I came across an article about the basics of shooting and the author asked if anyone under 40 still knows the meaning of the acronym BRASS. Being 40 and never hearing of it, my interest was peaked. It stands for Breathe, Relax, Aim, Slack, and Squeeze. Has anyone else heard this? Did the six steps evolve from this, or is this just a different way of teaching marksmanship. It seems quite easy to remember. Just curious, any thoughts on the topic appreciated--Gary
never heard it...do like it
:~
Quote from: gjwilliamsjr on July 03, 2009, 09:45:00 PM
I came across an article about the basics of shooting and the author asked if anyone under 40 still knows the meaning of the acronym BRASS. Being 40 and never hearing of it, my interest was peaked. It stands for Breathe, Relax, Aim, Slack, and Squeeze. Has anyone else heard this? Did the six steps evolve from this, or is this just a different way of teaching marksmanship. It seems quite easy to remember. Just curious, any thoughts on the topic appreciated--Gary
That's how I learned it, what are the six steps you guys at Appleseed shoots teach? (I haven't been too one yet, that will be in Sep.). Full breath in (not a max breath), breathe out and relax while holding on target; final aim check; take up slack and a gentle squeeze sends the round downrange.
Quote from: gjwilliamsjr on July 03, 2009, 09:45:00 PM
I came across an article about the basics of shooting and the author asked if anyone under 40 still knows the meaning of the acronym BRASS. Being 40 and never hearing of it, my interest was peaked. It stands for Breathe, Relax, Aim, Slack, and Squeeze. Has anyone else heard this? Did the six steps evolve from this, or is this just a different way of teaching marksmanship. It seems quite easy to remember. Just curious, any thoughts on the topic appreciated--Gary
The six steps came from an analysis of what you do when you fire the shot - or more precisely, what you need to do.
So, "six steps" is not related to BRASS other than each tries to be a checklist for accurate firing of the shot.
BRASS is an acronym from the days when the military taught marksmanship. Not sure of the origin, but resonably sure it came out of military marksmanship, and probably goes back several generations - maybe even back to WW1...
During USMC boot camp (PI), we were taught this but it was BRASS-F...the "F" being Follow-through; maintaining the stock-weld and returning to your original sight picture.
If your position is correct and you've achieved NPOA, then you "should" return to your original sight picture after recoil. I still use it to this day and it works...helps get the mind:body:rifle connection synchronized, IMO.
:~
It has been a while since it was in common use.
Good to know, most information is.
What we need to be doing though (and I'm upset that Fred didn't make the point, 1 each clownbat whack for Fred &) )is to be be doing the SIX Steps.
Fred forgot that we have an "Appleseed way" and that is teh Six Steps.
We need to work hard to conform to it to prevent possible confusion down the line.
The teaching must be uniform.
Do the Six Steps and tuck BRASS-(F) into teh shooting apocrypha in teh back of your mind O0
Sam
SamD, you have a way with words... &) ouch! &) ouch! &) ouch!
:)
poor guy asked about the 6 steps, and &) &) &) 3 posts went by without explaining'em
Step one) Sight alignment. Get the front sight and the rear sight properly aligned.
Step two) Sight picture. Bring the properly aligned sights onto the target.
3) Respiratory pause. Is the front sight properly aligned on the target.? (if not, scootch yer body a little to make the sights GRAVITAT TOWARD the target, rather than adjusting your arm-angles to FORCE THE RIFLE onto the target)
Step 4a & 4b) Focus physically and mentally on the front sight. - keep that front sight on the target! (4a:eyeball to the front sight, 4b:mind on the target, which will look fuzzy, out there beyond that sharply defined front sight)
Step 5) Squeeze the trigger.
Step six) Follow through.
Quote from: Geddys Uncle on July 04, 2009, 02:51:19 PM
poor guy asked about the 6 steps, and &) &) &) 3 posts went by without explaining'em
Step one) Sight alignment. Get the front sight and the rear sight properly aligned.
Step two) Sight picture. Bring the properly aligned sights onto the target.
3) Respiratory pause. Is the front sight properly aligned on the target.? (if not, scootch yer body a little to make the sights GRAVITAT TOWARD the target, rather than adjusting your arm-angles to FORCE THE RIFLE onto the target)
Step 4a & 4b) Focus physically and mentally on the front sight. - keep that front sight on the target! (4a:eyeball to the front sight, 4b:mind on the target, which will look fuzzy, out there beyond that sharply defined front sight)
Step 5) Squeeze the trigger.
Step six) Follow through.
Resp. pause---on inhale? Or exhale?
Good point on scootchin your body to match up with the target. Body alignment has to be right or you'll miss.
autonomous/personal preference, there...my habit: deep breath/ halfway out/ freeze and squeeze
find yer own comfort/habit zone, but here's the considerations:
full breath and hold....if in the prone, your chest is now the tallest that it can be...flat is stable, tall is not so stable....beyond 3-5 seconds, ANY breath-hold will lead to a slight tremor/shake....shaking when tallest translates to the greatest amount of muzzle movement
chest empty and hold....flattest to the ground, most stable, but, again, after 3-5 seconds, there'll be a tremor...just not so much muzzle movement....uncomfortable for me....makes me cough, which is much worse than a little tremor
deep breath, half-out/freeze/squeeze works best for a guy like me....( I wear XL T-shirts because they don't label'em "FB" ;D )
:(
Quote from: SamD on July 04, 2009, 07:25:39 PM
:(
*julia roberts/steel magnolia voice on* "Whut'z the trubble, Bubble?" *jr/smv off*......I never, in my entire life, expected to use that.
The best way to teach respiratory pause is to exhale normaly (don't force it out) once you have let the air out you can now take the shot (if every thing is lined up,npoa and all) the reason is that you can repeat it the same way each time, not guessing if you let it halfway out or not. If you inhale and hold it you are now on an air cushion, not good for stability. I remember BRASS from my time in the Army *sigh* AzRon
I practiced some today and alright considering i'm recovering from knee surgery but I did screw the pooch so to speak on some of the steps considering I was restricted to a set shooting position so I could only practice a cpl of the steps.
My BIGGEST problem at the moment is sweat getting into my eye's and lack of CLEAR vision!
I need better shooting glasses that are prescription but can't find any worth a hoot.
Do any of you guy's know where to get some sun shaded "over" glasses for lack of a better term, that can go over my clear prescription glasses?
I scratched up a pair of $350 prescribed glasses very badly and I just can't afford that so I usually don't where my Rx glasses just shooters/safety glasses and I have terribly mixed results! >:(
ps: I'm sorry I guess this shoulda went into the General section. Move if need be.
If you happen to have a WalMart nearby that has a "Vision Center" (not the reading-glasses over by the pharmacy, but an actual department w/eye-doc and everything), they're likely to have some fairly cool springloaded polarized overlay lenses...
the nose-bridge piece has a tension spring, and the outer-frame of each lens has a small hook-shaped bracket on each of the two most-distant corners.
You simply tug the lenses away from each other, allow the hooks to grab the corresponding corners of your "real" glasses, and let the spring retract.
they stay on while driving, but I haven't tried'em shooting yet.....as for the sweaty-drips in yer eyes, a bandana might help, and I've even seen elastic headbands with a 1"x5-ish x 1/4" rectangular sponge just for sweaty foreheads.
Quote from: big 54r on July 05, 2009, 01:23:27 AM
Do any of you guy's know where to get some sun shaded "over" glasses for lack of a better term, that can go over my clear prescription glasses?
I can recommend these, having owned two different ones (sizes) for a couple of years now:
http://www.fitovers.com/
The acronym BRASS is the way I was taught to shoot. It works well to help you concentrate when you already know "how" to shoot. Once you are into position and have your NPOA you Breath...Relax...Aim... Slack...and squeeze the trigger. Of course, if you know "how" to shoot you are going to follow through but the acronym was designed to fill your mind with the things you actively did as the other things were controlled by your subconscious. It only deals with military rifles with military triggers.
The six steps are there to teach you how to shoot any rifle. They teach you the things you need to do to fire an accurate shot.
VAshooter
Quote from: VAshooter on July 06, 2009, 10:21:37 AM
It only deals with military rifles with military triggers.
The six steps are there to teach you how to shoot any rifle.
A trigger is a trigger. Most all triggers have some detectable creep. 2 Stage match triggers will have "slack" or "take-up" and then a light final trigger pull. USMC PMI doctrine BRASS is Breath Relax Aim Stop Squeeze. The stop is respiratory pause. As quoted from the Marine BST handbook.. "Marines MUST fire the shot during the respiratory pause". There is not a "slack" issue with the M16A2 trigger, there is however a horrible "creep" issue. To make matters worse, there are 3 amounts of creep you could get because of the 3 round burst trigger group. Marines are taught an Uninterrupted Trigger Control. The trigger is pulled to the rear in a single smooth motion. The initial amount of trigger pressure is more rapid to eliminate some of the creep and then the last amount is at a slower rate until the shot is fired.
You need to put things into perspective when comparing our 6 steps and BRASS. BRASS is just a quick and dirty method of remembering to do ALL of the shooting steps including our 6 steps. USMC boot camp Marksmanship training is nearly 2 weeks long. Almost a week goes by without firing the first live round. All of our 6 steps are covered. ALL of our 6 steps are expected to be used by each Marine as they fire each shot. EVERY Marine MUST qualify at least as a Marksman as a condition of being a Marine.
At an appleseed, we are teaching the essentials in less than a single day before shooting an AQT and some Shoot Bosses are doing AQTs before lunch of this single day. Sure we have a second day, but most of the instruction happens on the first. There is no week to memorize the steps. Therefore we need to have the 6 steps repeated verbally and mentally right from the start so that at least some of the Appleseed attendees will qualify as Riflemen.
Quote from: loneviking on July 04, 2009, 03:10:20 PM
Resp. pause---on inhale? Or exhale?
Always on exhale. The point is not to exhale all of your air out, as this is not natural. Only a deliberate (not overly forced) exhale and pause. With practice, you will find a natural pause point. If you do not fire the shot within a few seconds, then you must not have your NPOA and you need to resume breathing and get it quickly before firing at another respiratory pause...
QuoteThat's how I learned it, what are the six steps you guys at Appleseed shoots teach? (I haven't been too one yet, that will be in Sep.). Full breath in (not a max breath), breathe out and relax while holding on target; final aim check; take up slack and a gentle squeeze sends the round downrange.
I repeat the six steps throughout the day when I have the line (and to individuals when I am coaching them).
1.Sight Alignment
2. Sight Picture
3. Respiratory Pause.
4a. Focus your eye on the front sight.
4b. Focus your mind on keeping the front sight on the target.
5. Squeeze the trigger.
6. Follow through.
If you follow the six steps you will produce repeatable results throughout the string of fire. If you have Natural Point of Aim, those repeatable results will be on target. IMO one doesn't want to hold the sights on the target. With NPOA the sights will naturally be on the target at the respiratory pause.
Bingo! Thanks, JMD! O0
My only comment is that you must have your NPOA ON THE TARGET. (empasis added) It makes it sound a little less "mystical" when you explain that you first find the NPOA, (It's not on the target), then shift your position to place it on the target. Then TRUST it and execute the remaining steps! ;)
Quote from: Junior Birdman on July 06, 2009, 02:39:46 PM
Bingo! Thanks, JMD! O0
My only comment is that you must have your NPOA ON THE TARGET. (empasis added) It makes it sound a little less "mystical" when you explain that you first find the NPOA, (It's not on the target), then shift your position to place it on the target. Then TRUST it and execute the remaining steps! ;)
Now the secret's out! O0
I had shot for more than 40 years before I ever heard of NPOA. Even then, it took a mini and an Appleseed for me to really get it.
Here's a post from the "Rifleman Blog" that may help others to "get it" more quickly.
http://the-rifleman.blogspot.com/2008/03/part-five-natural-point-of-aim-npoa.html