Flinching

[rodwhaincamo]

I found that my poor accuracy at the range is due to flinching. I figured it out when I pulled the trigger on a spent case. I felt like a little kid! My 44 R Mag Tracker is ported and has much less felt recoil than a 4 5/8" Blackhawk (same cal), which doesn't really seem bad to me. So why am I flinching? And what can I do about this? I was advised by the friend with the Blackhawk to insert spent cases and dry fire. Since the primer is already crushed does this actually help the firing pin? My booklet says not to dry fire, though its a generic booklet covering all of their handguns.

 

[azredhawk44]

I've read more often than not that Taurus frame-mounted firing pins can come loose.

Stick some fired cases in there if you're gonna dry fire, or better yet, get some snapcaps since they don't resemble real ammo at all.

Put a coin on top of the barrel, near the front sight. Dry fire, pulling the flat of the tip of your finger straight back into your grip.

I find that shooting DA is a great way to stop flinching, too. Make sure you practice in DA. Your wrist firms up, you grasp the gun more securely and accuracy can even improve over SA shooting.

 

[win-lose]

If I think I may be flinching, I load 2 rounds into the revolver, spaced either 2 or 3 apart, then looking away, I spin the cylinder and close it. I then begin firing. If I flinch on an empty, then I focus on not moving, while continuing my fire, repeating until I am no longer flinching.

 

[Carlo]

I think I would filch with a 44 magnum, non the less, I think there are four ways to stop flinching:
1) use a gun - caliber combination that does not make you flinch
2) take the effort to hold still (train with empty brasses mixed to live rounds)
3) get more arms strenght (train with weights)
4) get a recoil absorbing grip
just my two cents

 

[SwampYankee]

I had a bad flinch with .40 S&W but not any other round (I was fine with .357 Mag and .45 Colt). I was going to buy a P22 and practice with .22's to solve the problem but I came up with a surefire solution last Thursday: DON'T CLOE YOUR EYES! When I flinch, and I assume with others, I close my eyes. If I can force my eyes to stay open as I fire and the action cycles, the gun stays on target and I do not flinch. I learned to force my eyes to stay open when I tried contacts a decade ago (it was too much trouble, glasses are easier). Basically, I can stick my finger on my bare eyeball all day long and not flinch. So I applied it to shooting. If I take the shot and focus on the sights and on keeping my eyes open, no flinch.

 

[rodwhaincamo]

So is using fired cartridges OK to use? Recoil isn't that bad at all, not even from a short unported barrel. More akin to a powerful 357 I'd say. I can easily shoot with one hand. Though I'm sure I could definately use some weight lifting (bigger is better right?), my girl thinks my arms are sexy as they are!

 

[Old Grump]

Please do not use the fired case. Once compressed it provides no resistance to hammer fall or firing pin, spend the few bucks and get snap caps, they are inexpensive considering they will probably last longer than you will be shooting that gun. Best way to get rid of the flinch is to put up a white card or sheet of typing paper with a cross drawn on it in a fine black pen. put the barrel of your gun, (with snap caps inserted), as close to the paper (about 1" or less), as you can without touching the paper. Top of the front sight aligned with the horizonatal line and the vertical line centeredon your front sight.

Now when you slowly squeeze the trigger imagine that the front sight is attached to the trigger and you are drawing the front sight back through the notch of your rear sight when you apply pressure to the trigger. You will be staring at that front sight with both eyeballs at the same time you are concentrating on your trigger squeeze and when the hammer goes down you will be surprised that it happened. Do this till you can do it 10 times perfectly. It will be a long day the first time. By using a fine line and standing so close any flinch, anticipation, palming, grabbing, etc. will show up as a gross movement of the sight from your perfect alignment on that cross.

Eventually the time it takes to get 10 perfect shots will decrease as you get better. On the range practice slow fire at 50 yards or on a reduced target at closer ranges and repeat the exercise only with live ammo. You will be struggling to keep that front sight moving back through the notch and your shots will come as a surprise to you and so will your new groups. When you get consistent doing that move up to time and rapid fire but don't be in a hurry to get there. It really is true that the hurrieder you go the slower you go. Speed comes with repetition, not from forcing it.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Grump---good advice

Thanks for that technique. I have used the snap cap with a couple of live rounds and a spin on the cylnder with fair results. Your suggestion looks really interesting.

 

[bluetopper]

My first advice is to get good with a 38 revolver before you venture up to 44 Mag land.

Second, let the gun going off be a surprise to you........squeeze gently.

 

[scottaschultz]

From my Blackhawk owner's manual:

"DRY-FIRING: Going through the actions of cocking, aiming, and pulling the trigger of an unloaded gun is known as “Dry Firing.” It can be useful to learn the “feel” of your revolver. Be certain the revolver is unloaded and that the gun is pointing in a safe direction even when practicing by dry-firing. The Ruger New Model revolvers can be dry-fired without damage to the firing pin or other components."

Scott

 

[pinetree]

When I had a 4" 629 I would start to flinch. I found switching to a 22 post 44mag would get me back on track.

 

[Dingoboyx]

Check your grip & how much finger you have thru the trigger guard & on the trigger. Practice & get your technique right. Squeeze the trigger so slowly that you get a suprise when it actually fires

When you have good grip & technique, the squeezing (trigger control) will become faster so you can shoot at a normal speed without flinching (most of the time)

Good luck, have fun

 

[Uncle Billy]

The best thing I ever did to quit flinching was to take up shooting a slow-timed flintlock. If I ever wanted to hit what I was pointing at, I really had to be steady even with all the drama going off in my face when the lock cycled. Having double-set triggers helped a lot. Once I had the required self-discipline worked up it was easy for me to take that indifference to the trigger breaking to cartridge guns because there is no expectation of a flash and bang in your face with them, just the recoil.

Riding a motorcycle through swarms of bugs can do that too- that is, build a steady indifference to sharp hits on your face. Sort of messy, though.

 

[45Gunner]

Flinching is caused by trying to predict when the hammer is going to fall and/or the round being fired. When one gets to that point and there is no noise, they have a tendency to pull the trigger which in turn will make the gun pull down.

Load 'er up with snap caps and do some dry fire exercises...I do mine while watching the boob tube. Put the front sight on your target, line up the rear sights, and work on that trigger management until the hammer drops and the front sight is still on target. Don't forget to breathe normally. Once you can do that consistently, you will find your marksmanship will have improved tremendously.

 

[oneoldsap]

Mind over matter and hearing protection !!

 

[koolminx]

I have a 41 Mag and a 44 mag Ruger, they both are loaded up by someone else to help me with my flinching, as they stagger the shots sometimes, but not every time.

I still can't stop flinching

These pieces given to me from my dad which he bought both in 1981 brand new, and he loads and shoots the same way, dry firing on odd chambers all the time.

I have personally put more than 1,000 rounds through the 44 like this and it's never adversely effected the pistol.

I still stink with a pistol though

 

[rodwhaincamo]

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[sp-train-77]

Buy snap-caps from Brownells. They have a spring-loaded cushion that protects the firing pin.

"Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

 

[drrpg01]

It's really hard not to flinch with the loud magnums. I find myself trying to do this occasionally with a 357 mag. The first thing, in my experience, is to notice that you're trying to do it, which you've done. The next thing is to focus with everything you've got on not doing it after you catch yourself trying to do it. If you shoot double action, it helps to not know exactly when the hammer is going to drop. You just have to watch out not to flinch while you're in the middle of trigger pull. Basically, it's a natural human reflex to loud noises and you just have to train yourself to focus and not do it. There's really no easier answer than that.

 

[Christchild]

I 2nd Parisite...

WhenEVER shooting, squeeze easy, so You don't know exactly when You're actually going to fire.