Familiarization Firing

Rifle Marksmanship A
Shot Technique
and firing in
the Supported
Position
INSTRUCTION (PHASE 1):
 Supported Position
 Sight Alignment
 Breath Control
 Trigger Control
 Sight Picture
INSTRUCTION (PHASE 2)
 Sight Adjustment
 Target Scoring
7A.1 Rifle Marksmanship Phase A: Familiarization Firing in the
Supported Position
Rifle marksmanship instruction should begin with learning the basic skills needed to
fire accurate shots. New shooters’ first shots should be fired in the supported
position where using a support to stabilize the rifle allows attention to be focused on
basic skills. Instruction for this phase covers these topics:
Supported Position. The supported position can be fired from prone, on the floor,
or from a table or bench. The proper use of a simple support placed under the foreend of the rifle stabilizes the movements of the rifle and gives new shooters better
opportunities to master sight alignment, breath control, trigger control, sight picture
and sight adjustment before advancing to the regular firing positions, standing,
prone and kneeling.
Sight Alignment. How to look through the sights and properly align them.
Breath Control. How to breath and stop breathing to maximize rifle stability while
the shot is fired.
Trigger Control. How to properly release the trigger to fire a shot.
Sight Picture. How to aim the aligned sights at a target.
Sight Adjustment. How to adjust rifle sights so that shot groups are in the center
of the target. Note: Training on sight adjustment is usually given after one or two
sessions of firing have been completed.
1
Charging & Loading
1) Open action--pull
bolt to rear
2) Charge pneumatic air rifle by
opening and closing charging lever
3) Load air
rifle by
placing
pellet in
loading
port and
closing bolt
To Dry-Fire: Open and close
bolt without charging air or
loading a pellet
7A.2 Cocking and Loading:
Before you can do any dry firing or live firing exercises, you must be able to
cock, charge and load your air rifle.
Dry Firing. To prepare a rifle for dry firing, simply pull the bolt fully to the rear to
cock the trigger mechanism and then push it back forward to close the bolt.
While dry firing, do not operate the charging lever to charge the mechanism with
air and do not load a pellet in the action. Note: Some air rifles like the Daisy
M888 and M887 (CO2) cannot be dry-fired; for those air rifles, an alternative to
dry firing is to do aiming or holding exercises where the shooter strives to
achieve a stable sight picture while aiming the rifle in position at the target.
Loading for Live Firing--follow these steps:
1. Load only after the Range Officer gives the command LOAD.
2. Pull the bolt to the rear to open the action (always do this first).
3. Open the charging lever, wait one full second with the charging lever fully open
(to allow a full charge of air to enter the air chamber), then close the charging
lever.
4. Place a pellet on the loading port. Position the pellet so that the hollow or
skirted end of the pellet is to the rear and the head or solid end is pointed
forward.
5. Push the bolt forward to close the action.
6. The rifle is now loaded and ready to fire.
2
Supported Position—Table or Bench
Sit behind the rifle and rest-hold the rifle with both
hands
Keep butt up in
shoulder so you can
look straight ahead
through the rear sight
Let the rifle lay on the rest--allow the
rest to support and steady the rifle
7A.3 The Supported Position
The supported position may be fired from a table or bench or from the
floor while lying on a shooting mat. A support must be placed under the
rifle to give it steady support. A kneeling roll works well for this purpose if
it is placed on a block or small box to give it proper height. The
combination of a sand bag or other object that is 2-3 inches thick plus a
kneeling roll will provide a support that is 6-8 inches high. A special
adjustable support such as the one shown in the illustration above also
works well. Follow these steps to get into a good, stable supported
position:
1. Place the support on the table or on the floor just ahead of the firing line.
2. Sit or lie directly behind the support.
3. Support the upper body with both elbows. Grasp the fore-end of the rifle
with the left hand and place the butt-plate well up in the shoulder so that
the head is erect.
4. Adjust the height of the support so that the rifle sights point at the same
level as the targets when the butt-plate is placed in the shoulder.
5. Relax your body as much as possible so that the rifle lays on the rest and
the rest steadies the rifle.
3
Prone Supported Position
Support
7A.4 Prone Supported Position
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The supported position may be fired either from a table or bench or from
the floor while lying on a shooting mat. Where tables are not available,
the prone supported position will work equally well. In this position, a
support must also be placed under the rifle to give it steady support. The
sling is not used in the supported prone position, but will be used later in
the regular prone position. Follow these steps to get into a good, stable
prone supported position:
Lay a shooting mat or ground cloth on the firing point at a 10-20 degree
angle
Place the support on the floor just ahead of the firing line.
Lie behind the support with the body at a slight angle to the line of fire.
Support the upper body with both elbows. Grasp the fore-end of the rifle
with the left hand and place the butt-plate well up in the shoulder so that
the head is erect.
Adjust the height of the support so that the rifle sights point at the same
level as the targets when the butt-plate is placed in the shoulder.
Relax your body as much as possible so that the rifle lays on the rest and
the rest steadies the rifle.
4
Sight Alignment
Rear sight
aperture
Rest your cheek on
the stock and look
through the aperture
(opening) in the rear
sight
Rear sight
aperture
Front
sight with
ring insert
Look through the rear sight
aperture—see the front sight in
the center of the aperture
7A.5 Sight Alignment:
To aim the rifle and fire a shot, it is necessary to look through the sights and
align them so that the rifle can be pointed at the target by using its aligned
sights. Sight alignment simply means seeing the front sight centered in the rear
sight aperture. Sight alignment is the first step in accurate aiming.
To align the sights on your air rifle:
1. Place the rifle in position with the butt-plate on your shoulder.
2. Lower your head to the stock.
3. Look through the small opening or aperture in the rear sight.
4. See the front sight hood and ring in the center of the rear sight aperture.
5. Look for a series of concentric rings—front sight ring, front sight hood and rear
aperture.
6. Your sights are now correctly aligned and you can go to the next step in firing
the shot.
5
Breath Control
Stop breathing
during aiming
To hold the rifle steady
while aiming, you must
stop breathing. Breathe
normally, when aiming
begins, exhale and stop
breathing (hold your
breath) until the shot is
fired.
7A.6 Breath Control:
Question: If you try to aim the rifle at a target, can you hold it steady if you continue
to breath while aiming? Answer: No, each breath you take will move the rifle
and sights away from the target.
Question: If breathing while aiming causes the rifle to be unsteady, how do you
solve this problem? Answer: Stop breathing or hold your breath while aiming.
Breath control, which means to stop breathing while aiming and attempting to fire
a shot is the next step in firing an accurate shot. To properly control your breath:
1. Align your sights and begin to aim at the target.
2. Inhale and exhale one or two more times.
3. Exhale and stop breathing (stop breathing at the end of the natural respiratory
cycle/after exhaling).
4. Continue to hold your breath while attempting to fire the shot. This should not
last longer than eight or ten seconds.
6
Aiming--Sight Picture
 To aim, point the
aligned sights at the
bull's-eye on the target
 The bull’s-eye will not
sit perfectly still—
center the front sight
movements over the
bull’s-eye!
7A.7 Aiming—Sight Picture:
Aiming is a two step process. First, the front and rear sights on the rifle must be
aligned by looking through the rear sight to see the front sight in the rear sight
aperture. That is called sight alignment. The second step is to point the aligned
sights at the target by centering the bulls-eye on the target in the front sight ring.
When the bull's-eye is centered in the front sight ring, with the front and rear sights
aligned, that is called sight picture.
One of the important things for new shooters to understand is that unless the rifle is
held by a very steady rest, the front sight will not stay perfectly centered over the
bull's-eye while aiming at the target. Instead there will be some movement. In the
supported position, the movement will be quite small and it should be possible to
hold the bull's-eye well within the front sight ring. In the standing position, the
movements can be quite large, especially for new shooters. The important thing is
to just to do the best you can to relax and center the front sight movements over
the bull's-eye.
7
Trigger Control
Trigger Control: The smooth
release of the cocked trigger
while aiming at the target.
TRIGGER CONTROL TIPS:
• Place finger on trigger and
take up the trigger slack when
first starting to aim
• When the sights are
properly aligned, press the
trigger straight to the rear as
smoothly as possible
• Trigger release must be
STEADY & SMOOTH—takes
2-4 seconds
• Dry firing is a great way to
practice trigger control
7A.8 Trigger Control:
Proper trigger control is critical to the firing of an accurate shot. Trigger control
means smoothly releasing the cocked trigger, while aiming at the target, so that
the aim of the rifle is not disturbed. Consider these things when learning to
properly control the trigger on an air rifle:
1. Start to aim at the target before placing the finger on the trigger.
2. Place the first section of the index finger squarely on the trigger.
3. Take up the slack or free play (first stage) in the trigger first, then focus on
aiming at the target. Center the front sight movements over the bulls-eye.
4. While aiming at the target continue to apply pressure until the trigger releases.
This gradual application of pressure on the trigger should take two to five
seconds to complete.
5. Be sure to apply pressure on the trigger as smoothly as possible. Continue to
aim at the target for a second or so after the trigger releases. Continuing to aim
after the shot fires is called “follow through.”
8
Range Firing Exercises
Supported Position, with blank target
Dry firing
Live fire, 5-shot groups
Supported Position, with bull’s-eye
target
Dry firing or aiming exercise (holding)
Live fire, 5-shot groups--try to shoot
smallest possible group
7A.9 Range Firing Exercises
After receiving gun safety instruction and successfully completing your safety
exam and now after going through this brief instruction on the supported
position and the basics of firing the shot, you are ready to fire your first shots
at targets.
The best way to do your first live firing is to hang your targets backwards and
shoot on a blank target first. Get into the supported position. Make sure
your rifle support is high enough that it fully supports the rifle. Start by dry
firing or doing aiming exercises on your blank target. This will let you
become comfortable with the position and how the trigger feels when you
release it. Next, after a few minutes of dry firing or aiming, your instructor
will give you the commands to start firing. At first, you should fire 5-shot
groups. If you point your aligned sights at the center of your blank target
and smoothly press the trigger, your shots should form a cluster or “group”
somewhere on the target. At this point, it does not matter whether your
shots are in the center of the target, only that you have them together in a
group.
After firing three or four 5-shot groups on a blank target, it will be time to turn
the target around and fire 5-shot groups on the bulls-eye target. Here, be
sure to center the bulls-eye in the front sight ring and smoothly press the
trigger. Again, it does not matter where your shot group is on the target,
only that you have your shots together in a group.
9
PHASE 2
INSTRUCTION
Sight Adjustment
Scoring
7A.10 Phase 2 Instruction
Phase 2 instruction should be covered after Phase 1 instruction has been
given and cadets have all had an opportunity to shoot a series of 5-shot
groups on blank targets as well as on regular targets with bull’s-eyes.
An excellent gauge as to whether a new shooter is ready for the next phase
of instruction covering sight adjustment and scoring is whether a quarter will
cover the best 5-shot groups. If you can cover your 5-shot groups with a
quarter, you are ready to advance.
If you cannot yet cover your shot groups with a quarter, here are some
things you should work on to reduce the size of your shot groups:
1.Your Supported Position: Is the rest truly supporting the rifle so that
your arms are relaxed?
2.Breath Control: Do you stop breathing (hold your breath) while
attempting to fire the shot?
3.Sight Picture: Carefully center the bull’s-eye in the exact center of the
front sight ring.
4.Trigger Control: Do you take up the trigger slack (first stage) when you
start to aim? Are you really pressing the trigger smoothly and slowly?
10
Shot Group Analysis
7A.11 Analyzing Your Shot Groups
After firing a shot group, it is important to analyze it to see what you can
learn from it. Here are two extreme examples of the types of shot groups
that new shooters may fire. The shot group on the left is a very large shot
group that indicates the firer is doing one or more things wrong. If you have
a shot group like this, it is important to again ask yourself these questions:
Are you using the support to hold the rifle steady?
Are you centering the front sight ring over the bulls-eye?
Do you stop breathing while you attempt to fire the shot?
Are you pressing the trigger smoothly or are you trying to grab it quickly?
The shot group on the right is a good example of the type of shot group that
is fired when the new shooter does a good job of following the instruction just
given. This shot group also indicates a readiness for the next instruction,
how to adjust sights so that your shot groups form in the middle of the
targets.
11
How Sights Work
Elevation
Knob:
Turning this
knob moves
the shot group
up or down on
the target-direction of
movement is
indicated by
the direction
arrow on the
knob
Windage Knob:
Turning this
knob moves the
shot group left
or right on the
target
Elevation and
Windage
changes are
made in
increments
called “clicks”
Daisy sight click values: 6 clicks per ring on BMC target
2 clicks per ring on the 10m competition target
7A.12 How Sights Work
In order to adjust your sights to move your shot groups to the center of the
target, you first have to know how your sights work. Rifles used in target
shooting have special target sights that can be adjusted very precisely. This
makes it possible to always aim at the center of the target and have the
sights adjusted so that the shot groups form in the center of the target.
Target sights have an elevation knob to adjust shot groups up or down and a
windage knob to adjust shot groups left or right. These knobs turn in
increments called “clicks.” The direction that turning the adjustment knob
moves a shot group is marked on each knob.
Basic Principle of Sight Adjustment. This basic principle states that the
rear sight aperture must be moved in the same direction that you want the
shot group to move. Thus, if the shot group is to the left (2nd target on
previous slide), the shot group must be moved to the right and the sight must
be adjusted to move the aperture to the right.
Determining How Much Sight Adjustment to Make. It is important to
understand that the sight adjustment increments or “clicks” on a target sight
are calibrated to move the shot group a precise distance on the target. With
the sights on the Daisy M853, for example, 6 clicks of adjustment will move
the shot group one scoring ring distance on the BMC target, while 2 clicks
will move the shot group one scoring ring on the 10 meter competition target.
12
Calculating Sight Adjustments
2 scoring rings
distance X 6 =
12 clicks down
1 2/3 scoring
rings distance X
6 = 10 clicks left
1. Find shot group center-draw lines through shot
group center
2. Vertical adjustment--count
scoring rings distance to
target center--multiply by 6
(clicks per ring)--apply
elevation change
3. Horizontal adjustment-count scoring rings
distance to target center-multiply by 6--apply
windage change
7A.13 Calculating Sight Adjustments
Follow these steps to adjust the sights to move a shot group to the center of
the target:
1. Fire a shot group ( preferably 5 shots).
2. Determine the center of the shot group. Disregard any wild or poor shots
that are not part of the basic shot group. Draw real or imaginary
horizontal and vertical lines through the group center.
3. Count the number of vertical and horizontal scoring rings from the center
of the shot group to the center of the target.
4. For the Daisy M853 sight, multiply the number of scoring rings times 6 for
the BMC target or times 2 for the air rifle competition target.
5. Turn the sight knobs that number of clicks in the direction you want the
shot group to move (look at arrow on adjustment knob).
There are two important rules to remember regarding sight adjustments:
1. Always adjust the sight to place shot groups in the target center—never
hold off or use “Kentucky windage” to do this.
2. Each individual shooter is responsible for calculating and making sight
adjustments to keep his/her shot groups centered on the target.
13
Exercise: Sight Adjustment Calculations
Group
#2
Group
#3
Group
#1
Adjustments: BMC Target = 6 clicks per ring
(2 clicks per ring on competition target)
7A.14 Exercise: Sight Adjustment Calculations
Before you go back to the range to fire a shot group with your rifle and make a sight
change on it, complete this exercise by calculating sight adjusts for these three shot
groups.
Group #1: ____ clicks up/down, ____ clicks left/right.
Group #2: ____ clicks up/down, ____ clicks left/right. Use caution in determining
the center of this shot group. Note that the long shot on the left is a long ways from
the other four shots that form a tight cluster. For this reason, this shot is most likely
a poor shot that should be ignored in determining the shot group center.
Group #3: ____ clicks up/down, ____ clicks left/right. A shooter with a group like
this may be tempted to make no sight adjustment because all five shots score tens.
Nevertheless, the shot group is not centered. Shooters must learn to always make
the changes necessary, even if only one or two clicks of change are required, to
move shot groups to the center of the target.
14
How to Score Targets
Scoring Rule: Shots
receive the value of
the highest scoring
ring they break or
touch
Shot is in 8 ring,
counts 8 points
Shot is outside of
all scoring rings,
counts 0 points
Shot is partly in 6
ring and partly in 7
ring, counts 7
points
Shot is mostly in 9
ring, but breaks
10 line, counts 10
points
Shot is in 9 ring, but
outside edge
“touches” 10 ring,
counts 10 points
7A.15 How to Score Targets:
After shooters learn to adjust their rifle sights so that shot groups are centered, it is possible to score
the targets and have meaningful scores. This is because the maximum score for a series of shots
cannot be attained unless the grouping of shots is centered on the target. At this point it is time to
learn how to score target.
The basic scoring rule is that a shot receives the score of the highest value scoring ring that it
strikes or touches. To determine the value of a shot, follow these rules:
Shot in scoring ring. If a shot hole lies in one scoring ring, it must be given the value of that scoring
ring. The value of each scoring ring is printed on the target.
Shot lies in two scoring rings. If a shot hole lies in two scoring rings, it must be given the score of
the highest value scoring ring.
Shot lies in one ring, but breaks or touches higher value ring. If a shot hole lies mostly within
one scoring ring, but breaks or even just touches a higher value ring, it must be given the score of
the highest value ring that it touches.
Deciding doubtful shot holes. Sometimes it is very difficult to tell whether a shot hole touches a
scoring ring. A scoring gauge (plug) is used to determine doubtful shot values. If you use a scoring
gauge, be sure to review the instructions for scoring in the National Standard Three-Position Air
Rifle Rules (pages 69-74). To properly score a torn shot hole, it is necessary to determine where
the round outline of the pellet lies and to use that line, not the tear, to determine the shot value.
15
Exercise: Scoring Targets
What is the score for the 5-shot series on the left?
What is the score for the 10-shot series on the right?
7A.16 Exercise: Scoring Targets
Here are two targets, one with five shot holes, and one with ten shot holes. Use the
rule for target scoring and determine the score for each target.
5-shot target on left, score:
__________
10-shot target on right, score:
___________
16
Range Firing Exercises
Supported Position, with bull’s-eye
target
Dry firing or aiming exercise
Live fire, 5-shot group--calculate and make
sight adjustment
Live fire, 5-shot groups--make additional
sight adjustments as needed
7A.17 Range Firing Exercises
The next series of range firing exercises should also be fired in the
supported position. Begin each shot series by dry firing. Dry firing is a great
way to get extra repetitions to help develop your new marksmanship skills.
After dry firing, your instructor will give the commands to LOAD and START
so that you can fire your next five-shot series. After firing that group,
determine where the center of the shot group is, calculate the sight changes
needed to move the group to the center of the target and apply those
changes to the sight. Then fire another shot group. It may be necessary to
fire three or four shot groups before your groups are well-centered. Each
time you fire a shot group, try to improve your performance so that your shot
groups keep getting smaller.
Once your shot groups are centered, you can begin to score your targets. A
five-shot group would have a maximum possible score of 50. How many
points can you score?
When you can consistently score 47-48 points or higher on the BMC target
(35 points or higher on the air rifle competition target), you are ready to start
firing in the standing position (Instruction Module 7B).
17