The soldier must
understand and apply the four key fundamentals before he
approaches the firing line. He must establish a steady
position allowing observation of the target. He must aim
the rifle at the target by aligning the sight system,
and fire the rifle without disturbing this alignment by
improper breathing or during trigger squeeze. These
skills are known collectively as the four fundamentals.
Applying these four fundamentals rapidly and
consistently is the integrated act of firing.
- Steady Position. When the soldier
approaches the firing line, he should assume a
comfortable, steady firing position. The time and
supervision each soldier has on the firing line are
limited. He must learn how to establish a steady
position during integrated act of dry-fire training.
The firer is the best judge of the quality of his
position. If he can hold the front sight post steady
through the fall of the hammer, he has a good
position. The steady position elements are as follows.
- Nonfiring Handgrip. The rifle hand guard
rests on the heel of the hand in the V formed by the
thumb and fingers. The grip of the non-firing hand
is light.
- Rifle Butt Position. The butt of the
rifle is placed in the pocket of the firing
shoulder. This reduces the effect of recoil and
helps ensure a steady position.
- Firing Handgrip. The firing hand grasps
the pistol grip so it fits the V formed by the thumb
and forefinger. The forefinger is placed on the
trigger so the lay of the rifle is not disturbed
when the trigger is squeezed. A slight rearward
pressure is exerted by the remaining three fingers
to ensure that the butt of the stock remains in the
pocket of the shoulder, minimizing the effect of
recoil.
- Firing Elbow Placement. The firing elbow
is important in providing balance. Its exact
location depends on the firing/fighting position
used. Placement should allow shoulders to remain
level.
- Nonfiring Elbow. The non-firing elbow is
positioned firmly under the rifle to allow a
comfortable and stable position. When the soldier
engages a wide sector of fire, moving targets, and
targets at various elevations, his non-firing elbow
should remain free from support.
- Cheek-to-Stock Weld. The stock weld
should provide a natural line of sight through the
center of the rear sight aperture to the front sight
post and on to the target. The firer’s
neck should be relaxed, allowing his cheek to fall
naturally onto the stock. Through dry-fire training,
the soldier practices this position until he assumes
the same cheek-to-stock weld each time he assumes a
given position, which provides consistency in
aiming. Proper eye relief is obtained when a soldier
establishes a good cheek-to-stock weld. A small
change in eye relief normally occurs each time that
the firer assumes a different firing position. The
soldier should begin by trying to touch the charging
handle with his nose when assuming a firing
position. This will aid the soldier in maintaining
the same cheek-to-stock weld hold each time the
weapon is aimed. The soldier should be mindful of
how the nose touches the charging handle and should
be consistent when doing so. This should be
critiqued and reinforced during dry-fire training.
Steady
Position
(Click to view larger image)
- Support. When artificial support
(sandbags, logs, stumps) is available, it should be
used to steady the position and support the rifle.
If it is not available, then the bones, not the
muscles, in the firer’s upper body must support the
rifle.
- Muscle Relaxation. If support is used
properly, the soldier should be able to relax most
of his muscles. Using artificial support or bones in
the upper body as support allows him to relax and
settle into position. Using muscles to support the
rifle can cause it to move due to muscle fatigue.
- Natural Point of Aim. When the soldier
first assumes his firing position, he orients his
rifle in the general direction of his target. Then
he adjusts his body to bring the rifle and sights
exactly in line with the desired aiming point. When
using proper support and consistent cheek to stock
weld the soldier should have his rifle and sights
aligned naturally on the target. When correct
body-rifle-target alignment is achieved, the front
sight post must be held on target, using muscular
support and effort. As the rifle fires, muscles tend
to relax, causing the front sight to move away from
the target toward the natural point of aim.
Adjusting this point to the desired point of aim
eliminates this movement. When multiple target
exposures are expected (or a sector of fire must be
covered), the soldier adjusts his natural point of
aim to the center of the expected target exposure
area (or center of sector).
- Aiming. Having mastered the task of
holding the rifle steady, the soldier must align the
rifle with the target in exactly the same way for each
firing. The firer is the final judge as to where his
eye is focused. The instructor or trainer emphasizes
this point by having the firer focus on the target and
then focus back on the front sight post. He checks the
position of the firing eye to ensure it is in line
with the rear sight aperture.
- Rifle Sight Alignment. Alignment of the
rifle with the target is critical. It involves
placing the tip of the front sight post in the
center of the rear sight aperture. Any alignment
error between the front and rear sights repeats
itself for every 1/2 meter the bullet travels. For
example, at the 25-meter line, any error in rifle
alignment is multiplied 50 times. If the bullet is
misaligned by 1/10 inch, it causes a target at 300
meters to be missed by 5 feet.
Correct Sight Alignment
(Click to view larger image)
- Focus of the Eye. A proper firing
position places the eye directly in line with the
center of the rear sight aperture. When the eye is
focused on the front sight post, the natural ability
of the eye to center objects in a circle and to seek
the point of greatest light (center of the aperture)
aid in providing correct sight alignment. For the
average soldier firing at
combat-type targets, the natural ability of the eye
can accurately align the sights. Therefore, the
firer can place the tip of the front sight post on
the aiming point, but the eye must be focused on the
tip of the front sight post. This causes the target
to appear blurry, while the front sight post is seen
clearly. Two reasons for focusing on the front sight
post are:
- Only a minor aiming error should occur since
the error reflects only as much as the soldier
fails to determine the target center. A greater
aiming error can result if the front sight post is
blurry due to focusing on the target or other
objects.
- Focusing on the tip of the front sight post
aids the firer in maintaining proper sight
alignment.
- Sight Picture. Once the soldier can
correctly align his sights, he can obtain a sight
picture. A correct sight picture has the target,
front sight post, and rear sight aligned. The sight
picture includes two basic elements: sight alignment
and placement of the aiming point.
- Placement of the aiming point varies,
depending on the engagement range. For example,
the figure below shows a silhouette at 300
meters where the aiming point is the center of
mass, and the sights are aligned for a correct
sight picture.
Correct Sight Picture
(Click to view larger image)
- A technique to obtain a good sight picture is
the side aiming technique. It involves positioning
the front sight post to the side of the target in
line with the vertical center of mass, keeping the
sights aligned. The front sight post is moved
horizontally until the target is directly centered
on the front sight post.
Side Aiming Technique
(Click to view larger image)
- Front Sight. The front sight post is
vital to proper firing and should be replaced when
damaged. The post should be blackened anytime it is
shiny since precise focusing on the tip of the front
sight post cannot be done otherwise.
- Aiming Practice. Aiming practice is
conducted before firing live rounds. During day
firing, the soldier should practice sight alignment
and placement of the aiming point. Using training
aids such as the M15A1 aiming card can do this.
- Breath Control. As the firer’s
skills improve and as timed or multiple targets are
presented, he must learn to control his breath at any
part of the breathing cycle. Two types of breath
control techniques are practiced during dry fire. The
coach/trainer ensures that the firer uses two
breathing techniques and understands them by
instructing him to exaggerate his breathing. The firer
must be aware of the rifle’s movement (while sighted
on a target) as a result of breathing.
- The first technique is used during zeroing (and
when time is available to fire a shot). There is a
moment of natural respiratory pause while breathing
when most of the air has been exhaled from the lungs
and before inhaling. Breathing should stop after
most of the air has been exhaled during the normal
breathing cycle. The shot must be fired before the
soldier feels any discomfort.
Breath Control for Engaging
Single Targets
(Click to
view larger image)
- The second breath control technique is employed
during rapid fire (short-exposure targets). Using
this technique, the soldier stops his breath when he
is about to squeeze the trigger.
Breath Control while
Engagement of Short-Exposure Targets
(Click to view larger image)
- Trigger Squeeze. A novice firer can
learn to place the rifle in a steady position and to
correctly aim at the target if he follows the basic
principles. If the trigger is not properly squeezed,
the rifle will be misaligned with the target at the
moment of firing.
- Rifle Movement. Trigger squeeze is
important for two reasons: First, any sudden
movement of the finger on the trigger can disturb
the lay of the rifle and cause the shot to miss the
target. Second, the precise instant of firing should
be a surprise to the soldier. The soldier’s natural
reflex to compensate for the noise and slight punch
in the shoulder can cause him to miss the target if
he knows the exact instant the rifle will fire. The
soldier usually tenses his shoulders when expecting
the rifle to fire. It is difficult to detect since
he does not realize he is flinching. When the hammer
drops on a dummy round and does not fire, the
soldier’s natural reflexes demonstrate that he is
improperly squeezing the trigger.
- Trigger Finger. The trigger finger (index
finger on the firing hand) is placed on the trigger
between the first joint and the tip of the finger
(not the extreme end) and adjusted depending on hand
size, grip, and so on. The trigger finger must
squeeze the trigger to the rear so the hammer falls
without disturbing the lay of the rifle. When a live
round is fired, it is difficult to see what effect
trigger pull had on the lay of the rifle. It is
important to experiment with many finger positions
during dry-fire training to ensure the hammer is
falling with little disturbance to the aiming
process.
- As the firer’s skills increase with practice,
he needs less time spent on trigger squeeze.
Novice firers can take five seconds to perform an
adequate trigger squeeze, but, as skills improve,
he can squeeze the trigger in a second or less.
The proper trigger squeeze should start with
slight pressure on the trigger during the initial
aiming process. The firer applies more pressure
after the front sight post is steady on the target
and he is holding his breath.
- The coach/trainer observes the trigger
squeeze, emphasizes the correct procedure, and
checks the firer’s applied pressure. He places his
finger on the trigger and has the firer squeeze
the trigger by applying pressure to the
coach/trainer’s finger. The coach/trainer ensures
that the firer squeezes straight to the rear on
the trigger avoiding a left or right twisting
movement. The coach/trainer observes that the
firer follows through and holds the
trigger to the rear for approximately one second
after the round has been fired. A steady position
reduces disturbance of the rifle during trigger
squeeze.
- Wobble area is the movement of the front sight
around the aiming point when the rifle is in the
steadiest position. From an unsupported position,
the firer experiences a greater wobble area than
from a supported position. If the front sight
strays from the target during the firing process,
pressure on the trigger should be held constant
and resumed as soon as sighting is corrected. The
position must provide for the smallest possible
wobble area. From a supported position, there
should be minimal wobble area and little reason to
detect movement. If movement of the rifle causes
the front sight to leave the target, more practice
is needed. The firer should never try to quickly
squeeze the trigger while the sight is on the
target. The best firing performance results when
the trigger is squeezed continuously, and the
rifle is fired without disturbing its lay.
|
