How does uniform terrain affect the beaten zone at short ranges?

The correct answer is that uniform terrain makes the beaten zone longer and narrower at short ranges. The beaten zone is the area on the ground that receives hits from fire directed at a target. In uniform terrain, the ground features are consistent, which leads to a more predictable bullet trajectory and dispersion pattern.

At short ranges, the immediate effect of firing is that projectiles will have less time to spread out due to gravity and environmental factors. As a result, they maintain a tighter grouping as they travel over consistent ground. Since the terrain does not cause significant variation in the bullets' paths, the beaten zone is elongated in the direction of the fire and appears narrower, with most rounds impacting in a well-defined area.

This concept is important for machine gun employment, as it allows gunners to assess their fire and maximize hit probability on targets. Understanding how terrain influences the beaten zone helps in determining effective firing positions and target engagement strategies in varied combat scenarios.