Learning to hunt and shoot means you know when to use a solid rest. Panther with a knife, give me a break.
But not bringing it with you... and having to rely on it all the time.
... like a crutch.
Does a soldier need to shoot well? Good question. I know of three cases in which excellent field marksmanship decided the action. These were the Boers at Majuba Hill, the US Marines at Chateau Thierry, and the Volksturm reservists at the Arnhem bridgehead. There may be other such cases, but if so they are not widely documented. Chroniclers are rarely interested in battle techniques, so the fact that something is not reported certainly does not mean that it did not occur. Nonetheless, good field marksmanship is a rarity − in or out of uniform.
What then is a good field marksman? In my opinion, a man who can hit a tea cup at 100 meters with his first shot, from a field position, in a 5 second interval is a good shot. Try this test on yourself, but do not call for witnesses. People who talk about good shots are usually terrible liars.
