Trigger control?

[Lonewolf74]

I'm looking to step up my shooting and the first thing I think i should focus on is my trigger control. Now the thing for me is it is probably opposite of most people, I can squeeze the trigger without anything moving. The problem I think that may exist is a lot of time the shot takes me so much by surprise that I jump when it does go off. It's something I learned how to do well with thousands of hours of practice in archery, I'm immersed in aiming while the trigger squeeze is sub conscious. Sort of like my body makes the shot go off wheather my mind was ready or not. However with shooting a rifle of any caliber that has some recoil even a 243 it seems I may let the rifle jump around too much doing that.

So my question is should I continue to shoot this way and put in more trigger time and the jump will go away? Or should I start to practice with putting in a more deliberate squeeze to where I know the rifle is going off and sort of hold it down?

I want to add that it is not a flinch or being bothered by recoil but being startled that the gun went off...as though I am just holding it and some one sneaks up and pulls the trigger.

 

[Barrelnut]

If the rifle is making you jump, your finger may also be bouncing on the trigger, which is usually not a good thing. I try to have a determined trigger pull that is straight back and continues straight back after the shot breaks.

You can always practice trigger pull at home with an empty rifle. Dry firing practice builds muscle memory and that helps consistency and follow through.

 

[Bravo 4]

I tend to think different on this matter than most, I don't want a gun to "surprise" me. I want to know exactly when that dude is gonna go off. What I used to do is several minutes of prone dry firing every day in a dark room, still do on occasion to maintain. This would help me concentrate on my breathing and get the trigger pull in sync. Then dry fire focusing on a very small aim point to bring it all together. Then maybe even go outside on the porch and get off the bipod and set up a tripod and practice some alternate positions.

 

[dfanonymous]

I'm looking to step up my shooting and the first thing I think i should focus on is my trigger control. Now the thing for me is it is probably opposite of most people, I can squeeze the trigger without anything moving. The problem I think that may exist is a lot of time the shot takes me so much by surprise that I jump when it does go off. It's something I learned how to do well with thousands of hours of practice in archery, I'm immersed in aiming while the trigger squeeze is sub conscious. Sort of like my body makes the shot go off wheather my mind was ready or not. However with shooting a rifle of any caliber that has some recoil even a 243 it seems I may let the rifle jump around too much doing that.

So my question is should I continue to shoot this way and put in more trigger time and the jump will go away? Or should I start to practice with putting in a more deliberate squeeze to where I know the rifle is going off and sort of hold it down?

I want to add that it is not a flinch or being bothered by recoil but being startled that the gun went off...as though I am just holding it and some one sneaks up and pulls the trigger.

How are the results? Is the flinching effecting accuracy?

 

[Lonewolf74]

I think it does slightly. A typical hundred yard 5 shot group for me will be 3-4 shots touching and 1-2 shots 1/4-1/2" away from the shots touching.

It may not be in the jump that causes this cus in theory the bullet is gone before my reaction accurs but I definitely think it's something I'm doing to have a shot or 2 fall just out of the group.

It's just the one thing that stands out to me that I make a lot of shots that are kind of like holy crap I didn't even realize I was squeezing the trigger yet. And sometimes it seems like I'm sitting there aiming for ever before it goes off. In both cases the shot takes me by complete surprise.

 

[Greyfox]

What is the weight of your trigger? Does it have sufficient over-travel?

 

[Lonewolf74]

What is the weight of your trigger? Does it have sufficient over-travel?

I don't know that exactly, there all between 2 and 5 lbs. Im not picky on trigger weight as long as they break pretty crisp and they all do with some having just a little take up at the beginning.

 

[dfanonymous]

I wouldn't worry about it then. With that little deviation in your group, it could be the factory ammunition. Or tiny harmonic POI shift. The whole surprise when the trigger break is kind of a newb marksmanship technique, but it works, so
The people saying they don't get a surprise, I feel you, I haven't been surprised in quite awhile, but when I was learning, that's how I learned trigger control. And bows as well.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

Sounds to me like you'd benefit from time on a 2-stage trigger set up nice and light. Some positive takeup to a shelf. Getting to feel the shelf is step one. Once you're on target then take up stage 1 and start the slow build up of pad pressure on the trigger until the bang. It will help take the startle out of the surprise. Training on a very light weight 2-stage like got me over the same sort of issue I think OP is having. Instead of being just a little surprised when it went off I was muscling the gun without realizing it because I was tense about the impending startle that the surprise bang gave me. Learning to get over the startle was the single thing that got me from very inconsistent groups where I'd often blame the gun (dumb) to being able to trust that the group size I'm getting is not being unduly influenced by my own skill or lack thereof. Training like that built up a sort of Pavlovian response in me to the impending bang and recoil in that if there's a little pressure on my trigger finger behind a rifle now most of rest of my body instinctively relaxes (the parts that don't need to be a little tensed anyway) and my sight picture focus goes primary and the trigger actuation is a sub-process. Everything else just falls away and the rifle becomes an extension of you.

 

[Lonewolf74]

BallisticsGuy I think your more a less understanding what I mean however I don't muscle the gun at all it completely free recoils. And I tend to jump a lil when it goes off cus I'm surprised by it. I guess I'm wondering if I should practice sort of holding everything down when I shoot and somewhat more anticipate the gun going off so I'm ready for it and not jumping like some one just snuck up and blind sided me.

I think too if I continue doing it how I am the jump will go away cus my body and sub conscious will become used to it or learn this is the whole process.

I also think doing it this way messes up my follow through. With the gun and me jumping I'm no longer sitting there aiming as though I'm still in the shot process and I lose my sight picture for a second till the gun and I come back to rest.

 

[Lonewolf74]

I wouldn't worry about it then. With that little deviation in your group, it could be the factory ammunition. Or tiny harmonic POI shift. The whole surprise when the trigger break is kind of a newb marksmanship technique, but it works, so
The people saying they don't get a surprise, I feel you, I haven't been surprised in quite awhile, but when I was learning, that's how I learned trigger control. And bows as well.

I hand load and think there's very little deviation in the ammo at least not enough to be seen at a 100 yards

 

[Don A Parsons]

I run a factory heavy pull trigger as I silhouette shoot.

3, 5, might even be 7 lbs, dosen't really matter as I have practiced many a times too remember where this braking point is.

The only thought in my mind is too hit the iron gong.
The rest comes natural as it becomes ingrained in our mind on what we need too do.

I'm sure glad to be back too a does it all one rifle as I learn how it acts in all the weather mother nature throws at it and my self.

We are a team all the time.

 

[dfanonymous]

I hand load and think there's very little deviation in the ammo at least not enough to be seen at a 100 yards

I think those are good groups, I mean we are splitting hairs here. Like I said, it could be barrel or some other type of harmonics, it could be the chamber temp on the 3rd or 4th round as it heats up. It could be a technique thing after firing a few rounds some small anticipation. It could be none of that and I might be going the wrong way with this. Sounds like know know what you are doing, so going back on topic I don't think the accuracy is the recoil, maybe how it recoils isn't consistent though because of the surprise...the gun recoils differently thus harmonics vary?

 

[Lonewolf74]

I think those are good groups, I mean we are splitting hairs here. Like I said, it could be barrel or some other type of harmonics, it could be the chamber temp on the 3rd or 4th round as it heats up. It could be a technique thing after firing a few rounds some small anticipation. It could be none of that and I might be going the wrong way with this. Sounds like know know what you are doing, so going back on topic I don't think the accuracy is the recoil, maybe how it recoils isn't consistent though because of the surprise...the gun recoils differently thus harmonics vary?

Yea I don't know for sure either and it could be something I would really need some one that really knows what there doing to watch me in person. Or just more trigger time.

I could be wrong on this but in my thinking with good technique and follow through there shouldn't be much movement except the quick push from recoil but still not enough that you lose sight of the target for that split second.

I think probably the answer is just to practice till the startle and jump go away but continue with the sub conscious trigger squeeze and still have a surprise shot.