Basic Marksmanship (Proper Sight Alignment)

I agree that optics lend themselve to accurate shot placement, no doubt. However if you can, practice regularly with irons for a while. You will note how you really have to focus on getting the basics right to make decent scores. Once you start scoring well with open sights go back to your glass. I guarantee that your scores will be considerably higher than they were before you did your iron sight practice.

Don't let your tools become a crutch.

Originally posted by operationnimrod
4 basic markmenship principles. As per british military training.

Ah, the principles of marksmanship. Easy to rhyme off, but need practice to use. I'll give a quick talk through each one and how they should be put into practice. I sounds long winded, but after a while this sequence becomes second nature when firing and happens in the blink of an eye.

1. the position and hold must be firm enough to support the weapon

The weapon should be gripped with your firing hand with a pressure roughly equal to a firm handshake. The supporting hand should be just that - supporting. It does not need to be gripped, just held in a position to act as a rest for the front hand guard. The concave curve in butt of the rifle should 'cup' the convex curve of your shoulder. The cheek should rest gently against the cheek piece.

2. The weapon must point naturally at the target without any un-due physical effort

Assume your firing position with the weapon pointing at the target. Ensure that you are not having to exert any pulling or pushing force on the weapon to get the sights to line up on the target.

In practice, try closing your eyes, assuming your fire position, then opening your eyes. If the sights are not pointing at or very near to the centre of your target, then you will need to exert excess force on the weapon to move it into position. This causes undue stress and fatigue, and reduces consistency. Adjust your position so that you are comfortable enough to hold the weapon in place for extended periods if needed. This is your natural firing position. Practice this regularly and you will soon find yourself assuming a natural pointing position without even trying.

3. The sight allignment (i.e sight picture) must be correct.

There are 4 elements that need to be lined up for a correct sight picture, which can be remembered by the mneumonic EAST;

Eye
Appeture
Sight blade
Target

When using iron sights, the rear appeture and target should be slightly out of focus. The front sight blade should be the only part that is sharply in focus. The tip of the blade should be in the centre of the rear appeture and touching the centre of the target (in ideal conditions). The blade should be as near to perfectly vertical as possible.

4. The shot must be released and followed through without any disturbance to the position.

Two parts here - shot release and follow through

Shot release - take two slow, even breaths while looking down the sights. You will notice that as you inhale the front sight appears to dip and as you exhale it rises again. It stands to reason that if you fire at different parts of this breathing cycle the weapon will be pointing at different places, reducing hits.

There is a natural pause at the end of the out-breath: this is the time to fire. Some people advocate holding their breath at various parts of the breathing cycle. I find that this causes natural stress to build as the body begins to crave oxygen. Each to their own, but I know what I was taught and I know what works for me.

The trigger should be slowly squeezed, not pulled. The only part of the body that needs to move is the finger. If you jerk it (chuckle) then the whole weapon will move, even if only by a few mils. This can be enough to cause misses.

Follow through - Once the shot has gone, let the rifle recoil naturally and fall back into place, keeping the trigger held down the whole time. If your position and hold are firm enough (principle 1) then the felt recoil should be minimal and the sights should fall back on target. Only after the weapon has come to rest should you release the trigger and continue breathing normally.

[edit on 12-11-2009 by PaddyInf]

1) The gun is loaded treated as such.
2) You checked that the weapon was unloaded, you set it down check it again its loaded.
3) Always treat a weapon as if it is loaded.

Gun's have a way of magically reloading themselves some worse than others. Take your time learn to breath. You will soon find that you can slow time. Not really but your perception will change.

and again while you were reading this somehow a round managed to climb its way into your chamber.

reply to post by PaddyInf


Thanks for the more indepth explanation Paddyinf its been a while since using them half that even i have forgotten about S& F

I admit I did not read the whole thread so if its been brought up I am sorry.

I recently discovered the wonderful world of red dot scopes. Red dot scopes take the scope eye issue off the table and in an unmagnified red dot allows you to keep both eyes open to make target tracking easier.

How ever I personally find it impossible and uncompilable to keep both eyes open on a 2X magnified red dot. On my new scope it is a red/green scope with a spin on 2X lens so it can be used either way. I love it.

I feel a red dot is a absolute must for a beginner. I understand that I am going to take a verbal beating for daring to say that but oh well, its how I feel and I will stand by it.

reply to post by angryamerican


Red Dot Scopes are great, but not for any distance shooting obviously..

I have used them and still do on one of my comp pistols, but never on a rifle..

reply to post by semperfortis


I Now have them on my Remington 870 20 Gauge, my 10/22, and my Lee-Enfield Mk III 303 . As for distance shooting, if you can shoot it with the naked eye you can see it with a red dot and shoot it.

I had a heck of a time at first but I found a ebay dealer that sells one heck of a good red/green dot scope and I bought 4 all together from him. plus a few others. I am putting my last A1 optics 2X red/green scope on my M14 or maybe my colt 1911 I haven't decided witch yet. To see my Red dot trials go to Red Green orYellow

yet another of my old threads I felt needed to be bumped bact to the top of the list...

second line... Hey... who took the last beer????

reply to post by DaddyBare


Thanks Daddy Bare. We are in the early stages of prepping for when the SHTF and hubby bought me a refurbished police 9 mm today. He is taking me and our 16 yr old daughter to the range Saturday to teach me to use it and he also enrolled me in a concealed carry class. He bought himself a nice 308. I can shoot a shotgun so how hard can it be.

I cannot post my own thread yet so I would love any info any of you can give me about the 9mm and any tips you have.

This is very helpful info. I hope he is impressed and I will never tell him where I got the knowledge.

reply to post by k21968


Not much to add Iron sites are iron sights and they all work mostly the same way...
there are are some variations like if you see three round dots two in back one up front then you simply line up all three dots...

one trick to teach you not to flinch is the dime trick...
place a dime on top of the gun then with your weapon unloaded practice pulling the trigger... if the dime falls your flinching, if not your doing good

reply to post by DaddyBare


I got a crash course when I got home from work and it seems simple enough. It is alot heavier than I imagined and it seems easy enough to line up the site. Off to the range this weekend! Thank you again for your advice!

I can't believe it's been 2 years since I first replied to this thread!...... Another training tool I use with new shooters is putting my TLR-2 on the rail of their pistol. The laser allows me to see what they're doing with the muzzle and if they're jerking the trigger or anticipating the recoil.