Since I started shooting shotgun slugs, I noticed I flinch when shooting practically anything. I've been getting way better at wearing ear plugs anytime I'm shooting, even rimfires. I don't really know what else to do. So help me out guys and gals! What's a provenway to cure flinching? Thanks in advance!
How do you cure flinching?
- Thread starter Jbotto
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BusGunner007
New member
Get a Phaser.
Seriously...
I don't know a good answer.
Shooting in anger tends to override the flinch, but that's not a good answer.
Mind over matter?
Decide to master the explosion.
Seriously...
I don't know a good answer.
Shooting in anger tends to override the flinch, but that's not a good answer.
Mind over matter?
Decide to master the explosion.
Shooting in anger definitely overrides flinch, but at that point your so frustrated your more likely not to be accurate, i get like that sometimes. I've dealt with flinch since i started too young on a 12ga. Get a .22 rimfire, practice correct breathing, and slow trigger pull. If it's severe when you get done move up too .223 from there preferably a bolt rifle, ARs tend to have a two way recoil system and definitely feels different to me. Again breathing and trigger pull. Also make sure to calm yourself down before you shoot. Psychologically try to focus more on your target and hitting it than the recoil of the weapon. Thats easier said than done depending on what your shooting. If your shooting at an animal it becomes much easier.. on targets my mind still sometimes anticipates recoil. I simply overcome it by shooting during my resting stage between breaths coupled with a slow and easy squeeze that way not knowing when the weapon will go off. Another that i should've mentioned first, is dry firing, it helps fantastically with flinching, and gives you a consistent trigger pull. I've read of a marksman that dry fires hundreds of times in a pitch black room to enhance his muscle memory. All in all it's almost like starting over going back to the basics and reiterating. Hope this helps.
trg42wraglefragle
New member
If you don't wear hearing protection, I think you can associate the kick with the loud noise, i'd try use a 22lr with ear muffs after a few shots you'l realize you can easily not flinch and watch your bullet hit the target. Then move up to a larger caliber.
Thats what i'd try.
I day I noticed i was flinching when a was using an air rifle, I have no idea why but I was, I just practised not flinching with my 22 and now any flint is gone.
I think hearing protection can really help, I have no logic behind it but if you don't already it'd be worth a try.
Thats what i'd try.
I day I noticed i was flinching when a was using an air rifle, I have no idea why but I was, I just practised not flinching with my 22 and now any flint is gone.
I think hearing protection can really help, I have no logic behind it but if you don't already it'd be worth a try.
IF you realize you're flinching, you've won half the battle.
Have a buddy stand behind you and load the firearm, or not load the firearms and hand it to you so that you can't see if the gun is loaded. Fire as normal. When the gun doesn't go off, you'll see how bad the flinch is.
I've used this method with revolvers. Stand behind the student and load his/her revolver with three shots, staggered in the cylinder. (Normally two rounds, a space, and another round). Spin the cylinder and close the cylinder. Hand it to the student and have them fire six times. If any flinch is present you'll see it when the gun fails to fire.
Have a buddy stand behind you and load the firearm, or not load the firearms and hand it to you so that you can't see if the gun is loaded. Fire as normal. When the gun doesn't go off, you'll see how bad the flinch is.
I've used this method with revolvers. Stand behind the student and load his/her revolver with three shots, staggered in the cylinder. (Normally two rounds, a space, and another round). Spin the cylinder and close the cylinder. Hand it to the student and have them fire six times. If any flinch is present you'll see it when the gun fails to fire.
RedNeckWino
New member
Large calibers can cause it. Stay CLOSE to a birm. Bench the rifle and get a bead on the target. get a box of cheap factory ammo, and touch them off with your eyes closed. Let your mind get used to the feel of the trigger and recoil. Again... start with a smaller caliber if needed. Every shot should be a surprise going off as to not give you time to flinch. Does not mater where on the target you hit, just getting used to the trigger-recoil-sound.
Trained Archery shooters for more than 6 years and this worked 99% of the time. Also used for many big bore rifle shooters. Worked for shooters that have been 30+ years with no trouble, then boom. TARGET PANIC. Does not hurt to video your self while you do it. Check your form and be honest to your self. Have another experienced shooter watch/judge also if possible.
PawPaw has another good tip/trick. +1
Trained Archery shooters for more than 6 years and this worked 99% of the time. Also used for many big bore rifle shooters. Worked for shooters that have been 30+ years with no trouble, then boom. TARGET PANIC. Does not hurt to video your self while you do it. Check your form and be honest to your self. Have another experienced shooter watch/judge also if possible.
PawPaw has another good tip/trick. +1
First thing to consider doing is downgrading to a lighter recoil gun and practice with that. This can be accomplished with a .22lr version of a rifle or handgun, or a reduced charge for the same gun you already own. If you can't get reloads with less powder or a weaker cartridge (like .38 in a .357) you can get a lot of good just going to basics and practicing with airsoft or a bb gun.
Much of being consistently accurate is developing good form and habits and committing it to muscle memory.
Also, try to get snap caps and have a buddy load them in the magazine so that you don't know where they are. It'll help make you aware of the problem.
Much of being consistently accurate is developing good form and habits and committing it to muscle memory.
Also, try to get snap caps and have a buddy load them in the magazine so that you don't know where they are. It'll help make you aware of the problem.
okiewita40
New member
Just like RedNeckWino said the gun should surprise you when it goes off. Another thing that may help is if you are shooting the gun off hand is to lean slightly forward when you are firing. It allows the body to take up a bit more recoil. Had a very small woman that worked for my dept. at one time. The shotgun was almost as big as she was. After cutting the buttstock down and getting her into the proper stance. A 12 with slug would almost knock her over. Once we taught her to lean into the gun she could qualify with the shotgun.
A couple of techniques I've used over the years with youth students:
1. Obtain some training/dummy ammunition for your firearm that will cycle reliably through the action/cylinder. The instructor loads the firearm, randomly inserting live or dummy ammunition out of sight of the student. If the student is flinching, it will be readily apparent when they hit a dummy round.
1. If you have a .357 Magnum revolver, alternate .38 Special and .357 Magnum rounds in a random fashion. When flinching, the .38 rounds will hit very, very low on the target.
I had a friend..who had the same problem..... The way he cured it was..each time he fired and I saw him flinch..he would set the gun down and I would slap him across the face pretty hard......After several times..and each slap was a little harder..he was cured......Try this method and tell me if it works for U too......
Dang Keg, I don't think that was necessary, but it was still fun wasn't it? Anyway hand a shooter an empty rifle will certainly recognize a flinch, however the real cure here is perfect technique, and hard practice.. If it doesn't get better you might have Keg and a few of his buddies drop by........
Time to Graduate
Learn from the NRA's The Basics of Rifle Shooting -- a great, short, easy to read and image-laden book.
Get a .22 and practice, dry fire (snap cap), get a caliber you can manage, try practiced/competitive shooting on a target for score -- NRA has a BOOK full of them. Courses of different fire, they tell you what target to use, and where you fall/fail. Go to...
http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/marksmanship/
Click a program on the left, maybe Hunter Marksmanship Qualification if that's your thing, and challenge yourself. Time to graduate from just busting caps at a bench and flinching.
Learn from the NRA's The Basics of Rifle Shooting -- a great, short, easy to read and image-laden book.
Get a .22 and practice, dry fire (snap cap), get a caliber you can manage, try practiced/competitive shooting on a target for score -- NRA has a BOOK full of them. Courses of different fire, they tell you what target to use, and where you fall/fail. Go to...
http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/marksmanship/
Click a program on the left, maybe Hunter Marksmanship Qualification if that's your thing, and challenge yourself. Time to graduate from just busting caps at a bench and flinching.
Attachments
Imagine the frontsight is attached to your trigger, when you pull the trigger back you are pulling the frontsight back through the notch of your rear sight. You will be looking at the frontsight so hard you won't have the presence of mind to worry about when that shot is going to go off. When it does it will be a surprise, the bullet is going to go where its supposed to and your flinching will eventually go away. It is one of the hardest habits to break and even experienced shooters develop it and have to go back to basics to get rid of it. Don't try to rush it, a couple of good days on the range isn't going to cure you. It takes time.
Big plus on your protection equipment. The best shooting glasses and the best ear muffs you can afford and if you shoot inside a set of ear plugs will help.
Big plus on your protection equipment. The best shooting glasses and the best ear muffs you can afford and if you shoot inside a set of ear plugs will help.
the rifleer
New member
I have the same problem. WIth rifles, long slow and steady trigger pulls work best.
Marquezj16
New member
To the OP, it seems like it's the recoil of the slug that got to you. You probably got kicked harder than your body was used to and now your mind is expecting the same result each time you pull the trigger. Go back to basics like everyone said. I remember the first time I shot Winchesters PDX out of a 870. I still remember that kick versus regular cub or target loads, although I don't think it caused a flinch with me.
+1 on going back to a 22LR rifle and using lots of ear protection, even if you have to use plugs and muffs to eliminate most of the noise.
Years ago, I felt that I needed to really refine my technique if I was going to shoot more accurately. I felt that I might have been anticipating the recoil on some of my larger caliber center fire rifles.
So I used both bolt action and semi-auto .22LRs and shot them exclusively to measure my accuracy and then continued to use them as a measure of how well my techique was improving. Using the bolt action and the semi-auto forced me to match up with my center fire mix.
With plenty of ear protection, I got very comfortable and repeatable with my techinque on the 22s. It works so well that I used all 5 of my 22LRs and made it a test to see which shot the best with which ammo. After lots of rounds downrange and lots of fun getting results, only then did I go back to my centerfire rifles.
Wow! My technique had improved enough that I now have 5 centerfire rifles that consistently shoot well under 1 MOA and two that shoot well under 0.5 MOA.
Before I really started to work on technique, I was lucky to shoot 1 MOA. My technique just wouldn't support it.
My 100 yard targets now are 1 inch orange dots with Cross Hairs across them - 12 to a 8 1/2 by 11 inch page.
I regularly shoot the yellow out of the targets at 100 yards with everything up to my .270 and .30-06 hunting rifles.
I couldn't have done that without really working on my technique with rimfires. It cured me of anticipating recoil and helped me to concentrate on the basics. It also gave me a reference for technique whenever I think that I may be getting sloppy.
Years ago, I felt that I needed to really refine my technique if I was going to shoot more accurately. I felt that I might have been anticipating the recoil on some of my larger caliber center fire rifles.
So I used both bolt action and semi-auto .22LRs and shot them exclusively to measure my accuracy and then continued to use them as a measure of how well my techique was improving. Using the bolt action and the semi-auto forced me to match up with my center fire mix.
With plenty of ear protection, I got very comfortable and repeatable with my techinque on the 22s. It works so well that I used all 5 of my 22LRs and made it a test to see which shot the best with which ammo. After lots of rounds downrange and lots of fun getting results, only then did I go back to my centerfire rifles.
Wow! My technique had improved enough that I now have 5 centerfire rifles that consistently shoot well under 1 MOA and two that shoot well under 0.5 MOA.
Before I really started to work on technique, I was lucky to shoot 1 MOA. My technique just wouldn't support it.
My 100 yard targets now are 1 inch orange dots with Cross Hairs across them - 12 to a 8 1/2 by 11 inch page.
I regularly shoot the yellow out of the targets at 100 yards with everything up to my .270 and .30-06 hunting rifles.
I couldn't have done that without really working on my technique with rimfires. It cured me of anticipating recoil and helped me to concentrate on the basics. It also gave me a reference for technique whenever I think that I may be getting sloppy.
"Dry fire" maybe 200 to 250 times a day. Use your all your guns, and use your regular targets. Work on basics, and call ever flier.
No "wet five" for at least a month, just "dry fire".
When you are ready to start shooting again, start lite, 22 lr's, 38spe/9mm, and other low recoil weapons you may have. This means "NO" full house 44 mags, "NO" 458 L's, and "NO" 12 GA slugs in a light weight framed shotguns...
No "wet five" for at least a month, just "dry fire".
When you are ready to start shooting again, start lite, 22 lr's, 38spe/9mm, and other low recoil weapons you may have. This means "NO" full house 44 mags, "NO" 458 L's, and "NO" 12 GA slugs in a light weight framed shotguns...
Last weekend I was with a friend at the range and he had the same problem shooting an S&W 9mm.
I told him and told him he was flinching and he wouldn’t believe me. So what I did was to have him face away from me and I loaded the gun with one round. Handed him the gun and told him to fire.
I did this 2 times and on the 3rd I handed him his gun empty. When he fired it he not only was flinching but after firing the gun he was actually lifting the barrel up over the target like the gun had recoiled.
Once he saw that he was doing and repeating this about 30 times where he only fired about 20 rounds he got his groups from 20 inches at 7 yards (not kidding) down to about 4 inches.
I have used this training tool in the past and it’s worked very well. Once you accept the fact you have a problem and see what the problem is the cure is easy.
I told him and told him he was flinching and he wouldn’t believe me. So what I did was to have him face away from me and I loaded the gun with one round. Handed him the gun and told him to fire.
I did this 2 times and on the 3rd I handed him his gun empty. When he fired it he not only was flinching but after firing the gun he was actually lifting the barrel up over the target like the gun had recoiled.
Once he saw that he was doing and repeating this about 30 times where he only fired about 20 rounds he got his groups from 20 inches at 7 yards (not kidding) down to about 4 inches.
I have used this training tool in the past and it’s worked very well. Once you accept the fact you have a problem and see what the problem is the cure is easy.