More elevation will generally be required on cold days; on very dry days; with a 12 o'clock wind; with a hot barrel; in a dull or cloudy light. The upper band should not be tight enough to bind the barrel. Do not put a cartridge into the chamber until ready to fire. Do not place cartridges in the sun. They will get hot and shoot high. Do not rub the eyes--especially the sighting eye. In cold weather warm the trigger hand before shooting. After shooting, clean the rifle carefully and then oil it to prevent rust. Have a strong, clean cloth that will not tear and jam, properly cut to size, for use in cleaning. Always clean the rifle from the breech, using a brass cleaning rod when available. An injury to the rifling at the muzzle causes the piece to shoot very irregularly. Regular physical exercise, taken systematically, will cause a marked improvement in shooting. Frequent practice of the "Position and aiming drills" and gallery practice are of the greatest help in preparing for shooting on the range. =Rapid firing=: Success in rapid firing depends upon catching a quick and accurate aim, holding the piece firmly and evenly, and in squeezing the trigger without a jerk. In order to give as much time as possible for aiming accurately, the soldier must practice taking position, loading with the clip, and working the bolt, so that no time will be lost in these operations. With constant practice all these movements may be made quickly and without false motions. When the bolt handle is raised, it must be done with enough force to start the shell from the chamber; and when the bolt is pulled back it must be with sufficient force to throw the empty shell well away from the chamber and far enough to engage the next cartridge. In loading, use force enough to load each cartridge with one motion. The aim must be caught quickly, and, once caught, must be held and the trigger squeezed steadily. Rapid firing, as far as holding, aim, and squeezing the trigger are concerned, should be done with all the precision of slow fire. The gain in time should be in getting ready to fire, loading, and working the bolt. =Firing with rests=: In order that the shooting may be uniform the piece should always be rested at the same point. =Section 11. The course in small-arms firing.= The course in small-arms firing consists of-- (_a_) Nomenclature and care of rifle. (_b_) Sighting drills. (_c_) Position and aiming drills. (_d_) Deflection and elevation correction drills. (_e_) Gallery practice. (_f_) Estimating distance drill. (_g_) Individual known-distance firing, instruction practice. (_h_) Individual known-distance firing, record practice. (_i_) Long-distance practice. (_j_) Practice with telescopic sights. (_k_) Instruction combat practice. (_l_) Combat practice. (_m_) Proficiency test. The regulations governing these are found in Small Arms Firing Manual, 1913. There should be several copies of this manual in every troop.