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

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neck should be relaxed, allowing his cheek to fallnaturally onto the stock. Through dry-fire training,the soldier practices this position until he assumesthe same cheek-to-stock weld each time he assumes agiven position, which provides consistency inaiming. Proper eye relief is obtained when a soldierestablishes a good cheek-to-stock weld. A smallchange in eye relief normally occurs each time thatthe firer assumes a different firing position. Thesoldier should begin by trying to touch the charginghandle with his nose when assuming a firingposition. This will aid the soldier in maintainingthe same cheek-to-stock weld hold each time theweapon is aimed. The soldier should be mindful ofhow the nose touches the charging handle and shouldbe consistent when doing so. This should becritiqued and reinforced during dry-fire training.(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

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(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 exam ple,

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

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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

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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

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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



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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.