Any tips to get rid of an entrenched flinch habbit?

[ApexerER]

I started deer hunting when i was 16 (32 years ago). My father bought me a Remington 870 12 GA.  I was probably 5'5" and maybe 140 lbs at the most. I developed a terrible flinch shooting that gun that i still struggle with today. I still have that gun and i hate it, even though i killed my first few deer with it. I thought I had it under control but last weekend I proved i don't. If I have time and i talk myself through the shot and tell myself the squeeze the trigger i don't flinch but if things happen fast, i still do it. We were doing drives and a coyote was running right at my. I shouldered my rifle and pulled the trigger with the safety still on. The gun might as well have recoiled my flinch was so bad. I clicked the safety off and shot the coyote and two minutes later another coyote came running the same path and i laid that one out too.  I just can't seem to kick that terrible flinch unless i am thinking about it. Doesn't seem to matter if i am shooting my .308 a .22 or even my crossbow. That stupid flinch comes back anytime i take a shot and I'm not talking myself through it....

[Splitear]

2 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

I started deer hunting when i was 16 (32 years ago). My father bought me a Remington 870 12 GA.  I was probably 5'5" and maybe 140 lbs at the most. I developed a terrible flinch shooting that gun that i still struggle with today. I still have that gun and i hate it, even though i killed my first few deer with it. I thought I had it under control but last weekend I proved i don't. If I have time and i talk myself through the shot and tell myself the squeeze the trigger i don't flinch but if things happen fast, i still do it. We were doing drives and a coyote was running right at my. I shouldered my rifle and pulled the trigger with the safety still on. The gun might as well have recoiled my flinch was so bad. I clicked the safety off and shot the coyote and two minutes later another coyote came running the same path and i laid that one out too.  I just can't seem to kick that terrible flinch unless i am thinking about it. Doesn't seem to matter if i am shooting my .308 a .22 or even my crossbow. That stupid flinch comes back anytime i take a shot and I'm not talking myself through it....

I'm kind of the opposite, where my flinch shows up when I'm really focusing and thinking about it, doesn't matter with gun or bow. I know that when it shows up with my bow, I pull out my long bow and shoot instinctive for a while. Not too much thought goes into it.

There are probably a ton of great tips that are going to come through this thread. I know that in teaching youth, if I suspect that they are flinching, I'll throw in a "dummy" to demonstrate. When we first start shooting with kids, we load their firearms for them. If I have a kid flinching, I'll act like I load a round, but leave the chamber empty. It demonstrates it right away. From there, we usually will start them down a gauge or gun. So, if they are flinching with .22, we'll go back to air rifle until they get it under control. If they are having issues with a 12 gauge, we move them down to a 20, if it's a 20, we move back to .410 and shoot at coke cans. It's all about building confidence, at least with the kids. 

I'm not an adult instructor, so I don't have much experience in diagnosing or remedying long-term/persistent issues, so these might not work. I'm interested to see what other have to say. 

[ApexerER]

I'm afraid it's engrained in me but hopeful i can fix it at some point. My bow is the one thing i don't flinch with. I assume that is just because it is totally different than holding a gun.

[Splitear]

I know a lot of guys will practice with an air rifle, might be worth a try. Plus, it's cheap shooting  

Air Venturi and Umarex are making some rifles now that really feel like a firearm. We have a couple (with 2 more on the way) of the Air Venturi Springfield M1's. They have a good weight to them, and feel like holding an actual rifle. Umarex is making a 10/22 version for Ruger as well that feels pretty similar to a real 10/22. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Splitear

[moog5050]

Dry firing practice and airgun.  Makes you think about the process more than the recoil or so I hear.

[Salmon_Run]

Practice shouldering the weapon (unloaded) safely, and get very used to handling the gun and properly positioning it to your body. Then try at the range shooting and have a friend mix in "dummy" rounds and concentrate on each shot as to not flinch or close your eyes in anticipation. This conditions you to the act of discharging the weapon and not the physical response of the recoil.

Make sure the weapon is properly "seated" on your shoulder and utilize light loads to start and really concentrate on weapon positioning, target acquisition and discharge. Try to keep your concentration on the shot impact and not the recoil...

Practice will help greatly...good luck !!

[grampy]

Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate, on the target! A solid cheek weld to the stock. Gently pull the trigger, so that the firing of the rifle is almost a surprise when it goes off. Many have the ingrained flinch reflex. The way to reduce, or get rid of the "habit' is repetition on the range. Using solid form, good ear protection, low recoil loads, and constant concentration to NOT do it. Soon the "NEW" way of shooting will take over, and a new "ingrained" way of shooting will take place. It really is as simple as mind over matter. 

This advice was given to me long ago. It worked for me.

[fasteddie]

I had a problem flinching and finally got away from it . I caught myself doing this at the range when my 12 gauge shotgun wasn't loaded and I reacted like it was recoil .

Several years ago I was hunting with my SIL . It was 20 degrees out by the wind chill index and I was freezing . I got out of the tree stand and took a few steps into the Laneway . 3 doe came into the laneway from the adjacent field . They were at least 90 yards away . I put the bead on the largest one and shot . They ran into my SILs field and the doe dropped . I thought about what I did right and realized that I was RELAXED because I wasn't sure if I could even hit the deer at that instance . After that I would sub-consciously tell myself to relax before pulling the trigger . That worked for me . It's all in the mind .

[fasteddie]

7 minutes ago, grampy said:

Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate, on the target! A solid cheek weld to the stock. Gently pull the trigger, so that the firing of the rifle is almost a surprise when it goes off. Many have the ingrained flinch reflex. The way to reduce, or get rid of the "habit' is repetition on the range. Using solid form, good ear protection, low recoil loads, and constant concentration to NOT do it. Soon the "NEW" way of shooting will take over, and a new "ingrained" way of shooting will take place. It really is as simple as mind over matter. 

This advice was given to me long ago. It worked for me.

Have a friend at the range load your rifle / shotgun without you seeing him do it . At some point he will not put a round in the chamber and you would find out just how bad your flinching is ......

I took a friend's kid to the range and he was scattering his shots . A guy came along and said that some guns don't like certain slugs . I said , let me try it and fired . Jeff said "holy crap" and I asked what the problem was and he said my shot was in the bulls eye which surprised me . I suggested he sit on his back deck with an expended shell in his shotgun and practice some snap shooting . Apparently that worked for him . 

[Just Lucky]

I knew a guy who learned to shoot when he joined the marines in the early 80s. He said he flinched bad when he started. He told his instructor he couldn't help it. After that the instructor kicked him in the ribs everytime he flinched. Didn't take long and he didn't flinch anymore. 

 

[Nomad]

Come hunt with me, I’m pretty sure you wont flinch …

[Daveboone]

The good news is you are already overcoming it on your own. Now just spend more time at the range. Shoot what ever you have.....22, pellet gun, etc. slow deliberate shots concentrating on your smooth trigger pull is the name of the game. A few careful shots a session are much better than alot of hurried non productive shots. You will develop new reflexes that wil shadow out the old habit.

[ApexerER]

12 minutes ago, Just Lucky said:

I knew a guy who learned to shoot when he joined the marines in the early 80s. He said he flinched bad when he started. He told his instructor he couldn't help it. After that the instructor kicked him in the ribs everytime he flinched. Didn't take long and he didn't flinch anymore. 

 

Lol, that's probably what its going to take....

[Chef]

Dry firing practice and airgun.  Makes you think about the process more than the recoil or so I hear.

Yes…. Or go to a range with a friend have them hand you the Gun multiple times and not tell you if it’s loaded or not… you line up and take the shot practice not flinching that way


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[wolc123]

I think you can still buy a Daisy Red Ryder for less than $ 40, and 5000 bbs can be had for $ 5.   
 

Remove the child-sized stock that comes with it and use it as a pattern to cut a replacement out of plywood that matches your deer gun’s pull length. 
 

Practice as much as you can (I like cutting beer cans in half with the bb’s as they are suspended from a tree branch with a wire on the tab).

 

This is a cheap, easy, quiet way to get rid of that flinch habit, and get some practice at moving targets. (The can swings in the wind or from prior bb impacts).  

 

[Buckmaster7600]

Dry fire, dry fire, DRY FIRE!


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[Daveboone]

18 hours ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

Dry fire, dry fire, DRY FIRE!


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But not ever rimfire...the firing pin hits the chamber edge , and air rifles also....it is like dry firing a bow.