CRFSC Firing Procedures and Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'natural point of aim' and why is it important?
- The point where the sights align without any muscular effort, ensuring consistent shot placement (Correct answer)
- The default zero setting for a factory-new firearm
- The maximum effective range of a firearm
- The point where the trigger pull feels most natural to the shooter
Correct answer: The point where the sights align without any muscular effort, ensuring consistent shot placement
Natural point of aim is where the firearm naturally points when the shooter adopts their shooting stance without muscular tension, which produces more consistent and accurate results.
Question 2: What is the primary cause of 'flinching' in new shooters, and how can it be corrected?
- Improper grip causing the firearm to slip, corrected by using grip tape
- Anticipation of recoil and noise, corrected through dry fire practice and mental discipline (Correct answer)
- Poor eyesight causing difficulty with sight alignment, corrected with prescription lenses
- Improper stance causing loss of balance, corrected by widening the feet
Correct answer: Anticipation of recoil and noise, corrected through dry fire practice and mental discipline
Flinching is an involuntary response to anticipated recoil and noise, and is best corrected through dry fire practice, mental focus, and building confidence through gradual live fire.
Question 3: When is it appropriate to put your finger on the trigger of a firearm?
- As soon as you pick up the firearm and have a grip
- Only when you have identified your target and are ready to fire (Correct answer)
- Whenever the firearm is pointed downrange
- Only after the range officer gives the command to fire
Correct answer: Only when you have identified your target and are ready to fire
The finger must stay off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until the target is identified, the shooter is ready to fire, and the decision to shoot has been made.
Question 4: What effect does a longer barrel generally have on a firearm's ballistic performance?
- Decreases muzzle velocity due to increased friction
- Increases muzzle velocity by allowing more time for propellant gases to accelerate the bullet (Correct answer)
- Has no effect on muzzle velocity but improves accuracy through weight
- Decreases accuracy by increasing barrel harmonics
Correct answer: Increases muzzle velocity by allowing more time for propellant gases to accelerate the bullet
A longer barrel allows propellant gases more time to accelerate the bullet before it exits, generally resulting in higher muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory.
Question 5: What is the correct eye dominance procedure if a right-handed shooter has a left dominant eye?
- Switch to shooting left-handed to match the dominant eye
- Close or partially occlude the dominant left eye, or learn to use the right eye for aiming (Correct answer)
- Use a red dot sight which eliminates eye dominance issues entirely
- Tilt the head to bring the dominant eye behind the sights
Correct answer: Close or partially occlude the dominant left eye, or learn to use the right eye for aiming
Cross-dominant shooters can close or partially cover the dominant eye, train the non-dominant eye to aim, or use an optic to compensate for cross-eye dominance.
Question 6: What is the purpose of using hearing protection while shooting firearms?
- To block distractions and improve concentration on the target
- To prevent permanent hearing damage caused by the high-decibel noise of gunfire (Correct answer)
- To comply with range rules but hearing damage only occurs after years of exposure
- To muffle sound for other shooters on the range
Correct answer: To prevent permanent hearing damage caused by the high-decibel noise of gunfire
Gunfire exceeds 140 decibels, far above the threshold for immediate hearing damage, so hearing protection is essential to prevent permanent hearing loss.
Question 7: When a range officer calls 'cease fire,' what must all shooters do immediately?
- Finish the current firing string before stopping
- Stop firing immediately, keep the firearm pointed downrange, and await further instructions (Correct answer)
- Unload and holster the firearm without waiting for further commands
- Return to the ready position and wait for the all-clear signal
Correct answer: Stop firing immediately, keep the firearm pointed downrange, and await further instructions
On a cease fire command, all firing must stop immediately, firearms must remain pointed downrange, and shooters must wait for the range officer's next instructions.
CRFSC Firing Procedures and Techniques 5
What is the 'natural point of aim' and why is it important?