Chapter 254: The Experience of a Pit Master
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Swish! Swish!”
“Pa! Pa!”
Bullets rained down from above.
Squatting in the target trench, Wang Ye and the other recruits faced the direction of the bullets.
He could see the targets above him and even the traces of bullets flying by, though not very clearly.
However, this situation made the recruits who were squatting inside for the first time extremely nervous, especially after the veterans emphasized the importance of remaining still to prevent bullets from hitting rocks and bouncing into the trench.
Fuck, how could a bullet ricochet in a pit? But nobody wanted to experience being hit by a ricocheting bullet.
Wang Ye’s heart was also beating a bit faster. While he had the system, he was still a flesh-and-blood human being. The whizzing bullets and the impact of them hitting the ground nearby were enough to get anyone’s adrenaline pumping.
It was a completely different experience from firing bullets with a steel gun himself.
Wang Ye believed what Zheng Ke had said earlier. If they didn’t go through this experience, they might freeze up on a real battlefield. Faced with a hail of bullets, would these recruits dare to stand and fight?
Even Wang Ye felt that he would be afraid in such a situation. After all, bullets truly had no regard for human life.
“Bah! Bah! What kind of bullet is this? Why is there so much dirt?” Peng Yuhang raised his head at the wrong moment, and a wave of dust fell on him. He cursed after swallowing some of it.
Luo Yang, who was guarding the three of them from Class Eight, smiled and replied, “What else could it be? Our fourth Company mainly uses 5.8mm bullets.”
“No, Brother Luo, do sniper rifles also use 5.8mm bullets?” Zhang Wen, who appeared a bit nervous, asked quietly.
Wang Ye was also curious about this question.
Before joining the army, Wang Ye had indeed researched a lot about the military, but his knowledge was mainly general information. He hadn’t delved into specifics about firearms.
Luo Yang nodded with a smile. As he spoke, he dusted off his head and continued, “Yes! Sniper 88 also uses 5.8mm bullets, but they’re different from the bullets you just used.”
Seeing their curious expressions, he explained further, “The bullet size is the same, but the bullets fired by Sniper 88 are heavy copper bullets, while the ones fired by Airliner and Rifle are lightweight bullets.”
Pausing for a moment, he added, “In emergencies, we can still use rifle bullets in Sniper 88, but it affects accuracy and range to some extent.”
Wang Ye pondered this information. It seemed quite convenient that the rifles and sniper rifles used the same bullet size and that the sniper rifle could use rifle bullets in a pinch. This reduced the complexity of ammunition logistics on the battlefield.
However, at the same time, Wang Ye had some questions about Sniper 88. Was its range truly reliable?
“Alright, why are you getting up? Squat down and don’t move!” Luo Yang hastily stopped Peng Yuhang when he noticed him attempting to get up.
“No, Brother Luo, dust keeps falling on my head. 1 want to move to the side!”
“You chose your position yourself. Didn’t you see that your head was facing the target? The bullets are flying right over your head.”
Although Luo Yang scolded him, he understood Peng Yuhang’s concern and didn’t object to him changing his position.
After squatting for about half an hour, the shooting ceased, and a row of recruits was called to take their turn. However, they didn’t all go at once; instead, they went in rows.
Wang Ye and the others belonged to the third row, so they had to continue squatting there, waiting for their turn.
“Alright, stop looking. Here, 1’11 give you some more!”
Luo Yang smiled and reached into his pocket, producing a bag of melon seeds. It seemed like he had anticipated being there for a while and had come prepared.
In fact, some other veterans had also brought snacks like this.
He shared some melon seeds with Wang Ye and the others and said with a smile, “This is exciting the first couple of times, but after a while, maybe even next time, you’ll want to stay here for the shooting!”
Peng Yuhang couldn’t help but ask, “Why, Brother Luo? Isn’t shooting fun? What’s the point of staying here?”
Luo Yang chuckled but didn’t give a direct answer. “You’ll understand when you’ve been in a real firefight.”
After a while, bullets whizzed overhead once more.
However, compared to earlier, where the bullets were like a torrential storm, now it was more like a leaky faucet dripping drops of water.
It was apparent that the recruits were controlling their firing rate. On average, a bullet would be fired from a target every two to three seconds. However, as time passed, their firing speed increased.
“Just now, they were firing single shots. Now, they’re doing bursts,” Luo Yang explained to Wang Ye and the others as he squatted beside them. He even raised his head to observe the targets above.
“Which class is this? Their accuracy is really terrible. Look at those bullets on the target and the post. We’re the side targets. If you guys get such results next time, be ready to run back!”
Zhang Wen grew even more anxious, and even Peng Yuhang, who had some confidence in his shooting, shared the sentiment.
Peng Yuhang leaned toward Wang Ye and whispered, “Brother Wang, remember to stay relaxed when you shoot. 1 feel like the key to shooting is keeping the rifle steady.”
Wang Ye nodded with a smile in response to Peng Yuhang’s advice. But at that moment, he was more focused on observing how the bullets penetrated the targets above.
There was indeed a noticeable gap between veterans and recruits when it came to shooting accuracy. The veterans, with their experience, could consistently hit their targets with single shots and bursts, leaving visible holes on the targets. In contrast, some of the recruits struggled to even hit the target.
As the firing speed increased, Wang Ye continued to observe the target above his head, wondering how the recruit squad leader responsible for shooting at his target would fare.
He heard more than ten shots, but only noticed four new holes in the target. It was clear that the recruit had missed several shots.
The gunshots eventually stopped, and the recruits went to change their targets. The returning squad looked dejected and far less enthusiastic than when they left for the shooting.
Under Zheng Ke’s orders, they retrieved their targets based on their positions and had to apologize loudly to the target if there were more than 25 bullet holes on it.
This spectacle made the recruits in the third row, who were still waiting their turn, want to laugh but were also worried about facing the same situation when they returned from shooting.
Finally, another round of gunshots ended, and Zheng Ke instructed, “Alright, those in the third row, go out. Those in the first row, switch targets!”
Peng Yuhang expressed his nervousness to Wang Ye as they prepared to leave the pit.
Wang Ye reassured him, “Relax, just like you taught me. Stay calm!”
He was confident that he wouldn’t miss the target, given his high-level aiming skills, moderate shooting skills, and exceptional physical fitness. Even if he didn’t score a perfect ten with each shot, he was confident in his accuracy..