UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS



UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

WEAPONS TRAINING BATTALION

TRAINING COMMAND, TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMMAND

MARINE CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENT COMMAND

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA 22134-5040

LESSON PLAN

ZEROING THE SERVICE RIFLE

LESSON DESIGNATOR XXXX

ENTRY LEVEL RIFLE

CID XXXX

REVISED 04/22/2010

APPROVING SIGNATURE ______________________________ DATE ________

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #1)

INTRODUCTION (3 MIN)

1. GAIN ATTENTION. The bottom line for the rifleman is to develop skills that will enable them to become combat effective. It is essential for an individual to know how to zero or adjust the sights of their Rifle Combat Optic (RCO). Zeroing is the adjusting of the elevation and windage to cause the shots to impact where the individual aims. Zeroing the optic compensates for the effects of weather and other external influences upon where the bullet impacts. The ability to analyze a shot group and apply zeroing fundamentals is an essential skill which will ensure accuracy during training and in combat.

2. OVERVIEW. Good morning/afternoon my name is . This lesson will cover zeroing the service rifle to include elements of zeroing; types of zeros; the sighting system and the windage and elevation rules. The purpose of this lesson is to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively zero your rifle to hit what you are aiming at.

3. INTRODUCE LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

a. TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE.

(1) Given a service rifle/carbine, iron sights, sling, three (3) magazines, ammunition, and a target, zero the weapon to achieve a shot group in the center of the target in accordance with MCRP 3-01A.

b. ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

(1) Given the requirement, a service rifle/carbine, iron sights, sling, three (3) magazines, ammunition, and a target, apply the elements of zeroing in accordance with and MCRP 3-01A.

(2) Given the requirement, a service rifle/carbine, iron sights, sling, three (3) magazines, ammunition, and a target, apply the windage and elevation rules to establish a zero in accordance with MCRP 3-01A.

4. METHOD/MEDIA. This lesson will be taught using the lecture method and demonstration with supporting media.

5. EVALUATION. The student will be evaluated during the Known Distance qualification of Table 1.

6. SAFETY CEASE/TRAINING (CT) BRIEF. There are no safety hazards identified with this lesson. However, cease training can be called by an instructor or student who identifies or observes any unsafe condition. The lead instructor will then evaluate the situation.

TRANSITION: Are there any questions on the learning objectives, method the lesson will be taught using, or how you will be evaluated? There are five basic elements involved in zeroing a rifle; line of sight, point of aim, centerline of the bore, trajectory, and range. To zero the rifle, these elements must physically and mechanically coincide at a given point. It is your responsibility to get consistent hits on the target with your rifle. This is accomplished by zeroing your rifle--determining and applying the sight settings (windage and elevation) on your rifle to strike the center of the target at a particular range. But to do this, you must understand the elements of zeroing.

BODY (100 MIN)

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #2)

1. ELEMENTS OF ZEROING. (20 Min) To accurately engage targets, the strike of the bullet must coincide with your point of aim on the target. This must be done while compensating for the effects of weather and the range to the target. This is accomplished by adjusting the sights on your rifle to achieve point of aim/point of impact. This process is called zeroing and it is a critical element of accurate target engagement.

a. Line Of Sight. Line of sight is a straight line beginning at the center of the eye, passing through the center of the rear sight aperture, and then across the tip of the front sight post to the exact point of aim on the target.

b. Point Of Aim. The point of aim is the precise point where the tip of the front sight post is placed on the target while maintaining sight alignment.

c. Centerline Of Bore. Centerline of the bore is an imaginary straight line beginning at the chamber end of the barrel, proceeding out of the muzzle, and continuing on indefinitely.

d. Trajectory. A bullet does not follow a straight line to the target. Instead, a bullet travels in a curved path, or arc, which is called the bullet trajectory.

(1) This trajectory occurs because of the earth's gravity, which pulls the bullet down toward the ground as soon as the bullet leaves the rifle's barrel. The rate of this curvature increases as the bullet's speed decreases.

(2) To compensate for this effect so that the bullet will impact the target, the muzzle of the rifle must be elevated by applying elevation to the rifle sights.

(3) The greater the distance to the target, the higher the bullet's trajectory must be to impact the target. The greater the distance to the target, the greater the elevation that must be applied to the sights in order to impact the same spot on the target.

e. Range. Range is the known distance from the rifle to the target.

TRANSITION: Now that we have discussed the elements of zeroing, are there any questions?

QUESTIONS: What is trajectory?

ANSWER: The curved path that the bullet travels while in its flight.

Now that we have talked about the elements of zeroing, let’s move on to the three types of zeros.

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #3)

2. TYPES OF ZEROS. (10 Min)

a. Zero. A zero is the elevation and windage settings required to place a single shot, or the center of a shot group, in a predesignated location on a target at a specific range, from a specific firing position, under specific weather conditions.

b. True Zero. A true zero is the elevation and windage settings required to place a single shot, or the center of a shot group, in a predesignated location on a target at a specific range, from a specific firing position, under ideal weather conditions (i.e., no wind).

c. Battlesight Zero (BZO). A BZO is the elevation and windage settings required to place a single shot, or the center of a shot group, in a predesignated location on a target at 300 yards/meters, under ideal weather conditions (i.e., no wind). A BZO is the sight settings placed on your rifle for combat. In combat, your rifle’s BZO setting will enable engagement of point targets from 0 – 300 yards/meters in a no wind condition.

TRANSITION: Now that we have discussed the three types of zeros, are there any questions?

QUESTION: What is the difference between a true zero and a zero?

ANSWER: The weather condition.

Now that we have talked about the three types of zeros, let’s move on to the sighting system of the service rifle.

3. SIGHTING SYSTEM/WINDAGE AND ELEVATION RULES. (40 Min)

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #4)

a. RCO Windage and Elevation Adjusters. The RCO is optically centered when it leaves the manufacturer.

Windage and elevation adjusters are used to zero the optic. The adjusters can be moved with a coin, bladed screwdriver, or the extractor rim of the 5.56mm casing.

b. Windage and Elevation Rules.

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #5)

(1) Definition. The windage and elevation rules define how far the strike of the bullet will move on the target for each click of elevation or windage for each 100 yards/meters of range to the target.

(2) Principles. The easiest way to understand the windage and elevation rules is to first analyze where the bullet struck the target. If an adjustment needs to be made up or down to hit the center of the target, adjust the elevation on your RCO. If an adjustment needs to be made right or left to hit the center of the target, adjust the windage.

(3) Rules. Adjustment increments are 1/3 inch per click at 100 meters.

(a) Nine (9) clicks are required to move the strike of the bullet one inch at 36 yards

(b) Three (3) clicks are required to move the strike of the bullet one inch at 100 yards/meters

(c) One (1) click is required to move the strike of the bullet one inch at 300 yards/meters.

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #6)

c. Making Adjustments.

(1) To adjust for windage, move the windage adjuster clockwise to move the strike of the round to the right; move it counterclockwise to move the strike of the round left.

(2) To adjust for elevation, move the elevation adjuster clockwise to move the strike of the round up; move it

counterclockwise to move the strike of the round down.

(3) Once the RCO is zeroed, do not remove the adjuster caps.

TRANSITION: Now that we just discussed the sighting system and the windage and elevation rules, are there any questions?

QUESTION: How many clicks on the RCO elevation adjuster does it take to move the strike of the round one inch at 300 yards/meters?

ANSWER: One (1) click.

To apply the windage and elevation rules accurately, you must know the dimensions of the targets used for the course. Sight adjustments are made by observing the strike of the rounds, determining their distance from the center of the target, and applying the windage and elevation rules to move the rounds to center.

Now that we have talked about the sighting system and the windage and elevation rules, let’s move on to the target dimensions.

4. TARGET DIMENSIONS FOR KD COURSE. (20 Min)

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #7)

a. "A" Target. This full-faced (4' wide X 6' long) target contains a round, black bull's-eye and is used for the slow fire stage at 200 and 300 yards. The "A" target dimensions are as follows:

(1) The round, black bull's-eye is 12 inches in diameter.

(2) The 4-ring is 24 inches in diameter.

(3) The 3-ring is 36 inches in diameter.

(4) The 2-point scoring area occupies all parts of the target outside of the 3-ring.

b. "D" Target. This full-faced (6' wide X 6' long) target contains a black bull's-eye and is used for rapid fire stages at 200 and 300 yards. The "D" target dimensions are as follows:

(1) The black bull's-eye is 19 inches high and 26 inches wide.

(2) The 4-ring follows the contours of the head and shoulders of the bull's-eye and is 4 inches from the edge of the aiming black at these points. The 4-ring is 14 inches from the bottom edge of the aiming black.

(3) The 3-ring follows the contours of the head and shoulders of the 4-ring and is 8 inches from the outside edge of the 4-ring at these points. The 3-ring is 6 inches from the bottom edge of the 4-ring.

(4) The 2-point scoring area occupies all parts of the target outside of the 3-ring.

c. "B" Modified Target. This target consists of an "E" silhouette within a 40-inch circle. This target is used for the slow fire stage at 500 yards. The "B" modified target dimensions are as follows:

(1) The black "E" silhouette is 40 inches high and 20 inches wide.

(2) The 4-ring is 40 inches in diameter and consists of all the remaining area not covered by the black "E" silhouette.

(3) The 3-ring is 60 inches in diameter.

(4) The 2-point scoring area occupies all parts of the target outside the 3-ring.

TRANSITION: Now that we have discussed target dimensions and the 6-4-4 technique, are there any questions?

QUESTION: What is the dimension of the 5 ring on the “B” modified target?

ANSWER: 40 inches high and 20 inches wide.

A lot of time will be spent on the range improving your performance by adjusting the sights on your weapon. It is your responsibility to know how to make elevation and windage adjustments to zero your rifle. It is absolutely critical to have the ability to fire shot groups and adjust your sights to move the bullet impact to the target center. We will cover the basic steps to determine proper sight adjustments to enable shots to be placed in the center of the target.

Now that we have talked about the sighting system and the windage and elevation rules, let’s move on to reconfirming a BZO.

5. FACTORS CAUSING A ZERO TO BE RECONFIRMED. (10 Min)

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #8)

a. Factors Causing A Zero To Be Reconfirmed.

(1) Maintenance: It is possible for the Zero to change if a qualified personnel performs maintenance on the rifle. If maintenance was performed, it is critical that the rifle be rezeroed as soon as possible.

(2) Temperature: An extreme change in temperature (more than 20 degrees) will cause a change in the Zero of the weapon; the elevation will need to be adjusted.

(3) Climate: Changing climates can mean changes in air density, moisture content, temperature, or barometric pressure. Any of these elements can affect the rifle's Zero. Reconfirm the Zero as soon as possible.

(4) Ground Elevation: Drastic changes in ground altitude can create changes in air density, moisture content, temperature, or barometric pressure. Any of these elements can affect the rifle's Zero. Reconfirm the Zero as soon as possible.

(5) Uniform: If your rifle is zeroed while in your utility uniform and fired in full battle gear, your Zero may change. A Zero must be established while wearing the uniform and equipment that will be worn while engaging targets.

b. Factors Affecting A Zero. Anything the shooter changes from shot to shot affects the Zero on their rifle. These are some of the common factors that, when applied inconsistently, affect your ability to maintain your Zero:

(1) Stock weld

(2) Sling settings

(3) Placement of the forward hand

(4) Grip of the shooting hand

(5) Muscle tension

(6) Trigger control

(7) Natural point of aim

(8) Placement of the rifle stock into the shoulder

9) Eye relief

TRANSITION: Now that we have just discussed the factors affecting a Zero, are there any questions?

QUESTION: List two factors causing a Zero to be reconfirmed.

ANSWER: Maintenance, temperature, climate, ground elevation, and uniform.

If you understand and apply the proper procedures for zeroing your service rifle to compensate for the effects of weather and the range to the target, you will be a proficient marksman. The zeroing procedures remain the same regardless of the field situation and form the baseline for accurate target engagement.

Are there any questions on any part of this period of instruction?

(ON SLIDE/TURNCHART #9)

SUMMARY (2 MIN)

During this period of instruction we covered the elements of zeroing, the three types of zeros, the sight and the windage and elevation rules, target dimensions, and the factors affecting a zero.

All the principles covered in this lesson are essential to becoming an effective marksman. The Marine must use good judgment to analyze their shot groups and apply zeroing procedures to improve the accuracy of their shooting. Achieving a Zero is the starting point to developing into a combat-ready marksman able to decisively engage the enemy. Knowing the capabilities of the weapon will increase enthusiasm and boost confidence. A Marine can work on the refinements of their shooting only after they have mastered the basics. Zeroing the rifle is a basic skill that the Marine must master to be successful.

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NOTE

Unlike the adjustable iron sights on the service rifle/carbine, the RCO should not be adjusted for a wind change. The windage turrets on the RCO should only be adjusted during zeroing. For wind corrections during firing, a slight hold into the direction of the wind will produce the desired result.

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