trigger finger placement

S

squiggypowell

Inactive
I grew up shooting rifles and pistols. I was taught to put the pad of the finger on the trigger. I have been reading that you should place the first crease of the finger (last knuckle) on the trigger. Witch is it? Does it change for double action verses single action? Or rifle to pistol?
 
This is an issue, one of many in the shooting sports, where there is no one-size-fits-all answer, though of course many will argue that "their way" is "the only way". We are all shaped differently, handling firearms of varying dimensions and shapes, and in my opinion the only "right" way is the way that is most comfortable and repeatable for you as a shooter. It may even vary from gun to gun, and action type to action type. For example, I prefer to use the pad of my finger when shooting single action, rifle and shotgun triggers, and wind up using the joint for better purchase of the trigger when firing in double action mode.
 
I, too, believe one ought to experiment to see what works well for them. It may even depend on the type of shooting you're doing with the same gun; for example, I shoot DA revolvers, and in double action, almost exclusively. When shooting for accuracy, I get the smoothest pull and most control by placing the 1st joint over the trigger. In this case, the end of my finger can even act as a bit of a trigger stop against the frame. OTOH, when shooting rapid fire, as in combat action type shooting, I use a wee bit less finger, and place it lower on the trigger. Others may find their ideal to be different.
 
I shoot revolvers pretty much exclusively and almost always in double action. Shooting in double action requires that the trigger be pulled straight back towards the wrist. Otherwise, the gun will be torqued away from your hand-wrist axis (to the right if you're shooting right handed, to the left if you're shooting left handed). I find that it's impossible to pull straight back if you use just the pad of your trigger finger in a double action pull, because you can't get enough leverage from the tip of your finger to accomplish what you need to do. Consequently, using the pad in double action is a recipe for inaccuracy. I put my trigger finger in far enough so that the trigger rests slightly behind the crease separating the tip of the finger from the middle section. That guarantees a straight pull for me.

When shooting single action, however, I use just the pad of the finger.
 
Fullerton... The best groups I've ever shot with my 10/22 were when I used your method. Can't think of a more steady way to pull a trigger.
 
When I shot Bullseye competition many years ago, we were taught to use the pad of finger on trigger. But I recently read a report by Sgt. Brian Zins that he uses the first (outermost) crease or finger joint to press the triggers on his pistols. Zins just won the National Pistol Title at Camp Perry for the ninth (I think) time. His theory is that the finger pad has too much soft flesh and is therefore not as controllable as using the finger crease. The technique obviously works well for him.
 
test

Test for yourself; with what finger position do you shoot best?

Some say tip for DA revolver, and distal joint for semi....
 
Pad or crease? Both!

Depends on what type of shooting you are going to do. For Bullseye or when you are able to take your time and want the most precision - Pad. So, you can take advantage of all your capabilities of feeling on the pad of your finger.

If you are action shooting or more practice shooting like double taps or any fast shooting - crease. So you can get a good firm hold and can use more muscles in your fingers for more quicker response (e.g. pulling the trigger fast).

Change up sometimes and see what works for you. Not ONE (pad vs crease) is perfect for everyone and for every situation.
 
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