DA Form 7801, the Army’s rifle, carbine, and automatic rifle marksmanship scorecard, is filled out on the firing line by a trainer or lane safety who records the soldier’s identifying information, weapon, and event type at the top, marks hits and misses by firing position through the course of fire, totals the hits to assign a rating of Marksman, Sharpshooter, or Expert, and then routes the form for the officer in charge and unit commander to sign. Here is how to fill out DA Form 7801 correctly so the qualification counts.
Get the Blank Form
The fillable PDF is available through the Army Publishing Directorate at armypubs.army.mil; search “DA Form 7801” in the forms tool.1Army Publishing Directorate. Army Publishing Directorate The form runs two pages. Page one is for day live-fire practice or qualification. Page two covers night fire and firing in a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) environment.2Templateroller. DA Form 7801 – Rifle, Carbine, and Automatic Rifle Marksmanship Scorecard Most units keep printed copies at the range, but the digital version works when the unit prefers electronic records.
Fill In Soldier, Weapon, and Event Type
At the top of the scorecard, enter the soldier’s full name, rank, and Department of Defense identification number. Add the date of the firing event, the lane number, and the firing order.2Templateroller. DA Form 7801 – Rifle, Carbine, and Automatic Rifle Marksmanship Scorecard
Record the weapon (M4, M16, or M249 automatic rifle) and note any attached equipment such as optics or laser aiming devices.3Army Publishing Directorate. TC 3-20.40 Then check the box that identifies the event as either a Table V practice or a Table VI qualification. This checkbox matters. Only Table VI results count toward an official qualification rating and badge authorization, and an unmarked form may not be accepted as proof of qualification.
If a soldier fires more than one weapon, each weapon gets its own scorecard. Soldiers are required to train through qualification on all individually assigned weapons, primary or secondary.3Army Publishing Directorate. TC 3-20.40 One form per weapon keeps the records clean.
Record Hits by Firing Position
The scoring grid divides the course of fire into four phases based on firing position: prone unsupported, prone supported, kneeling supported, and standing supported.3Army Publishing Directorate. TC 3-20.40 For each phase, mark whether the soldier hit or missed each target as it is presented. Targets appear individually or in groups and stay exposed for different lengths of time depending on distance.
The qualification course uses four magazines of ten rounds each, for a total of 40 engagements.4U.S. Army. Soldiers Take a Shot at Armys New Marksmanship Qualification After each phase, tally the hits, then add the phase totals to get the overall hit count. Accuracy in the count is not optional. A miscount can award the wrong rating or deny a soldier a badge they earned.
Page Two: Night Fire and CBRN
If the training event includes night fire or firing in a protective mask, use page two and record hits the same way as on page one.2Templateroller. DA Form 7801 – Rifle, Carbine, and Automatic Rifle Marksmanship Scorecard For a day-fire-only event, leave page two blank.
Total the Hits and Assign the Rating
The Army assigns three qualification ratings based on the total hits out of 40:4U.S. Army. Soldiers Take a Shot at Armys New Marksmanship Qualification
- Marksman: 23 to 29 hits
- Sharpshooter: 30 to 35 hits
- Expert: 36 to 40 hits
A soldier with fewer than 23 hits does not qualify and will need to re-fire. Enter the rating on the scorecard once the total is calculated. That entry is what the battalion commander relies on when authorizing the corresponding marksmanship qualification badge under AR 600-8-22.3Army Publishing Directorate. TC 3-20.40
Remarks and Signatures
Use the remarks block at the bottom for observations that help the soldier improve: consistent misses at long range, position stability problems, weapon malfunctions that affected the event.2Templateroller. DA Form 7801 – Rifle, Carbine, and Automatic Rifle Marksmanship Scorecard Candid remarks are more useful than vague ones.
The officer in charge of the range then prints their name and rank and signs the scorecard, certifying the results. The unit commander authenticates the document. Both signatures put the certifiers on record if a qualification result is later questioned. A scorecard missing the commander’s authentication is incomplete and cannot support a badge award.
Filing and DTMS Entry
The completed scorecard stays in the unit’s records for at least twelve months.2Templateroller. DA Form 7801 – Rifle, Carbine, and Automatic Rifle Marksmanship Scorecard The qualification data is uploaded to the Digital Training Management System (DTMS), the Army’s centralized platform for tracking individual and unit training status.5Louisiana National Guard. Digital Training Management System Losing the paper form before its data is entered means the qualification has no official record, so handle the scorecard like any other personnel document until DTMS entry is complete.
Errors That Void the Scorecard
A few mistakes show up over and over at ranges. Forgetting to check the practice-versus-qualification box is the most common and the most damaging, because an unmarked form may not be accepted as proof of qualification. Leaving the weapon type blank creates trouble at DTMS entry, since the system tracks qualification by specific weapon. And skipping the commander’s authentication turns an otherwise valid scorecard into an incomplete document.