooting at close range mattered more than most people would expect.

Key points

• Progressive training: He describes starting with a tossed aluminum disc shot from the hip, then moving to smaller targets and a hinged 2x4 rig with tiny silhouettes before transitioning to live ammo with the M16.
• Jungle distances: He says most contact in Vietnam happened at 20 yards or less, a range where he argues hip-fired shots rarely miss.
• Shouldering the rifle: He says he'd bring the rifle up to his shoulder once a target got out to 40-50 yards, since trajectory becomes less forgiving at that distance.
• Five-target drill: He recalls practicing by emptying a 20-round magazine into five closely spaced silhouettes while dropping to the ground, aiming to hit all five before going prone.
• M16 vs CAR-15: He explains the M16's early jamming issues traced back to the wrong powder in its ammunition, and notes the CAR-15's shorter barrel reduced muzzle velocity compared to the full-length M16.

Quick take

His firsthand account gives useful context on why close-quarters point shooting was emphasized for jungle warfare, and his breakdown of the M16's ammunition problems adds detail often left out of range-day retellings. It's a solid watch for anyone interested in the history behind modern close-range shooting technique.

Watch the full video: JackCarrUSA