Breaking Bad Habits (Lifting Head off Stock)

[Idaholewis]

I went out this Evening for a Quick Shooting Session with my New 15/16“ Stainless Steel Green Mountain LRH .50 Cal Barrel and 1 of my Custom Grease Groove Bullets Cast of Certified PURE Lead, Bullet is my Accurate Molds #50-385M, They weigh 400 Grains on the Dot Cast of PURE Lead

My same 60 Yard Spot

My Accurate Molds #50-385M Cast of PURE Lead, Lubed with my SPG Mixture

I fouled the bore off Target, Then Started my Group on a Fresh Clean Target. The VERY FIRST Shot i CAUGHT MYSELF Lifting my Head up off my Gun This is a BAD Habit that i struggle with, I swabbed the Bore, Reloaded and Shot again, SAME THING! I lifted my head at the Shot! I didn’t even bother looking at my Target, i knew i had Ruined it. I swabbed the Bore and Loaded up again, Guess what? I lifted my head AGAIN?? I swabbed and Shot again. This is the BEST EXAMPLE I have to Show what Happens when you lift your Head at the Shot.

I knew the Above Target was NOT the Rifle, it was ME Lifting my Head. I walked up and when i seen the Target i Smiled Clicked a Picture, And Covered the Mess up with Target Pasters. On the Walk Back i told myself “You have 4 More Shots, Get your Together, Keep your Head on the Stock and Follow through” I swabbed my Rifle Good and Started the 2nd 4 Shot Group. This is that Group. Sometimes we have to take a Deep Breath, And RE-TRAIN Ourselves to Shoot

 

[Harleysboss]

Good reminder..No Peeking! Follow through. Do your part and the shot will be there.

 

[Saxtonyoung]

Harleysboss, I was thinking the same thing "follow through" . I have this same problem when shooting my longbow that I drop my hand immediately after release to see if I hit my desired target. When shooting firearms I have to tell myself to focus and not worry about recoil, where I hit, you name it. Just Follow through.

 

[sabotloader]

I can't believe you might be picking your chin up! for years I considered it 'steering' I was steering the bullet with my eyes to the spot I wanted to hit!

 

[edmehlig]

Lew, again fantastic shooting, but again I have to dry out my laptop from drooling all over the keyboard from looking at the pictures of your Hawken!

 

[sdporter]

I try and watch the impact through the scope.
I never see it because of recoil.
That’s just part of my follow through.

My problem is shaking. I can never seem to hold the crosshairs perfectly still, they always seem to be hovering in about an inch radius at 100 yards, then I find myself trying to “time “ the shot.

When I was younger, my friends and I used to do a little drill to help with flinching, you would hand them your gun and behind you, they would either chamber a round or not and hand it back. This was with centerfires obviously. Every now and then, you would catch yourself in a big flinch.
Don’t know if it helped any or not, but it was fun to watch.

 

[Idaholewis]

Flinching is another issue i have from time to time, Usually during & after Shooting REAL HEAVY Kickers. I limit myself to 10-12 Shots with the BIG Kickers, LOTS Of Fellas are to Proud to Admit they Flinch, But it’s a VERY Common Problem. Human nature is to Protect against something that “Hits” Ya. Both Lifting my Head off the Stock, and Flinching are Mental things that I constantly Work with. You will never see your Rifles potential if you Don’t correct these things

 

[Icerman]

Flinching is another issue i have from time to time, Usually during & after Shooting REAL HEAVY Kickers. I limit myself to 10-12 Shots with the BIG Kickers, LOTS Of Fellas are to Proud to Admit they Flinch, But it’s a VERY Common Problem. Human nature is to Protect against something that “Hits” Ya. Both Lifting my Head off the Stock, and Flinching are Mental things that I constantly Work with. You will never see your Rifles potential if you Don’t correct these things

I am happy to see that even the "guru's of shooting" have their issues! I am learning so much. Interesting to see how your string of initial shots went vertically, is that typical when you lift your head? How about when they string horizontal? I tried adding a cheek piece to my gun and it really helped when shooting with a scope. With my peep sight, on the same gun, I tend to group better that with the scope! The cheek rest seemed to help.

Thanks for sharing. It actually gives me some encouragement on how to improve!

 

[PA Underhammer]

Flinching is another issue i have from time to time, Usually during & after Shooting REAL HEAVY Kickers. I limit myself to 10-12 Shots with the BIG Kickers, LOTS Of Fellas are to Proud to Admit they Flinch, But it’s a VERY Common Problem. Human nature is to Protect against something that “Hits” Ya. Both Lifting my Head off the Stock, and Flinching are Mental things that I constantly Work with. You will never see your Rifles potential if you Don’t correct these things

Yes indeed! I struggle with flinching too!

 

[PA Underhammer]

I am happy to see that even the "guru's of shooting" have their issues! I am learning so much. Interesting to see how your string of initial shots went vertically, is that typical when you lift your head? How about when they string horizontal? I tried adding a cheek piece to my gun and it really helped when shooting with a scope. With my peep sight, on the same gun, I tend to group better that with the scope! The cheek rest seemed to help.

Thanks for sharing. It actually gives me some encouragement on how to improve!

That I'd why I joined, to learn.

 

[Idaholewis]

Yes indeed! I struggle with flinching too!

Flinching can be blamed for more Poor Groups than ALL other things combined. Flinching is a BUILT IN Natural Human reaction when we know something is gonna Hit us. I have to continually coach myself about it, I can beat it most of the time, But sometimes it gets the best of me. In short, I don’t win em all that’s for sure!

 

[daveheffner110]

The anticipation of the shot and follow through has always been on my mind through the archery years and now in my 70's. I remember plucking the string at the end of long tournament shooting in archery, but it was the follow through that was tough to conquer. The double set trigger on the Pedersoli and the Renegade has been a help with the side-locks. Sometimes I am surprised when it goes off, and that isn't bad.

 

[Bushfire]

I've always been really lucky that I can keep my cool when lining up on an animal. Few years back though I missed a big stag, easy 200m shot off a biped and a good rest. For no logical reason it rattled my confidence, took about 2 years to get back. In that time I was shaking like a leaf anytime a deer was in my crosshair.

As you say, bad habits can just creep in.

 

[PA Underhammer]

Back on the mid 80s I started shooting DA revolver in a bullseye league that helped me a lot with my follow through with other shooting activity. But it's been a while since I shot in that league and now I'm finding I have to learn it all over again.

 

[Bad Karma]

Flinching can be blamed for more Poor Groups than ALL other things combined. Flinching is a BUILT IN Natural Human reaction when we know something is gonna Hit us. I have to continually coach myself about it, I can beat it most of the time, But sometimes it gets the best of me. In short, I don’t win em all that’s for sure!

An acquaintance of mine bought a small hobby ranch and as usual around here, it was overrun with Ground Squirrels. She wouldn’t allow firearms at first (kinda liberal gal) so I suggested that I show up with an air rifle. I researched and came up with a Beeman R1 in .20 caliber. I mounted a peep on it and got to work. Missing all over the place at first but that spring gun will teach a thing or two about riflery, the basics, follow through and hold. Even an old guy... and I noticed that I could handle a few more rounds from heavy kickers than I did before.

Happy ending. I shot squirrels there a few times a week for a full summer, eventually spending way too much money for a precharged pneumatic .22 with a nice set of target sights. Lotta fun. Then one day mid second season she asks if I would be more effective with a scoped powder burner and higher velocity varmint bullets. Oh yeah... ;-) She went from east coast liberal bunny lover to destroyer of ground squirrels and rock chucks in two short years.

 

[snapbang]

Yeah, all you need to do is leave the owner be with groundhogs. After the hogs start eating, tearing up bushes, tunneling under concrete, making holes all over, their love tends to wane a bit. Then its like shooting fish in a barrel.