How to fix a bad flinch with a hunting rifle - Jackson Hole Shooting Experience

I received an email this morning that I thought you might also benefit from hearing the answer. How to fix a bad flinch with a hunting rifle? A big game hunting rifle should be capable of a 1.5 inch group at 100 yards. A half-inch group is not to be expected as with a precision long range rifle.

Following is the question.

”Hope all is well. I went and bought an American Ruger 270. Things is kicking like a bitch, I’m developing a flinch before I pull the trigger. Today I had 1 shot of 8 on a target at 100 yards and then 2 in the upper corner of the box. Can you help me dial this thing in? I thought I shot OK when we went out? Also using 150 grain, maybe I could go down some? Sincerely, M.”

Shepard Humphries’ response on how to fix a bad flinch with a hunting rifle:

I feel your pain! I will share a few of the things we cover in our Pre-Hunt rifle training sessions.

I also suspect that more than a flinch might be going on. After making sure your rifle is unloaded, grab the barrel and the front of the scope and try to pry the scope off, using about 10 pounds of pressure. (Imagine the rifle being parallel to the ground, and pretend that the hand holding the scope is instead holding a 10 lb dumbbell.) As you pry and wiggle, does the scope move at all? It should not move even in the slightest. If it moves, tighten it to the proper specs for those particular rings / scope.

Next, tighten the bedding bolts until they are “pretty tight.” These are the bolts on the bottle of your rifle.

The above two things hopefully solve the problem. Test with a 3 shot group at 25 yards. You don’t care how close to the bulls-eye the shots are as long as they are on the paper, you want to aim at the same point for every shot.

If the problem persists, try buying the heaviest and the lightest grain bullets you can find and test them both with 3 shot groups at 25 yards. Some barrels like different bullets.

Still a horrible group?

The good news is that with a lot of proper practice, a flinch can be greatly reduced. There is not a quick fix, however a number of drills including the Chapstick trigger press drill can be helpful. Why do these drills work? What is the root problem?

Centerfire rifles have recoil, and after puffing up our chest and telling our pals that “the kick doesn’t bother me” we wince and realize that our shoulder hurts. Our subconscious begins to realize that every time we pull the trigger – a mule kicks us in the shoulder. The natural reaction to seeing a mule hoof headed your way is to wince, pull away, push forward to counteract or otherwise prepare your body for the kick.

The best trick we have learned so far is to be surprised by the mule kick. This is a challenge though, because we know that the trigger pull is always followed by the mule kick. Keep in mind that this knowledge we have is a subconscious thing. Not one in a thousand folks can convince their conscious mind to take over. So, how do we surprise ourselves?

A gentle, smooth trigger press is the solution. As strange as this sounds, a rough, jerky trigger pull will not always make you miss, but a gentle and smooth trigger press will fix what would have been a miss.

Imagine these actions:

Squeezing an eye-dropper so that only one drop drips into your eye
Pressing a tube of Chapstick to its tipping point

The trick is for your minds not to know the millisecond that the mule will kick. If you can surprise yourself, you have a much better chance of a great shot.

The solution to a flinch is achieving a “surprise break” of the trigger. This requires intense and disciplined focus on delicately and precisely pressing the trigger without worry about the mule that will soon kick your shoulder. I have discovered that muscle memory is HUGE! If you practice properly for 5,000 to 10,000 repetitions over 6 months to a year, you will likely be able to control your flinch much better.

1. Chapstick Trigger Press Drill

2. Shoot 5,000 slow and careful rounds through a 22LR rifle.

3. Dry fire your hunting rifle with a slow and controlled trigger press 1,000 times.

Other methods to help reduce felt recoil and the domino effect ending with a flinch and miss include lighter trigger and a modern thick recoil pad, a slip-on like this one can be great. A hunting rifle should have a trigger pull of at least 3 pounds to avoid accidental discharges when fingers are cold and wet high on a mountain on a 20 degree morning. Competitive rifle shooters might use a half–ounce trigger for benchrest shooting, however for hunting, a heavier pull is important for safety reasons.

I hope this helps!

Following is the question.

Shepard Humphries’ response on how to fix a bad flinch with a hunting rifle:

Still a horrible group?

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