Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
The classic Flinch is supposed to be something like this. We call for the target, track it, go to shoot and our finger doesn't press the trigger. After a brief moment, we try again, maybe successfully. In any case, timing's off and the shot gets wasted while the call "Lost" is heard.
I differ from many more educated than I am on this. IMO, other symptoms pop up to show a flinch problem is active.
Watch some folks on the line when a dud shell happens. The barrel might lurch down, the face jump off the stock, the firing hand give a convulsive squeeze....
All these qualify as a flinch in my humble opinion. All indicate the body's anticipating being hurt.
Causes include bad mindset,bad fit,light shotguns,heavy loads,heavy triggers, too much noise, too much blast, too much shooting, ad infinitum. And of course, any or all combined.
One reason I keep on preaching about light loads until I'm blue in the monitor is this. Far easier to deal with a flinch that never gets started. Oz of prevention/lb of cure.
Here's some cure, though nothing makes a flinch go away forever.
Gene Hill, in his delightful Shotgunner's Notebook, addresses the problem and mentions that using top ear protection helps. Try using a long barrel to move the blast further away, too.
Lighter agendas. Instead of running a case or so every range trip, cut it down to 100 shells, and take breaks between rounds.For the Practical folks, the R/R buck and slugs are a boon indeed.
Anything that'll reduce kick. This can be a better pad, better fit, using a gas gun, lighter loads, subguages etc.
Dry mounting and firing practice.
And most crucially, mindset. Be ready to shoot and do so. Focus, focus,focus...
I differ from many more educated than I am on this. IMO, other symptoms pop up to show a flinch problem is active.
Watch some folks on the line when a dud shell happens. The barrel might lurch down, the face jump off the stock, the firing hand give a convulsive squeeze....
All these qualify as a flinch in my humble opinion. All indicate the body's anticipating being hurt.
Causes include bad mindset,bad fit,light shotguns,heavy loads,heavy triggers, too much noise, too much blast, too much shooting, ad infinitum. And of course, any or all combined.
One reason I keep on preaching about light loads until I'm blue in the monitor is this. Far easier to deal with a flinch that never gets started. Oz of prevention/lb of cure.
Here's some cure, though nothing makes a flinch go away forever.
Gene Hill, in his delightful Shotgunner's Notebook, addresses the problem and mentions that using top ear protection helps. Try using a long barrel to move the blast further away, too.
Lighter agendas. Instead of running a case or so every range trip, cut it down to 100 shells, and take breaks between rounds.For the Practical folks, the R/R buck and slugs are a boon indeed.
Anything that'll reduce kick. This can be a better pad, better fit, using a gas gun, lighter loads, subguages etc.
Dry mounting and firing practice.
And most crucially, mindset. Be ready to shoot and do so. Focus, focus,focus...
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