This flinching business - or "don't blame the gun"
Mar 15, 2010 12:39:58 GMT -5
Post by northny on Mar 15, 2010 12:39:58 GMT -5
My first rifle coach (other than my dad) was when I was 10 and shooting small bore rifle. Two nights a week at an indoor fifty foot range. One thing the coach made us do was to call EVERY shot. This team was from a poorer area, and there was only one spotting scope at the range. You called your shot (out loud), and then the spotter told you were it was. Every one knew your business, and you took some verbal abuse if you called it right and it was left. You focused on making every shot good, and knowing what the sight picture was when the rifle went off. As a result, I believe I have probably called every shot I have every taken (at least in my mind, I don't call them out loud anymore). Targets, game, varmints, dispatching snakes, soda cans with bb guns, doesn't matter. Yup, hit that snake in the left eye instead of between them. The following targets are all at 100 yards off a bench.
On the first target I had called the shot at 8 ring at 11 o'clock (snuck just inside the 9). I called the third shot at 11 o'clock in 9 (snuck just inside the 10). But it was with the fifth shot that I called an inch out at 9 o'clock that it dawned on me ....I FLINCHED! The sight picture had been dead on, but just as the pin was to drop, I had reduced my check pressure on the stock and was bailing out. Just the least little bit, but it was pulling sight picture to left as the rifle discharged. Dang, might of well said I mistreated my dog, this was just not something that grown men do! (but in truth, not the first time I had, just like the occasional glitch shows up in my golf swing). A sixth shot on the target made me feel a little better.
So back on the horse. Target two.
Better on paper, but still felt I was either high or left or high and left. I was still disturbing the sight picture at the last nano second. Now I absolutely know this gun with this hand load can shoot better than I was doing. (Model 70 featherweight in .308, I have had it about 25 years). Even though a sporter barrel, this thing just shoots! Nikon buck-master 3 - 9X on it.
So take a break, hit the head, hang a new target, do some Lamaze breathing and relaxation exercises (go ahead and laugh, but they work for me). Clear the mind. five shots. they all feel good. did not even bother to check the spotting scope between shots.
Now thats what I am talking about.
Made me think about my last trip to the range. Five rounds of five different hand loads through a .270 working up a load for my sons new rifle that did not seem to make sense. Then five rounds through a 7mm mag, after which I had written in my notes "I did not shoot anything well today, so is this ratty group really moved left ? Left sights alone until confirming next trip" Guess I need to repeat the work up on the .270 I suspect the 7mm is not shooting left, and the next time the group will centered, 2.5 inches high and not be ratty.
So here is to Coach Ed C. As he said, except for the rare equipment or ammo malfunction, there is no thing as an unexplained flyer. (as a side note, I was the reason he added the ammo malfunction to his quote. I was shooting prone for score for bragging rights in the boy scouts. It was one of those very quiet intervals between shots, and the four rows of theater seating behind the fireing line was packed. Instead of a pop, my rifle "burped", and we all got to watch and hear my projectile role about 25 feet down the tile floor. I cracked "that's an unexplained flyer" before I cracked up laughing. Could not focus after that and lost the shoot out I should not have.
Of couse, Coach Ed did not shoot a smokeless muzzeloader, where there may be the the unexplained out lyers.
On the first target I had called the shot at 8 ring at 11 o'clock (snuck just inside the 9). I called the third shot at 11 o'clock in 9 (snuck just inside the 10). But it was with the fifth shot that I called an inch out at 9 o'clock that it dawned on me ....I FLINCHED! The sight picture had been dead on, but just as the pin was to drop, I had reduced my check pressure on the stock and was bailing out. Just the least little bit, but it was pulling sight picture to left as the rifle discharged. Dang, might of well said I mistreated my dog, this was just not something that grown men do! (but in truth, not the first time I had, just like the occasional glitch shows up in my golf swing). A sixth shot on the target made me feel a little better.
So back on the horse. Target two.
Better on paper, but still felt I was either high or left or high and left. I was still disturbing the sight picture at the last nano second. Now I absolutely know this gun with this hand load can shoot better than I was doing. (Model 70 featherweight in .308, I have had it about 25 years). Even though a sporter barrel, this thing just shoots! Nikon buck-master 3 - 9X on it.
So take a break, hit the head, hang a new target, do some Lamaze breathing and relaxation exercises (go ahead and laugh, but they work for me). Clear the mind. five shots. they all feel good. did not even bother to check the spotting scope between shots.
Now thats what I am talking about.
Made me think about my last trip to the range. Five rounds of five different hand loads through a .270 working up a load for my sons new rifle that did not seem to make sense. Then five rounds through a 7mm mag, after which I had written in my notes "I did not shoot anything well today, so is this ratty group really moved left ? Left sights alone until confirming next trip" Guess I need to repeat the work up on the .270 I suspect the 7mm is not shooting left, and the next time the group will centered, 2.5 inches high and not be ratty.
So here is to Coach Ed C. As he said, except for the rare equipment or ammo malfunction, there is no thing as an unexplained flyer. (as a side note, I was the reason he added the ammo malfunction to his quote. I was shooting prone for score for bragging rights in the boy scouts. It was one of those very quiet intervals between shots, and the four rows of theater seating behind the fireing line was packed. Instead of a pop, my rifle "burped", and we all got to watch and hear my projectile role about 25 feet down the tile floor. I cracked "that's an unexplained flyer" before I cracked up laughing. Could not focus after that and lost the shoot out I should not have.
Of couse, Coach Ed did not shoot a smokeless muzzeloader, where there may be the the unexplained out lyers.
