What is the prpoer way to shoot the ar-15, my shots are all over the paper
thanks

Depends on application.
Are you shooting at 200+ yards from the standing a la highpower competition?
Are you shooting near threats (50-)?

Both have different stances to maximize your particular application.
That being said, I have used a combative stance at 200 with great success, though I would not repeat the performance during actual qualification.

Quoted: Depends on application. Are you shooting at 200+ yards from the standing a la highpower competition? Are you shooting near threats (50-)?

+1

Need more info.

Just plinking/target practice, The range is 50yards-100yrds in the standing position.  hope that helps

Quoted: Just plinking/target practice, The range is 50yards-100yrds in the standing position.  hope that helps

EIther not supporting the weapon or not using breath control

The fundamentals...

Grip
Stance
Sight alignment / Sight picture
Breath control
Trigger Control
Follow through

Try explaining what you're doing now and it might be a little easier to answer...
My first thought though is it's one, or more likely, several fundamentals that are not quite right.  

Sight alignment/picture, trigger control, and follow through are usually the problem.  And if your shots are all over the target, sounds like it's more than one, and stance probably isn't the problem.  

I imagine there are stickys or something here that explain the fundamentals...kind of hard to explain here though.

Bad practice makes bad habits.  Try instructional books, videos, etc. or even better... a training class.  It'll be money well spent.  

Wish I could be more helpful, just that there are so many variables.  

 

If you are shooting for groups the proper position is PRONE or SEATED.
For "tactical" shooting, try feet square or almost square, hips, and shoulders all square to the target, knees bent, weight forward, bent slightly forward at the waist. I compare this stance to a linebacker in football. NATURAL POINT OF AIM means that your body(and gun) is already oriented at the target. The sights MAY then be used to fine tune the shot placement.

1. Stance
2. Sight Alignment ( front sight centered in rear sight and centered on target)
3. Sight picture ( focus on the tip of the FRONT sight.)
4. Trigger control (second only to sight alignment in importance)
5. Natural point of aim
6. Grip and cheek weld
7. Breath control ( only important at distance or when shooting for accuracy)
8. Follow through.(dont look up to see your holes, continue doing 1-7 above)

I went shooting the other day and some of the other guy corrected the way I hold the rifle

You want to shoot an AR, get the USAMU Service Rifle Guide.  It will get you to your stance, and other positions.  Its only about $7 from the CMP Book store.

http://estore.odcmp.com/Store/catalog/catalog.aspx?pg=product&ID=780&item=&sfv=&cat=BKS&desc=&udc=&mct=&vndr=&ba=&pmin=&pmax=¬e1=¬e2=¬e3=¬e4=¬e5=&max=100

I put on servie rifle clinics, I only charge $7 bucks for the course and that is to cover the AMU Service Rifle Guide.  When people exaimim the book, they say they would be willing to pay more.  The Army dosnt charge more, neither do I.

Even if you never plan on shooting high power, if you want to shoot the AR, this is the book.

Just wondering, were you gripping the rifle hard? Sometimes if I relax my grip on the forearm, it increases my accuracy.

Another thing I do, which may not be kosher, is I hold the magwell. It is a natural balance point for the rifle and keeps it steady better than holding the forearm. You can see if that works for you. It may or may not.

Trigger Control and Sight alignment.  Everything else is crap.

As long as the trigger goes straight back and the sights are aligned when the gun goes off, the bullet will go where the rifle is zeroed.  Nothing...nothing...else matters.

Rich

Quoted: Quoted: Trigger Control and Sight alignment.  Everything else is crap. As long as the trigger goes straight back and the sights are aligned when the gun goes off, the bullet will go where the rifle is zeroed.  Nothing...nothing...else matters. Rich Exactly. Stance is only important to make certain you are not doing anything to interfer with those actions.

+2

There's nothing more important that learning the fundamentals - stance, grip, sing use, trigger control, the proper steps to making a good shot, etc.

Also, once you learn the fundamentals correctly, practice COSTS NOTHING - you can dry fire in your living room!

There's a wealth of info out there:

Appleseed Project

Also, check out the "Guide To Becoming A Rifleman" sold by this guy:

Rifleman's Guide

I really urge you to check out the Appleseed Project, and try to attend one of their shoots.  You will not get better instruction anywhere else for 5-times the price (I paid $80.00 for a two-day shoot).

At the shoot I attended, I saw one older lady (who had NEVER fire a rifle before that morning) who went from shooting a sighter group that was not even all on the target backer, to shooting a 1" group by lunchtime, just be coaching her in the fundamentals.

Usually they run their clinics at 25 meters, so you can do 'em with a decent .22LR.  Most use a Ruger 10/22 set up with Tech Sights.  Expect to shoot 400 - 500 rounds in a weekend.  Better have a shooting coat - the USMC jobbie sold in a package with the "Guide" (above) works good, plus some foam elbow pads - you'll be spending a lot of time in prone!

But if you want to learn to shoot, this is the way.

Get out and take a training course.  It was the best thing I did when I first started shooting pistol competitions and 3 gun.

What's up with those tactical shooters that stand square with their back bent almost completely forward? Is there some benefit in this that outweighs the strain it puts on the lower back? I can understand leaning forward slightly, but acting like you're bracing for a .700 Nitro Express just seems a bit silly to me.

Oops, thought this was much more recent.

When you sqaut you have to learn forward to put your cg fwd. Square to the target comes from having body armor on, your sides are not as protected as the front.

I have shoot 3 gun and rifle matches for years and I cant recall how my stance is, I just keep the dot where it needs to be.