My son is starting the 4-H shooting team in our county. We have mostly shot off bi-pods at home. Does any one have a training tip or help. He shoots standing, kneeling, setting, and prone. While some of the others have nicer stuff, we are going to use a Marlin glenfield and a Marlin 39a possibly. 6x scope is the max allowed. Looking at the others skill I think he can compete at 25yds with these rifles. Is there a book that may be of use to him as reading is his best method to learn. Thanks.
The NRA publishes some booklets on "how to" shooting.
DG
There is a book by Gary Anderson for coaching young shooters. Anderson shot competitively and is no slouch. I think you can get it from the CMP.
Don Verna
I got a lot from David Tubb's books regarding offhand technique.
Get a set of rimfire silhouette swingers and practice with those at the correct range. Hitting those more than 80% of the time is a worthy goal and will put him right among the best he is likely to encounter.
What's funny is we pulled up in my old '88 diesel Ford pulling one of my mowers and got mistaken for the mowing guy. "Hey we've been waiting on you." I'm like "why I thought I was early". So the teens start pouring in with the teenagers in nice rides (Tacomas, 4runners, new civics amongst others) and hop out in nice boots, trendy jeans and guns with carbon fiber barrels, even the girls. Now there is nothing wrong with that and I wish I could afford to buy my kiddos fancy cars and rifles. Im surely not wearing my nice boots and jeans to walk through a marsh mud hole to get across the range. It all seemed kinda cliquish. I'm not even getting into the skeet group. Anyway I think it may come down to the skill and not the weapon anyway after watching them shoot. On girl seemed to have good technique but honestly what do I know.
Practice, practice, practice!Originally Posted by brokeasajoke
I'm not a pro but have taught many people to shoot. Most inaccuracies in the shooters I've taught are caused by flinching or yanking the trigger. I have had good luck in improving their accuracy by coaching them to forget the trigger and focus on keeping the sight locked on the target while creeping up on the trigger. Trying to make them unaware of the trigger at all only focusing on the sights and target. Squeezing the trigger as an afterthought with the goal of the shot surprising them as it goes off.
I'd get him some snap caps so he can practice this at home.
Dan Wesson 744V .44mag, S&W Mod 19-4 .357 , S&W Mod 17 K22, Stevens Favorite .22mag 30GM, ADC .45/410, CZ SP01 9mm
When my son was young he shot in one of the 4H matches in the open sight catagory with a stock Savage cub and won first place in open sights. Most of the other kids were using scopes.
Shooting offhand takes practice. A pellet rifle will directly translate to offhand or field positions with a 22 Rifle. Unless of course, you can shoot your 22's as often as desired. My advice is to shoot several times a day, every single day. I didn't really get good until I shot daily for several years.
Practice have him learn to call his shots trigger squeeze and follow thru.
Practice, even dry fire will help with positions. Learn to get a position that is Natural point of aim. the rifle just hangs on the x ring with little to no muscle needed.
Calling shots, Knowing where the sights were when the shot breaks makes him much easier to coach, and builds confidence when its where he thinks it should be.
Trigger squeeze is important in breaking a good shot.
Follow thru a 22 rimfire bullet is in the barrel a long time
My great uncles taught me to shoot offhand. Both were skilled target shots in Schuetzen style competitions. They always said no live person can hold perfectly still so you have to intentionally move in a controlled manner. For them, that meant making small circles with the barrel while aiming (this was with iron sights). They shot while the front sight was coming up to meet the target; if the view was wrong then make another circle until it was right, then trip the trigger. As mentioned, practice makes perfect - they generally shot 100 rounds every Sunday during those months when matches were held. The real match just became another practice session.
The best book that I used was "Ways of the Rifle" published by MEC in Germany. It breaks down each position of a number of different successful Olympic Smallbore and Air Rifle shooters of
all different body types and sizes. This is not a one size fits all answer. One of my major take aways from this for my own shooting and coaching was the "Inner" and "Outer" position.
Aperture sights are distinctly easier to shoot with on round targets from Offhand than scopes.
After playing these games for nearly 50 years, by far the most important factor is how you run the grey lump between your ears. Lanny Bashams books and videos on Mental Management for rifle shooting is probably the biggest game changer for a young shooter (or any shooter for that matter) that you can be exposed to. Nearly any serious high-level competitor in nearly any discipline will tell you that mental management is 90% of their game. The gear and technique are important but minor in comparison.
Here's a little about offhand rifle shooting:
https://www.ssusa.org/content/silhou...-need-to-know/
Where are you located ?
As to the distance and firearm your son is using it should be more then good enough , I had a marlin glenfield and it would drive tacks every shot , I have a pair of target 22 bolt actions one a Anschutz and one a Remington , they are sitting unfired for years now and those carbon fiber are no advantage in what they are shooting .
Do not let the cliques of the see what I have and what daddy bought me sour it , but it sounds as if that does not bother you , good on you for taking the son to shoot .
For any position not just offhand, bone (skeletal) support is normally more stable than muscle support. Sometimes that is not easy to do and the shooter will have to get used to being in somewhat cramped positions.
If at all possible bring the sights/ scope to the shooters eye position, not the head to the rifle. Sounds goofy, but it works.
Robert
Heres another thing in position shooting a good sling or cuff can really steady up the position, as can a shooting glove.
One of the cotton canvas military slings set right with the upper arm thru the loop and wrapped over the hand will make sitting kneeling and prone much solider. But the rifle used needs to be heavy enough to with stand this sling tension also.
A bone supported position off hand and learning to relax down into it. with the off hands elbow down into the hip hand rest=tin under the rifle in a u not really holding its a support is all and the buttstock highj in the shoulder canted over to the eye. Keep the ears as level as he can this makes for balance. feet about shoulder width apart adjust feet for the natural point of aim once there dont move feet. A stool ( camp stools work goo to carry gear and rest the rifle between shots.
Over holding is a problem offhand. once fatiuge sets in dont force it rest the rifle on the stool and start over.
Do a Appleseed event, not a better organization to teach a youngster proper technique bar none.
https://appleseedinfo.org/
wnc
Above all this is also to be fun dont push him to hard that the fun aspect is lost. As long as the next match is as good as or better than the last hes doing great.
Good stuff. Thanks all.
There are no super secret techniques - Only excellently executed fundamentals.
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