ROTC MS 1: WEAPONS PROFICIENCY MODULE

WEAPONS TRAINING 1
OBJECTIVES: 

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Clearly understand the fundamentals of marksmanship;

2. Understand the general characteristics of the rifle;
3. Develop the cadet’s knowledge on interpreting the shots made with respect to the Rifle
Marksmanship Fundamentals.

THE REMINGTON R4A3 RIFLE SYSTEM

 Consists of a Rifle, a Magazine, and a Sling.

 It is a Lightweight, Gas Operated, Air-cooled, Magazine Fed, Shoulder Fired Weapon
that can be fired either in Semi-automatic or Automatic burst.

R4A3 Specifications
 Caliber: 5.56 mm NATO
 Weight: 6.11 lbs (3 kg)
 Maximum Effective Range: 600 meters
 Length: 31” (78.74 cm) Collapsed, 34.8” (88.39 cm) extended
 Barrel Twist; 1.7 Right hand twist
 Magazine Capacity: 30 rounds
 Mode of Fire: Safe/Semi/Auto
 Locking method: Rotary bolt
 Safety Features: Safety switch (manual)
 Operation: Gas Impingement

Four Cardinal Rules of Gun Safety

1. Always treat the gun as loaded.
2. Do not point your gun to anything which you are not willing to shoot or destroy.
3. Be sure of your target and what is around it.
4. Always keep your trigger finger off trigger unless you are ready to fire.

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Marksmanship – is the art and science of hitting the desired target accurately at a particular
distance.

Triad of Marksmanship
Factors Affecting Trajectory

R4A3 Carbine Basic Rifle Marksmanship Fundamentals

1. Positioning (Rifle + Shooter = 1 system)

o Steady Position Factors:
 Non-firing hand grip – the non-firing hands holds the forward vertical grip
firmly.

 Firing hand grip – the firing hand grasps the pistol grip so it fits the V
formed by the thumb and forefinger.

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  Telescopic Buttstock position – the butt of the rifle is placed in the pocket
of the firing shoulder. This reduces the effect of recoil and helps ensure a
steady position.

 Placement of firing elbow – the firing elbow is important in providing

balance. Its exact location depends on the firing/fighting position used.
Placement should allow shoulders to remain level.

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  Placement of non-firing elbow – the non-firing elbow is positioned firmly
under the rifle to allow a comfortable and stable position.

 Check to stock weld – the stock weld should provide a natural line of sight
through the center of the rear sight aperture to the front sight post and on
to the target.

 Any prone position – any prone position using the magazine to

support the rifle for a more stable position.

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  Placement of the feet and body alignment
 Hawkins/climbing the ladder

 V-spread

2. Aiming (Sight alignment and Sight picture) – the act of pointing to hit a target.
a. Elements of Aiming
i. Front Sight
ii. Rear Sight
iii. Aiming Point
b. Phases of Aiming
i. Sight Alignment – proper relationship of front sight and rear sight.
ii. Sight Picture – proper relationship of front sight and rear sight and aiming
point.

3. Breathing (Empty lung/Quarters full) – to attain accuracy, the firer must learn to hold his
breath properly at any time during the breathing cycle.

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 Note: Natural Point of Aim: the most relaxed position for holding a rifle grip and firing at
the target. The sight picture will consistently go back to the aiming point in a natural
manner.

4. Trigger Pressing (Interrupted/uninterrupted) – is the independent movement of the

trigger finger in applying increasing pressure on the trigger straight to the rear, without
disturbing the sight alignment until the weapon fires.

Note: Trigger Pressure Point: the contact of the trigger and trigger finger, usually located
between the tip of the finger and the 1st joint.

Types of Trigger Motion

 Interrupted/Smooth Trigger Motion – commonly used during precision shooting.
 Uninterrupted Trigger Motion – commonly used during Practical Shooting and Multiple
target engagement.

Follow Through (Final Focus Point) – is the continues effort of the firer to maintain sight
alignment before during and after the round has fired. A continues application of all
marksmanship fundamentals.

Follow through (Final Focus Point)

 Follow through is important in developing consistency. While the bullet leaves the rifle’s
barrel within milli-seconds of ignition, the shooter benefits from “staying on the sights” in
order to determine where the round likely struck. With experience, shooters can tell with
extreme precision whether the round likely struck the center of the target or elsewhere.

Advanced Firing Position

1. Alternate Prone Firing Position. This position is an alternate to both prone supported and
unsupported firing positions. The firer can assume a comfortable position while
maintaining the same relationship between his body and the axis of the rifle. This
position relaxes the stomach muscles and allows the firer to breathe naturally.

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 2. Kneeling Unsupported firing Position. This position is assumed quickly, places the
soldier high enough to see over a small brush, and provides a stable firing position. The
non-firing elbow should be pushed forward of the knee so the upper arm is resting on a
flat portion of the knee to provide stability. The trailing foot should be placed in a
comfortable position.

3. Standing Firing Position. To assume the standing firing position, the soldier faces his
target, executes a facing movement to his firing side, and spreads his feet a comfortable
distance apart. With his firing hand on the pistol grip and his non-firing hand on the
forward vertical grip, the soldier places the telescopic butt of the rifle in the pocket
formed by his firing shoulder so the sights are level with his eyes. The weight of the rifle
is supported by the firing shoulder pocket and non-firing hand. The soldier shifts his feet
until he is aiming naturally at the target and his weight is evenly distributed on both feet.
The standing position provides the least stability but could be needed for observing the
target area and engaging target since it can be assumed quickly while moving.

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  Modified Supported Firing Position. Once the basic firing skills have been mastered
during initial training, the soldier should be encouraged to modify positions, to take
advantage of available cover, to use anything that helps to steady the rifle, or to make
any change that allows him to hit more combat targets. The modified prone firing
position uses sandbag to support the non-firing hand to hold it steady.

Kneeling Supported Firing Position. This position allows the soldier to obtain the height
necessary to observe many target areas, taking advantage of available cover. Solid cover that
can support any part of the body or rifle assists in firing accuracy.

Concept of Zeroing

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The purpose of battle sight zeroing is to align the fire control system with rifle barrel, considering
the given ammunition ballistics. When this is accomplished correctly, the fire control and point of
aim are point of impact at a standard battle sight zero range such as 200 meters.

Mechanical Zeroing of the R4A3 Carbine

Mechanically zeroing the weapon is only necessary when the weapon zero is questionable, the
weapon is newly assigned to the unit, or the weapon sights have been serviced. If necessary,
the soldier should mechanically zero the weapon as follows:

1. Adjust the front sight post (1) so the top of the post is 5mm above the machined surface
in the sight base (2).
2. With the rear sight elevation adjustment (3) lower the rear sight assembly (4) all the way
until the sight bottoms out. Dial should be set at the 300m mark (6/3) (5).

For zeroing, the small aperture should be used (6) so the unmarked aperture is up and the
center has marks on the aperture and rear sight base aligned (8).

 If necessary, the soldier should mechanical sight zero the weapon as follows:
o Adjust the elevation knob (1) counterclockwise, when viewed from above, until
the rear sight assembly (2) rests flush with the detachable carrying handle and
the 6/3 marking is aligned with the index line (3) on the left side of the detachable
carrying handle. The elevation knob remains flush.
o Position the aperture (4) so the unmarked aperture is up and the 0-200 meter
aperture is down. Rotate the windage knob (5) to align the index mark (6) on the
0-200 meter aperture with the long center index line on the rear sight assembly.

Battle Sight Zeroing the R4A3

 The purpose of battle sight zeroing is to align the fire control system (sights) with the rifle
barrel, considering the ammunitions ballistics.
 When the rifle is zeroed, the sights are adjusted so that the bullet strike is the same as
the point of aim at some given range.

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  When a standard zeroing procedure is followed, a rifle is properly zeroed for one soldier
and is close to the zero of another soldier.

Battle Sight Zeroing Procedures

1. Place an approved target at 25 meters. When zeroed at 25 meters one inch below the
aiming point, the bullet path will then cross the line of sight at 200 meters.
2. With sights properly employed and at mechanical zero, fire a 3 shot group to determine
the point of impact (POI).
3. Adjust shot group so that the POI is 1 inch below the aiming point.
4. If the POI is one inch below Point of Aim (POA), you can stop, your weapon is zeroed. If
it does not match, continue to step 5.
5. Measure the vertical and horizontal distance from the fired group to the POI.
6. Calculate the amount of adjustment to move the POI one inch below the POA.
7. Adjust the front sight by depressing the detent with affront sight tool or pointed object
and turn the appropriate direction.
8. The rear sight is adjusted by turning the knob the appropriate direction by hand.
9. After adjustment are made, repeat steps 1 through 6 until the POI will be one inch below
the POA.

Note:
At 25 meters, one click of the front sight will move the POI ½” (1.2cm) up or down. Turning the
post clockwise will raise the POI. Counter clockwise will lower the POI. Turning the windage
knob one click will move the POI 3/6” (.5cm) left or right. Turning the windage knob clockwise
will move the POI to the right, counter clockwise will move the POI to the left.

Zeroing Procedures

 In order to understand the principles of zeroing, one must know the basics of ballistics,
especially, the relationship between the path of the bullet flight and the line of sight. In
bullet is called trajectory.
 After the bullets leaves the rifle, it is initially moving on an upward path.
 The bullet will intersect the line of sight and begin to travel above the line of sight, a short
distance from the muzzle.
 As the bullets travel further, it begins to drop and will eventually again intersect the line
of sight.
 The range at which this intersection occurs is the zero for that sight setting.


R4A3 Carbine 5.56mm Bullet Trajectory using M855 Ball Ammo

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 Elevation and Windage Values of Clicks of R4A3 Carbine

DISTANCE (M) 1 CLICK WILL ADJUST THE POINT OF IMPACT

Front sight post Windage (Rear Elevation Wheel
R4A3 Full Value Sight) R4A3 Half (Rear Sight) R4A3
Value Full Value
25 meters 1.2 cm (0.5 in) .5 cm (3/16 in) .5 cm (3/16 in)
50 meters 2.4 cm (1 in) 1 cm (0.4 in) 1 cm (0.4 in)
75 meters 3.6 cm (1.5 in) 1.5cm (0.6 in) 1.5cm (0.6 in)
100 meters 4.8 cm (2 in) 2 cm (0.75 in) 2 cm (0.75 in)
150 meters 7.2 cm (3 in) 3 cm (1.125 in) 3 cm (1.125 in)
175 meters 8.4 cm (3.5 in) 3.5 cm (1.3125 in) 3.5 cm (1.3125 in)
200 meters 8.6 cm (4 in) 4 cm (1.5 in) 4 cm (1.5 in)
300 meters 14.4 cm (6.1 in) 6 cm (2.25 in) 6 cm (2.25 in)

BULLET DISPERSION 3 CM (1.2 INCH) SHOT GROUP AT 25 METERS INCREMENTS

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 SHOT-GROUP PATTERN INTERPRETATION

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Range-in-Series
The purpose of the range-in-series is for the soldier to confirm the battle sight zero of his
weapon using the same ammunition.

 Range-in-series is conducted prior to the conduct of the record firing proper

 This is conducted after the carbine is zeroed at 25 meters and to simulate the record
firing sequence
 Range-in-series is conducted for the firers to confirm the zero of their carbines up to 25
meters using the actual targets of the respective distances.
o 25 meters, Fig 14, 8 rounds, standing
o 50 meters, Fig 12, 8 rounds, standing
o 100 meters, Fig 12, 8 rounds, kneeling
o 150 meters, Fig 11, 6 rounds, kneeling
o 200 meters, Fig 11, 8 rounds, any prone

Rifle Marksmanship Record Fire

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 A. Objective
To be able to apply the rifle marksmanship fundamentals in the actual range (25
m, 50 m,100 m, 150 m & 200 m)
B. Conditions

Distance Target Ammo Time Position Remarks

25 meters 1 Fig 14A 8 rds 6 sec per Standing Standing alert; 2 shots per
exposure exposure; 4 exposures
50 meters 1 Fig 12 Target 8 rds 6 sec per Standing Standing alert; 4 shots per
exposure exposure; 2 exposures
100 meters 1 Fig 12 Target 8 rds 2 mins Kneeling Kneeling (precision)
150 meters Fig 11 12 rds 2 mins 30 Kneeling Kneeling (precision) with
secs change magazine. Both
magazine must contain 6
rds ammo
200 meters Fig 11 14 rds 3 mins Any prone Prone (precision) with
supported change magazine. Both
magazine must contain 7
rds ammo

Rifle Marksmanship Record Fire

Standard
HITS QUALIFICATION
46 - 50 Expert
41 - 45 Sharpshooter
36 - 40 Marksman
35 and below Unqualified

Prepared By:

Msg BARTOLOME R CUYA PA (RES)

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