.470ne sight in day

[Hornedfrogbbq]

Getting a red dot sighted in. Got a "hello" on my middle finger from the trigger guard! IYKYK

 

[SStomcat]

Been there. On my first day at the range, my stance, grip, and shoulder positioning were all wrong. I was also wearing a ring on that finger, and the bruising/swelling made it surprisingly difficult to remove.
My biceps had more colors than a rainbow afterward. Definitely a lesson in proper form and recoil management.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

I have had to change and refine my hand placements, stance a bit and work on sticks. That being said, the biggest change has been to hold my rifle much tighter and against my shoulder much tighter.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

All four contact points have to stay connected through the recoil cycle; weak hand must not release grip on fore-end, strong hand must not release pistol grip, cheek must stay connected to cheekpiece/comb, buttpad must stay connected to shoulder.

 

[AZDAVE]

I agree with @Schüler Jumbo on proper form with a double that has a bit of sporty pushback when you drop the hammer.

 

[Rare Breed]

Getting a red dot sighted in. Got a "hello" on my middle finger from the trigger guard! IYKYK

I think all of us certainly me have been there done that. If I may look up @One Day... shooting a DR off sticks. Getting me to face up more versus turning sideways helped me greatly!

 

[zephyr]

Beat up middle finger LOP maybe a bit short

 

[Green Chile]

Oh yea. Hopefully you are shooting off sticks or standing offhand but not from the bench? Trigger hand needs a firm grip. Maybe tape that knuckle up as you get used to it. Many ways to get there.

 

[BryceM]

Filming myself shooting these stupid cannons helped a bunch. It's easier to see problems with your form and fix them.

 

[High Country Hunts]

you could try a double rifle purpose rubber finger guard. Stops the middle finger getting smashed on big double rifles. They work very well.

 

[SStomcat]

All four contact points have to stay connected through the recoil cycle; weak hand must not release grip on fore-end, strong hand must not release pistol grip, cheek must stay connected to cheekpiece/comb, buttpad must stay connected to shoulder.

My understanding is if you start off with a firm grip and posture - front left leg facing target and slightly bent at the knee etc, the recoil happens so fast that you will not have time to react.. like loosening grip etc before it hits you...
So starting with the proper grip and shoulder placement and hold it tight as possible is a key element. IMO ofcourse.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

My understanding is if you start off with a firm grip and posture - front left leg facing target and slightly bent at the knee etc, the recoil happens so fast that you will not have time to react.. like loosening grip etc before it hits you...
So starting with the proper grip and shoulder placement and hold it tight as possible is a key element. IMO ofcourse.

it's the gripping on the right hand. My shoulder is fine and the recoil isn't so bad as to make me want to flinch. I just need to grip the stock in a stronger fashion. The rest of the mechanics are good. I got it figured out by the end.

 

[Rare Breed]

I also move my hand further back on my doubles so just the tip of my finger pulls the trigger guaranteed this will make all the difference in your middle finger getting slammed … just takes practice.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Getting a red dot sighted in. Got a "hello" on my middle finger from the trigger guard! IYKYK

Frosty, part of the issue may also remain in the grib design of your 88b. Compare it with your 500, curious if the 470 may feel like the grip is a bit more closed, like turns downward more abruptly vs. a more swept-back, open grip.

The stock and especially grip area of the 89b differed from the 88b in this regard. Chris Sells said Heym ultimately transitioned towards a more uniform grip and buttstock design using that of the 89b...but couldn't tell me what year it started or when they were supposedly the same thereafter. What I know is my 470 88b used to knock the hell out of my second finger, and I had JJ set the proper LOP for me...it was simply a function of my XXL hands and smaller, closed grip design. My second finger still actually has scarring on it from that rifle. The 500NE that I received in the trade with Franz, your 500, did not contact my second finger all that much at all...but still did it on occasion.

That 500 of yours was in the frame design changes for the 88b, when they still had the bolstered frame sides, but had radiused the bottom frame corners, making it much more comfortable to hold or have on a shoulder if so inclined. I don't have a photo of your 470 88b, but seemed to recall it was a year or two newer production, with the updated frame that deleted the bolsters on the frame sides....but likely before any stock changes.

Heym came out with the 89b in 2016, but am thinking the first rifles may not have landed in the US until early 2017. (my 450/400 was in the first batch of 89b's which is why it was delivered with a fancy saddle leather take-town scabbard serialized to the gun) It would at least make sense that any stock design changes to the 88b would occur either as they are making the 89b or sometime soon after getting the positive feedback from the customers. The open grip design is something that larger-handed folks really appreciated, so makes sense they would have built the change into the 88b as well....its the when that I still don't know.

Each time I've acquired another Heym, I try to look at them together, take some measurements, and just enjoy learning some of the similarities and differences. This is one I have not nailed down yet.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

I will also say, getting the finger knocking sorted...dramatically improves your shooting pleasure. You need to take the 470 and 500 and shoot them subsequent to each other, see what all distinctions you note side by side (not double gun pun intended, but double gun squared is fun for sure).

I took my new 89b 500NE out last night for late evening bang sesh. I put 32 rounds through the 500, just getting some data on speeds with various bullets and loads, and differences between my Norma, Kynoch stamped Bertram, and Jamison brass...since the later two weigh notably more than the Norma.

So between those rounds, another dozen through the 450/400 Westley Richards, and then 14 rounds of 505 Gibbs (12 of those I will say are unpleasant)...the only signs my second right-hand finger shows today...the scarring from that 470 that I last shot back in September.

Until you get it sorted, you can get the finger bumper here:

Rubber Finger Bumper - Squeeze On J-105, Odds & Ends | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd.

 

[Hornedfrogbbq]

I have one of those damn things somewhere...