This is from reQ_Dillon's BF3 Competition Guide
e.g
http://i.imgur.com/iBEn8.jpg
If you have a large monitor, this allows you to see the mini-map, ammo counter, etc in your peripheral vision.
Open your settings file @ C:\Users\you\Documents\Battlefield 3\Settings\PROF_save_profile
Edit with notepad, use the search function to find and edit the following values:
GstRender.ScreenSafeAreaWidth 0.7
GstRender.ScreenSafeAreaHeight 0.7
Be sure to save the file without the .txt extension.
If the hud disappears/distorts, the values may have to be edited (.85, .8, .75, .7, .65, .6, .55, etc).