Flinching
09-10-2005, 03:25 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: GR Michigan
Posts: 204
Flinching
I was at the range toady shooting and one of the guys I was shooting with says I flinch quite a bit when i shoot. i was shooting ok at 50 yards with my 30.06 so he shot a few and they were all about 5 inches low and left, i thought it might just be him so i had some other guys shoot and they all shot low and left too. He told me its because i am consistantly fliching when i shoot and its gotten to the point where i cant shoot past 50 yards. Does anyone have any tips that can help me shoot better.
09-10-2005, 04:44 PM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2005
Location: northern colorado
Posts: 749
RE: Flinching
I had this same problem and a pal helped my by playing a little game. I would sit on the nench then he would hand the rifle to me with the safety on. I would then aim the rifle and pull the trigger. Sometimes there was a live round in the chamber, and sometimes it was justa snap cap. A snap cap is a device that looks like a round, but only has a spring in it to ease the shock of the firing pin to help reduce damage. You will be amazed at the amount of flinch you have when you fire a dead round. As well, I found that I closed my eye when pulling the trigger. Lots and lots of practice, purposely holding your eye open and gently gradually squeezing the trigger should help. EJ
09-10-2005, 05:19 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
RE: Flinching
Lots and lots of practice, purposely holding your eye open and gently gradually squeezing the trigger should help. EJ
09-10-2005, 05:45 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bradford, Ontario
Posts: 2,205
RE: Flinching
As already said, get yourself some snap caps and dry fire your rifle alot. Also if you have one you should shoot a .22 as much as you can. Flinching is a mental thing that can easily be overcome.
09-10-2005, 07:25 PM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
RE: Flinching
The live round - snap cap game is a good way to find out how bad a flinch is. The only way to get over it is to mentally make youeself not move.
You just gotta let the gun kick you. It isn't gonna hurt any more than when you are flinching. It's not like the rifle kicks more because you jerk at the shot. Actually the oposite is true. If you allow your shoulder to absorbe the recoil and move with the rifle and don't tense up the felt recoil will be less. Just like someone punching you in the arm. When you tense up it hurts more than when you roll with the punch.
You just gotta let the gun kick you. It isn't gonna hurt any more than when you are flinching. It's not like the rifle kicks more because you jerk at the shot. Actually the oposite is true. If you allow your shoulder to absorbe the recoil and move with the rifle and don't tense up the felt recoil will be less. Just like someone punching you in the arm. When you tense up it hurts more than when you roll with the punch.
09-10-2005, 07:47 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 383
RE: Flinching
ORIGINAL: bigbulls
You just gotta let the gun kick you. It isn't gonna hurt any more than when you are flinching. It's not like the rifle kicks more because you jerk at the shot.
You just gotta let the gun kick you. It isn't gonna hurt any more than when you are flinching. It's not like the rifle kicks more because you jerk at the shot.
Icame across a post on this board where a member posted his target he shot with a .416 Rigby. (I believe it was a Ruger #1b) and those shots I thought were right on. It would be interesting to get his thoughts on how to handle recoil.
09-10-2005, 09:02 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Western Nebraska
Posts: 3,393
RE: Flinching
ORIGINAL: ejpaul1
I had this same problem and a pal helped my by playing a little game. I would sit on the nench then he would hand the rifle to me with the safety on. I would then aim the rifle and pull the trigger. Sometimes there was a live round in the chamber, and sometimes it was justa snap cap. A snap cap is a device that looks like a round, but only has a spring in it to ease the shock of the firing pin to help reduce damage. You will be amazed at the amount of flinch you have when you fire a dead round. As well, I found that I closed my eye when pulling the trigger. Lots and lots of practice, purposely holding your eye open and gently gradually squeezing the trigger should help. EJ
I had this same problem and a pal helped my by playing a little game. I would sit on the nench then he would hand the rifle to me with the safety on. I would then aim the rifle and pull the trigger. Sometimes there was a live round in the chamber, and sometimes it was justa snap cap. A snap cap is a device that looks like a round, but only has a spring in it to ease the shock of the firing pin to help reduce damage. You will be amazed at the amount of flinch you have when you fire a dead round. As well, I found that I closed my eye when pulling the trigger. Lots and lots of practice, purposely holding your eye open and gently gradually squeezing the trigger should help. EJ
Practice shooting with the gun loaded by someone else and you not knowing if it's going to go bang or not.
It takes a long time but worth it. Those that don't overcome this won't even be able to shoot a 22 rimfire until they do.
09-10-2005, 09:28 PM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: ne bama
Posts: 6,340
RE: Flinching
in addition to all the above i would also suggest checking the trigger pull, i try to keep all of my hunting rifles between 3-3.5# a stiff trigger will contribute to poor shooting and shooting habits, i like to squeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzeeeee slowly and have a clean break (surprise), some factory trigger jobs are unreal, they are doing it to protect their own rear-ends. i would not go below 3# for a hunting rifle, and if your going to be shooting/hunting with gloves going in and out of the trigger gaurd i'd go with 3.5#