Flinching

Man,
I have a serious problem with flinching.
I don’t know how to break myself of the habit.

I work at the range with magazines loaded with a mix of live rounds and dummies and Break myself of the problem but the next time I go to the range old flinch is shooting with me again.
I shoot primarily rifles pistols.  I know I have a problem with the pistols because I “pull down” with my left (support) hand and I have learned to anticipate the recoil so I can shoot quicker.  I just can’t hit a silhouette at 30 yards.  


Please Help.

Dry Firing, lots and lots of dry firing.

Some random thoughts on the idea:

You said you work with live and dummy rounds. That's probably the [b]best[/b] exercise to overcome flinching. Of course, it's only useful if you [b]really[/b] don't know whether the round in the chamber is live or a dummy.

Dry firing helps get shooting into muscle memory. Do it a lot. Just make sure there's no live ammo anywhere near your firearm.

Videotaping yourself can help show you what you're doing wrong. And right. Just don't shoot your video camera.

Shoot a lot. If you can, start with something light like a .22LR. Just for the fun of it. Then step up to your more powerful firearms.

Without sounding too Zen or psychobabble, picture yourself going through the whole process of aligning the sights, controlling your breathing, squeezing the trigger, etc. Don't stress about it. When you're properly relaxed, actually do it.

Get into a shooting stance. Do everything you're going to do EXCEPT squeeze the trigger. Have a shooting partner squeeze the trigger for you. The point at which the hammer falls (or striker strikes) should be a surprise to you. If it's a surprise, you can't flinch in anticipation of it.

Flinching in Jerking the trigger, or flinching in anticipation of the recoil???

If the latter you may not be holding the rifle tightly enough against your soldier.  


Ben

A couple of beers will settle that flinch down.

(just a joke)

flinching in anticipation of the recoil
on a ar-15 and all my rifles.
i am a puss and hang my head in shame.
i do "cool down" after about 100 rounds.
it becomes more mechanical and i don't flinch.
but those first few rounds kill me to shoot.

I don't understand the concept of anticipating recoil for the next shoot, but I have an idea that might help.  For great follow up shoots get an Aimpoint sight, very fast sight alignment.

Try it.  You can find great close out deals for $250 -$300.

Sgtar15

Get someone to do the old dime and cleaning rod thing.  we did that hundreds of times for hours and days, before we ever got to fire live.  Basically, put a section of cleaning rod in the muzzle(use a wood dowel or something if you're worried about f-n up the rifling,) take up a proper firing position, (prone works well,) then have someone balance a dime, quarter, washer, or whatever you got on the rod. Drop the hammer, pick up the dime, repeat until you can drop that hammer without dropping the dime.

MAKE SURE YOUR WEAPON IS CLEAR, AND DON'T HAVE ANY AMMO ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR PERSON WHILE DOING THIS! ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN!
[sniper]

I agree, lots or dry firing, and lots of shooting 22's. Thats the best practice.
I teach a little variance on the miltary's BRASS. Ive changed it a little so it fits the age group i instruct

Breathe
Relax
Aim
Squeeze
Sight

I know the last S is supposed to be shoot but I prefer sight, so the shooter has to think about keeping sight-picture and not looking at the target.

I had a ferocious flinch with my handgun years ago.  I cured it by shooting a LOT.  I loaded no more than 3 rounds in the mag and fired them slowly, making each round count.

It would take hours to fire 50 rounds in this manner, but gradually I got over the flinch.  

Why 3 rounds?

So if you start to get nervous, you don't feel compelled to blow through a whole mag to rest.  You fire three rounds slowly and get over it.  

Hell, you can load one round at a time and treat each round as a "match".  I do that for rifle.  Each round is a "match."  I get into position, set up proper natural point of aim, double check it, load 1 round.  Fire it.  Plot it in my scorebook. Check the scope.  Mark the actual impact.  Step out of position, grab a drink of water, then start over again.  At that rate it can take 2 hours to shoot twenty rounds, but the time and the rounds are very high quality training.

Lots of great information here.
One thing I might add...
...if you are using a high power scope..
don't let your heart beat do that to you.

All you guys know what I am talking about,but I'm not sure if I can explain it.
When you are on target you can see your heart beat.
All of a sudden you are trying to compensate for that little ..blip..blip..blip.
Then you start flinching.Trying to figure out the shot,or when the crosshairs will pass over the bull.
I'm sure someone here can explain it better but maybe that is what is happening.

Everyone has good suggestions on this cause for the most part, we've all been there.

I'm still new the game as well, first weapon last year, and I'm just finally getting over it.

It all started when I bought my .45
After about 2000, flinching is no longer.
My point being, your just going to have to shoot, and shoot, and shoot!

My first mistake was rushing myself. Its all a mind set.

I know its loud and what not and percussion can be difficult to deal with, just keep telling yourself, ITS NOT GOING TO HURT YOU!
Your body is reacting cause its being startled, eventually your body will get the clue.
Just like a horse needs to be broken in with the sound and feeling of gunshots, your body does too.

Keep shooting, its really the best advice.

Dry fire a few times every night before hitting the sack.