Proper Form Using The M4 Carbine

I've seen many videos and dealt with many new shooters who simply don't understand why they can't place rounds down range accurately. The problem, most often, is the stance one takes when shouldering the tactical carbine.

Many new shooters tend to lean back, keep their feet together, and their head tilted to the side. This is not only a weak stance, but a good way to improperly align their right eye with the sight. I recorded a short 24 second video to help illustrate the proper stance.

Notes:

1. My left leg is 26-36 inches from my right leg.

2. My knees are bent and relaxed.

3. I'm leaning slightly forward on my hips.

4. The rifle is shouldered on the right side of my chest rather than on my actual shoulder, and just on the clavicle.

5. The position of shouldering I'm using allows the rifle to come up directly next to my cheek and aligns perfectly with my right eye. No need to tilt my head to the right in order to place the reticle where I need it. It just naturally places right in front of my eye.


You'll notice that I am firing two round bursts in rapid succession. There is little movement from the recoil, and my rifle remains in the same position after each burst. This is the proper form using the M4(Civilian or military).

The following is how NOT to do it:

That is a good stance for target shooting. I wanna see shooting on the move and shooting under stress to see how you hold up.

reply to post by NoClue206


I'm good at both. But I'll be honing those skills in basic starting Monday morning when I head out to Ft. Benning.

See ya at the range.

You guys are lucky. Aussies were disarmed by their government
so we're not allow to play with those toys.
But I do always like to watch videos of women shooting, especially
when they hurt themselves

This one is the best


Happy new year fella's

reply to post by projectvxn

Actually, you won't! The will have few minutes of "familiarization firing" one day, which is preceded by "zeroing" your M-16. Then you go to the range for qualification, maybe, depending on your MOS where you will fire 40 rounds at pop-up targets.

Originally posted by freedom12
reply to post by projectvxn

 

Actually, you won't! The will have few minutes of "familiarization firing" one day, which is preceded by "zeroing" your M-16. Then you go to the range for qualification, maybe, depending on your MOS where you will fire 40 rounds at pop-up targets.

Which is going to be fun.

reply to post by projectvxn


Good luck with that bro. I never went to army basic training but I did Marine Corps boot camp, you'll be disappointed how little you get to shoot live round.

If you wanted to shoot you should have joined the Marine Corps. I am a former Marine and Primary Marksmaship Instructor. Marines, exspecially infantryman like myself get to fire alot of rounds and do more shooting on the move and live fire urban warfare training. I'm not sure how the Army does their training but if shooting is what you love you can find a place somewhere in there. Good luck to you.

reply to post by usmc0311


I knew a dude named peacock from 2nd LAR... good dude. Personally I think the form that someone takes depends on their role & training. My current bad habit is squaring up to the target (body armor) because I was trained that way.

I was on Parris Island in the 90's and originally learned the bladed stiff static type of shooting with a sling that we were taught on the range. It worked great for what it was used for, shooting at static targets on a one way range.

Once I EAS'd I got a job with the local Sheriff's Dept , we had 3 guys that were operators (I hate that word) and I learned how to shoot and move from them. It was training that was priceless and I learned how much "wasted movement" I had in me , from strong/weak transitions to transitions to my secondary to reloads.

The biggest thing I learned from them is mastering the fundamentals , It's a beautiful thing when your body is on autopilot from muscle memory and all you have to worry about is the target and your surroundings.

When I started I literally had to think (Pistol) " ok positive grip , draw stroke , press out , front sight, press, reset" Same thing with the rifle , from learning to keep both eyes open using the eotech or not chicken winging and keeping my elbows tucked and just learing how to properly run the rifle until it became an extension of myself.

I would tell anyone that is serious about learning how to properly run a rifle to take a tactical carbine course from a legit trainer because you honestly don't know what you don't know and it can get you or someone you love killed.

Example

S&F to the OP as usual.

reply to post by freedom12


Actually since he is going to Benning. He'll probably be 11b or 18x. So yeah he'll shoot a lot. We shot a ton.

It is impossible to sight any long gun without tilting your head (and neck).
You still of your vid clearly shows that you are doing exactly what you claim you don't do.

reply to post by Aliensun


Uh no I'm not.

And no it isn't impossible. My head is resting on the stock of the gun using my cheek. The gun is pulled close enough to my cheek that I don't need to tilt. If anything my head is tilted forward to accommodate my body position. I'm essentially in a fighting stance. Take the gun out and it looks like this:




Just bring both arms to level.

Originally posted by elrey72011
reply to post by freedom12

 

Actually since he is going to Benning. He'll probably be 11b or 18x. So yeah he'll shoot a lot. We shot a ton.

I'm neither actually. I'm 15T, my AIT will be at Ft. Eustis.

reply to post by freedom12


Wow, have things changed that much?
OK, I graduated basic in 1988. Wore a steel pot, drove a jeep, and had a 45 rather than a 9mm, and an M16 A1....so I know some things have change.

While in basic we did plenty of shooting.

Do they still do night fire,
fire with promask on,
long range feedback,
crew served weapons,
M203,
LAW....oops, now replaced by AT4?

reply to post by projectvxn

Good luck to you, and thank your for your commitment to our freedom.

Originally posted by Aliensun
It is impossible to sight any long gun without tilting your head (and neck).
You still of your vid clearly shows that you are doing exactly what you claim you don't do.

What you're seeing is a cheek/chinweld, his head is straight and he brought the rifle up to his face, not his face down to the rifle. You manipulate the weapon around your body, not the other way around.

Just wanted to say good thread ... If only someone said it so simply as this when I was first learning to shoot!

Very nice shooting form and so simply put.

reply to post by roguetechie


Well this is my last thread for a least a few months. So I thought I'd do it on the one problem I've seen many shooters face. The form and stance using tactical/assault rifles.

It is very important to make sure you take a proper and strong stance, as even the minimal recoil of the M4/AR platform can throw a shooter off kilter and destroy accuracy each and every time.

Oh I know I've been guilty of making several of those mistakes myself particularly not achieving proper cheek/ chin weld.

That's why I like this thread so much... nothing like small reminders to keep on your fundamentals to keep one on their toes.

Your form should be completely different when you put on body armour. You should be more square to the target with your feet almost at 90 degrees to it.

The reason for this is that it is then the plates of your armour that are facing the target as opposed to the less well protected sides.