Marksmanship Fundamentals and Live-Fire Range Conduct
This domain tests the fundamentals that produce hits, the ability to diagnose your own group, and range discipline - because range safety violations are grounds for losing a certification, not just losing marks.
The fundamentals
- Stance: stable, balanced, weight slightly forward, able to move.
- Grip: high on the backstrap, both hands locking the wrists; a weak grip is a leading cause of feeding stoppages.
- Sight alignment and sight picture: equal height, equal light, correctly placed on the target.
- Trigger control: straight rearward pressure, no anticipation; the shot should surprise you.
- Breathing: pause at the natural respiratory pause, do not hold your breath to the point of tension.
- Follow-through: hold the sight picture and the trigger to the rear until the shot has left and the sight has settled.
Worked example
A right-handed guard shooting at 10 metres produces a tight group low and to the left. Reasoning: a tight group means the sights are consistent; the shared offset points to the shooter, not the weapon. Low-left for a right-hander usually means anticipating recoil and pushing the pistol, or too little trigger finger. The fix is dry-fire and ball-and-dummy drills, not a sight adjustment. Chase the sights first and you will simply move a good group into a worse place.
Traps that cost marks
- Adjusting sights before ruling out the shooter.
- Handling a weapon during a ceasefire or crossing the firing line.
- Treating a "cold" weapon as safe without a chamber check in front of the range officer.
- Speeding up to beat a time limit and losing the fundamentals that produce the score.