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the_ursus
03-27-2009, 06:00 PM
Ok, now it's out in the open, I flinch. I've been practicing with light loads in my Super Redhawk .44 to get back to the basics of working on form/concentration etc. I've been putting one live round the cylinder of five empties so that I can't cheat by looking at the back of the cylinder where the case rims are exposed. Also, I've been shooting with my elbows bent just a little instead of straight and locked.

I seem to be progressing but thought I'd see if there's any other tricks I should try from some of you pros.

Luke

Hickory
03-27-2009, 06:23 PM
Yea, that's a hard thing to overcome.
I know guys who flinch and it cost the game while hunting
and points at a match, along with the embarresment
in front of their peers. I am right handed but my left eye is
dominent. Learning or teaching yourself not to flinch can be most difficult.
I own and shoot a right hand flintlock and i've trained myself not
to flinch. The last time I can remember flinching was back in Sept. 1967.[smilie=1:

Keep trying and 20-30 years from now you can tell this same lie to someone else.:twisted:

legend
03-27-2009, 06:40 PM
the ursus
we all flinch,some more than others....
S Q U E E S E it should mildly be a surprise as to the exact instant it is fireing.

oh heck,just send me all your firearms,reloading equipment,etc and i will deal with it so you dont have to.i will pay the shipping costs.WHAT A GUY!

fishhawk
03-27-2009, 06:46 PM
actualy shooting a flintlock is probley the best way i know of to solve a flinch with a rifle, the slow lock time really reenforces correct shooting form. steve k

Mk42gunner
03-27-2009, 07:08 PM
Luke,

While the ball and dummy drill you are doing can help; here are a couple of other suggestions:

1. Practice with a .22 revolver, or if thats not possible then

2. Load some .44 Special level loads.

Your brain says "hey these are light loads, no need to flinch."

Good Luck

Robert

jsizemore
03-27-2009, 07:25 PM
That 44 is a pipsqueak. Go shoot a T/C Contender or xp-100 in a rifle cartridge and that will make that 44 feel like a pop gun.
Concentrate on sight picture and follow through of the sight picture after the hammer falls.

arcticbreeze
03-27-2009, 07:26 PM
I have been shooting action matches for years and that is probably the best way to develop a flinch. What I find is that I have to continuously work at it. I will do great for a while then it comes back. So I slow down, and take a range session to work on just trigger control. With a semi-auto I have loaded some well marked dummy rounds. (They also have holes drilled in the cases so there is no question) I will load 5 or 6 mags with 5 rounds each in them, one being the dummy in different orders. Then I make sure I don't know which is witch. It will definitely tell on you. The point is that it will always require some work to keep the flinch away.

44man
03-27-2009, 07:30 PM
I won a ton of groceries with a flinchlock. There is no way to cure a flinch except to talk yourself through every shot. An empty only makes you think but as soon as you fill all chambers, the flinch can come back because you stop thinking.
One other thing to watch out for is to try and make the gun fire when the sights cross the target as you wiggle. A sure miss.
The exact opposite is what happens when I hunt. For some reason I never flinch and never recall pulling the trigger or releasing an arrow. My mind must be a total blank with only the deer in my thoughts. I have made neck shots over 100 yd's with a flintlock, off hand, same with revolvers. I am on full automatic when hunting but with paper or steel in front of me, I have to start thinking again.
I wish I could help guys with the hunting thing but I can't explain it or control it. As soon as my sights are right, the shot is gone with no effort on my part. I NEVER remember shooting! I guess I am lucky. :drinks: If only target shooting worked like that for me! :mrgreen:

Hickory
03-27-2009, 07:33 PM
Luke;
Getting serious, this is how I handle my problem with "the flinch"

1) Always keep telling yourself that - It won't hurt you.
Its like lightning & thunder. Most people who fear the thunder, subconciously fear the sound of the thunder, but do not realise that its the lightning that causes the harm. It is the muzzle blast that causes people to flinch. Wear ear protection Remember it won't hurt you.

2) Learn to relax while shooting. Being tense can cause one to flinch. I do a lot of dry firing and this will help to know when the trigger breaks. And at least for me helps to give the confidence with the sight picture and steadieness of hand.

3) Practice with live ammo. Light loads will be the order of the practice session.
Finish up your practice with a cylinder of full house loads trying for your best score and then stop there.

uncle joe
03-27-2009, 07:37 PM
T U
I also used to flinch. I also for a long time could not afford to shoot my smith 29 So I started reloading so I could shoot it. The way I stopped was to just load some moderate loads, and shoot it one handed, A LOT. You will soon learn that it's mostly noise. The gun ain't gonna jump out of your hand and beat you. When you have that stick in your head it's just another 22 that bucks and snorts a little louder.
ps casting your own projectiles makes it really affordable to meet the A LOT requirement.
good luck
:drinks:

44man
03-27-2009, 07:40 PM
Everyone always says to go to a .22 or .38. I don't find it helpful and have more trouble with them because they are so light weight.
Shoot and learn to control a .475 Linebaugh. Stay away from light loads in any gun altogether. You learn nothing! Then go back to the .44 with heavy loads.
Shooting light loads will NOT help with heavy loads because your mind knows the difference before you pull the trigger. Train yourself to what you will shoot all the time or hunt with.

JW6108
03-27-2009, 07:42 PM
The other guys have hit it exactly: sight picture and practice.

I do most of my handgun shooting offhand and one-handed. This is the most challenging way to shoot and it really tunes you up in the fundamentals. I try to fire each shot with the utmost care, so must really concentrate on getting it away smoothly. A .22 is best for this because of the amount of shooting needed, but dry firing is also good.

Alchemist
03-27-2009, 08:18 PM
Load six snap caps or dummy rounds. Practice dry firing with a quarter on the barrel rib. When you can dry fire without dislodging the quarter, you'll have lessened your flinch if not eliminated it.

Be prepared for lots of dry firing. :-D

Echo
03-27-2009, 08:42 PM
What they said, including ball & dummy practice, plus:

Lock up your elbow and wrist, and shoot one-handed. Then, try to squeeze the grip in two! If the gun shakes, you need more conditioning to strengthen your grip. Focus (and I mean FOCUS, not just your eyes, but your concentration and awareness) on the front sight, and squeeze the trigger until the hammer drops - and it should be a surprise when it drops. With practice, the trigger pull becomes reflexive - you concentrate so much on the sight that the spinal cord learns to handle the trigger.

And DRY FIRE! The gun SHOULD NOT MOVE WHEN THE HAMMER DROPS!

I have spoken...

waksupi
03-27-2009, 09:09 PM
Use a .22, or air pistol. The worse the trigger, the better. Concentrate on getting a good trigger release. If you can shoot a lousy trigger good, you will do much better with a decent one. If you are going to shoot the Redhawk, load it down to light .44 special levels. Learn to squeeze by count, and you should count to three after the trigger breaks, practicing follow through.
Or, you can ignore this, and follow some of the outright foolish advise already given.

hpdrifter
03-27-2009, 10:16 PM
I had a Remington 700 30-06 one time that taught me not to flinch, well, at least with a rifle. I could pull the trigger and aim by the time it decided to fire. In fact it cost me 2 different bucks. I pulled the trigger and nothing happened. I was dismounting from my shoulder when it went off; two different times. I stripped and cleaned it, inspected the firing pin, safety and everything I could. It was the only rifle in camp for me, so I learned to aim, pull trigger, and keep aiming till the gun went off. Next morning I got a nice 10 point.

Pistol, well I still flinch with real high power loads. And high power loads for me is a stiff 45 colt. I probably couldn't shoot a 454, 460 or anything like that worth a hoot.

Onliest thing I know is; tell yourself flinch or not, you're gonna get the same bang. The flinch don't help tame squat.

44man
03-27-2009, 10:22 PM
Some things do not work when you have fear of noise or recoil. I had a friend that would not move when the trigger broke---but ONLY with an empty gun. He dry fired a lot with a snap cap in his Marlin 30-30. I watched him and thought "Great, he will do good." Not so, with live rounds he tore the ground up as close as 25 yd's out front.
I dared not hand him a .300, he would shoot himself in the foot! [smilie=1:
No, you do all you want to with a .22 but if I handed you a .475, you will FLINCH, maybe not on the first shot but I guarantee you will not hit a thing with the second shot. Same if you shoot your .22 rifle real good and I handed you a .375 or a .416. Then show me how great your dry fire practice was. :mrgreen:
You can NOT lose fear of recoil by shooting wimp loads.
We practice with heavy hunting loads only and are now holding sub 6" groups off hand at 100 yd's with the .475 and hit a pop can many times. We shoot from a tree stand off hand and hit small cans and plastic water bottles almost every shot out to 86 yd's. (Farthest we can set a target.) Misses are still within an inch or so.
We clang a small steel plate off hand at 100 with a .338 every shot.
WHY, because we lost the fear of recoil by shooting heavy stuff. We recently shot a .577 Nitro Express and hit where we were aiming.
Look at my avitar and see what we do from a bench with heavy recoil. Scott is holding 50 yd, 1/2" groups with his .44 from the bench because he got used to my .475 and 45-70 BFR's, he shoots pop cans one after the other from the bench at 100 with these heavy guns.
Buckle down and shoot what you will use. If the 240 gr .44 bothers you, get 320 gr loads that can shear the grip frame screws. Get used to it, it is not hard. Soon, the only miss will be from your body's wobble and you will call every shot.
After a year of dry firing, come shoot with me, I need more potato furrows! :drinks:

Heavy lead
03-27-2009, 10:31 PM
Whenever I start flinching, I get the Rigby out, take only that and lock down at the bench and let it kick my butt for 20 rounds, cures me for a month or two. Oddly enough it actually helps the arthritus that has settled in my right shoulder, can't figure out why, but it does.
I'm in agreement with 44man on firing heavy loads to fix flinch, I'm actually worse the lighter the load I fire, maybe it's because I concentrate more on the heavy loads.:???:

44man
03-27-2009, 10:34 PM
I had a Remington 700 30-06 one time that taught me not to flinch, well, at least with a rifle. I could pull the trigger and aim by the time it decided to fire. In fact it cost me 2 different bucks. I pulled the trigger and nothing happened. I was dismounting from my shoulder when it went off; two different times. I stripped and cleaned it, inspected the firing pin, safety and everything I could. It was the only rifle in camp for me, so I learned to aim, pull trigger, and keep aiming till the gun went off. Next morning I got a nice 10 point.

Pistol, well I still flinch with real high power loads. And high power loads for me is a stiff 45 colt. I probably couldn't shoot a 454, 460 or anything like that worth a hoot.

Onliest thing I know is; tell yourself flinch or not, you're gonna get the same bang. The flinch don't help tame squat.
Right on the money! :Fire: The gun has the same recoil whether you flinch or not. Curing flinch requires your mind to work, not your muscles. Dry firing or shooting a .22 can train the muscle memory but your mind will tell your muscles that the gun is going to kick and make them react.
By the way, my .45 kicks a HELL of a lot harder then a .454 because it is lighter. A hot 347 gr boolit load will make you sit up and take notice. I had to cheat and put Pachmeyer grips on my Vaquero! :mrgreen: What a knuckle buster. [smilie=1:

Blammer
03-27-2009, 10:48 PM
best way to overcome a flinch, is to concentrate very very hard on the front sight and your target while slowly squeezing.

also think about your grip while sqeezing and staring at the front sight.
concentrating on the front sight usually takes your mind off of everything else, except some carnal urges....

monadnock#5
03-27-2009, 11:07 PM
I believe it was the '86 World Series when the Red Sox got whupped by the Mets. In one of the games, Mets catcher Gary Carter was at the plate. The camera guys had a wonderful shot of Carter going completely bug eyed on one pitch, which he proceeded to launch into orbit. It's still up there AFAIK.

The next time I went shooting I was having my usual lousy session, and I'm thinking: "I'm wearing safety glasses, so why am I squinting and blinking at the shot?" That's when I thought of Carter at the plate. So I tried bug eyed. My accuracy improved instantly.

You didn't say anything about squinting and blinking, but with me and most shooters I've tried to help, blinking and flinching go hand in hand.

So, put your safety glasses on, go bug eyed, call your shots, and see if you don't find an immediate improvement.

S.R.Custom
03-28-2009, 12:57 AM
Flinching is your mind's way of asserting emotional control of the situation (fear), of saying that not getting hurt is more important than hitting your target. Which is, of course, totally irrational. But that's the way the mind works.

Shooting .22s and .38s may help with the physical act of developing a smooth trigger pull, but it does nothing to discipline mind. You can shoot a .38 until it wears out, but as soon as you pick up the .44, your brain says "Yup. This is gonna hurt." And that is what makes you flinch.

So it's sort of like kissing a girl for the first time, or standing up to the class bully. You just do it. And do it again. And keep doing it until the nerves are steady, the hand strength is improved, and the focus is unshakable. (It's called practice and training.) And keep doing it until you're good at it, all the while reminding yourself what the goal is. Hitting the target. Because all the practice in the world with the .38 ain't gonna prepare you for the mental intimidation of the .44, any more than slapping all the puppies in the neighborhood prepares you for the big fight with the bully. Some things you just have to do, over and over, until it's old hat.

danski26
03-28-2009, 01:49 AM
WOW! Lots of different advice and opinions all from sincere fellow shooters trying to help out. We have a great web sight here gentlemen.

There is a book called "how to stay calm at the center" It is a book concentrating on the mental mechanics of archery, but it applies to all of the shooting sports and types of taget panic. The flinch is in your head. You have to train or re-train in the mental aspect of shooting one way or another. Good luck.

Doc Highwall
03-28-2009, 12:11 PM
I agree that sight picture and follow through are very important, but one thing you can add to it is tell your self when you are focusing on the front sight or the cross hairs of the scope, is to see if you can see the muzzle flash when the gun goes off. This workes for me , force your self to see the muzzel flash on follow through.

Lloyd Smale
03-28-2009, 12:38 PM
I agree with 44 man. 22s are a ball to shoot and great practice but not a cure for flinching. First you need to use the gun your flinching with. Load it as light as possible and every time you go to the range bump it up but if it hurts you in any way stop and either dont go higher or figure out whats hurting you. Ive seen something as small as filing on a grip a bit take the pain out of shooting. Another thing that works for me is bench shooting. take your light loads to the bench over bags. theres no better way to consentrate on squeezing the trigger. Once you put about 500 rounds in on the bench go back to off hand. I agree with blamer on consentrating on your front sight that helps too. When your on the bench make sure your not only consentrating on your squeeze but also consentrate on keeping the same grip you would off hand. By bench shooting i dont mean bagging the gun so it cant move. When i shoot off a bench the only bag i use is one under my hand between the bench and the bottom of the grip. I find shooting off a bench like this takes away the difference in poa when shooting off hand. Anohter thing is dont feel bad. Ive shot ALOT of hard kicking handguns theres probably only a couple guys here who have done as much or more of it. Ive been recovering from multiple back surgerys and haven shot hardly at all in the last 2 years and about zero hard kicking guns. Last fall i was at my buddys and he took out his 500 max linebaugh. I shot a cylinder full out of it and wasnt counting how many i shot. Well i went to shoot number 6 out of a 5 shot gun and about threw it at my feet i flinched so bad. I too will have to go back to basics with them this summer. Its not like riding a bike. Shooting big bore guns takes constant practice to stay good at it and condition your mind to ignore the recoil.

mooman76
03-28-2009, 01:01 PM
I somewhat agree with fishhawk on the ML thing. I'm not sure it would help overcome the flinch thing but I have become a better shooter because of my ML shooting. There is a ever so slight delay when shooting a ML so if you have any bad habits like flinching, it magnifys the problem so it in a way caused me to concentrate more on proper shooting skills.
Flinch is built into the mind so like practicing any physical skill you have to practice it enough so you do it naturally without thinking about it.

the_ursus
03-28-2009, 02:11 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions to all who've contributed. Up untill last year, I've shot nothing but full-house loads out of my SRH and I've had that revolver for roughly 15 years. I've always hand loaded with jacketed and H-110 usually settling on a powder charge at the first sign of primers flattening. For multiple reasons, the cost of factory bullets being the primary issue, I really never learned good habits and definately developed some bad ones.

I started casting lighter loads with the idea I'd work up a little each time I get comfortable with the current charge. So far it's working. Now mind you, I put the 2X scope on so I can see better but I'm now averaging 3" @ 50yds w/rest which is HUGE for me!

Here's what I believe has helped so far:
1. lighter loads (but only temporarily, as I will keep working up the charge)
2. relaxed posture at the bench
3. maintaining my breathing so I don't rush the shot as I run out of breath
4. lighter grip with elbows bent (although I'm second guessing this based on others reccomendations of a tight-squeezing grip)

Anyway, I've learned SOOO much from this site. Thanks guys.

Luke

archmaker
03-28-2009, 06:23 PM
Take your time, and go back to the basics. As you can probably guess from my title I shoot a bow, and when I develop a flinch I have to go back to the basics and a few tricks.

I stop shooting, I do not stop pulling the bow, and aiming but i do not release the arrow. I find I have a flinch that I want to release the arrow but have to fight it. When it comes to shooting, my Single action I do not dry fire right away, instead I leave the hammer down, airm and pull the trigger while doing the basics.

Sometimes you have to get away from it and do things that are similar, but not do it. And do everything just like you would shoot it, Target, Ear muffs, but no loaded ammunition. And take 2-3 times longer to aim before you squeeze the trigger.

I never developed a flinch from the recoil, but from target panic (Get on the target and HAVE to pull the trigger).

Hope that helps. Just my .02

44man
03-29-2009, 09:26 AM
Take your time, and go back to the basics. As you can probably guess from my title I shoot a bow, and when I develop a flinch I have to go back to the basics and a few tricks.

I stop shooting, I do not stop pulling the bow, and aiming but i do not release the arrow. I find I have a flinch that I want to release the arrow but have to fight it. When it comes to shooting, my Single action I do not dry fire right away, instead I leave the hammer down, airm and pull the trigger while doing the basics.

Sometimes you have to get away from it and do things that are similar, but not do it. And do everything just like you would shoot it, Target, Ear muffs, but no loaded ammunition. And take 2-3 times longer to aim before you squeeze the trigger.

I never developed a flinch from the recoil, but from target panic (Get on the target and HAVE to pull the trigger).

Hope that helps. Just my .02
Very good, target panic is different from a flinch. I have shot archery all my life and know what you are talking about. First is the problem of trying to release the arrow, making the bow go off, as the sight passes through the bullseye---same as with a gun.
Next is the problem of holding in the bull and the bow will just NOT go off, fingers frozen on the string, until the sight is off target and it then goes off. The string is "plucked" to get rid of it, a miss for sure. I ran into this the most and found it was caused by getting too strong for the bow. My cure was to either shoot LESS between matches or to buy a stronger bow.
I have a similar problem with my revolvers with super light triggers. The gun will not fire and I just know I am adding pressure to the trigger---or AM I? Sometimes a creepy trigger can aid off hand shooting. Nothing worse then holding on the target and the gun just will not fire because the trigger finger is doing NOTHING! :roll: Then a shake will start from holding too long and the next thing that happens is I make the gun fire, another miss! Dry firing has never cured this because I can make it work with an empty gun, a smooth let off.
I find the best way to hit or get a very close miss is to ignore the sight movement, slowly add pressure even if the sights are going on and off the target and let the gun fire when it wants to. So what if you miss a can by an inch at 100 yd's! It is better then throwing a shot into the wild blue.
The time it takes to do this is important, too long and the sights wander farther out of the target. At that point you will be more prone to MAKE the gun go off.
Funny that if I just shoot real fast at close targets I get good hits and tight groups because I pull the trigger as the sights reach the target again.
I will never understand the brain! :mrgreen:

Maven
03-29-2009, 09:39 AM
the_ursus, Why exactly are you flinching? Are you anticipating the recoil? the muzzle blast? or something else (e.g., too much caffeine?) Do the grips fit your hand comfortably? In short, it's difficult to recommend a solution/strategy when the specific problem hasn't been defined. Btw, I'm not being critical, just trying to help you out. (I also shoot a Ruger, but a SBH and at 1,200fps and faster, let's just say, it gets your attention.)

jsizemore
03-29-2009, 10:02 AM
Ursus,
There could be another reason for your flinch. It could be that your ability to stay on target is causing you to jerk or snatch that trigger. Establish your natural point of aim and practice, practice, practice.

Echo
03-29-2009, 01:12 PM
Ursus, remember that the gun (or bow) is ALWAYS moving - with practice, we can reduce the waver, but it is always moving. Our job is to NOT introduce other movement (jerk/flinch/riding the recoil) that will expand our group. Full concentration on the front sight, with peripheral awareness of the target and sight alignment, and a continuous squeeze - we should NOT try to catch the target as it goes by the sight!

And the practice should be done with some coaching. We can sometime coach ourselves, but not always. Without good coaching, we can become very adept at jerking/flinching/riding the recoil/whatever and do it uniformly. I remember one match where I had to declare a disabled gun. I borrowed one from a friend to finish the .45 match, and started putting them in the 8 ring at 1:30! At 25 YARDS! Carrumba! She had a controlled jerk and the gun put them in the black, for her.

On the other hand, I borrowed a hard ball gun for a leg match. I was already Distinguished, and had converted my ball gun to a Day 30X .22. They took a gun off the rack that was assigned to a base shooter. I assumed she was a good shooter, and had last shot at 25 yards. I cranked the sight up 5 clicks and engaged the 50 yard target to start the match with no chance to sight in. Shot a 280 for the match - didn't win, but provided another competitor for award count.

Point being - losing the errors means that if you borrow a gun from a good shooter, you will do well, and if a good shooter borrows your gun, they will do well. Could be important in a hunt, or a match - or in a firefight.

So practice. Dry fire. Ball & dummy. Call your shots. Shoot for record - shoot a NM course @ 25 yards, and keep a record of your scores. And not only focus on the front sight, but CONCENTRATE on the front sight, with peripheral awareness of the target and sight alignment. Squeeze, and hit what you are aiming at.

Right. I DO go on...

archmaker
03-29-2009, 05:57 PM
I will add one more thing that popped in my head, spend some time visualuzing, when I shot IHMSA, I would spend some time before going to sleep, of visualizing a nice smooth trigger pull, that was crisp and clean, I would imagine the feel of my trigger finger slowly tightening on the trigger until it was complete surprise, and imagine how still my hand was when the shot went off, and ride the recoil, and see the target go down.

I never flinched even though I would occasionally shot loads that were ripping the plastic front sight out of 7 1/2 Ruger Redhawk. (Max load of 296 with a 355gr Cast bullet). My best load was the same 355gr bullet out of a 10 1/2 Ruger, but the recoil was a full 140 degrees (All shots touching at 55yds).

The only reason I don't think I flinched is because I spent a lot of practice time dry firing, visualizing, and my goal was a nice smooth trigger pull, not trying to hit the target.

BD
03-29-2009, 06:36 PM
There's mental, and there's physical. Lot's of good advice on mental training in this thread. For physical, a 550 pack of .22s and 250 rounds of the real thing per week goes a long way. When I find myself missing low/left on the plates going fast, I go back to lots of .22 and plenty of .45

IMHO we are capable of leaving some of the mental behind, (at least I do), on the really important shots; the big buck, the pig running towards you, the three 200 yard yard 3 gun targets, because other mental considerations outweigh recoil and we "forget about it" while our brains sort the less familiar, but more pressing, issues.

Anybody ever remember the muzzle blast or recoil from the biggest deer they ever shot? I've killed some, (maybe more than some), animals with a 24" .270 WBY mag without wearing hearing protection. I'm not deaf, and I have no recollection of of any ill effects from the shot, or the rare subsequent 2nd shot, or flinch. IMHO the brain focuses on "what's up now", for the rest of it we count on what we've trained into ourselves.

This discussion could easily lead into other adrenalin related issues. I have a pet theory that until you've worked through some adrenalin based situations, the adrenalin injection can warp your performance as well as your perceptions. I've seen this in situations from first responders on their first CPR, well trained rescuers on their first rescue with a life at risk, even otherwise stable individuals speaking in public for the first time. Adrenalin is powerful stuff. The beginning of a pastime of shooting can "bring it on", and like the influence of anything we're not used to, it can play havoc with fine motor control.

BD

TDC
03-29-2009, 10:50 PM
I've gotta agree with 44man and Heavy lead....

I believe everyone will agree flinch is a psychological response as well as an auditory reaction for most of us. A major contributor is the noise report, probably more so than the actual felt recoil of most firearms. In my experience wearing ear protection that almost eliminates the report entirely has a significant impact on flinch and its development.

I'm currently shooting a new S&W 500. Many of us have heard the horror stories about the "brutal" recoil and the tremendous noise from this handgun, especially with the 4 and 6 1/2 inch barrels (mine is a 6 1/2). The report with heavy loads is described as deafening. I've never heard the unprotected report from this pistol and I don't intend to until I'm in a hunting situation, then, as many of us know, it doesn't matter..

I believe in loading your rounds as hot and heavy as you and your gun can digest for practice, then reducing the load to a comfortable, effective and accurate recipe for hunting. For me that, and it appears some others agree, has had a confidence building effect that can't be achieved going the other way.

Just my humble opinion...

TC

44man
03-30-2009, 09:08 AM
I used to shoot my Mark II like a laser. Fast, at small targets like empty .22 shells and dimes. I was head shooting squirrels off hand out to 50 yd's. Now I can't shoot the thing for crap without a rest.
I have been shooting the big heavy guns like my .475 BFR and the 45-70 a LOT and the little .22 is now way too light to hold steady. It waves all over the place. Even my SBH is feeling too light for off hand. It used to feel heavy and my muzzle would droop slowly as I aimed, 10" barrel, IHMSA gun. Now it feels light in the hand. It no longer has enough recoil to bother me either. Shot from the bench, it is tame like a .38. I have to laugh about anyone saying it kicks too hard.
Recoil does not bother me anyway with any kind of gun but the difference in a guns weight now really does. Even with a rifle. Light guns just move too much. Since shooting BPCR with a 12# gun, a sporter rifle is crazy to hold still.
It is amazing how fast you can get used to recoil and weight but how hard it is to go backwards. I hit better off hand at 100 with my .475 then I do with the .22 at 25.
There is a lot more to this problem then just recoil and noise! [smilie=1:
The old saying of never fool with a man that has one gun might have some merit.
That is why I say to shoot what you are going to use, at the level you will hunt with and don't bounce around, you CAN tame the monster!
But those guys that have a .44 or .500 that weighs 1# are asking for it! :mrgreen::mrgreen: those things will ruin you for anything and damage your hands and wrists. I will never get over why some want a light, big caliber with a 2" barrel for carry, they will never get good enough with it. Most will shoot it once and once only before strapping it on in the hope of stopping a charging bear. Or they sell it after getting that huge crease in the forehead and a broken hand!:drinks:
Then comes the macho man with his Contender in .60 caliber. :-D
Use common sense selecting a revolver and the grips for constant use. If it hurts, fix it.

MtGun44
03-30-2009, 08:37 PM
Dry fire.

Bill

Topper
03-30-2009, 10:00 PM
Lots of sound advice.
The coin as Alchemist recommended is great practice and shooting a 22 will increase your skills but will not cure flinching with heavier cals.
Flinching is all in your head and you have to become attune to recognizing the thought so that you can deal with it, think through it.
Best range practice I have found for a revolver is to start with two live rounds and 4 snap caps.
Rotate the cylinder without looking and close (don't cheat).
Concentrate on each shoot. If you flinch you will see it on the dummy round and recognize the thought that caused it. Goal is to think through that thought with just two rounds.
Progressively add more rounds until your confident you can fire all 6 without flinching.
Same can be done with a semi-auto.
And away from the range as stated, lots of dry firing practice;-)