Flinch

[dewalt18]

So I'm looking for some suggestions here.... I have been shooting my Savage model 99E in 308 win since I was fairly young (about 15 years or so). It was my father's gun and has now been passed down to me. I've never had a problem shooting it, until I scoped it (Dad always said if you can't hit it with iron sights you shouldn't be shooting at it). I think it's a psycological thing, I've seen a few people get scope bite, and don't really want it myself! lol. So obviously if I can't get over the flinch I'm better off without the scope. The best I've been able to sight it is a 5'' pattern at 200 yards, which I could do before I scoped it. Anybody have any good tricks? I know practice is the obvious suggestion, but I've put around 50 rounds through it so far...

[ditch donkey]

I used to flinch something awful. A friend of mine noticed while we were at the range, and he started loading my rifle for me. Slipping in an already fired case once in a while. It sure smartens a guy up quick, when he fliches, and all he hears is, "click."

An empty shell works well, because you can still hear 5 shells being loaded.
Worked for me.

[trooper]

I taught shooting in the armed forces. We had, on occasion, recruits that flinched alot. This was back in the days of the FNC1, not that "mattel toy" that they're using now.
As Ditch Donkey said, have an assistant place a cover over your face while you are in the prone position or at the shooting bench, and he'll load your rifle's chamber, either with a live round or a fired case. Have him watch you squeeze the trigger. have him tell you if you blink when you shoot. After an hour of this, you'll get over your flinch very soon. Also if the rifle has a heavy recoil, I'd suggest going to a lighter weight bullet. IE a 150 gn instead of a 180 gn bullet

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by ditch donkey

I used to flinch something awful. A friend of mine noticed while we were at the range, and he started loading my rifle for me. Slipping in an already fired case once in a while. It sure smartens a guy up quick, when he fliches, and all he hears is, "click."

An empty shell works well, because you can still hear 5 shells being loaded.
Worked for me.

This is about the one way to cure it, and it DOES work!
fairly easily as well.
The only way I(can cure my own flinch is to keep shooting light guns.
Anything remotely big nails my shoulder then I'm done - same as high volume shooting, simply cannot do it anymore, so I try and keep it down to four rounds of skeet or trap with a 28, or 20 rounds of high power - which is not very much!
Cat

[FallAirFever]

One thing that really helped me with my flinching was buying a 22. Preferably buy one that is as close as possible in feel and action to your hunting rifle and mount a scope on it. Get behind the gun and go very deliberatly through your shot routine. Breath slow, focus on squeezing the trigger slowly, follow through on your shot maintaining focus on the target.

How is your trigger. Between the 22 and having a nice crisp trigger that breaks clean and consistant with light pull. If not get a trigger job on that gun it is around the cost of a box a shells and well worth it.

Take your time.

I found that I stopped flinching after with the 22 and could soon do the same with my 270.

good luck man.

[Lonnie]

you have probley grown abit sence you started shooting that gun so make it fit you then start doing anti-flinch stuff,poor fitting gun can and kick the hell out of you.I get black and blue from my 30-30 wife thincks that it has no reciol gun is about 1.5in to short for me and fits her well

[Traps]

Put a limbsaver on it to help with reducing recoil. Shoot lighter bullets or get some reduced recoil ammo like American Eagle and practice.

[switchsl]

Buy a flintlock, you want to stop flinching and learn rifle control the terribly slow ignition will teach you fast, if you want to hit anything that is. A small bore or pellet gun trainer, I like those myself. The blanks when you dont expect it, my dad did that to me back in the day when I was learning the 06 and 35 whelen, he was a military guy. Its very entertaining watching too... I did it to my hunting partner, he didnt believe me he was flinching. Does anybody dry fire anymore? I have done it, hundreds of times, and have had the same rifle for 13 years or more. Feel free to insert flack about poor practice dryfiring a rifle, but it will train you well learning to stay on target without the recoil to disturb you. A few hundred dry fires, will be no more costly if you ruin a spring or pin than the ammo you waste perfecting poor habits. Thats how I learned anyways

[roger]

its my opinion that the bench causes more flinching.
having a physical target (balloon, watermelon etc) focuses ones attention on the objective, not the noise, recoil or smells.
after all how many times do you remember the shot when your shooting at a big buck
focusing on whats in the scope vs whats in the chamber.

[switchsl]

The focus of a center mass or object target rather than a bullsey or paper group target is a good training tool. One, it allows as roger said for you to focus on the target, not just a small piece of a target, and two, when you hut said target it builds confidence and lessens frustrations. A positive experience is always better than a negative one. Shooting on the bench, or prone is good for beginners, In my opinion, it allows them to focus on the traget and sight picture, trigger and breath control while somewhat eliminating the need to throw in steady body and supporting the weapon. One step at a time right?

[dewalt18]

Thanks guys, I love all these ideas! I like the "dry fire" idea, except for the dry fire part... Would it hurt anything to cycle just brass?

[Pathfinder76]

Many rifles won't feed "just brass" load dummies and dry fire to your hearts content. It will do no harm in a center fire rifle.

[dewalt18]

On the subject of the trigger job, I've always found it to be fairly heavy, never realized something like that could be done so affordably. Can anybody recommend a good gunsmith in the High River/south Calgary area?

[munyee4321]

Originally Posted by dewalt18

On the subject of the trigger job, I've always found it to be fairly heavy, never realized something like that could be done so affordably. Can anybody recommend a good gunsmith in the High River/south Calgary area?

could try and contact http://www.hillbillyarms.com/index.html
they are located in Nanton

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by ditch donkey

I used to flinch something awful. A friend of mine noticed while we were at the range, and he started loading my rifle for me. Slipping in an already fired case once in a while. It sure smartens a guy up quick, when he fliches, and all he hears is, "click."

An empty shell works well, because you can still hear 5 shells being loaded.
Worked for me.

X2 plus make sure your scope is mounted the right distance from your eye also that your not leaning your head into the scope if it is mounted right

[mjohn7]

You can buy Sanp Caps to dry fire.
Most center fire rifles will not be harmed by dry firing.

[6.5 shooter]

Use lots of hearing protection, I use earplugs and muffs when I am at the range, even when out shooting gophers with my .22 I use the muffs.

Good muffs can be picked up from any good oilfield/safety supply company for about half, what you will pay for one out of your local sportings goods store.

Get the highest db reduction you can.

There is also a very interesting older post on flinching in here, where the guy uses a dime to stop flinching, very interesting read

[Whiskey Wish]

Flinching is caused by pain or the anticipation of pain. First remove the pain, ear muffs, ear plugs, shooting vest, shooting glasses, Pachmyer pad, change caliber, change handload, change rifle, any or all the above whatever it takes to remove the pain. All human learning is done by repetition so after removing the pain you have to "re-learn" that squeezing the trigger will not cause pain. Once you have removed the pain and you can fire your weapon comfortably you need to practice until your brain is comfortable that squeezing the trigger is not going to cause you pain.
The dimes, buddy loads and dry fires will tell you whether or not you are flinching but they won't stop you from flinching.
Either that or reach some Zen U.S. Marine Corp state where "pain is your friend, it tells you that you are still alive".

Keep Your Powder Dry,
Dave.