Which of the following best describes aiming with a rifle?

Aiming with a rifle primarily involves aligning the sights, which is crucial for accurate shooting. When a shooter aims, they must ensure that the front sight, rear sight, and the target are properly aligned. This alignment helps the shooter to direct the bullet toward the target effectively. Proper sight alignment is fundamental in marksmanship, as even slight misalignments can result in missing the intended target.

Other choices relate to various aspects of firearm operation and maintenance but do not pertain to the act of aiming. Positioning the safety refers to engaging or disengaging the rifle’s safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharges. Loading a cartridge involves inserting ammunition into the chamber, which is necessary before shooting but not related to the aiming process itself. Cleaning the barrel is an important maintenance task to ensure the rifle functions well and maintains accuracy over time, but it is not connected to the actual aiming procedure.