Hand position while shooting

[WildRose]

I agree with that completely. I can't shoulder my rifle at the bench or at 100 yards, my heartbeat will take the crosshair 1-2 inches off the bullseye. At 200 yards or further, it get very bad. I've had an unusually strong heartbeat all my life.

Spencer

Same here. Without a rear bag or using my fist as one I have to try to time my shots between heartbeats or right as it falls back on target after one. If you have a naturally slow heartbeat that's not too hard but I run a little fast these days so as I get older it's much more of an issue.

 

[TracySes23]

Same here. Without a rear bag or using my fist as one I have to try to time my shots between heartbeats or right as it falls back on target after one. If you have a naturally slow heartbeat that's not too hard but I run a little fast these days so as I get older it's much more of an issue.

I've exercised most of my adult life. I spend 50 minutes & 12 miles on an exercise cycle 6 days a week. I'm 73 now & my pulse is from the mid 50's to low 60's. I'd ride longer, but my *** gets sore & my feet swell up. Then I have to prop my legs up for an hour while the swelling goes down. Five years ago, I could do 70 minutes a day. I wish I could buy new parts. On the plus side, I can buy just about anything I want within reason, but I'm such a tightwad, it takes me months to finally make a purchase.

 

[WildRose]

I've exercised most of my adult life. I spend 50 minutes & 12 miles on an exercise cycle 6 days a week. I'm 73 now & my pulse is from the mid 50's to low 60's. I'd ride longer, but my *** gets sore & my feet swell up. Then I have to prop my legs up for an hour while the swelling goes down. Five years ago, I could do 70 minutes a day. I wish I could buy new parts. On the plus side, I can buy just about anything I want within reason, but I'm such a tightwad, it takes me months to finally make a purchase.

Well break out the piggy bank and buy a better bicycle seat!

 

[TracySes23]

Well break out the piggy bank and buy a better bicycle seat!

I did that a couple of years ago & it helped for a while, but it's either getting bad or my *** is getting more tender. mebbe both.

 

[FearNoWind]

My non-trigger hand rests under the buttstock. I have a butt bag attached to the sling so I can position it under the buttstock and I use my non-trigger hand to increase/decrease the height and general position of the butt bag by squeezing it as necessary. The butt bag measures 2x4x6 inches so I can select the side that best suits the basic requirements for height and "squeeze" to make fine adjustments.
I also "load" the bipod slightly, putting only the slightest forward pressure on the stock to set the legs of the bipod before the shot.
I do not grasp the stock with my trigger hand. The thumb of my trigger hand lays alongside the stock to prevent any possibility of putting even the slightest torque on the stock during the firing sequence.

 

[TracySes23]

A while back I was watching a YouTube video of a bench rest shooter using a technique I'd never seen before. But I keep forgetting to try it.
He'd put his forefinger on the trigger like everyone else, but he did something interesting with his thumb.
Using his thumb on the same hand as his trigger finger, he placed it behind the back of the trigger guard. He then squeezed his thumb and forefinger together instead of just squeezing the trigger as most normally do. I watched it about 20 times & concluded, the pressure should the same from opposing sides of the trigger & shouldn't cause any unwanted movement.
I've yet to try this myself, but I have high hopes it will make my trigger pull or squeeze more consistent.
If anyone has tried this or tries it before I do, I'd like to hear their opinion of how it works for them.

Spencer

 

[dragman]

doesn't matter to me if it's 100 yards or 1500 yards right hand on the trigger and stock, and left hand squeezes the bag.
I don't have the heart beat issue that others do I guess I might be dead. guns on shoulder light cheek weld but don't have that issue.

 

[WildRose]

A while back I was watching a YouTube video of a bench rest shooter using a technique I'd never seen before. But I keep forgetting to try it.
He'd put his forefinger on the trigger like everyone else, but he did something interesting with his thumb.
Using his thumb on the same hand as his trigger finger, he placed it behind the back of the trigger guard. He then squeezed his thumb and forefinger together instead of just squeezing the trigger as most normally do. I watched it about 20 times & concluded, the pressure should the same from opposing sides of the trigger & shouldn't cause any unwanted movement.
I've yet to try this myself, but I have high hopes it will make my trigger pull or squeeze more consistent.
If anyone has tried this or tries it before I do, I'd like to hear their opinion of how it works for them.

Spencer

It works very well and virtually eliminates the possibility of torquing the rifle at all as you squeeze the shot off.

If you are using a rear bag or monopod set up don't be afraid at all to give it a try.

 

[TracySes23]

It works very well and virtually eliminates the possibility of torquing the rifle at all as you squeeze the shot off.

If you are using a rear bag or monopod set up don't be afraid at all to give it a try.

I need to write myself a note & stick it on the dash of my car. For anything new I do this.

Thanks for the response!

Spencer

 

[WildRose]

I need to write myself a note & stick it on the dash of my car. For anything new I do this.

Thanks for the response!

Spencer

That's what we're here for.

Give this thread a read. There's a lot of great input there from a lot of good shooters.


http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/trigger-timing-training-practice-80572/

 

[TracySes23]

That's what we're here for.

Give this thread a read. There's a lot of great input there from a lot of good shooters.


http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/trigger-timing-training-practice-80572/

Thanks again, I bookmarked it & put it in my LRH folder. It's a rare day I don't spend time on LRH. Although more specialized I spend time at "6mmBR" from time to time.

BTW, last night I spent some time looking for that "YouTube video" I'd seen a few months ago. After searching for 30 minutes or so, I discovered, "trigger pinch" is the more accepted term. If I'd known that, my search would have been faster.

 

[texas270]

Interesting subject for me because my shooting conditions are different from many of you. I often hunt in fairly high grass over flat ground, thus I have to shoot from a sitting position with barrel about 28" or so above ground--thus do all of my shooting in the sitting position for consistency. it is also often a bit windy here (Texas).

so keeping everything steady in moderate wind with heart beat and 28" above ground over a tripod, the best method for me has been to do precisely what the originator of the thread alluded to--placing left hand holding both the front of the stock and the tripod and applying consistent rearward pressure in order to best maintain stability.

It works well by my standards, but I am only shooting out to 600 yards thus far, but expect to achieve 1/2 MOA, unless I mess up.

be interested to hear if anyone else has related experience....

 

[WildRose]

Interesting subject for me because my shooting conditions are different from many of you. I often hunt in fairly high grass over flat ground, thus I have to shoot from a sitting position with barrel about 28" or so above ground--thus do all of my shooting in the sitting position for consistency. it is also often a bit windy here (Texas).

so keeping everything steady in moderate wind with heart beat and 28" above ground over a tripod, the best method for me has been to do precisely what the originator of the thread alluded to--placing left hand holding both the front of the stock and the tripod and applying consistent rearward pressure in order to best maintain stability.

It works well by my standards, but I am only shooting out to 600 yards thus far, but expect to achieve 1/2 MOA, unless I mess up.

be interested to hear if anyone else has related experience....

I've spent most of the last 40 years hunting in similar fashion here in Texas and NM. I'll use anything I can to get steady when I can't get down in the prone and do things right. Instead of carrying a tall bipod or tripod though I usually just line up my stalks with a mesquite or other tree or a fence and use them.

With a little practice it works well out to 600yds but beyond that if I can't get a solid rested shot from the truck or from the prone I'll pass the shot on game.

I have however been seriously considering the "Primo's Trigger Sticks Tripod" for my Africa trip since shooting there is often quick and dirty with no time to look for a rest.

 

[texas270]

Thanks Wild Rose.

I actually do use a Trigger Stick tripod as the rest for the front of the rifle and in order to maintain needed stability, use a Trigger Stick bipod under the butt of the rifle (sitting position), which I failed to mention before, and which is absolutely necessary for me to be able to shoot around .6 MOA in the field.

More recently, I have moved from the Trigger Stick tripod at the front to a "stiffer" yet lighter tripod found at a Camera store.

thanks again for your feedback.