I'm only a mediocre high power shooter at best, but my score would be 25% higher if I didn't develop a "flinch" while anticipating recoil or what Dennis M. of the Northwest calls, "helping shoulder." I shoot smallbore too, and it's less pronounced there..... I shoot a custom barrel 260 Hunter class rifle, and I've thought of going to a lighter recoiling caliber, such as a 6BR, in a standard gun, but I don't have the shot control to make sure I hit things where they need to be hit in order for them to fall with itsy bitsy bullets.....

So how does one overcome the dreaded "flinch?" Do any of you have any magic for me, or hints even?

Nobody knows............

If you are claiming a flinch in small bore, you are just jerking the trigger. The solution is dry fire, lots of it.

jask wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:25 pm If you are claiming a flinch in small bore, you are just jerking the trigger. The solution is dry fire, lots of it.

Thank you..... thought that was part of the solution, and I plan to triple efforts on that score......

I am the expert in the flinch. The brain interferes with the shot. A friend properly called it 'target avoidance syndrome'. It's like batting and you try to 'think' your way to a homer..it never works and generally produces a slump. Like baseball curing the silhouette slump is a painful process of breaking a really bad habit. Dry firing is the solution and remembering to stay on the rifle at least a two count after the sear lets go. Watching all the while the movement of the crosswire until there is little or no movement when the sear goes. Part two is learning that a center hold is not required...you really can aim at the rump, back etc and those hits will score. But boy bad habits are awfully hard to break especially since I find dry firing really boring

Here are a few other items that help overcome flinch. I also have the same problem and have since 1983 when shooting NRA Hunter pistol. I've found getting adequate rest is probably at the top of the list to correct flinch. Use quality ear protection to eliminate as much noise, muzzle blast as possible. Decrease your chicken, pig, turkey loads so they are more manageable. Buy or load some max loads for your cartridge. When you find yourself flinching fire three or four heavy loads. Follow up with your lighter chicken load and you will be amazed how minimal recoil will feel. Follow through and good trigger control become easier. Just a matter of mind conditioning.
Instead of just dry firing make the time productive and shoot an air rifle. Make paper targets of 1/10th scale silhouettes and place at regulation distances. Each shot should be noted and score recorded. Monitor your improvement. Challenge yourself to improve each day.
I've also found that shooting pool improves concentration and patients. It seems to transfer to the shooting sports.
Once again, dry fire that center fire rifle!

jrywho wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:09 pm Decrease your chicken, pig, turkey loads so they are more manageable.

I do agree with using light loads for chickens, pigs, turkeys.

jrywho wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:09 pm Buy or load some max loads for your cartridge. When you find yourself flinching fire three or four heavy loads. Follow up with your lighter chicken load and you will be amazed how minimal recoil will feel. Follow through and good trigger control become easier.

I do not believe that firing the max loads will help your flinching problem. I believe firing the max loads will make the problem worse.

You can always try the ball and dummy excerise.

Make up maybe 5 dummy loads, using only the case and bullet that you are shooting.

DO NOT use any primer or powder in the dummy rounds!

In fact you could drill out the primer pocket, so no primer could ever be seated in the dummy case.

You want only the empty brass case and the bullet.

Seat and crimp the bullet to the same depth as your loaded rounds.

ONLY DO THIS ball and dummy excerise, on a range facing the berm, because you will be shooting some live rounds.

Now have a friend load your rifle with either a live loaded round or a dummy round. You cannot watch them load the rifle. You do not want to see which round is being chambered. Then shoulder the rifle and sight in on your target and break your shot as you normally would. Have your friend watch you break the shot. You should be surprised when the shot goes off. You could even set of a video camera and video the shooting session. Then you can go back and watch it later. I hope this helps. Ken

I personally do NOT flinch, I use AGGRESSIVE trigger control! LOL

It's a natural reaction to a loud noise in your face and a sharp shove on your shoulder...

Some people have more control then others. I personally build it into my follow through...

YMMV....

When I started silhouette and used my 30-06, after a 80 shot match me and those shooting on both sides of me had a flinch.

jrywho wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:09 pm <snip Use quality ear protection to eliminate as much noise, muzzle blast as possible..snip>

This (above) helped me far more than anything else I tried. Use a good ear plug and wear a good set of muffs over the plugs. Focus focus focus on the target and watch it fall.

I'm not that good of a shooter but I miss with no flinch....

Merlin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:41 pm

jrywho wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:09 pm <snip Use quality ear protection to eliminate as much noise, muzzle blast as possible..snip>

This (above) helped me far more than anything else I tried. Use a good ear plug and wear a good set of muffs over the plugs. Focus focus focus on the target and watch it fall.

I'm not that good of a shooter but I miss with no flinch....

Ahahahaha! I wish I could get there!~ Thanks, everybody..... I appreciate the feedback. Couple of related questions more: Is the perceived recoil from a 6.5 X 47 very much less that that of a 260 Remington? Or not so much? And in your opinion, who makes the best ear muff out there?

I have a flinch too. Dry firing alot helps. Also during practice I load multiple magazines with a blank (snap cap) in different locations then grab one and shoot. If you flinch its really pronounced when you don't know where the blank is.

Hey Mel, here is some do it yourself ballistic recoil calculator sites you can mess with in your spare time.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmrecoil-5.1.cgi


http://www.shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php

https://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescou ... recoil.htm

Thank you, sir......