And that of course is, Flinch!
At PGC yesterday, I was shooting the bull with another trapshooter. A young fellow of maybe 30 at most, he had an 1100 Classic Trap(Gawgeous wood) and a good attitude.
He mentioned that on his previous range trip, he had inadvertedly left the safety on.When he called for a target and swung,the 1100 did not fire. What concerned him was the gyrations he went through. According to him, he pulled the bbl down while lurching forward.
I looked at him with sympathy and said," That's a flinch, son".
It's inevitable. If you shoot enough with anything with more kick than a 22 Hornet, you'll have to deal with flinching somewhere down the road. I don't care how much muscle mass you pack, how tough you are, or how you leave the range fragrant with newly made Testosterone, you WILL get a flinch, sooner or later.
This is why Trapshooters(Who shoot light loads in heavy guns but shoot an inordinate amount of them) spend thousands of dollars on special stocks, pads, release triggers, recoil reducers, ad infinitum.
Ever see one of the Robostocks from Precision Fit? $1200 for something as estheticallty pleasing as a catalytic tower that reduces kick by a considerable amount. Part of this is from a shock absorber, part from being completely adjustable to fit the stock to the shooter nigh perfectly.Lots of folks are saving up for these, because their users sing praises about being kickless.If they made them for 870s, I've consider same for my TB.
The Compstocks, Gracoils, Soft Touch mods, etc, do the same thing, only less so and for less money.
And the popularity of gas autos like the 1100 and the Berettas is in large part because they spread the felt recoil out and thus make it FEEL like less.
I'm not immune myself. In case you haven't read between the lines on my threads about light loads, good fit and form,long forcing cones, heavy guns, pads, recoil cutters, experiments with weight and springs, and so on,I'm as vulnerable as anyone. I did recognize the fact long ago and started taking steps on the Oz of Prevention Principle. It's worked for me, so far.
So, what does one do to stop a flinch from starting?
First,get out of denial. It will happen, if you shoot enough. It can happen in the field, tho few pure hunters shoot enough to become a problem.
Next, get good ear protection. Part of the prob is the blast.
Third through nth, good fit, form, light loads, heavy guns, recoil reducers, switch to a gas auto, and so on. Fit and form are the biggies. A slightly forward stance will work better for the clay games than an upright one, tho there's tradeoffs.
HTH....
At PGC yesterday, I was shooting the bull with another trapshooter. A young fellow of maybe 30 at most, he had an 1100 Classic Trap(Gawgeous wood) and a good attitude.
He mentioned that on his previous range trip, he had inadvertedly left the safety on.When he called for a target and swung,the 1100 did not fire. What concerned him was the gyrations he went through. According to him, he pulled the bbl down while lurching forward.
I looked at him with sympathy and said," That's a flinch, son".
It's inevitable. If you shoot enough with anything with more kick than a 22 Hornet, you'll have to deal with flinching somewhere down the road. I don't care how much muscle mass you pack, how tough you are, or how you leave the range fragrant with newly made Testosterone, you WILL get a flinch, sooner or later.
This is why Trapshooters(Who shoot light loads in heavy guns but shoot an inordinate amount of them) spend thousands of dollars on special stocks, pads, release triggers, recoil reducers, ad infinitum.
Ever see one of the Robostocks from Precision Fit? $1200 for something as estheticallty pleasing as a catalytic tower that reduces kick by a considerable amount. Part of this is from a shock absorber, part from being completely adjustable to fit the stock to the shooter nigh perfectly.Lots of folks are saving up for these, because their users sing praises about being kickless.If they made them for 870s, I've consider same for my TB.
The Compstocks, Gracoils, Soft Touch mods, etc, do the same thing, only less so and for less money.
And the popularity of gas autos like the 1100 and the Berettas is in large part because they spread the felt recoil out and thus make it FEEL like less.
I'm not immune myself. In case you haven't read between the lines on my threads about light loads, good fit and form,long forcing cones, heavy guns, pads, recoil cutters, experiments with weight and springs, and so on,I'm as vulnerable as anyone. I did recognize the fact long ago and started taking steps on the Oz of Prevention Principle. It's worked for me, so far.
So, what does one do to stop a flinch from starting?
First,get out of denial. It will happen, if you shoot enough. It can happen in the field, tho few pure hunters shoot enough to become a problem.
Next, get good ear protection. Part of the prob is the blast.
Third through nth, good fit, form, light loads, heavy guns, recoil reducers, switch to a gas auto, and so on. Fit and form are the biggies. A slightly forward stance will work better for the clay games than an upright one, tho there's tradeoffs.
HTH....
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