LESSON 3 - PRINCIPLES OF MARKSMANSHIP AND COMBAT SHOOTING

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Explain the principles of marksmanship and combat shooting and;

2. Distinguish the different kinds of firearms.

The following principles are established to define the nature of a practical

marksmanship. They are accepted by all members of the International Practical

Shooting Confederation as conditions of membership.

1. Practical competition is open to all reputable persons without regard to

occupation; it may specifically not be limited to public servants.

2. Accuracy, power and speed are the equivalent elements of practical combat

shooting and practical competition must be conducted in such a way as to evaluate

these elements equally.

3. Firearm types are not separated, all compete together without handicap. This

does not apply to the power of the firearms as power is an element to be recognized

and rewarded.

4. Practical competition is a test of expertise in the use of practical firearms and

equipment. Any item of equipment, or modification to equipment, which sacrifices

practical functionality for a competitive advantage contravenes the principles of the

sport.

Enhancement viewing: Practical Pistol Shooting

youtube.com/watch?v=wRVcBvBM1Nw

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5. Practical competition is conducted using practical targets, which reflect the

general size and shape of such objects as the firearms may reasonably be called

upon to hit in their primary intended use.

6. The challenge presented in practical competition must be realistic. Courses of fire

must follow a practical rationale and simulate sensible hypothetical situations in

which firearms might reasonably be used.

7. Practical competition is diverse. Within the limits of realism, problems are

8. constantly changed, never permitting unrealistic specialization of either technique

or equipment. Courses of fire maybe repeated, but no course maybe repeated

enough to allow its use as a definitive measure of a practical combat shooting skill.

9. Practical competition is freestyle. In essence, the competitive problem is posed in

general and the participant is permitted the freedom to solve. It’s the manner he

considers best within the limitations of the competitive situations as provided.

Enhancement viewing: Must have drills before your 1st range

youtube.com/watch?v=5CjRJbsTzcY

BASICS OF MARKSMANSHIP

To become a Marksman, you need to master the following:

1. STANCE

It includes:

 Control

 Arms

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 Posture

 Alignment

 Natural Point of Aim

 Stance Width

2. GRIP

 Consistency and neutrality are the goals.

 You should have a totally neutral feeling in each hand.

 Achieving neutrality allows the Grip and Stance technique to perform its

most important function. ALLOWING THE GUN TO RECOIL IN THE SAME

DIRECTION TO THE SAME LEVEL, AND ON THE SAME PATH.

 The Grip and Stance cannot control recoil in the sense of stopping recoil.

That’s not possible.

 What is possible is control of the sight and the gun.

3. BREATHE CONTROL

 The breathing process provides the body with oxygen and eliminates waste

elements from the blood. Correct breathing while shooting is essential to

proper body functions.

 A complete respiratory cycle last 4-5 seconds (inhaling and exhaling) and

between each cycle, there is a pause of 2-3 seconds. This pause can be

extended up to 10 seconds without any special labor or unpleasant

sensation.

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 It is during this pause between breaths that the shooter should fire the shot.

 During the pause, the breathing muscles are relaxed thus the shooter avoids

strain from the diaphragm.

4. SIGHT ALIGNMENT AND PICTURE

Sight Picture is the relationship between the rear sight and the front sight to

the target with respect to the eye.

Traditional sighting instruction recommends a sight picture that has front and rear

sights aligned and the target sitting directly atop the front post must be like a cat

on a fence. This is also called a “Six O’Clock Hold” as front sight is positioned at the

6 mark on a clock’s face. Some, however, prefer to take a “Center Hold”, where the

front post is held directly in the middle of the target.

When using open sight, concentrate your focus on he front sight, not on the

target and not on the rear sight. With three separate items before your eyes, any

illusion that you will be able to keep all three in sharp focus is exactly that, an
illusion.

The eye can hold sharp focus on only one thing, make it the front sight.

A good sight picture will have the rear sight slightly fuzzy, the target slightly

fuzzy and the front sight visibly like a razor-edge.

TRIGGER CONTROL

Is the method used to apply pressure on the trigger so that the shot can be

fired with the least amount of disturbance to sight alignment. It is the independent

action of the trigger with uniform increasing pressure straight to the rear after the

slack has been taken.

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Proper Trigger Control is another key ingredient in the accurate and safe shot.

For rifle and pistol shooting, the trigger must be squeezed slowly and steadily. As

the sight picture takes shape, increase pressure on the trigger in a motion drawing

the finger and trigger straight to the rear. The instant the trigger disengages the sear

and the shot is fired should come as a surprise, concentration is focused on the sight

picture.

 FOLLOW THROUGH is the continued and physical application of the

fundamentals after each round has been fired. The shooter must not shift

his position, move his head or bring down the pistol for a few seconds after

firing a shot.

 CALLING THE SHOTS is the prediction of the shots on where the shots are on

the target.

Enhancement viewing: How to improve handgun shooting accuracy

youtube.com/watch?v=Attqx0Jy3z3y
How to shoot a pistol
Youtube.com/watch?v=Ukuq-QhAXDY

ERRORS IN TRIGGER CONTROL

 FLINCHING - muscular tension or reaction in anticipation of the recoil. It is

caused by moving the head, closing the eyes, moving the shoulder to the

rear or combination.

 JERKING - an attempt to make the pistol fire at a certain instant by rapidly

applying pressure on the trigger.

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Enhancement viewing: Proper trigger pull and dry fire practice
youtube.com/watch?v=Ukuq-QhAXDY

SHOTGUN HANDLING TECHNIQUES

In the final analysis, the proper handgun stance is the stance that allows the

individual to deliver one aimed, controlled shot after another safely, efficiently, and

comfortably.

Shotgun shooting has its unique characteristics. For one thing, instead of the

steady squeeze so necessary for rifle and handgun shooting, the trigger technique in

a shotgun requires a slap of the trigger! For another, the emphasis is not so much on

aiming as it is on pointing. But first things first, accurate shotgun shooting requires

quick reflective coordination among eyes, body and gun. This dynamic action

requires a smooth, fluid motion launched from a stable, comfortable, and relaxed

stance.

One sports analogy to the proper shotgun stance likens it to that of the
boxer.

Feet spread apart, good balance, slight forward, lean and bend at the knees, arms

and body free to swing either left or right. Natural quickness is the hallmark here.

Experts recommend the following sequence for properly mounting the

shotgun to your shoulder. Keep both eyes on the target. Bring the stock to the cheek

(not the cheek to the stock). the trigger hand elbow is raised shoulder level. Snug the

stock band against the shoulder. Lean slightly toward the target, but not so much

that you impair your ability to swing left or right. When you see the gun’s muzzle

“touch” the target, but not so much that you impair your ability to swing left or right.
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When you see the muzzle “touch” the target, give a crisp, quick pull (the “slap”) on

the trigger.

FIREARM

Firearm defined:

It can be defined as a barreled weapon from which a shot is discharged by

gunpowder that launches a projectile (something like a bullet).

It can be defined as a barreled weapon from which a shot is discharged by

gunpowder that launches a projectile.

Firearms may sometimes be referred to as small arms and aimed visually at

their targets by hand using either iron sights or optical sights. The accurate range of

pistols is generally limited to 50 meters (55 yards), while most rifles are accurate to

500 meters (550 yards) using iron sights, or longer ranges using optical sights.

(Firearm rounds may be dangerous or lethal well beyond their accurate range;

minimum distance for safety is much greater than specified range.) Some purpose-

built sniper rifles are accurate to ranges of more than 2,000 meters (2,200 yards). A

successful sniper attack has been made from slightly more than 1.75 miles (2.82

kilometers).

Historical Background of Firearm:

The first firearm were invented in 13th century in China with the “portable

fire lance” (a bamboo or metal tube that could shoot by igniting the gunpowder

inside of it) was combined with projectiles such as scrap metal, broken porcelain,

sharp pebbles or darts.

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The technology gradually spread through the rest of all Asian countries, Middle

East and then into Europe. In older firearms, the propellant was typically black

powder, but modern firearms use smokeless powder or other propellants. Most

modern firearms (with the notable exception of smoothbore firearms) have rifled

barrels to impart spin to the projectile for improved flight stability.

Enhancement viewing: Evolution of early gunpowder weaponry from Ancient China

to Europe youtube.com/watch?v=ykhhmZ5XTHk

Modern firearms are typically described by their bore diameter (7.5mm) or

calibre (.357) or gauge (12 gauge), the type of action employed (muzzle, breech,

lever, bolt, pump, revolver, semi-automatic, or automatic) together with the usual

means of deportment (hand-held or mechanical mounting). They may be further

distinguished by reference to the type of barrel used (rifled) and the barrel length

(19inch), the design’s primary intended target (anti-aircraft), or the commonly

accepted name for a particular variation (Gatling gun).

Enhancement viewing: What are the different types of firearms?

youtube.com/watch?v=gf4PD-IPDQY

Various types of Firearms:

1. Handguns

- Revolver Pistol

- Semi-Automatic Pistol

2. Long Guns

- Rifle and Shotgun

- Carbine

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REVOLVERS - they have a number of firing chambers or “charge holes” in a revolving

cylinder, each chamber in the cylinder is loaded with a single cartridge or charge.

Enhancement viewing: Different kinds of revolvers

youtube.com/watch?v=to2YPRVEZIE

SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOLS - have a single fixed firing chamber machined into the

rear of the barrel, and a magazine so they can be used to fire more than one round.

Each press of the trigger fires a cartridge, using the energy of the cartridge to

activate the mechanism so that the next cartridge may be fired immediately.

Enhancement viewing: Different kinds of pistols

youtube.com/watch?v=E-esSxZVhFs

LONG GUNS (Rifle and Shotgun)

A rifle is so named for the spiral fluting (rifling) carved into the inner surface of

its barrel, which imparts a self-stabilizing spin to the single bullet it fires.

Shotgun - is predominantly smoothbore firearms designed to fire a number

of shots; pellet sizes commonly ranging between 2mm #9 birdshot and 8.4 mm #00

(double-aught) buckshot. Shotguns are also capable of firing single slugs, or specially

(often “less lethal”) rounds such as bean bags, tear gas or breaching rounds.

Enhancement viewing: Shotgun stance and mount

youtube.com/watch?=rO7Ogc7R4UI

LONG GUNS (Carbine)

Carbines - were and are typically used by members of the military in roles that

are expected to engage in combat, but where a full-size rifle would be an

Impediment to the primary duties of that soldier. It is also common in law

enforcement and among 18

civilian owners where similar size, space and or power concerns may exist. Like rifles,

it can be single-shot, repeating-action, semi-automatic or select-fire of a fully

automatic..

“Firearms are also categorized by their functioning cycle or “action” which

describes its loading, firing, and unloading cycle”.

Enhancement viewing: Basic on Carbine

youtube.com/watch?v=Az3NspLDTzU&t=1022s

A. Manual

A single shot firearm can only be fired once per equipped barrel before it

must be reloaded or charged via an external mechanism or series of steps. A

repeating firearm can be fired multiple times, but can only be fired once with each

subsequent pull of the trigger. Between trigger pulls, the firearm’s action must be

reloaded or charged via an internal mechanism.

B. Semi-Automatic

A semi-automatic, or self-loading, firearm is one that performs all steps

necessary to prepare it to discharge again after firing- assuming cartridges remain in

the weapon’s feed device or magazine.

C. Automatic

An automatic firearm is generally defined as one that continues to load and

fire cartridges from its magazine as long as the trigger is depressed (or until the

magazine is (depleted).

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D. Machine Gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic emplaceable weapon, most often

separated from other classes of automatic weapon by the use of belt-fed

ammunition.

E. Sub-Machine Gun

A sub-machine gun is a magazine-fed firearm, usually smaller than other

automatic firearms, that fires pistol-caliber ammunition; for this reason certain

submachine guns can also be referred to as machine pistols, especially when

referring to handgun-sized designs.

Sub-machine guns were originally about the size of carbines.

Enhancement viewing: Top 7 sub-machine guns

youtube.com/watch?v=E3LZWRdXqkk
What are the different types of rifles?
Youtube.com/watch?v=3xsVn9wmBGw

Activity 3

Name:______________________________Yr and Sec__________Date___________

I. Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

1. ___________________is open to all reputable persons without regard to

occupation; it may specifically not be limited to public servants.

2. Practical competition is ______________. Within the limits of realism,problems

are

constantly changed, never permitting unrealistic specialization of either technique or

equipment.

3. Practical competition is conducted using _______________, which reflect the

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general size and shape of such objects as the firearms may reasonably be called
upon to hit in their primary intended use.

4. Practical competition is ______________. In essence, the competitive problem is

posed in general and the participant is permitted the freedom to solve. It’s in the

manner he considers best within the limitations of the competitive situations as

provided.

5. Proper _____________ is another key ingredient in the accurate and safe shot.

6. During the pause, the breathing ____________ are relaxed thus the shooter

avoids strain from the diaphragm.

7. Achieving neutrality allows the ___________a ________technique to perform its

most important function. ALLOWING THE GUN TO RECOIL IN THE SAME DIRECTION

TO THE SAME LEVEL, AND ON THE SAME PATH.

8. Accurate shotgun shooting requires quick ____________among eyes, body and

gun.

9. One sports analogy to the proper shotgun stance likens it to that of the
__________.

Feet spread apart, good balance, slight forward lean and bend at the knees, arms
and

body free to swing either left or right. Natural___________is the hallmark here.

10. ______________is the relationship between the rear sight and the front sight to

the target with respect to the eye.

II Define the following:

1. Rifle -

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2. Carbine -

3. Revolver -

4. Machine Gun -

5. Shotgun -

II. Essay:

In your own opinion should our laws pertaining firearms, its ownership and

permit to carry be amended for a more stricter one? Why?

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