A little advice from experienced shooters, please...

My son is consistently shooting right of center. His hit is always at or around target height, but always 2-3" right of center. This almost bit him this weekend when instead of getting a heart/lung on a whitetail, he got liver. Still lethal, but less than perfect.

He's a rightie, and I know that there are "typical" mistakes in form that people make that cause these kinds of shots. Does anyone know what the possibilities are? I'm trying to teach him, but I don't know where to go from here.

Thanks, as always.

<font color=green>How many vegetables had to die to make your stupid salad!</font id=green>

Sounds like the boy has a little flinch or maybe is tugging on the trigger instead of squeezing. Take him out and let him practice some with a pellet rifle or a 22 and watch real close to see if you can figure out where the movement is coming from. Trigger control is the key to accurate shooting. Whether you shoot fast or slow, the speed with which you squeeze the trigger should be uniform throughout. I mean you dont speed up right at the moment of truth. Get him to practice dry firing some too, that might help. Good luck.

Sounds like he's anticipating the shot and leaning(or lurching)forward right before the &quot;crack&quot; of the discharge. This can push the cross-hairs slightly right of target. Otherwise, like Larry said, he could be pulling the trigger which would drag the cross-hairs to the right.

If he is right handed, and was leaning into the shot, the shots would typically be down and left. If he is jerking the trigger they should be up and right, or right.

Hey Frizellr,
I know what your saying is common. BUT, I've seen a lot of cases where the lurch forward, with the trigger finger close to touching off the shot, creates the same effect as pulling the trigger. It causes the barrel to swing right.

I guess I should clarify...this typically occurs when bench shooting. Frizellr, you are exactly right when shooting offhand.
Sorry, I should have been more specific


Edited by - duckbill on 11/18/2002 13:51:20

sounds like he is gerking the trigger.

Take him out to the range, have him set up on the bench into a shooting position. Have him cover his eyes while you load the rifle with one round at a time for him. Have him fire the rifle. After a few shots, without him realizing it, close the bolt on an empty chamber. The key is to make sure he doesn't know the rifle is empty! Watch him carefully. When he &quot;fires&quot; the rifle, any flinching or jerking will be readly apparent. This is called the ball & dummy exercise. We do it all the time to train handgun shooters. Just make sure when you handle the loaded rifle you keep it pointed in a safe direction!!!

Good Luck


Edited by - AJ300MAG on 11/18/2002 18:00:48

Edited by - AJ300MAG on 11/18/2002 18:02:07

Good thought...I'll load in a &quot;snap cap&quot; and let him fire it that way, after firing a couple of live rounds. Good idea!

<font color=green>How many vegetables had to die to make your stupid salad!</font id=green>