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The Marksmanship Principles
The so-called Marksmanship Principles relate to four specific statements, which are:
- The marksman must have a firm position and a sufficient enough hold to support the rifle
- The rifle should point naturally at the target, without excessive physical effort
- The aim and alignment of the sight must be correct
- The shot itself should be released and followed through, without adjusting the position
Position and Hold
The most basic shooting position is known as the "prone" position. This position is considered to be the most stable and provides the best results when shooting at a target. However, there are several points that the marksman should note when adopting the prone position, these can be summarised as follows:
- The body should lie to the line of fire at an angle of 15-20°
- The spine should be straight, with the shoulders square to it
- The left leg should be extended parallel to the line of the body
- The right leg should be initially extended parallel to the line of fire
- The marksman should ensure his/her left elbow is close the rifle's axis
- The left hand of the marksman should be as far forward as possible without causing discomfort, ensuring the vertical angle between the upper and lower arm is as equal as possible
- The fore-end of the rifle should be grasped firmly (but not too tightly) by the fingers, with the lower section of the rifle fore-end positioned diagonally across the palm of the hand
- The butt of the rifle should be manoeuvred into the shoulder by the right hand, which should be used to clasp the pistol grip. The right hand is crucial to controlling the positioning of the rifle and its grip should be firm enough to pull the butt tightly into the shoulder, but not too firm, as this will disturb the vertical alignment of the rifle
- It is vital that the trigger finger is able to pull the trigger comfortably, without causing too much movement for the rest of the hand, or creating sideways pressure to the rifle
- The right elbow position will be determined largely by the hand on the rifle, but ideally will be located in a similar distance from the rifle axis as the left elbow
- In order to minimise any strain on the neck, the head should be as upright as possible. This will also ensure the eye to function without strain
- Depending on the individual, the right leg may be drawn up slightly, which has the effect of causing the body to roll to the left. This reduces pressure on the heart and lungs and has the effect of allowing the marksman to breathe easier
- The cheek of the marksman should rest gently on the butt comb/cheek piece of the rifle
Pointing Naturally
The marksman should "point naturally" at the target in such a way that the position adopted requires no effort to force the sights onto the target whilst the rifle is in the aim position.
A rifle recoils during firing, an action which forces it to attempt to move to a position where all forces acting on it are equal. These forces are the points of contact between the rifle and firer and displace the rifle as it moves. The resulting effect is that this displacement can occur BEFORE the bullet has left the barrel, which has the effect of shifting the bullet off-target.
It is vital to ensure that the marksman points naturally at the target. To ensure this, the position adopted should be tested and adjusted by carrying out the following in conjunction with a training instructor:
- Instruct the marksman to close his/her eyes and have them bring the rifle into their shoulder, adjusting their position to that of one which they feel is comfortable
- Have the marksman open their aiming eye and say where they feel the sights are actually aiming in relation the point of aim note: it is vital at this stage not to let the marksman move the rifle
- At this stage, if the sights are not pointing at the aiming mark, the body of the marksman should be adjusted until they are - but it is vital that the earlier adopted position is not disturbed, achieved by using the left elbow to adjust the body laterally (the elbow is used as a pivot). Vertical adjustment can be achieved by retaining the elbows in their position and moving the body either towards, or away from them
- Confirmation of the position is achieved by having the marksman bring the rifle out of the aiming position without moving the elbows. The position is considered to be correct when the rifle is returned to the shoulder and an aim is taken that is pointing at (or is very close to) the original aim point. Where this is not the case, the above procedure must be repeated
Sight Alignment and Aim
Sight alignment is the relationship between the sighting eye and the rearsight and foresight of the rifle.
Aim is the relationship between the eye, rearsight and foresight of the rifle and the actual target itself.
Whilst shooting, telescopic sights or iron sights can be used. Iron sights provide a much slimmer margin of error when shooting, due to the relationship between the rearsight and foresight being proportional to range. The slightest misalignment of the two can lead to a shot being severely off-target. Correct sight alignment when using iron sights is achieved by positioning the foresight tip centrally within the centre of the rearsight aperture.
Clearly, it is vital that this foresight-rearsight relationship is maintained at the point of firing. Ensuring this means that the marksman must learn to transfer focus to the foresight, which in turn is placed on the target, after taking general aim. This focus needs to be maintained in the final stages before actually firing a shot.
Shot Release and Follow Through
TBA
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