Shooting Stability: A Critical Component of Marksmanship Performance as Measured through Aim Path and Trigger Control

Abstract

Marksmanship proficiency is an essential component to operational effectiveness in the military. Previous research suggests marksmanship proficiency is dependent on shooter posture and weapon stability. This study evaluated new stability measures derived from simulator aiming data. Sixteen participants were assessed in three clothing and individual equipment (CIE) conditions involving traditional military ensembles. Marksmanship was assessed using traditional measures (precision and accuracy), as well as four new stability measures (horizontal, vertical, and overall stability, and trigger control). Significant differences in stability were seen across firing postures and fatigue states, consistent with previous study suggestions regarding the important role of stability on marksmanship proficiency. Regression analysis showed that horizontal stability and trigger control measures were also highly predictive of precision. Additionally, significant differences in all stability measures were seen across CIE conditions, suggesting that these measures provide valuable insights regarding CIE effects on marksmanship performance not fully captured by traditional marksmanship measures.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brown

S.A.T

McNamara

J.A.

Choi

H.J.

Mitchell

K.B.

(2016). Assessment of a marksmanship simulator as a tool for clothing and individual equipment evaluation. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 60th Annual Meeting, 60(1), 1424-1428.

Cheng-Kang

Yung-Hui

(1997). Effects of rifle weight and handling length on shooting performance. Applied Ergonomics, 28(2), 121-127.

Chung

G.K.

Delacruz

G.C.

deVries

L.F.

Bewley

W.L.

Baker

E.L.

(2006). New directions in rifle marksmanship research. Military Psychology, 18(2), 161-179.

Dees

J.W.

Magner

G.J.

McCluskey

M.R.

(1971). An experimental review of basic combat rifle marksmanship: MARKSMAN, Phase 1. (Technical Report TR-71-4). Human Resources Research Organization, Alexandria VA.

Espinosa

P.D.

Nagashima

S.O.

Chung

G.K.

Parks

Baker

E.L.

(2009). Development of sensor-based measures of rifle marksmanship skill and performance. (CRESST Report 756). Los Angeles, CA: University of California Los Angeles National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) .

Evans

R. K.

Scoville

C. R.

Ito

M. A.

Mello

R. P.

(2003). Upper bodyfatiguing exercise and shooting performance. Military medicine, 168(6), 451.

Frykman

P.N.

Merullo

D.J.

Banderet

L.E.

Gregorczyk

Hasselquist

(2012). Marksmanship deficits caused by an exhaustive whole-body lifting task with and without torso-borne loads. J. Strength Conditioning Research, 26, 30-36.

Headquarters DOA. (2003). Rifle marksmanship M16A1, M15A2/3, M16A4, and M4 carbine (FM 3-22.9). Washington, D.C.

Hoffman

M. D.

Gilson

P. M.

Westenburg

T. M.

Spencer

W. A.

(1992). Biathlon shooting performance after exercise of different intensities. International journal of sports medicine, 13(03), 270-273.

10.

Humphreys

L. G.

Buxton

C. E.

Taylor

H. R.

(1936). Steadiness and rifle marksmanship. Journal of Applied Psychology, 20(6), 680.

11.

Hudgens

G.A.

Fatkins

L.T.

Billingsley

P.A.

Mazurczak

(1988). Hand steadiness: Effects of sex, menstrual phase, oral contraceptives, practice, and handgun weight. Human Factors, 30, 51-60.

12.

Johnson

R.F.

(2001). Statistical measures of marksmanship (Technical Note TN-01/2). Natick, MA: U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.

13.

Johnson

R.F.

Merullo

D.J.

(1996). Effects of caffeine and gender on vigilance and marksmanship. Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 40th Annual Meeting, 1217-1221.

14.

Kramlich

G. R.

(2005). The effects of posture, body armor, and other equipment on rifleman lethality. Unpublished master’s thesis. Naval Graduate School, Monterey, CA.

15.

Kemnitz

C.P.

Rice

V.J.

Irwin

J.S.

Merullo

D.J.

Johnson

R.F.

(1997). The effects of gender, rifle stock length, and rifle weight on military marksmanship and arm-hand steadiness. Technical Report. U.S. Army Research institute of Environmental Medicine; Natick, MA.

16.

Kuo

C.L.

Yuan

C.K.

Liu

B.S.

(2012). Using human-centered design to improve the assault rifle. Applied Ergonomics, 43(6), 1002-1007.

17.

Lawson

B. D.

Ranes

B. M.

Thompson

L. B. I.

(2016). Smooth moves: Shooting performance is related to efficiency of rifle movement. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 60(1), 1524-1528.

18.

McNamara

Choi

H.J.

Brown

S.A.T.

Mitchell

(2016). Evaluating the effects of clothing and individual equipment on marksmanship performance using a novel five target methodology. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 60th Annual Meeting, 60(1), 2043-2047.

19.

Mononen

Konttinen

Viitasalo

Era

(2007). Relationship between postural balance, rifle stability and shooting accuracy among novice rifle shooters. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 17(2), 180-185.

20.

Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO Soldier). (2015). Soldier systems integration dismounted baseline version 2.0: for the soldier system. Fort Belvoir, VA.

21.

Schmidt

R.A.

Lee

T.D.

(1999). Motor control and learning: a behavior approach. Human Kinetics, Champaign.

22.

U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). (2001). Rifle marksmanship (PCN 144 000091 00, MCRP 3-01A). Albany, GA.