ng the
range will generally be to take the mean of several estimates.

Five or six officers or men, selected from the most accurate
estimators in the company, are designated as RANGE ESTIMATORS
and are specially trained in estimating distances.

Whenever necessary and practicable, the captain assembles the
range estimators, points out the target to them, and adopts the
mean of their estimates. The range estimators then take their
customary posts.

CLASSES OF FIRING.

241. VOLLEY FIRING has limited application. In defense it may
be used in the early stages of the action if the enemy presents
a large, compact target. It may be used by troops executing FIRE
OF POSITION. When the ground near the target is such that the
strike of bullets can be seen from the firing line, RANGING VOLLEYS
may be used to correct the sight setting.

In combat, volley firing is executed habitually by platoon.

242. FIRE AT WILL is the class of fire normally employed in attack
or defense.

243. CLIP FIRE has limited application. It is principally used:
1. In the early stages of combat, to steady the men by habituating
them to brief pauses in firing. 2. To produce a short burst of
fire.

THE TARGET.

244. Ordinarily the major will assign to the company an objective
in attack or sector in defense; the company's target will lie
within the limits so assigned. In the choice of target, tactical
considerations are paramount; the nearest hostile troops within
the objective or sector will thus be the usual target. This will
ordinarily be the hostile firing line; troops in rear are ordinarily
proper targets for artillery, machine guns, or, at times, infantry
employing fire of position.

Change of targets should not be made without excellent reasons
therefor, such as the sudden appearance of hostile troops under
conditions which make them more to be feared than the troops
comprising the former target.

245. The distribution of fire over the entire target is of special
importance.

The captain allots a part of the target to each platoon, or each
platoon leader takes as his target that part which corresponds
to his position in the company. Men are so instructed that each
fires on that part of the target which is directly opposite him.

246. All parts of the target are equally important. Care must
be exercised that the men do not slight its less visible parts.
A section of the target not covered by fire represents a number
of the enemy