Any youtube videos out there to demonstrate this technique?

Interesting concept. Your link above does not work.

It's a nice trick and one that is currently taught to many Soldiers/Marines. The problem is that it is not what is taught in normal marksmanship offhand postion shooting of the rifle (I'm not talking the target offhand position either). I see too little hitting with this "new" technique at even military CQB distances (5-25 meters). I also see many missing at longer ranges (like 50 to 100 meters) simply because they are trying to make this technique "work". It is not good to revert from one grip (holding position) to another under the fast fluidity and strain of a combat sitiuation. Instead of constantly "thinking outside the box' and coming up with such it is far better to use the old time proven (proven when we actually still "won" wars and if you think "entry" and "CQB" are something new in warfare you are exceedingly mistaken) marksmanship techniques and use them. The correct method of "point shooting" has been in our marksmanship manuals for many, many years. We should use the methods that have already been paid for in blood instead of "thinking outside the box" and believing we are coming up with something "newy and improved". Your method of "point shooting" has been tried before and will again eventually found to be wanting as it has before. It is not new.

"Point shoulder" shooting goes way back and is simply the use of the standard positon and grip of the weapon in off hand shooting and simply looking over both rear and front sights. It is faster than the method you describe (you do not have the time to shift the position of the weapon (many times in actual CQB you don't have the same time for such non-sense as when the police in a "stack" do) in real world combat. This time proven technique of point shoulder shooting works just as well with a "hard" kicking rifle or shotgun as it does with the M16 series weapons.

I have many many times pitted the old technique against the new technique and the old one comes out ahead every time in speed, controllability and accuracy (meaning a solid hit in the X region which is what will stop things quickly in CQB. A "hit" anywhere on target will most often not). By the way; if using the correct offhand position for either aimed or point shoulder shooting the rifle is raised to the head not "bending your head down to the weapon" as you suggest. If you "bend your head down" then your initial marksmanship training was lacking.

" when the front sight looks as if it is between your eye and the target, blow off a round. The rear sight should never even register in your field of vision."

I watch a great many Soldiers and Marines fail to hit an E target at 25 meters with such technique time and time again. You may get away with it at a few feet but as distance increases the ration of hits over the top of the target increase dramatically. Soldiers and Marines (LEO's too) who are taught the proper technique can and do put the first shot into the center chest 90+% of the time out to 25 meters. They also do no not have to stand square to the target to do so. Doing so precludes the use of cover and concealment. That is not a healthy thing to do when facing more than one opponant armed with AK47/74s. Also teaching anyone to "blow off a round" induces trigger slapping or jerking. It is then very difficult to untrain such poorly taught habits when they must really hit a target at any distance. Proper trigger control is one of, if not the most, important fundamentals of marksmanship. It can be done correctly just as fast as "blowing off" can be done. Best to use proper trigger control with the technique in the first place.

I am still actively engaged training Soldiers/Marines and I see the errors of this technique time and again as my "insurgents' kill them not only in CQB but out to 200 metters. Do you have have any idea of how silly it is, not to mention tactically stupid it is, for 4-5 Soldiers/Marines cross 25 to 50 meters of street or other open area in a "stack" belly button to asshole pointing their rifles the way you describe? They are a machine gunners wet dream and don't even know it.

The technique you describe works very well on a nice sterile range when shooting at paper targets at a few feet. It also works when a SWAT team has all the time in the world (when compared to real combat time of CQB) to play patty cake with their rifle, stack, get set, and make entry against one or two dirtbags. In the real world such techniques get Soldiers, Marines in CQB and LEOs on the street killed. Best we go back to what is tried and true and quit thinking "outside the box".

Before you want to criticise what I am saying understand that I have been training CQB to LEOs (I was one for many years) in SWAT techniques, LEO survival and combat marksamnship to Soldiers and Marines probably since before you were born. I have seen this "new" technique come and go several times. This use you describe of the M16 rifle (The M16 probably has been around longer than you also) has been tried before and failed. Hopefully it will fail again before too many Soldiers, Marines and LEOs get killed. One of these days someone will once again read about "point shoulder" shooting in the FMs, try it and find out what technique really works and that it works a lot better. Remember, only the hits count as you can't miss quick enough to win a gunfight.

Larry Gibson

You may not cannot match bullets, if in fact they preform they way you describe, but you certainly can match shell casings to a particular firearm.
If I'm justified in shooting someone, why do I care if they can match my bullets/shell casings to my firearm?

Great stuff Larry !