Author Topic: So, who's been doing their homework?  (Read 9638 times)

Offline riflejunkie

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So, who's been doing their homework?
« on: January 29, 2009, 04:31:43 PM »
Your family will look at you funny.  It's painfully boring at first, but the results are just too pleasureable.  
Here is what happened to me when I forst started doing these drills.  I felt clueless because I had so much movement to begin with I couldn't form a mental picture of what breaking the trigger with no jerk, flinch, blink, position break would look like.  I got down in the prone position and shot from a very stable position and then just did a copy and paste to my standing practice.  I firmly believe that if you can't see it in your head you can't do it with your body and I also believe that doing it in your head improves what you do with your body.  Memorize your sequence.
Address the target
Shoulder the rifle
Play with your body position to compensate for the extra weight in front of your chest.  You are going to have to experiment but you will find it pretty quickly.  Hold your position for 1 minute just to see if you start to sway.  A shoe with no heel and very flat sole like the ones the skateboarders wear will help.  Western boots won't.

   
Address the target
Locate butt on shoulder
Lower muzzle squeezing lead elbow inward and compensating for the weight or the rifle
Looking over my rear sight lining it up with the front sight and target
as the lead elbow begins to rest against my body
Bring my eye to the rear sight and find my sight picture to discover where I am.
Adjust vertical or hoirizontal
Close eyes
Breathe 3 times in and out
open eyes check sight picture
Adjust vertical or horizontal
close eyes
 
When your NPA is in the 10 or x ring your movement will be reduced greatly and you will soon find that there will be what I call a quiet zone where for a second or two you seemingly quit moving.  That's when you try to break your shot.

Now when I start actually pulling the trigger in dry fire the one thing I add to the previous other than the obvious squeeze on the trigger, is I am striving to have my eyes feel dry.  If I blink my eye is lubricated.  "Don't blink" didn't work as well for me as "dry eye."  

So, put the process in your words in your mind.  Play around with it and it becomes automatic.  When you are under stress having the checklist is pretty nice.
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline claird

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2009, 04:45:07 AM »
I notice you have mentioned dry firing several times. I have found this to be very profitable with a firearm. Do some target rifles have a  mechanism to allow the trigger to be cocked and released without involving spring release? I can't figure out how one would do that kind of practice with a springer mechanism.

Charles

Offline roix06

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RE: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2009, 05:02:00 AM »
BE THE PELLET...lol riflejunkie!

All kidding aside; this is great stuff.  Exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when I gave my, no account,  vote for the target forum.  I knew it would be a good place for learning.  Keep it up, PLEASE!

Roy
N. CA

Offline riflejunkie

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RE: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2009, 09:32:07 AM »
Thank you Roy and Charles.
A spring piston air rifle  presents a bit of a problem dryfiring, but in reality all you lose is the click.  Just pull the trigger without cocking the rifle.  There is travel in the uncocked trigger and you can still see how squeezing the trigger results in a disruption of your sight picture.
Trigger control is one of the two primary principles of precision shooting.  The triggeritself is made to move in a straight line even if some do have an upward swing as it moves back.  The finger however naturally moves in an arc and there lies a problem.  Making the finger pull directly back without exerting any oblique force is somewhat unnatural.  A rifle with a near vertical pistol grip and lots of palm swell places the hand in a better position to pull directly back.  If you are shooting something with a conventional sporting style stock you just need to spend a little time playing with your technique.  I notice the contact of the buttplate on my shoulder and conciously move the trigger toward that point of contact.  Some people use a pinch technique where they place the thumb on the back side of the trigger guard and the index finger on the trigger and pinch.  Personally, I prefer convention.  The pinch seems like a way to dodge the development of trigger control, but I'd probably use it if I was shooting in a benchrest match.
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline PeakChick

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2009, 10:10:55 AM »
It is tough to get true feel for how the trigger will actually function with a springer that does not allow for safe dry firing. Charlotte is correct in stating that you can get most of the benefit of dry fire practice with simply working with what is available to you.
Yes, many dedicated target air rifles, and pistols do have a dry fire function that allows for full, or nearly full trigger function and feel when doing dry fire practice. Charlotte is also correct in pointing out that dedicated target shooters pull the trigger far more often in dry fire practice than in actually sending a pellet down range.
The current stable, (arsenal, quiver?): BSA Lightning XL .177, BSA Sportsman HV .22, BSA Ultra .177, CZ634 .177, Daystate Harrier X .177, TAU 200 Senior .177, HW 97 .177, HW 50s .177, HW 30 .177, RWS 92 .177, Gamo 126 MC Super, Gamo Big Cat .177, AR2078A, QB78 .177, Quest 1000 .177, Beeman SS650 .177., Beeman P17 .177.
________________________________________

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.

Offline gamo2hammerli

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Almost Pulled a Muscle...
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2009, 09:59:11 AM »


Yesterday night I was attempting to do those drills...I was getting the footwork right....incredible. But then I tried to tuck in my left elbow so it touches my body (ribcage or hip) and still have the scope level to my eye.....almost pulled a few muscles trying it. heh heh I had my leading hip pointing forward, my back arched and weight centered. But had my head tilted to the right by/over the comb of the air rifle. And was trying to remember to keep my right elbow down....



Problem is the scope is in no way close to my eye level...actually in that position...the air rifle is pointed downwards. The only way I can fix that is to have a rolled up towel between the ribcage and tricep....or another way is to have a 4 to 6" thick foam taped to the bottom of the forestock.



I know in some expensive match rifles they have a variety of adjustments so the gun would fit the shooter....but with a regular hunting or sporter gun there's none. Is it legal to have a rolled up towel or something in-between the tricep and ribcage? Or wearing a thick elbow pad near the elbow to raise up the gun allowed?

Gamo: Expotec .177 + Big Cat .177 + Viper .177 + Whisper .177, Hammerli Titan .177, Diana model 24 .177, RWS-Diana P5 Magnum pistol .177, Crosman: G1 Extreme .177 + Storm XT .177 + Sierra Pro .177 + 1377 pistol .177, Air Arms S410SL .22, BSA Scorpion T10 .22, FX Cyclone .177, Remington Air Master 77 .177 + BB\'s,

Offline ronbeaux

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RE: Almost Pulled a Muscle...
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2009, 12:47:31 PM »
In a match they got all kinds of shooting jackets that would make it easier.

Here is me and my TX200 pushing 12lbs+. Notice how it's balanced so I don't have to use my trigger hand to support the rifle. Maybe just extending your fingers will give you the extra inch or two you need to get a little rib action happening for you.



Sorry about the red suit. Just got home.

The white tape on the end of the scope is marked off in yardage and the strip down the side is the clicks needed to adjust elevation for that yardage.

Offline riflejunkie

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RE: Almost Pulled a Muscle...
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2009, 02:29:07 PM »
Rons picture is very good.  The weight of the rifle is pushing down and his arm has nowhere to go but toward his ribs.  Since our bodies aren't all of the exact same dimensions there will be some variation in position.  (Looking good Ron.  That position looks good on you)
Try raising the buttplate in your shoulder.  Click on this link and scroll down the page til you come to "gloves and mitts" and look how high his buttplate is in his shoulder.
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline gamo2hammerli

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2009, 05:24:52 AM »
Thanks for the photo Ron...and advice from both you and Charlotte.  I tried the open hand technique...with just the fingers holding up the rifle.....feels arkward but I guess it needs abit of practice.  Most of my air rifles might be able to be held that way....but not the Hammerli Titan....that beast torques quite abit....I think it`ll fling itself off my fingers right after the shot.  heh heh  Btw, what link were you refering to about the gloves Charlotte?
Gamo: Expotec .177 + Big Cat .177 + Viper .177 + Whisper .177, Hammerli Titan .177, Diana model 24 .177, RWS-Diana P5 Magnum pistol .177, Crosman: G1 Extreme .177 + Storm XT .177 + Sierra Pro .177 + 1377 pistol .177, Air Arms S410SL .22, BSA Scorpion T10 .22, FX Cyclone .177, Remington Air Master 77 .177 + BB\'s,

Offline riflejunkie

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2009, 10:14:37 AM »
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline gamo2hammerli

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2009, 07:32:04 PM »
Wow...who would have thought that there's special coats and gloves/mitts just for shooting.  Good read. Thanks.
Gamo: Expotec .177 + Big Cat .177 + Viper .177 + Whisper .177, Hammerli Titan .177, Diana model 24 .177, RWS-Diana P5 Magnum pistol .177, Crosman: G1 Extreme .177 + Storm XT .177 + Sierra Pro .177 + 1377 pistol .177, Air Arms S410SL .22, BSA Scorpion T10 .22, FX Cyclone .177, Remington Air Master 77 .177 + BB\'s,

Offline Mick

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RE: Almost Pulled a Muscle...
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2009, 07:25:47 AM »
Along these lines .... over the years I have often been queried by girls on my JROTC teams as to a better way of applying the forearm hold in the Offhand position.   Their usual complaint is that ... "Don't I realise that gals are built differently than the boys on the team and that they find it uncomfortable ?".

I assure them that I do ... and that it is to their advantage !   I then relate the tale, many years ago, of a certain high-ranking National female competitor, rather mature in years and ... shall we say ... very well endowed !   Before the Offhand stages of 3-Position matches she would retire to whatever served as a "Private Spot" on the range and unhook the back of her bra !   Then when she got back to the firing line and prepared to raise her rifle to the Ready position ... she would give her upper torso a quick clockwise twist and allow her left elbow to settle solidly on the built in extra padding.   Did I mention that she was one of the best Offhand shots in the USA ?   Naturally these activities were often protested by the male contingent as unfair ... but well within the rules !

In the same vein ... I always consider that women make far better shooters than men for yet another reason.   As any old married man well knows ... one cannot possible ever win a logical argument with his spouse.   Example .... a family argument may be ongoing as to something which has only two logical sides - Black and White !    The man may be arguing with full certainty that Black is Black !   The wife having taken the opposite tack will suddenly bring out the defining parry .... "And another thing - You never did like my Aunt Mabels' goldfish !" ... and thus the argument is won !   This is known as singularity or dedication of purpose ... one reason why women make the best workers on repetitive tasks - shooting is one of them !

Mick

Offline gamo2hammerli

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2009, 06:11:35 PM »
Heh heh....if only my gut was at rib level....I'll have some extra padding as well.
Gamo: Expotec .177 + Big Cat .177 + Viper .177 + Whisper .177, Hammerli Titan .177, Diana model 24 .177, RWS-Diana P5 Magnum pistol .177, Crosman: G1 Extreme .177 + Storm XT .177 + Sierra Pro .177 + 1377 pistol .177, Air Arms S410SL .22, BSA Scorpion T10 .22, FX Cyclone .177, Remington Air Master 77 .177 + BB\'s,

Offline douglas george

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Re: So, who's been doing their homework?
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2009, 06:23:52 AM »
Hell, I just load up the old Sheridan, pump it about six times...aim at the target, close my eyes and let fly!

 Really guys it's all in trigger control, and sight alingnment...with most springers...hold it a little loose...it has to recoil.  If you can shoot a springer well... you can call yourself a "rifleman"!  Magnum springers are hard to shoot well, but it can be done...and at long range too.