Archived Posts » 59,672,804
Shooting tips
2/7/2008 2:09:11 PM
I love the Pro Tips section of your shows, but wish you'd take them back to basics a bit more. For instance, I've been shooting handguns for more years than I care to admit. Lately I've developed a terrible flinch in anticipation of recoil. Why? I wish I knew. How do I fix it? I wish I knew that even more. If your experts could give some basic instruction on sight alignment, grip, draw from holster, and finally trigger control techniques and drills you'd be helping new shooters as well as those of us who aren't as new. I recently learned of something called Bill's Drill. Holy cow! It's GREAT. Things like that would be a great addition to your show.
Thanks, AL
Thanks, AL
2/7/2008 6:27:07 PM
Al:
You'd be amazed what's in our website. Most everything we've ever done is stll there waiting to be a resource for you.
On Grip and Trigger Control, see Todd Jarrett and Jerry Miculek in the Pro Tips Section
On flinching, See This Link to the Gun Questions Section
There is also a search function that looks for everything in our website. It's on the top right portion of the Home Page
Jim
You'd be amazed what's in our website. Most everything we've ever done is stll there waiting to be a resource for you.
On Grip and Trigger Control, see Todd Jarrett and Jerry Miculek in the Pro Tips Section
On flinching, See This Link to the Gun Questions Section
There is also a search function that looks for everything in our website. It's on the top right portion of the Home Page
Jim
2/7/2008 6:40:36 PM
albob, here is an article I wrote about correcting flinch.
***********************************
The phenomenon of "anticipating the recoil" or "flinching" as you fire, is due to reflex, nothing more. Reflexes can be taught and learned; just ask any karate guy. Way back in the day, when your ancestors and mine were settling disputes with rocks & sharpened sticks, we had some common enemies: the bear, the panther, the lion, the tiger... All of them did the same thing: they would ROAR and they would JUMP AT YOU. Your natural and unlearned response was to PUSH AWAY the attacker.
Nowadays, you have this dangerous tool in front of you, and you pull the trigger, and it ROARS, and it JUMPS AT YOU. Your response is to push it away! Here is a drill you can do to cure this. It helped me in one 1/2 hour range session.
If you have access to a large-bore revolver, one that will provide some fairly serious recoil, then do this: Load 5 loaded rounds, and 1 empty. Spin the cylinder & close it without looking at it. Line it up with the target & squeeze off 6 shots. When you hit the empty round, you will see your sights dip!
THIS part is important!
Another thing you will experience when you hit the empty cylinder is the 'tingling' in your arms that makes you push the gun away from you. It is a sort of "muscle memory." This is masked by the recoil, and you don't feel it when the gun fires. But it is this sensation you should be trying to avoid.
Now try loading the revolver with all empty brass. Align the revolver with the target and squeeze off a few “dry fire" shots. You will see your sights move & feel your arm tingle. Do this a few more times with the intent of keeping the sights on the target. Also, try to "follow through" with the shot: As you are dry-firing, pretend that the pistol is firing and recoiling. It looks and feels pretty silly, clicking and letting your muzzle raise and lower, but you are actually doing a little "muscle training" in the process. You are also training yourself to re-acquire the original sight picture.
When you've kept the sights aligned for about 20 "dry shots," go to the next step.
Now remove one empty casing from the cylinder. Replace the casing with a live round. Spin the cylinder & close it w/o looking at it, so you don't know when the live round comes around. Align, squeeze & shoot as above. When the live round comes around, you likely will be hitting right in the black, probably 8 or 9 or even 10 ring.
I've used this technique with several people at shooting ranges, and in almost every case have helped them improve their shooting. (The only time I couldn't help someone, I left the range... he was a complete dunderhead that shouldn't have even dressed himself. I told the rangemaster on the way out, too.)
The above exercises can be done with semiauto pistols, too, using snap-caps, but not as easily.
***********************************
The phenomenon of "anticipating the recoil" or "flinching" as you fire, is due to reflex, nothing more. Reflexes can be taught and learned; just ask any karate guy. Way back in the day, when your ancestors and mine were settling disputes with rocks & sharpened sticks, we had some common enemies: the bear, the panther, the lion, the tiger... All of them did the same thing: they would ROAR and they would JUMP AT YOU. Your natural and unlearned response was to PUSH AWAY the attacker.
Nowadays, you have this dangerous tool in front of you, and you pull the trigger, and it ROARS, and it JUMPS AT YOU. Your response is to push it away! Here is a drill you can do to cure this. It helped me in one 1/2 hour range session.
If you have access to a large-bore revolver, one that will provide some fairly serious recoil, then do this: Load 5 loaded rounds, and 1 empty. Spin the cylinder & close it without looking at it. Line it up with the target & squeeze off 6 shots. When you hit the empty round, you will see your sights dip!
THIS part is important!
Another thing you will experience when you hit the empty cylinder is the 'tingling' in your arms that makes you push the gun away from you. It is a sort of "muscle memory." This is masked by the recoil, and you don't feel it when the gun fires. But it is this sensation you should be trying to avoid.
Now try loading the revolver with all empty brass. Align the revolver with the target and squeeze off a few “dry fire" shots. You will see your sights move & feel your arm tingle. Do this a few more times with the intent of keeping the sights on the target. Also, try to "follow through" with the shot: As you are dry-firing, pretend that the pistol is firing and recoiling. It looks and feels pretty silly, clicking and letting your muzzle raise and lower, but you are actually doing a little "muscle training" in the process. You are also training yourself to re-acquire the original sight picture.
When you've kept the sights aligned for about 20 "dry shots," go to the next step.
Now remove one empty casing from the cylinder. Replace the casing with a live round. Spin the cylinder & close it w/o looking at it, so you don't know when the live round comes around. Align, squeeze & shoot as above. When the live round comes around, you likely will be hitting right in the black, probably 8 or 9 or even 10 ring.
I've used this technique with several people at shooting ranges, and in almost every case have helped them improve their shooting. (The only time I couldn't help someone, I left the range... he was a complete dunderhead that shouldn't have even dressed himself. I told the rangemaster on the way out, too.)
The above exercises can be done with semiauto pistols, too, using snap-caps, but not as easily.
2/7/2008 8:19:28 PM
| Originally Posted By Jim-Scoutten: Al: You'd be amazed what's in our website. Most everything we've ever done is stll there waiting to be a resource for you. On Grip and Trigger Control, see Todd Jarrett and Jerry Miculek in the Pro Tips Section On flinching, See This Link to the Gun Questions Section There is also a search function that looks for everything in our website. It's on the top right portion of the Home Page Jim |
Wow, I've taken a cursory glance at your website, but apparently I haven't looked close enough. Thanks, AL
P.S. Absolutely love your shows. Keep up the great work.
2/7/2008 8:23:19 PM
| Originally Posted By FrankSymptoms: albob, here is an article I wrote about correcting flinch. *********************************** The phenomenon of "anticipating the recoil" or "flinching" as you fire, is due to reflex, nothing more. Reflexes can be taught and learned; just ask any karate guy. Way back in the day, when your ancestors and mine were settling disputes with rocks & sharpened sticks, we had some common enemies: the bear, the panther, the lion, the tiger... All of them did the same thing: they would ROAR and they would JUMP AT YOU. Your natural and unlearned response was to PUSH AWAY the attacker. Nowadays, you have this dangerous tool in front of you, and you pull the trigger, and it ROARS, and it JUMPS AT YOU. Your response is to push it away! Here is a drill you can do to cure this. It helped me in one 1/2 hour range session. If you have access to a large-bore revolver, one that will provide some fairly serious recoil, then do this: Load 5 loaded rounds, and 1 empty. Spin the cylinder & close it without looking at it. Line it up with the target & squeeze off 6 shots. When you hit the empty round, you will see your sights dip! THIS part is important! Another thing you will experience when you hit the empty cylinder is the 'tingling' in your arms that makes you push the gun away from you. It is a sort of "muscle memory." This is masked by the recoil, and you don't feel it when the gun fires. But it is this sensation you should be trying to avoid. Now try loading the revolver with all empty brass. Align the revolver with the target and squeeze off a few “dry fire" shots. You will see your sights move & feel your arm tingle. Do this a few more times with the intent of keeping the sights on the target. Also, try to "follow through" with the shot: As you are dry-firing, pretend that the pistol is firing and recoiling. It looks and feels pretty silly, clicking and letting your muzzle raise and lower, but you are actually doing a little "muscle training" in the process. You are also training yourself to re-acquire the original sight picture. When you've kept the sights aligned for about 20 "dry shots," go to the next step. Now remove one empty casing from the cylinder. Replace the casing with a live round. Spin the cylinder & close it w/o looking at it, so you don't know when the live round comes around. Align, squeeze & shoot as above. When the live round comes around, you likely will be hitting right in the black, probably 8 or 9 or even 10 ring. I've used this technique with several people at shooting ranges, and in almost every case have helped them improve their shooting. (The only time I couldn't help someone, I left the range... he was a complete dunderhead that shouldn't have even dressed himself. I told the rangemaster on the way out, too.) The above exercises can be done with semiauto pistols, too, using snap-caps, but not as easily. |
I just had one of those "DUH" moments. When I was first being taught how to shoot a zillion years ago, my friend did this exact trick to show me I was flinching. He'd put five .357's and one .38 Special in the cylinder, spin it and hand it to me. It never dawned on me to actually use this trick as a drill. Looks like I'll be borrowing the wife's Casull this Saturday for some serious practice.
Thanks, AL
