Let’s go to the home of the cornhuskers, the 37th state, and the saber-tooth tiger. In case you haven’t figured it out, we’re talking about good ole Nebraska. What are we doing in Nebraska? Farming? Ranching? Looking for Gerald Ford’s childhood home? Nope, we are here for their Patrol Rifle Qualification. The police in Nebraska wisely have access to patrol rifles, and I’d imagine the big flat plains make them a downright requirement. Before they get their hands on their rifles, though, they have to pass a qualification, and we are digging deep into that qual today.
Supplies and Logistics
Guess what? You need a rifle! Yep, no big surprise. A semi-auto, magazine-fed rifle, to be specific. We need a handgun and a way to carry it, so don’t forget your holsters, boys. On the ammo front, we will need 45 rifle rounds and five handgun rounds. Not too bad. I suggest a sling to make your life easier, but transitions can be done without it.
You need at least two mags and a method to carry a spare, but having three rifle mags makes life easier. If you want to make life easier, load magazines as follows. Magazine one should be loaded with 20 rounds for stages one through four. Your second rifle mag will be loaded with 10 rounds for stages four through five. Your third magazine will be loaded with 15 rounds for stages six and seven. Your handgun mag will be loaded with five rounds.
On the flip side, let’s grab a target. The Nebraska cops use a basic FBI Q target. However, they do modify it for rifle instructor quals. I can’t seem to find the target online, but it essentially has a smaller internal rectangle that demands higher accuracy for instructors. It looks pretty easy to trace out and figure out at home.
Logistics aren’t bad, and as always, bring your eyes, your ears, and a shot timer to finish everything off.
Scoring
There are three scoring methods depending on how hard you want to make this qual. The first is the Officer Qual. This requires you to put 70% of the rounds inside the Q. Not too tough with 50 rounds, which translates to 35 rounds on target.
Instructors have to land 90% of their rounds inside the Q target as part of their Pre-qual, which means 45 rounds on target. The instructor qualification requires you to shoot 90% of your shots inside the modified rectangle within the Q target.
Shoot It Out
Alright, cornhuskers, let’s get down to business. Shooters will start from the low ready for each drill with a loaded weapon and magazine inserted. Our handgun won’t be needed until the last stage, and it remains holstered until it’s not. We got seven stages to get through, measuring from 50 to seven yards, so know your zero and your height over bore holdovers.
Stage 1 – 50 Yards
At the 50-yard line, we are going to get moving. In Nebraska, they believe in good stable positions and getting there quickly. You’ll start in the standing, and at the beep, you’ll transition instantly to the prone position and five rounds into the target. You have 20 seconds, and that’s a lot of time. Take that time to ensure you get a good sight picture and accurate shots on targets.
Stage 2 – 50 Yards
We aren’t leaving the 50-yard line just yet. We are starting in the standing position, in the low ready, but be ready to move. At the beep, you’ll transition to a good kneeling position and fire five rounds. You have 20 seconds total. Make sure you get a good supportive kneeling position and use your body for as much support as possible.
Stage 3 – 50 Yards
Oh, we are making the rifle a rifle, not a submachine gun. We are sticking to 50 yards, and we aren’t moving either. This time we need to stay in the standing position, and we’ll fire five rounds in 20 seconds. Standing can be tricky, so use all the tricks you can. You have the same time, but you get to use more of it since you aren’t moving.
Stage 4 – 25 Yards
Alright, we are a whole lot closer, right? Good, we are still shooting and moving. If you’ve loaded your mags right, you should have five in the gun and another ready to reload. At the beep, fire those five rounds from the standing, then immediately transition to a kneeling position and reload. Finish the drill by firing five more rounds. You have 25 seconds to make it all happen.
Stage 5 – 15 Yards
We are getting nice and close now. You’ll need to assume a good low ready and at the beep, fire five rounds. Boom, you’re empty once more. Now take a knee and reload. Once reloaded, fire five more rounds. You have 20 seconds to make it so.
Stage 6 – 7 Yards
Alright, we are nearly in bad breath range. You might need to take into account your height over bore issues. You might be hitting a little off your point of aim, but the target is fairly large. At this range, we’ll be firing double taps. This is two rapidly fired rounds. At each beep, you’ll fire two rounds in three seconds. You’ll repeat this for a total of four repetitions and eight rounds fired.
Stage 7 – 5 Yards
Now you are officially in the bad breath range. Here we will fire two rounds with the rifle, rendering the weapon empty. We’ll then transition to our handgun and fire five rounds. You have ten seconds to make it happen.
My Thoughts
Overall this is a qualification that’s easy to complete in terms of range and logistics. You don’t need anything too crazy to get through the course of fire. The ammo count isn’t high, and you only need a single target. The skills at 50 yards are a great addition, and the fact that it’s a rifle means police officers should be taking advantage of its ability to be used at range.
The reloading makes sense as well, as does a pistol transition. I mean, my main complaint is the times are fairly generous. You won’t ever have too little time to complete any of these stages. I’d tighten the times down a bit to make it a good bit more challenging. Knock off five seconds at 50 yards, 10 seconds off the 25-yard reload, etc.
Overall it’s a good bit of training. You’ll have a fun time shooting the qual. I know I did, anyway. Give it a try, and let us know what you think below.
