Fundamentals of shooting the Colt AR-15 at the firing range.

Specifics of the Weapon

The AR-15 rifle is a magazine fed, gas operated, semi-automatic, shoulder-held weapon.  This weapon is chambered for a .223 caliber or (5.56 millimeter).  

Nomenclature 

First thing you need to know is a little about the nomenclature of the AR-15. 

Listed are pictures of a few:

Stock: Made of high impact plastic and contains a recoil reducing buffer assembly.

Barrel: The route in which the bullet travels. 

Charging Handle: Manually moves bolt assembly to the rear during manual operation.

Rear Sight and Windage Drum: Houses rear sight window. 

Front Sight Assembly: Houses the front sight post.

Magazine Well: Houses the magazine.

Magazine Release Button: Releases the lock that allows the removal of the magazine.

Magazine: Houses the rounds.

Trigger: Fires one round for each time squeezed.

Pistol Grip: Allows for secure handling of the weapon.

Ejection Port: Fired brass is ejected from the weapon here.

Selector Lever: Two positions, "safe" and "fire."

Bolt Catch/Bolt Release: Pushing on the top (bolt release) releases the bolt.  Pushing in and holding the bottom (bolt catch) locks the bolt to the rear.

 

Forward Assist Assembly: Only on the AR-15 A-2 model.  Pushing in seats the bolt all the way forward, if not completely closed.

                      

Fundamentals of Rifle Marksmanship

Marksmanship Fundamentals: You the shooter must understand the four key fundamentals, steady position, proper aiming, breathing, and trigger squeeze, before you are ready to fire the weapon. You must be able to establish a steady position that allows observation of the target. You must aim the rifle at the target by aligning the sights, and you must fire the rifle without disturbing this alignment by improper breathing or during the trigger squeeze.

The skills needed to accomplish these are known as rifle marksmanship fundamentals.

Steady Stance

When you the shooter approach the firing line, you should find a comfortable, steady firing position in order to hit your target consistently. Each shooter only has limited time on the firing line. You the shooter are the best judge as to the quality of your position. If you can hold the front sight post steady through the trigger pull, you have a good position. To find a steady position elements are as followed:

Body position: The feet should be at least shoulder width apart, and on an approximate 90 degree angle to the firing line.

Non-firing handgrip: The rifle hand guard should rest on the heel of the hand in the V formed by the thumb and fingers. The grip of the non-firing hand is light, and slight rearward pressure is exerted. (The non-firing hand may also be wrapped around the magazine)

Rifle butt position: The butt of the stock is placed in the pocket of the firing shoulder. This reduces the effects of recoil and helps to ensure a steady position.

Firing handgrip: The firing hand grasps the pistol grip so that it fits the V formed by the thumb and forefinger. The forefinger is placed on the trigger so that the lay of the rifle is not disturbed when the trigger is squeezed. The remaining three fingers exert a slight rearward pressure to ensure the butt of the stock remains in the pocket of the shoulder, minimizing the effects of recoil.

Firing elbow placement: The location of the firing elbow is important to providing balance. Placement should allow shoulders to remain level while locking the stock in position.

Non-firing elbow: The non-firing elbow is positioned firmly under the rifle to allow for a comfortable and stable position, allowing for equal movement to the left or right (wobble).

Stock weld: The stock weld should provide for a natural line of sight through the center of the rear sight aperture to the front sight post and to the target. Your neck should be relaxed, allowing your cheek to fall naturally onto the stock.  You should bring the stock up to your eye and not your eye down to the stock.

Natural point of aim: When you first assume your firing position, you must orient your rifle in the general direction of your target. You need to adjust your body to bring the rifle and sights exactly in line with the desired aiming point. When using proper support and consistent stock weld placement, you should have your rifle and sight aligned naturally on your target. When this correct body-rifle-target alignment is achieved, the front sight post will stay on target. Adjusting to this point is done by moving your back foot. (Adjust your feet and body). You should adjust your natural point of aim to the center of the expected target exposure area. Do not use upper body muscles to adjust as they will relax and your alignment will change.

Aiming

Focusing on the front sight post is a vital skill you must acquire during practice. You must align the rifle with the target in exactly the same way for each firing exercise. 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. The weapon should be held with the front and rear sight in an exact vertical position.  Do not "cant" the weapon.  Canting or tilting the weapon will result in the bullet striking off of the aiming point. Aiming elements are as follows:

Sight Alignment: When the sights are properly aligned, the top center of the front sight post is exactly in the center of the rear sight aperture.  If an imaginary horizontal line were drawn through the rear sight aperture, the top of the front sight post would touch this line.  If an imaginary vertical line were drawn through the center of the rear sight aperture, the line would bisect the front sight post.  The shooter assures that he/she has proper sight alignment by concentrating his/her attention and focusing the eye on the front sight post.  This will cause the front sight to be sharp and clear and cause the rear sight aperture to be fuzzy. Improperly aligned sights are the most common reason for bad hits or misses.

Sight Picture: Once you can correctly align your sights, you can obtain a sight picture. A correct sight picture has the following: target, front sight post, and rear sight aperture. The sight picture includes two basic elements: sight alignment and sight placement. The front sight, not the target or rear sight is the point of focus for the eye. As such, the front sight will be sharp and distinct in outline.

Aiming point: The aiming point is the point on the target where the sights of the weapon are brought to bear. In aiming the weapon, the shooter is concerned with correctly aligning the sights of the rifle on the target in order for the bullet to hit the point of aim.  To do this, the shooter must have the rear sight, the front sight, and the aiming point in proper relation to each other.   Due to the weapon's location on one side of the body, the shooter will not be able to aim the weapon using both eyes.  The eye that is on the side of the body as the weapon, is the eye that must be used to align the sights.  If a shooter's dominant eye is on the same side of the body as the weapon this presents no problem; however, sometimes the dominant eye is on the opposite side.  If this is the case, then the shooter should move the weapon to the same side as the dominant eye. If a shooter does not know which eye is the dominant eye, he/she can determine the location of the dominant eye using the following exercise:

With both eyes open, extend one hand to arm's length in front you and point at a specific spot with the index finger.  While continuing to point at the spot, close one eye.  If your finger remains pointed at the exact spot, then the eye that is open is the dominant eye.  If your finger moved off of the exact spot, then the eye that is closed is the dominant eye. Your eye can only focus on one thing at a time.

Breath Control
                                    

Breath control is another fundamental, which is far more critical in target shooting than combat shooting. Without oxygen, several interesting effects set in on the body, which includes blurring of the vision, involuntary muscle tremors and eventually unconsciousness. To obtain accuracy, you the shooter must learn to pause your breathing at any given time during the breathing cycle. This must be done while aiming and squeezing the trigger. To pause your breathing properly, you must take a breath, let it out, then inhale normally, let a little out until comfortable, pause your breathing and then fire. Do not hold your breath more than 10 seconds before shooting. This may tense your muscles and blur your vision. If you do not shoot during this breathing period, take another breath and repeat the procedure. The shot must be fired before you feel any discomfort from not breathing.

Trigger Control

Trigger squeeze: A novice shooter can learn to place the rifle in a steady position and to correctly aim at the target if they follow the basic principles. If the trigger is not properly squeezed, the rifle will be misaligned with the target at the moment of discharge.

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 you. Your natural reflex to compensate for the noise and slight recoil in the shoulder can cause you to miss the target.

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 proper trigger squeeze should start with slight pressure on the trigger during the initial aiming process. You should apply more pressure once the front sight post is steady on the target and you are pausing your breathing. You will experience a greater wobble area from the standing position. Wobble area is the movement of the front sight around the aiming point when the rifle is in the steadiest position. This is caused by blood flowing through your system. 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. You 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.

The basic fundamentals are the foundation for good rifle shooting.  In order for a shooter to improve his/her abilities, these fundamentals must be followed each time he/she fires the weapon.  As with any weapon, safety should be the number one consideration when carrying, loading, unloading, or firing the rifle. Practice makes perfect so practice often. 

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