r vnrtm MraronD (orzgow) mail tribune
Wail Tribune Writer, An Inexperience
Finds Shooting Skills of Law Officers
By CARL H. ADAMS
Mail Tribune Staff Writer
An inexperienced gunman
finds competition stiff against
veteran law enforcement offic
ials in a target practice course
set up by the federal bureau of
investigation.
The course lasts 6 minutes 10
seconds, during which time 50
rounds of .38 caliber ammunition
is fired into (or at) "silhouette'
targets from four different dis
tances and five positions.
Some 38 law enforcement of
ficer from five agencies in
southern Oregon went through
au two-day session, the second
firearms course this year, at the
National Guard pistol range off
Antelope rd. last week. Although
six participants failed to register
score of 60 or better, each prac
tice round groups of four men
fired twice in each half day
produced improved scores.
Chief Instructs
Medford Police Chief Charles
Champlin, rho received instruc
tion in conducting the course
while attending the FBI acad
emy at Quantico, Va., instructed
participants in the course
Wednesday and Thursday, on
previous occasions, FBI agents
from Portland conducted the
course upon request of local of
ficials, but this time, FBI of
ficials said an agent was not
available.
The "silhouette" target, which
also was devised by the FBI, is
used, in place of a bulls-eye tar
get, to simulate the shape of a
human body. The silhouette is
outlined . into . sections with a
large portion of the head, neck,
chest and lower abdomen rated
the highest number of points
five. Edges of the abdomen
count a point less, with the
"strong" arm counting three, and
the "weak" arm counting two
points.
The "strong" am is the arm
which is used most, depending
on whether the person is right
or left handed. The "weak arm
would be the left arm if a per
son is right-handed.
The silhouette" target is used
because law enforcement offic
ials, imthe line of duty, fail to
see criminals as "bulls-eyes."
And use of the different dis
tances and various positions is
because officers, in emergencies,
do not waste time getting injo
correct bulls-eye target positions
and ; determining aim through
gun sights.
The first 25 seconds of prac
tice consists of firing 10 rounds
rapid fire "double action"
from a crouched position seven
yards from the target. The po
sition is used in practice because
it is one most used when offic
ers encounter criminals off
guard. The round starts with
five shells in the pistol, which
is drawn from the holster, fired,
reloaded, another five rounds
fired, and holstered empty all
within 25 seconds.
Firing from a distance of seven
yards is "instinctive" aiming.
Officers' eyes primarily are kept
on the target, with secondary
vision on the gun, which is fired
from hip level in the crouched
nosition.
($aurs truly as greatly sur
prised that what appeared to be
a large target could not be hit
from seven yards.)
Following the 25-second prac
tice, the remaining 40 - rounds
are fired from three distances
and four positions in 5 minutes
45 seconds with gun sights being
utilized.
i From a prone position 60
yards from the ' target, five
rounds are fired in single action
the pistol, before each shot,
. is cocked with the thumb.. .
(Yours truly was not entirely
sure the pistol was directed at
the correct silhouette, from a
stomach position looking over
tall weeds.) '
Officers then move to a dis
tance of 50 yards from the target
for the next 20 - rounds all
single action firing. The first
five rounds are from a sitting
position, the next . five from
prone, and the last 10 from
standing positions behind a bar
ricade simulating the corner of
a bglding, behind which offic
ers may seek cbver.
The first five rounds from be
hind the barricade are fired
with the "weak" hand left
handed for a right-handed per
son to give officers exper
ience shooting with both hands
The last five are with the
"strong" hand.
(Yours truly had difficulty try
ing to Stretch the left thumb to
cock a .38 calibeV pistol in
"weak" hand firing.)
The final 15 rounds is fired
from a distaifte of 25 yards with
five shots in rapid succession
from a kneeling position. Five
are fired from behind another
barricade with the "strong" hand
in rapid fire, and the final 'five
are single action . from behind
the barricade with the "weak"
hand.
As Instructor Champlin said,
"You then go up and read the
bad news."
One of the most important
aspects of practicing on the FBI
planned course is reloading,
O
RAPID FIRE Members of southern Oregon law enforcement
agencies are pictured above in the first phase of the fire arms
practical shooting course held at the National Guard pistol
range Wednesday and Thursday. In 25 seconds, officers draw
a loaded .38 caliber pistol from their holster, fire five rounds,
reload, fire five more, empty and re-holster the revolver seven
yards from the target. The remainder of the course is com
pleted from three other distances and four other positions. In
addition to the crouched position above, officers fire from
READING TARGETS Determining scores
after completion of the 6-minute 10:second fire
arms practical shooting course is pictured
above. Scores are computed by multiplying the
number of bullet holes by the figure represent
ing "kill value" in the silhouette, and multi
plying the total by .4 for ,the participants per
centage. Federal bureau of investigation of
ficials recommend a score of 60 or better for
which is counted in! the time
limit. On two occasions at
the start of the first 10 rounds
and at the start of the. final 40
rounds the pistol is loaded
and in the holster.
The remainder of the reload
ing is counted in time in which
the total 50 rounds must be fired.
(Yours" truly found he had
five thumbs on each hand during
reloading.)
Officers taking the course are
taught to make themselves the
smallest, possible target, as
would be the case in a "shooting
fray." In determining practicing
positions, FBI officials took the
five positions most used by of
ficers who had experience in
actual "shooting frays."
The' course is organized for a
standard .38 caliber revolver, the
type primarily Vused by law en
forcement agencies throughout
the country. Pistols used during
Public Service
Program Planned
Plans for a weekly, public
service television program to
aid pet and livestock owners
with animal health problems
were made Wednesday by mem
bers of the Rogue Valley Veteri
ary Medical association, who met
at the Cave Shop, Grants Pass.
The program, scheduled for
Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m., is spon
sored by KBES-TV and pro
duced by members of the vet
erinarian's association.
A different veterinarian will
be featured each week to discuss
topics relating to animal health.
Once a month a panel will an
swer questions which have been
submitted by viewers.
Dr.- Walter Weller, Ashland,
will talk on salmon poisoning in
dogs on the next program, Oct.
25. On Nov. 2, Dr. Walker Krebs,
Grants Pass will discuss trau
matic gastritis in cattle, also
known as "hardware disease."
Members of the association at
the Grants Pass meeting also
discussed parasitism in young
cattle.
Injured Flier Once
Stationed in Medford
The state police office in Med
ford recalled Saturday that 1st
Lt. Charles W. Clark, co-pilot of
a jet bomber which crashed near
Tokyo Friday, was a state po
lice officer stationed here brief
ly in 1952. and '1953.
Clark, whose home is in Rose
burg, was a reserve Air Force
officer, and was called back to
active duty from his job here
in January of 1953.
A story about the crash ap
peared on Page 1 of Friday's
Mail Tribune. Clark was injur
ed, but was reported in good
condition. '
Sunday, Oefobtr 23, 1955
r jmmmmmm,, i j. liuhmmi iiiii m mivm'-, )!,,Mm...m'- -,.u,j,.j
law enforcement agencies, but requires its
own agents to fire 80 or better. Only six of the
38 participants in the two-day course last week
fired 60 or below, and Medford Police Chief
Charles Champlin, who conducted the training,
said additional training periods would be estab
lished for those who shot 60 below and for
others interested in improving their scores.
(Brainerd photo). -
practice are those carried by of
ficers while on duty so the pa
trolman will be familiar with
his particular pistol.
Each officer firing is coached
regarding safety regulations and
proper positions. The coach dur
ing practice also serves as an
observer for the shooter.
During the two-day session
last week, officers also fired, for
acquaintanceship purposes only,
a .30 caliber rifle and a 12 gauge
riot gun on the National Guard
rifle range.
This is the first year in which
such practice sessions have been
conducted twice, and Chief
Champlin said he hopes funds
may be made available to con
duct the course about once every
three months in the future. The
course ' was initiated here two
years ago, and had been held
annually until this year.
Ammunition used by the Med
ford nolice department is what
is called "wad-cutters" used
shells reloaded with a lighter
amount of powder than regular
.38 caliber shells. "Wad-cutters"
are used only in practice ses
sions. . Scoring targets is based on
Three Patients Flown
By Mercy Flights
Three patients -were ' carried
to Veterans Administration hos
pitals in the Portland area by
Mercy Flights planes Friday and
Saturday. The flights brought
the number of patients carried
by the non-profit air ambulance
corporation to 414 in the al
most six years it has been in
service.
Dr. Charles Todd, VA physi
cian at Camp White, went north
for medical treatment . at the
Vancouver VA hospital Friday
evening.' He was accompanied
by Mrs.- Todd.
En route north, the p l a n e
stopped at Grants Pass to pick
up Ed Hill, . who was going to
the VA hospital in Portland for
treatment. ''.""'-.'
At about noon Saturday, the
plane left again carrying Joseph
Brown, Gold Hill, ji cardiac pa
tient, to the VA hospital in
Portland. Lee Flink and Cecil
Davis were pilot and co-pilot on
the Saturday flight. - '
Portlander Found Guilty
Of Taking State Funds
Portland (U.R Mrs. Myrtle
G. Coad, Portland, mother of
four ; c"h i 1 d r e n, has been
found guilty of taking S1112 in
state funds while working as a
cashier for the State Tax Com
mission. .,
' A Circuit' Court jury in the
court of Judge Frank J. Loner
gan returned the guilty verdict
after deliberating five hours.
Mrs. Coad was dismissed from
her job with the commission in
May after working there, for
several years. No date has been
set for. sentencing.
prone, sitting, kneeling and standing positions. The silhouette
target and firing course were devised by federal bureau of
investigation as determined from experience of officers involved
in "shooting frays." Four men firing are observed by a coach,
who reminds the shooter of safety regulations and correct
positions. The complete course, arranged principally for the
.38 caliber revolver, lasts 6 minutes 10 seconds in which 50
rounds of ammunition are fired. Reloading time is counted in
the over-all time. (Brainerd photo). "
whatv is . termed ' "kill value,"
with the number of bullet holes
in each area multiplied by the
number in that silhouette sec
tion. A grand total is multiplied
by .4 to determine the percent
age. . '
FBI agents are required to
shoot a score of 80 or better,
but a score of 60 or better is
recommended for other agencies.
Champlin said additional train
ing periods will be organized
for ..those -.officers who scored
below 60 and for others interest
ed in improving their scores.
Those who participated in the
two-day course last week (all of
whom did much better than
yours truly) were:
. Medford police department
Robert Allen, Wallace Bowen,
Charles Champlin, Roy Erick
son, . Clyde . Fichtner, Robert
Gheysen, Keith Gildersgard, Mil
ton Hanson, Robert James, Clif
ton Lacy, Frank Lengele, Orlo
McGee, Jack McMillan, Leo Mit
chell, Rollie Pean, Lyle Perkins,
Donald Pursel, Lee Rice, Jack
Sanders, Raymond Seely, Berle
Stephens, Roy Thompson, De
Laire Tusow, Ted Whisler, and
Edward Zander.
Ashland police department
George Bennett. "
Jackson county sheriff's office
Paul Bettiol, Dean Coe, Earl
Courtney, Dean DeBerry, Bar
ney Tennant, Veryl Vanoose, Joe
Walsh, and Glenn Wright.
Oregon state police Austin
Murray. '
Grants Pass police deDartment
Dan Brenton, . William Ed
wards, and Earl Whitmire. -(Miscellaneous
yours truly.)
1
TV solid ;
gV comfort!
WORTOWDA
Immaculate... at
tractive . . . com
fortable. Conven
ient location . . .
moderate rates.
S. W. Ilfh
at STARK.
gCTHAWe. (ML J
Gunman,
is Good
Trick Shot Artist
Featured Nov. 1 in
Gene Autrey Show
The Gene Autry show, featur
ing Autry, his horse Champion,
Pat Buttram and Annie Oaklay,
will .be presented at Hedrick
Junior High school auditorium,
Nov. 1, with performances at
4:30 and 8:30 p.m.
Annie Oaklay will give a dem
onstration of trick shooting;
Gene will sing, ride Champion
and put Little Champ through
his tricks. A group of ropers,
singers, dancers, clowns, whip
artists and acrobats will take
part in the show.
Autry, in his 15th year on
CBS radio, is currently the top
Columbia recording star, with
more than- 35,000,000 record
sales to his credit. "Rudolph the
Rednosed Reindeer" alone has
sold 5,000,000 copies.
Square Dancers
To Aid Car Fund 1
A square dance jamboree will
be held Oct. 29 from 8:30 until
11:30 p.m. in the gymnasium of
the new E. H. Hedrick Junior
High school.
Proceeds from the dance,
which is sponsored by the Rogue
Valley Square Dance Callers as
sociation,1 will go to the Jackson
County Disaster Car fund to be
used for. the purchases of needed
equipment. -
Emergency first aid material,
tools; axes, stretchers, facilities
for preparing food - and many
other- itejws are badly needed
to equip the disaster unit, accord
ing to Wes Coleman, Captain,
Medford Fire department.-
The disaster car is designed to
meetany emergency arising from
any cause such as storm, fire,
or accident in Jackson coun
ty, Coleman said. The car is vol
untarily manned by members of
the fire department.
Advance tickets for the dance
may be purchased at Swem's
Book and Gift Shop or Purucker
Piano House.
Greof Northern Freight
Train Wrecks Near-Bend
Bend (U.R) A southbound
Great Northern freight train was
derailed south of here late
Thursday, sending 14 cars off the
tracks and scattering debris for
more than one-half mile. There
were no injuries.
Cause of the derailment was
not known. The train was on a
Bend-Klamath Falls run and the
cars were 'loaded with freight.
Bow ties comprise five per
cent of all ties made' in the U.S.
m
ii S ii
,11 Jill ft : 4
Central Point Man
Hurt in Accident;
Cars Said Damaged
Allen William Hill 31, of 121
Manzanita St., Central Point,
was taken to Sacred Heart hos
pital by Medford ambulance
Friday afternoon for treatment
of a badly bruised leg, follow
ing a two-car accident on ' the
Crater. Lake highway above
Eagle Point, it was reported Sat
urday.
State police said the Hill car,
carrying the driver and his wife
and son and daughter, collided
with another car driven by Ar
thur Joseph Marineau, 64,
Grants Pass, at about 5:35 p.m.
Loses Control
The investigating officer said
he was told that the Marineau
car attempted to pass another
west-bound vehicle, saw the Hill
car coming, and swerved back
into its own lane. Marineau ap
plied his brakes, swerved and
lost control, sideswiping the Hill
car, forcing it into a ditch the
officer was informed. .
No others were injured,- but
both cars were reportedly badly
damaged. No citations were is
sued.
A log truck driven by Wallen
Rufus Chrisco, 41, Shady Cove,
and a pickup driven by Victor
Ettore Gardner, 49, Eagle'Point,
collided in the Brownsboro area
at about 6:15 p.m., police report
ed. There were no injuries nor
citations, but both vehicles were
damaged, police said.
Four Medford Doctors
Take Heart Training
Four Medford physicians were
in Portland Oct. 14 and 15 for
the fourth annual symposium on
heart disease sponsored Jby the
Oregon Heart association.
Drs. Ray L. Casterline, Oscar
Heyerman, Ralph E. Hibbs and
Fred Lorish attended a series of
scientific lectures concerning
problems' in the diagnosis and
treatment of heart disease. '
Guest speakers . included
Franklin D. Johnston, M. D., pro
fessor of medicine, University of
Michigan medical school; Maur
ice Sokolow, M.D., associate pro
fessor of medicine. University of
California medical .school, and
D. Evan Bedford, M.D., Univer
sity of London and physician to
the National Heart hospital, in
stitute of Cardiology. London,
England.
, The Oregon Heart association
is a participating member of the
United Medford Crusade. .
llllllilil
i. ...and
who
IPS
Give
Published in cooperation with the United Medford Crusade by The .
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE
Park Superintendent Tells
Story of Hunter and Bears
Tom Williams, superintendent
of Crater Lake National park,
last week reported, an encounter
between a deer hunter and a
family of bears. .
His moral was: "Just because
they call a bear a dumb animal,
don't underestimate him, : par
ticularly in the matter of for
aging." Nine County Men
Enlisted in Navy
In 'Buddy Program7
Nine men were enlisted in the
U.S. Navy recently through the
Medford recruiting station, ac
cording to local recruiters.
Enlisting from Medford were
Ivan Wendell Goble, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Wendel Y. Goble, 2595
Starlite lane; Ralph Charles Mill
er, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
P. Miller, 1916 Grandview ave.;
David Wesley Moore, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Sherman Moore, 342
Mae st.; Donald Dean Tosh, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Buck Tosh, 1916
Grandview ave.; Virgil Dexter
Evans, son of Mr. : and Mrs.
George D. Evans, 1130 Niantic
st.; Charles Albert Lewis, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Lewis,
1058 Barnett rd., and Lester Dale
Livingston, son of Mrs. Lara M.
Livingston, 513 King st.
Enlisting from - Talent was
Clarence Edwin Meadows, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Ora H. Meadows,
route 1, box 376. Enlisting from
Ashland was Joseph Aaron Rob
erts, son of Ronald M. Roberts,
248J2 Wightman st.
All nine men enlisted under
the "buddy program" and will
go through the nine-weeks per
iod of recruit .training together
in the same company at . the
Naval Training center, San
Diego, Calif.
About 30 per cent of all U.S.
candy sales are 'made in food
stores. '
PICTURE TUBES
REJUVENATED
Is your picture tube dull and weak?
Most picture tubes can be restored
to original brightness at only
fraction of the cost of replacement.
For further information CALL'
Electronic Service
18 N. GRAPE
PH. 3-1971
thank
gave the united way
GENEROUSLY
This is the story the super
intendent told:
The other day, a deer hunter
en route home ' visited Crater
Lake National park to view the
scenic wonder. Behind his pick
up truck he towed a jeep. In
the rear of the jeep were two
nice bucks. Near headquarters G
he saw a black bear with three .
cubs. Bringing his vehicles to
stop, the man jumped out, arm
ed with a camera. Mother bear
and two of her children oblig
ingly posed.
Completing his photography,
the man climbed back in his car
and started home with a feeling
of contentment two fine bucks
and several exposures of mam
ma bear and her brood. Unwi1
tingly he had acquired another
trophy. A shout from an onlook
er brought him to a halt and it
was then he discovered an extra
passenger the third cub hap
pily ensconced in the rear of
the jeep, munching on a deer
carcass.
The man attempted to discour
age the diner. The cub, contin
ued his banquet. Soon mamma
bear joined her son and brought
along his brother and sister. Tca
gether they presented a formid-'
able front. Possession being nine
points of the law, the visitor
withdrew and put -in a call for
leinforcements while the bear
family continued to feast.
Acting Chief Ranger Packard,
answering the call for help,
drove the "free-loaders" away
and the hunter departed, wiser
in the way of bears. '
NT WITH
BURGESS PAINT
& WALLPAPER STORE
' Corner 6th & Holly Diagonally
Across from the Post Office
We Give" S4H Green Stampi
PHONE 2-9321
''Let Us Recommend a Reliable
Painter"
will
9?
To The