Flinching?

[olskool]

i do not and will not flinch! one thing i learned 50 years ago shooting pistols, you have to put it in your mind that you will not flinch! this can be a difficult problem, but you can overcome it. one trick to do is to aim and start to press the trigger, tell yourself that you will not move till you count to 3, start counting as the trigger is being squeezed, and your sights are on target. of course, you will not get past 1 before the gun goes off. when you overcome the flinch then you can learn how to shoot good tight groups,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Mulebrain]

I’ve begun sighting in my recently-completed Traditions Kentucky flintlock kit rifle. Front sight doesn’t look 100% centered, but it was close enough to give it a go. As photo shows, all shots hit right of bull. (Target was at about 40 yds-max range for my eyesight, and plenty for woodland deer hunting.) My question is, if & when people flinch, is there a usual direction of the flinch? I’m a left-hand shooter, but am using right-handed rifle. I don’t think I flinch, but I DO notice the flame/whoosh/BOOM! Do I need to work on my sights or my shooting?

Question is, is that target shot from bench, or off hand? Did you zero the rifle in from bench first? That is usually a must
Once you get it zeroed, then you can work on off hand shooting

 

[Mike in FL]

Have a helper with you when you shoot to either prime the pan , or not. Then hand you the rifle, you'll know soon enough if you flinch or not. Could also have someone video you while you shoot and review the film. I've found with flintlocks continuous practice is needed. If I dont shoot for a month or more I can tell a difference in my shooting.

Yep. When is was 16 (60 years ago) my dad taught me know not to flinch. Using his service .38, he would turn his back to load it and then tell me it had only one live round chamber. He put spent shells in the other five so that the cylinder looked loaded when viewed from the side. Still today I tell myself when aiming that the gun likely won't fire.

 

[reddogge]

I taught myself to not flinch with a flintlock in the early 80s. I just told myself to only let the recoil of the gun move my aim off of the target.

 

[airiest-falcon0n]

Question is, is that target shot from bench, or off hand? Did you zero the rifle in from bench first? That is usually a must
Once you get it zeroed, then you can work on off hand shooting

Off a table on deck. No sandbag. Was in process of zeroing, when idea of possible flinching came to mind. I will measure sight and make sure it’s centered before trying again.

 

[M. De Land]

Shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Practice makes perfect.

I think that diagram is primarily for hand gun shooting although some aspects apply for off hand long gun shooting.

 

[M. De Land]

Off a table on deck. No sandbag. Was in process of zeroing, when idea of possible flinching came to mind. I will measure sight and make sure it’s centered before trying again.

I don't think flinch has much consistency to it but produces more randomness in shot placement were as poor shot break technique will reveal more of a pattern.
I should point out that not noticing the flash can also mean the shooter is closing their eyes at the trigger break which is a form of flinch and equally disturbing to shot placement.

 

[dpasek]

Shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Practice makes perfect.

Practice makes *permanent*.
Practice an incorrect technique and you will develop a bad habit that is hard to fix.

 

[Marshhawk]

My wife beat the flinches by telling herself, "I'll flinch later." Works for her.

 

[S.Kenton]

Did you zero the rifle in from bench first? That is usually a must
Once you get it zeroed, then you can work on off hand shooting

Yes, this is spot on right here… ^^^
Once you zero your rifle from a steady rest, then you can work on your offhand shooting, otherwise your simply chasing your tail.

 

[airiest-falcon0n]

Yes, this is spot on right here… ^^^
Once you zero your rifle from a steady rest, then you can work on your offhand shooting, otherwise your simply chasing your tail.

I guess this is where I need to start…

 

[S.Kenton]

I guess this is where I need to start…

That’s what I’d do, it’s the part I I enjoy the most anyhow, shooting off a sturdy rest and working up a load will allow you to get to know your rifle very well. Shooting offhand will become second nature after a while. Good luck and enjoy the process! Let us know how you progress. Take care.

 

[rafterob]

Curiously, when I shoot my Son's flintlock, I will pull it about 4:00 Right. I can shoot cloverleafs like that. Put it on a rest and it shoots dead center. I don't have that issue with my flintlock. His is a slim and light rifle, mine is beefier with a longer-heavier barrel. I don't think my issue is flinch as much as pull. Lot's of advice already on avoiding flinch. With practice you will get it under control.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Curiously, when I shoot my Son's flintlock, I will pull it about 4:00 Right. I can shoot cloverleafs like that. Put it on a rest and it shoots dead center. I don't have that issue with my flintlock. His is a slim and light rifle, mine is beefier with a longer-heavier barrel. I don't think my issue is flinch as much as pull. Lot's of advice already on avoiding flinch. With practice you will get it under control.

Do you see front sight going down and right to 4.00 when the shot brakes? yes = no flinch, no = blink or flinch. If your right handed.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I’ve begun sighting in my recently-completed Traditions Kentucky flintlock kit rifle. Front sight doesn’t look 100% centered, but it was close enough to give it a go. As photo shows, all shots hit right of bull. (Target was at about 40 yds-max range for my eyesight, and plenty for woodland deer hunting.) My question is, if & when people flinch, is there a usual direction of the flinch? I’m a left-hand shooter, but am using right-handed rifle. I don’t think I flinch, but I DO notice the flame/whoosh/BOOM! Do I need to work on my sights or my shooting?

I don't really know the answer to the question about flinch causing a same direcion of elevation or windage. I will say that my RH SIL who is a crack shot with a cap gun has big flinch issues with my flintlock. That gun has never had the sights moved since the 70s when I made it. It is as dead on as I can make them. He shoots at least 6" to right repeatedly.
Larry

 

[smo]

Curiously, when I shoot my Son's flintlock, I will pull it about 4:00 Right. I can shoot cloverleafs like that. Put it on a rest and it shoots dead center. I don't have that issue with my flintlock. His is a slim and light rifle, mine is beefier with a longer-heavier barrel. I don't think my issue is flinch as much as pull. Lot's of advice already on avoiding flinch. With practice you will get it under control.

Did you ever hunt quail or woodcock?

When I do what you described, it’s because I jerked the trigger instead of lightly squeezing…..

 

[Sun City]

One must understand that all the bang....comes out the muzzle.....not the stock!!

 

[smo]

Ear plugs!

 

[zerosprk]

I'd make sure that your front and rear sight are as centered on your barrel as you can get them. After that, I would shoot your gun enough to be able to focus on the target to the point that you don't see the flash in the pan. Trust me, you can get there - ask me how I know. Make sure you focus on your target and that your follow-through is as consistent as it can be. The suggestion for holding the trigger back when the gun fires is a good one and is applicable to any long gun. Once you can consistently fire the gun without noticing what's going on in the pan, I'd get close enough to your target to be able to be on paper. I don't worry at this point if my point of aim (POA) doesn't equal the point of impact (POI). I look for the best combination of accuracy and downrange energy. Once I've found a load that my barrel likes, then I worry about adjusting my sights so that POA = POI.
At least this process works for me...

 

[Steve Wagner]

If you have been practicing with heavy loads to the point of them causing some pain, you are dealing with a reflex "flinch" that is hard to break by just wishing it away. 1st thing to do, if that's the case, is to eliminate the pain with some padding while practicing. If you are using heavy conicals, switch to lighter PRB loads for a bit to help retrain your brain. A steady diet of heavy conicals, zero padding and a hard rifle butt can teach your brain to get your shoulder/upper arm the h_ll out of the way whether you want it to or not. It is a subconscious thing, not overcome by macho, and I have seen big, tough guys develop bad flinches from magnumitus. Even a long session of very heavy PRB loads can do it. If you have a sore shoulder after practicing, you've done yourself no favors. Even if you didn't notice it getting there, your brain did.
While the target you show is inconclusive as to cause, it is more typical IME, for a righty to pull right with a flinch. Since you are shooting lefty, you should center up your sights 1st and see what happens. The concealed load flinch test is a very good idea. I use it a lot for pistols and it tells the story quickly.
If you practice with padding, you won't notice a thing in the hunting field without it. One or two shots are hardly registered. My kids learned by this method after I learned the hard way. They had not problem taking deer.
Good luck. SW