I was out shooting and noticed i kept flinching and closing my eyes. I don't do this with rifles only handguns, i dont know if its the blow back hitting my face or if its just the difference in shooting mechanics. Is there a surefire way to get rid of a flinch? Or just burn through rounds until it goes away?
Handgun flinch?
- Thread starter Sentryau2
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breakingcontact
Member
I noticed at home while dry firing I was rock steady. At the range, not so much. A good way to both test this and train to improve is to mix some snap caps blindly into your magazine. It will show you what youre doing.
Also, try this drill at the range. Fire once, then dry fire five times.
Furncliff
Member
Shoot more .22 .
I have loaded my revolvers leaving one cylinder empty, when I get to that cylinder and have a flinch it really shows. Being reminded this way is half the battle.
I have loaded my revolvers leaving one cylinder empty, when I get to that cylinder and have a flinch it really shows. Being reminded this way is half the battle.
BCRider
Member
I used a .22 a lot in my early shooting to concentrate on the basics while still having SOME kick. I'd switch to the center fire and do fine for a few shots and then the flinch would return. So unload and clear and back to the rimfire.
One of those "basics" is to focus on performing a full trigger stroke and HOLD IT BACK until the recoil shock subsides. By concentrating on a full, smooth pull and holding it you develop a follow through that tends to take your attention off the upcoming BANG!. Only after the recoil shock subsides and the gun is steady again should you ease up on the trigger to let it push your finger forward.
Note how that last bit was worded? The trick is to build and release pressure on the trigger. Don't try to actually MOVE the trigger. Just build pressure up and ease off and let the trigger move as it will. Don't consider this as slow either. You can work at smoothly building up and releasing pressure like this until you're shooting as fast as Jerry Miculek and other great shooters. Anyhow, that's for later. For now work on building pressure at a rate that has the trigger move to the rear travel stop over about half a second. If you go much slower we humans tend to make it more jerky a motion. If we go much faster until practised then we tend to snatch at the trigger. So start with about a half to 3/4 second build to have the trigger fully back.
One of those "basics" is to focus on performing a full trigger stroke and HOLD IT BACK until the recoil shock subsides. By concentrating on a full, smooth pull and holding it you develop a follow through that tends to take your attention off the upcoming BANG!. Only after the recoil shock subsides and the gun is steady again should you ease up on the trigger to let it push your finger forward.
Note how that last bit was worded? The trick is to build and release pressure on the trigger. Don't try to actually MOVE the trigger. Just build pressure up and ease off and let the trigger move as it will. Don't consider this as slow either. You can work at smoothly building up and releasing pressure like this until you're shooting as fast as Jerry Miculek and other great shooters. Anyhow, that's for later. For now work on building pressure at a rate that has the trigger move to the rear travel stop over about half a second. If you go much slower we humans tend to make it more jerky a motion. If we go much faster until practised then we tend to snatch at the trigger. So start with about a half to 3/4 second build to have the trigger fully back.
il.bill
Member
Which handguns and calibers are you shooting?
I regularly shoot an assortment of pistols and revolvers, both rimfire and in centerfire calibers from .25 ACP through 7.62x25mm Tokarev and .357 magnum to my big three: .44 magnum, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had any blow back hit me in the face - it may have happened a time or two, but I cannot recollect the specifics.
I regularly shoot an assortment of pistols and revolvers, both rimfire and in centerfire calibers from .25 ACP through 7.62x25mm Tokarev and .357 magnum to my big three: .44 magnum, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had any blow back hit me in the face - it may have happened a time or two, but I cannot recollect the specifics.
herrwalther
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breakingcontact said:
Or have someone else do it for you.
jhb
Member
Train it away by shooting a .22lr pistol. Don't move up caliber until you have gotten control over it. Jmo.....ymmv.
mikemyers
Member
I can only tell you what worked for me, with a revolver. #1 is to follow all the advice like the above, even if you don't see how it would make a difference. #2 is to dry-fire so much, so often, that your body develops good habits and motions, rather than the wrong ones. #3 is to buy yourself a copy of the book "The Perfect Pistol Shot".
If you're flinching, and you continue to shoot, all you're doing is re-enforcing the wrong habits and motions for your body. Stop. .....and if you find that you can dry-fire endlessly without flinching, it's just really mind over matter. I don't know what others do, but I spent 20 minutes a day, every day, dry-firing at home. I did it until my hands were tired. Little by little, my hands stopped flinching, and my eyes no longer wanted to blink. I'm still not as good as I want to be, but my groups are much tighter now than just a few months ago!
(Tip: with the revolver, I loaded only two live rounds out of 6 for a while at the range, and made sure I had no idea which was coming up when.
)rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Go back to a .22 target pistol until you get over it.
Thats what championship level shooters do.
rc
Thats what championship level shooters do.
rc
1911 guy
Member
.22 is the way to go, whether it be rifle or handgun. It's the best training aid there is. Second only to that is dryfire. This ingrains muscle memory. As other have said, an empty chamber in a cylinder or spent case in a mag brings the lessons home when you're expecting recoil and there is none.
Instead of trying to keep the muzzle from flipping and getting the sights back on target real fast, just go with the recoil. You can keep your wrists tight, but that's it. After you get rid of the flinch, you can get back to trying to reduce your split times.
Flinch is just anticipation of the recoil. You end up pushing the muzzle down right before the gun goes off. But if you're not trying to counteract the recoil, you will have no reason to do this.
Flinch is just anticipation of the recoil. You end up pushing the muzzle down right before the gun goes off. But if you're not trying to counteract the recoil, you will have no reason to do this.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I agree with all the above posts telling you to train it away shooting a .22. Shooting more of what gave you the flinch in the first place will only make it worse.
Is there a big-bore or two in your range lineup?
Is there a big-bore or two in your range lineup?
When u dry fire.... stand an empty casing on the end of your barrel.... practise, practise until it remains standing through the dry firing..... ..this is one way to really see what you are doing with that flinch...... its all about that easy squeeze..... and contol..... it really takes practise.... dirt
I did the dry firing thing, case stays perfectly still. I dont have any snap caps or a revolver so that will have to wait. Im NOT flinching to negate recoil, I can ride the recoil out. I close my eyes during the recoil and feel of the "shock wave" Im gonna pick up on some wide lens shooters glasses and see if that helps (I haven't been wearing any due to them being misplaced by small hands) I do this same thing with .22lr auto loader aswell.
I never have this problem with rifles from .22lr to .300 WSM so I dont know where it came from.
EDIT: the handgun is 9mm
I never have this problem with rifles from .22lr to .300 WSM so I dont know where it came from.
EDIT: the handgun is 9mm
ArchAngelCD
Member.
If you feel you are closing your eyes after firing merely because you lost your shooting glasses, that is a very easy fix. Shooting glasses are not expensive, run over to your local Walmart and buy a pair. If that's all it will take to stop your flinch it's money VERY WELL spent, no?
Doc7
Member
Yesterday I found myself flinching with my (brand new, right out of the box except an initial cleaning) Glock 19. As it was my first time shooting a centerfire I attributed it to nerves. I found that a hard HARD focus on the front sight resulted in shots with no flinch and groups that were literally a ragged hole at 7 yards. Granted it took me 5 seconds a shot to do this. But when I lost focus on front sight I also flinched.
This is where I think a revolver comes in handy. Grab 3 or four rounds and load them by feel, spin the cylinder between loading them and close it up so that you have no idea which chambers have something in them. Start shooting as and Doc7 says watch your sights intently, if you can't say exactly where the sights were when the hammer dropped you didn't see the sights. Take time to analyze every shot. Get picky, I'm not talking on the bullseye or not, but where on the bullseye, center, 9:00 edge, center, 2:00 just off the edge, you get the idea. Probably best to precede your shooting session with a significant dry fire session just so you can fine tune taking these mental snapshots. You can do this with a semiauto pistol if you can come up with some dummy rounds. If your mag holds 7 count out four and throw in three dummys, mix em up and load by feel so you have no idea whats coming. I hope this helps, good luck.
Airman Basic
Member
This little thing helped me. Print it whatever size suits. I think originally for one handed bullseye shooting, but it helps with two hands also.
1911 guy
Member
The biggest clue is noticeable degradation after losing the glasses. It's a mental thing. Easiest to overcome with a new pair of glasses. Lay off the loud and stout recoil stuff until the shooting glasses are replaced, so you don't "learn" new bad habits.
And still shoot a lot of .22 to "unlearn" the flinch you picked up.
And still shoot a lot of .22 to "unlearn" the flinch you picked up.
Stevie-Ray
Member
When I shot a lot of .44 mag, I would develop a pronounced flinch. As was mentioned, I loaded 4 live rounds and 2 cases, trying my best to mix them enough to not "remember" where the cases were, whenever it started. Spin the cylinder, close it and check for flinch. Keep doing that until flinch was abated, and then I was good for a few months until it started again. Repeat.
Dummy rounds work for autos.
Dummy rounds work for autos.
hammerklavier
Member
Also, is your hearing protection good enough?
Flinching is mostly a mental issue. Concentrate on sight picture and trigger control, tell yourself to simply let the recoil happen and instead concentrate bringing the sights back on target after the shot. Blinking after the shot is a normal involuntary reaction but should happen only after the shot if you are concentrating on sight alignment and surprise shot release.
sakata8242
Member
Dummy round drills. Have a friend load up snap caps with live rounds and have you shoot. Your goal is to get a perfect trigger press each time without disturbing your sights. It will show you what you're doing, and help tune you into when you're about to flinch and help make you more conscious of it.
Dry fire will help with your trigger press; it will not "condition" you to the blast and recoil which is part of the flinching problem. In other words, it's good practice but will only take you so far.
Likewise, training with a .22 is a great and (used to be) inexpensive way to train the fundamentals of trigger control and sight alignment. But again, it won't train away a flinch that comes with larger caliber weapons.
And please, please, please, for the love of God, ignore and throw away that stupid pie chart that everyone STILL loves to throw around. It is only relevant for one handed bulls-eye style shooting, and has nothing to do with modern two handed shooting techniques.
Dry fire will help with your trigger press; it will not "condition" you to the blast and recoil which is part of the flinching problem. In other words, it's good practice but will only take you so far.
Likewise, training with a .22 is a great and (used to be) inexpensive way to train the fundamentals of trigger control and sight alignment. But again, it won't train away a flinch that comes with larger caliber weapons.
And please, please, please, for the love of God, ignore and throw away that stupid pie chart that everyone STILL loves to throw around. It is only relevant for one handed bulls-eye style shooting, and has nothing to do with modern two handed shooting techniques.
vaalpens
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I am fighting the same issue, but I have realized it is all mental. I shoot DA/SA and the DA shot is always perfect. It is the follow-up shots where the flinching or anticipation starts. If I slow it down and keep concentrating on the fundamentals, then everything is fine. The problem is when I start to get into a rhythm, that is when I have a tendency to anticipate the shot. Like they always say, the shot should be a surprise. I am definitely improving, but the improvement comes through understanding what the issue is, and then make sure the mind does not get ahead of itself.
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