1) An AR15-style, or other center fired rifle, SMG, or pistol caliber carbine

2) 30 rounds of center-fire ammunition for the above rifle, loaded into three (3) magazines, loaded 1 ea. with 5, 10, and 15 rounds

3) An 8.5x11" sheet of standard printer paper, with no aiming marks, reference points or bullseyes to serve as the shooter's target

4) A means to post the above target at 100 yards

Optional:

- A barrier or simulated barrier - this can be as simple as a stake - provided that it is clearly visible in the video

- A center-fire handgun, with magazines and ammunition

This challenge is designed to simulate the simplest form of Infantry Attack.

The shooter Assaults a fixed objective (the target) over open terrain, utilizing the individual movement technique of the 3-5 Second Bound under (simulated) fire, to close with and destroy the enemy.

Upon achieving the objective, the shooter will react to a counter-attack by enemy forces approaching from the front.  

Shooters start with thirty (30) points.  

For each round remaining in the shooter's magazines - two (2) points is added.

For each hole in the paper, one (1) point is subtracted - edge breaking is counted as a hit.  

For each miss, determined by subtracting the number of hits and rounds remaining from 30 - three (3) points are added per miss.  

Now - this is the basic metric for rifle hits/misses.  

Shooters may also, completely at their own discretion - choose engage the target at any time and at any distance with their sidearm.  For each pistol shot in the target - a half-point (1/2) is deducted from the shooter's point score.  

There is no limit to the number of pistol rounds that can be carried or fired, and no penalties for misses.

After the allotted five (5) seconds in Defilade, Exposure Time begins automatically, whether the shooter has gotten up from their position or not.

After Exposure Time begins, the shooter has five (5) seconds of allowable Exposure Time.  After those five (5) seconds have expired - shooters will accrue a one (1) second penalty for each tenth (0.1) of a second beyond five (5) seconds of Exposure Time - i.e. one second over means the shooter accrues a ten second penalty. Time will be calculated by the nearest whole tenth of a second, i.e. 1.39 seconds is 1.3 seconds, not 1.4 seconds - no rounding.

If a shooter fails to fire on the target on a bound, they will be assessed a five (5) second penalty

MILITARY RIFLES AND REPLICAS:

Any military rifle or military rifle replica (e.g. M4A1 SOPMOD Clones, CQBR/MK 18 Clones, MK 12 SPR Clones, M16-variants, M14s, FALs, etc.) used by any country in any era.

Must use a center-fire caliber.

Must be a clone or replica of a military issued configuration - NOT just be of the same type of rifle.  

If carrying a sidearm, the sidearm must match a military issued caliber for the same country as the rifle - e.g. U.S. M4A1 SOPMOD clone - must use pistol in 9MM, .45ACP, or .40 S&W.  


UNLIMITED:

Any center-fire rifle.

Sidearm may be in any center-fire caliber.


Each of these Divisions will be further subdivided into:


SLICK:

The "Slick" Category would encompass everything from magazines in cargo pockets, to warbelts, or chest rigs - depending on the comfort of the shooter.


FULL KIT:

The "Full Kit" Category would require the shooter to wear at least soft body armor, or a reasonable facsimile thereof (training plates and other "simulated" armor would also be acceptable - as would LE "Duty" gear, which might only be a soft vest), and some form of helmet (again, "bump" helmets would be acceptable for those without dedicated ballistic lids).  

Military Rifles and Replicas will have an additional subdivision:

SUBCOMPACT:

Barrel lengths under 14.5" - (this includes pinned and welded 14.5" barrels)


LONG GUN:

Barrel lengths exceeding 14.5" - (this includes bullpup configuration weapons with barrels exceeding 14.5" regardless of OAL)

Divisions will not be separated based on caliber size, magnified/non-magnified optics/iron sights.  In the infamous words of Rummy - "you go to war with the army you have..."

Originally Posted By Augee:
BASIC COURSE OF FIRE AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:

The basic concept of the operations is to design a course of fire that is both convenient enough for a large number of diverse participants, widely geographically dispersed to do in isolation and still be fairly scored - that places emphasis on fire and maneuver, individual movement techniques (IMT), use of cover and concealment, engagement techniques, and closing with and destroying the enemy - not, simply, on time hacks and/or marksmanship.  

PRE-REQUISITES:

1. You will need access to a ~100 yard range where you could "run and gun," that is to say - move rapidly up and down the range, with a loaded weapon, and while engaging targets.  

2. A digital camera capable of taking both still and video - and someone willing to operate them or other means of recording yourself - most modern smart phones are capable of both, and will more than sufficiently fulfill this requirement

3. Be willing to post a video of yourself engaging in the course of fire on a public internet forum with open access (sunglasses, angles, whatever you want to do to obscure your identity are fully acceptable, as long as the video shows what it needs to - more on that later)

The basic concept of the course of fire is a timed event that is intended to simulate the final assault on an objective from the assault position forward, employing a bounding "overwatch" movement technique, and responding to a counter-attack.  


SCORING AND SUBMISSION:

Each shooter will submit to the forum -

1) A video recording from the 3rd person of the shooter executing the course of fire - if no assistant is available - shooters may film themselves, as long as the video shows adhere's to the following requirements

The video can be static or moving, as long as it clearly shows the shooter executing the bounding movements and closing with the target.  The video must begin before the starting signal, and end after the counter-attack.  The video will be uploaded to YouTube and/or embedded into the shooter's post on the forum.  


2) Additionally, the shooter will submit a clear photograph of their target after scoring - the shooter will self-score their own target based on the above rubric, and write their round additions and subtractions on the paper.  


3) The shooter will also submit a photograph of their rifle that they fired the course of fire with, as well as their pistol, if applicable - with a parts list.  

The goal is the lowest score possible in both time and points.



RANGE SETUP:

A single target composed of a single, clean sheet of white, 8.5x11" printer paper, oriented vertically (shorter face at the top and bottom, taller than it is wide) with no aiming points, bullseyes, or other points of reference on it placed at 100 yards.  

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff502/augeekim/augeekim015/IMT_CHLNG_COF_zpskpyt0o1y.jpg

The shooter must use center-fire rifle and have at least three magazines - one with five (5) rounds, one with ten (10) rounds, and one with fifteen (15) rounds, for a total of thirty rounds of ammunition.

Shooters may also elect to carry a sidearm if desired in a center-fire caliber.

Shooters will place one (1) barrier - or at very least, a visible stake/post/etc. to simulate a barrier wherever they wish, provided it is at least five (5) yards from the target.  

The shooter will begin with the magazines on their person, but the weapon unloaded, in a "GREEN" status, no magazine inserted (rangism).  

The course of fire will be initiated by some audible or visible signal - to include, but not limited to, a whistle, a flare, someone shouting "ASSAULT, ASSAULT, ASSAULT," a shot-timer buzzer, a starter's pistol or blank round, etc. - the timer will begin at this time.

Shooters are responsible for determining their own round counts, engagement locations, and magazine changes based on the situation.  



SCORING METHOD:

This event will be scored on a combined "points" and "time" metric -


POINTS:

Each participant will calculate their "Points" score individually and submit a photograph of their scored target - SEE EXAMPLE

Your points represent the shooting component of the exercise - and is based on the number of holes on the paper, the number of rounds left in your magazine, and the number of misses.  

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff502/augeekim/augeekim017/IMT_CHLNG_POINTS_zpsvuih0vrf.jpg

Shooters start with thirty (30) points.  

For each round remaining in the shooter's magazines - two (2) points is added.

For each hole in the paper, one (1) point is subtracted - edge breaking is counted as a hit.  

For each miss, determined by subtracting the number of hits and rounds remaining from 30 - three (3) points are added per miss.  

Now - this is the basic metric for rifle hits/misses.  

Shooters may also, completely at their own discretion - choose engage the target at any time and at any distance with their sidearm.  For each pistol shot in the target - a half-point (1/2) is deducted from the shooter's point score.  

There is no limit to the number of pistol rounds that can be carried or fired, and no penalties for misses (rangism).  

In addition to the points - shooters will be scored on time -


TIME:

Time will be scored BY PRE-SELECTED JUDGES who will review each shooter's video and calculate the Time Score based on the following guidelines - THE SHOOTER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING TRACK OF THEIR OWN TIME SCORE - JUST SUBMIT THE VIDEO

Shooters will be scored on a combined "Exposure Time" and "Elapsed Time" scoring method.

Once the shooter loads and makes ready their weapon at the starting line and takes up a prone position, the shooter has seven (7) seconds to both engage the target and move to their next prone position.  

This is called Exposure Time, otherwise known as the time that the shooter is exposed to the enemy and can be shot by the enemy.  In order to limit Exposure Time, shooters will bound utilizing an individual movement technique known as the "3 - 5 Second Rush."

Every service member in their initial entry training learns to time their 3 - 5 Second Rushes by using the phrase "I'm up.  He sees me.  I'm down." a phrase which, depending on cadence take between 3 to 5 seconds to say.

Once the shooter has reached their next prone position, they have five (5) potential seconds of Defilade Time, during which the shooter may catch their breath, change magazines, take a sip of water, etc.

However, once a shooter fires a round, their Defilade Time ends automatically, and their Exposure Time begins again, and they have another seven (7) seconds to shoot and move and get to their next position.  

Shooters receive an extra two (2) seconds of potential Defilade Time at the simulated barrier, for seven (7) total seconds of potential Defilade Time.  

The final time score total will be calculated as the overall time elapsed PLUS Exposure Time.  

PLEASE SEE FOURTH POST BELOW FOR MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TIME CALCULATIONS.



DIVISIONS:

There will be six (6) total Divisions, subdivided based on the following categories:


MILITARY RIFLES AND REPLICAS:

Any military rifle or military rifle replica (e.g. M4A1 SOPMOD Clones, CQBR/MK 18 Clones, MK 12 SPR Clones, M16-variants, M14s, FALs, etc.) used by any country in any era.

Must use a center-fire caliber.

Must be a clone or replica of a military issued configuration - NOT just be of the same type of rifle.  

If carrying a sidearm, the sidearm must match a military issued caliber for the same country as the rifle - e.g. U.S. M4A1 SOPMOD clone - must use pistol in 9MM, .45ACP, or .40 S&W.  


UNLIMITED:

Any center-fire rifle.

Sidearm may be in any center-fire caliber.


Each of these Divisions will be further subdivided into:


SLICK:

The "Slick" Category would encompass everything from magazines in cargo pockets, to warbelts, or chest rigs - depending on the comfort of the shooter.


FULL KIT:

The "Full Kit" Category would require the shooter to wear at least soft body armor, or a reasonable facsimile thereof (training plates and other "simulated" armor would also be acceptable - as would LE "Duty" gear, which might only be a soft vest), and some form of helmet (again, "bump" helmets would be acceptable for those without dedicated ballistic lids).  

Military Rifles and Replicas will have an additional subdivision:

SUBCOMPACT:

Barrel lengths under 14.5" - (this includes pinned and welded 14.5" barrels)


LONG GUN:

Barrel lengths exceeding 14.5" - (this includes bullpup configuration weapons with barrels exceeding 14.5" regardless of OAL)

Divisions will not be separated based on caliber size, magnified/non-magnified optics/iron sights.  In the infamous words of Rummy - "you go to war with the army you have..."


DIVISIONS:

1) Military/Subcompact/Slick
2) Military/Subcompact/Full Kit
3) Military/Long Gun/Slick
4) Military/Long Gun/Full Kit
5) Unlimited/Slick
6) Unlimited/Full Kit


OKAY, SO WHAT DO I GET FOR WINNING?:

Currently, without knowing how much interest there is in this kind of challenge/competition - I can, at this point, guarantee each winner in each category -

One (1) KAC Black, 11-Rib RAS Rail Cover  



If there are enough people interested - I might actually go out and buy something to award top shooters - and if there really is enough interest, I may even seek sponsorship/prize donations - however, that is contingent on interest and participation, and I'd have to speak to Site Staff/Moderation Team to determine what would or would not be acceptable to that end.  

DETAILED AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BACKGROUND:

One of the chief complaints by many of the SOPMOD threads is that the members who participate in them are:

a) more concerned about aesthetics and "looks" than function

b) "wannabes," "fanbois," and "cool guy leg-humpers"

c) Adult-airsoft

While this thread is not intended as a defense/discussion of those threads and/or those attitudes and opinions - I will say this -

I too have felt for quite some time now that the M4A1 SOPMOD discussion threads have somewhat "lost touch" with the original purpose and function of SOPMOD rifles - tools, and weapons of war, and elite warriors - intended to facilitate their fire, maneuver, and closing with, and destroying the enemy.

Let's be clear - SOPMOD rifles are not supposed to range toys, shot on manicured ranges, at pieces of paper, on sunny days - they are, for all other discussions of the hows, whys, contracts, solicitations, politics, and personalities - intended as a tool to support (yes, this is going to be a refrain) - fire and maneuver.  

In the "clone" threads, there have recently been a couple of "challenges" and "competitions" which have been generally successful, but are really all "range" and "marksmanship" challenges.  Natural, of course, for a firearms forum - but I think we can "go bigger" and be more "interactive" - and engage more the real "spirit and purpose" of these rifles.  

This challenge/competition was inspired by, and generally geared towards members of the "SOPMOD Clone" community, as a fun, interactive, shared activity - however, participation is not limited to those with "clone" rifle builds.  


"WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT?":

So... what makes this different from a basic three gun or timed shooting event?  

The scoring method - those with a mechanzied background may recall the importance of such terms as "Defilade Time" and "Exposure Time."  

On the most basic level, those two phrases represent "the time during which you are behind cover and concealment" and "the time that you can get shot," respectively.  

This event will be scored on a combined "points" and "time" metric -


POINTS:

See course of fire


TIME:

"Defilade Time" and "Exposure Time."  

On the most basic level, those two phrases represent "the time during which you are behind cover and concealment" and "the time that you can get shot," respectively.  

Time begins when the course of fire is initiated by audible or visible signal.  

Once a shooter has chambered a round at the firing line, after sprinting back from the target - Exposure Time - "ET" begins.  

ET will be kept track of separately - shooters are given seven (7) seconds of ET for each bound, that is to say, at one time - this also includes time to actually engage the target.  After seven seconds of ET - shooters will accrue a one (1) second penalty for each tenth (0.1) of a second beyond seven (7) seconds of ET - i.e. one second over means the shooter accrues a ten second penalty.  Time will be calculated by the nearest whole tenth of a second, i.e. 1.39 seconds is 1.3 seconds, not 1.4 seconds - no rounding.  

Shooters can stop their exposure time by dropping to a prone position at any point on the course of fire.  

Dropping to the prone will begin Defilade Time - "DT" during which the shooter may catch their breath, change magazines, take a sip of water, etc. - however shooters are only allotted five (5) seconds of DT per bound, after five (5) seconds - ET begins and is counted against the shooter.  

Moreover, DT ends the moment the shooter fires a shot from a defilade position, and ET begins to be counted.  

The only exception to this is the designated barrier - at the designated barrier (meant to represent cover) - the shooter may take a kneeling position to begin DT, and is given seven (7) seconds of DT, rather than five.  Again, after seven (7) seconds, or the shooter initiates fires - DT ends, and ET begins.  

Once the shooter closes to within five (5) yards of the target - ET ends, and is no longer counted, and the shooter sprints back to the starting line, and engages the target with at least three (3) rounds from any weapon system.  

The final time score total will be calculated as the overall time elapsed PLUS Exposure Time.  

JUDGES:

So... I know what you're saying now, you're saying "Augee, that all sounds well and good, but on a mounted gunnery range where they use DT and ET, etc. - there's FLIR recording, automated targetry, Vehicle Crew Evaluators, a Timing Controller, Jump Net, and all that stuff to monitor all that and to score it - how the hell are we supposed to keep track of all this?"

The answer is - "you don't."  

And here's where my first request for volunteers and input comes in - once the shooter has submitted their entry -

I, and hopefully at least two other volunteers who are willing to get familiar with the scoring/timing system will individually calculate the combined elapsed time, ET, and "cuts" (for exceeding allowable exposure time) - and post our time calculations for the entry.  Once all three scores are posted - the shooter's final score will be the mean score of all three judges, and the scores will be ranked.  

The goal is the lowest score possible in both time and points.


FEEDBACK:

So - in addition to seeking volunteers to score - and wanting to know how many people would be able and willing to participate -

A couple things I'd like feedback for -

Final combined score calculation:

Part of the point of the combined score, and making this not just "shooting" challenge, but a combat-focused challenge is focused on the idea that "perfect shooting will not save you, but reckless shooting will destroy you."  

The point of this should be relatively clear - but to just to elaborate -

The idea is that while we all train for "aim small, miss small," and "marksmanship fundamentals" - at the end of the day, when you get to actions on the objective - no one's going to care how small your groups were - the only question left will be "did you put the enemy down or not?"  

To that end, the 8.5x11" paper is a close and easily acquirable approximation of the "COM" and vitals of an enemy combatant.  

However, the goal of this exercise is that the shooter is able to place accurate, COM hits on an enemy from various ranges - not the size or precision of their groups, beyond COM, no additional points are awarded.

However, because this course of fire is intended to simulate an assault on an objective, there is an extremely heavy burden placed on not losing track of where your rounds are going, because the conceit is that you are part of an assaulting element, and working as part of a team - shots that do not hit what they're intended to hit can hit your buddy, or cause unnecessary (and Article 15 initiating) collateral damage.  This is the reason for a three (3) point penalty for misses.  

The two (2) point penalty for unfired rounds represents the importance of volume of accurate fire on the enemy - since this course of fire simulates a "bounding overwatch" assault - it is just as critical not only that you minimize your own ET - but that you "cover your buddy" while they are moving - rounds need to go down range to achieve the fire superiority that carries the day, and leads to a successful assault.  

The half-point (1/2) awarded for pistol shots represents the conscious decision to keep rounds going downrange by whatever means necessary, even if you have a stoppage, or get caught "with your pants down" while exposed, and your rifle runs dry.  

What I need input for is that I've determined that the "final" score needs to be a combination of "points" score and timed score - however, I want to weight the "points" enough that -

a) Being a fantastic shot, but not being able to move/staying exposed too long in search of the perfect group will not help you "win."  

b) Poor shooting - i.e. not shooting enough (volume of fire) or missing shots (potential green-on-green) will tank your score, no matter how fast you run the course of fire, and a significant number of misses/unfired shots effectively DQs a shooter from "the running."  

I'm not sure if simply adding the number of points to the time will effectively weight this - or whether there needs to be another solution to combining the scores.  

To that end, I need some people to do "trial runs" - that is, intentionally do one or the other, and see how much it effects the total scoring, so that we can determine what weight needs to be applied to the "points" score in order to prevent, as much as possible, participants from "gaming" the course of fire, e.g. deciding that it's worth a fifty-second time cut for ET to get a "perfect" point score.

Also - as of right now, I know I want this to run at least all summer - but I need to know what a "realistic" timeline would be for the first iteration of this competition (though, I will be honest - I'd love for it to be an ongoing thing).  Three months?  Four months?  Six months?  Until a certain number of entries is received?  Certain number of participants enter?

A lot of that will depend on level of interest, and how long individual shooters will need to arrange an appropriate range trip.  While some may be able to walk into their backyard and do this run immediately - some may need to arrange range time, or to use someone else's property, etc. for this kind of "run and gun" course of fire.  


"CLONE-CORRECTNESS":

Because this was inspired by the SOPMOD threads - In the Military Rifle and Replica Division - "clone correctness" will also be a small component of the overall score:

I was thinking about doing something along the lines of a "clone score" for points -

e.g. Using a non-SOPMOD optic - one (1) point penalty - however, if you're able to document "in the wild use" with a verified photograph, you can recover a half (1/2) point.  

Same thing - 16" barrel on an M4A1 clone - half point penalty.  Midlength gas system - half point penalty, etc.  

Sidearms could play a part as well - but only in the positive (i.e. having a "clone correct" sidearm can only help you, not hurt you), e.g. one (1) point awarded for having a Beretta 92F/FS variant, Sig P226, Glock 17/19/22/23, M45A1 CQBP/MEU(SOC) .45, etc.  

This would, of course, be more clearly defined - and I would want not want this to be a "deal breaker" for competition standing - that is to say, like the shooting component - you can't "win" just by having a perfect clone, but shitty marksmanship and movement techniques - however, if two shooters are very close in total score - I think it would be a fun/interesting mix of the "clone building" and "combat shooting" aspects, for the more "clone correct" shooter to get a little bit of an edge.  


CONCLUSION:

Okay, guys, for those of you whose interest I've managed to keep - what are your thoughts, and is anyone else in for this little "game?"  

I'm hoping, within the next week or two, to be able to get a "trial run" posted here as a "demonstration," with a full score breakdown so that interested parties can get a better visual idea of what I'm talking about/proposing.  

Moreover - the course of fire that I've proposed is intended to be the most straightforward, simple to setup and execute course of fire that I could think of that a large number of people could realistically do without having an "in person" competition, and still maintain some "fairness" in scoring, without being 100% honor system.

Interactivity, of course, was also a factor - we've done picture threads for just about every category, and people post videos of their range days all the time - but this would offer something that people could participate in, and post their own progress and performance in.

Also - by posting videos - certainly, it's not "as good" as having a trainer on-site to make corrections, and watch what it is that you're doing - but it would offer an opportunity for you to have your technique (hopefully civilly) critiqued by others in an interactive way - though, I would caution and remind - we're not all the same age, we're not all of the same medical backgrounds, we're not all of the same economic means, and we're not all steely-eyed veterans.  This would be an opportunity to learn and grow and offer constructive criticism as a community.  Not an opportunity to make fun of the "fat civilian with diabetes" for not being as awesome as those who have had formal training, and possibly real-world experience.  

To that end - shooters would be allowed to submit as many entries as they wanted - into as many categories as they wanted - it's not a "one and done, I already entered" - but you can post a run, get some feedback, and maybe try it again and try to improve your score.  

In addition, if there is enough interest, I could start cooking up, and would love to hear other suggestions for other possible scenarios/courses of fire that could be added/integrated into this.  Again - the course of fire I chose was because I thought it would be simplest to understand, set up, and had the highest potential for people to be able to participate in.  

I can make ever-more complex scenarios for people with more land/assets/etc. - and it could extend into Night Vision engagement and competition.  I will probably try to at least do some "exhibition runs" with night vision and taking night vision video.  

Moreover, I would encourage those of you who live geographically close to one another - to get together to try to shoot this, and have your own little "mini-clone shoots" if someone has access to some land, and you can videotape each other.  

Anyways -

Once again, I'm soliciting thoughts, feedback, and suggestions; as well as a rough estimate of the number of people who might be interested and able to participate; and volunteers for scoring.  

Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks - or at least finding out that no one else thinks that this is a good idea, and I've fallen flat on my face, and should go think of something else to do.  

Poll added.  Please vote.  

Title edited to clarify -

ALL military clone rifles are welcome - I've already posted invitations in the FNH section and A2 section.

Based on some feedback so far -

There will be a "Military Rifle/Clone" Division, with the four categories already listed - and which will include not just SOPMOD clones, but any military rifle clone, to include, if you so desire, M14s, SCARs, FALs, AUGs, etc.  

There will also be an "Unlimited" Division - non-military rifles or replicas, both "Slick" and "Full Kit" categories.

Center-fire calibers only - no .22lr.  

Divisions will not be separated based on caliber size, magnified/non-magnified optics/iron sights.  In the infamous words of Rummy - "you go to war with the army you have..."

The only division is for "Subcompact" - basically SBRs, anything under 14.5" of barrel length, and "Long Gun" for 14.5" plus.  

Once I've gotten some more feedback and some trial runs by other shooters, I'll finalize the COF and make up some visual aids to make the description clearer and simpler, and cut down a little on the "wall of text."  

Video "tutorial" and course of fire and rule introduction will follow shortly after that with any luck, with full text available, probably - as a clickable link (maybe the description for the video tutorial...)  

~Augee