Magnum flintch

[allranch2025]

Years ago I acquired a collection of rifles, among them was a super cheap single shot, lever 22, I thought I'll try it out on some unsuspecting ground squirrels, loaded it, aimed pulled the trigger, click! nothing opened the breech ,gave the cartridge half a turn, aimed and bang. After that session with the rifle, I realized it could never be counted on to fire on the first trigger pull some times twice or even three times in a row, totally un predictable. What I did come to realize was that I had"Magnum Flintch" Further inspection of the rifle, it appeared to have the firing pin filed down intentionally, which produced the light strikes on the cartridge. My suspicion was that the previous owner had done this as a way to cure his own magnum flintch. The next time some bird hunters came up to the ranch, I posed my theory to them, they all thought I was wackey, until they tried shooting it, you would have thought they were shooting a ten gauge goose gun with mag loads

 

[Garciamarquez1918]

I have magnum and non-magnum flinch lol. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

 

[thriller]

For me the best method is to shoot the hardest kicking guns I have and them go back to the other one. It makes my brain go “this isn’t bad at all” I have found most people think this method is that of a crazy man so your mileage may vary

 

[skydiver386]

I shoot Olympic 10 meter air rifles and Benchrest level rimmfires quite often, and the concentration required to shoot these well from hunting positions will break you of any bad habits like recoil induced flinch.

 

[CBH Australia]

I guess I’m theory that may be why it has been done.
I doubt I would have thought of it and I’m not sure I like the idea.
Snap caps, practice and discipline are probably better options than messing with its reliability.

 

[Russ16]

A good bolt 22 is a great cure for any flinch. And I like it to have a slightly heavier trigger pull than my larger hunting rifles. Makes you stay in the shot.

 

[375Fox]

I think many more hunters have a flinch than will admit it. You can shoot a pretty respectable group with a small flinch. I had dummy rounds loaded for my rifles. I mix with the live rounds so I don’t know what is loaded. Recoil covers up a lot in that micro second the trigger breaks. You won’t know what you do unless the rifle goes click and can see it clearly without recoil.
Shooting 22s doesn’t help correct flinch to me. Same with dry fire on a snap cap or empty chamber (although I do it a lot to practice breaking trigger). My brain knows it won’t recoil or have a loud bang. There’s no apprehension. My brain needs to think there’s potential of recoil and loud bang from a centerfire rifle to identify what I need to work on.

 

[baxterb]

When I was a young lad and thought I wanted a 338 (God Bless Robert K. Brown for that idea), I bought a ruger paddle stock version. Yikes. I got over the flinch by removing the scope and just flinging some rounds for fun. When I knew the recoil wouldn’t kill me, I put the scope back on and voila!

 

[Franco]

I have a 22 Voodoo I set in a bag and try to hit the same hole with successive shots. I also have some targets, designed primarily for pistols, but the quadrants around the bullseye are marked to tell you what you are doing wrong.

When I switch to my big bores, I fire a couple rounds through my 458 Lott - after that, everything else is child's play.

I have found, shooting at paper or steel gives you a lot of time to think - sometimes, too much time. When that cape buffalo or elephant is your target - you don't worry much about recoil.

I also shoot pop up and charging targets, gets your brain to focus on the shot and not the hurt.

 

[fourfive8]

The flinch phenomenon is interesting. Blast compression wave can cause flinching- either from one’s own gun or one being shot nearby. It’s one reason I detest brakes and refuse to shoot near anyone using one.

I’ve shot and hunted a lot over the years. I think I’m fairly normal for being vulnerable to flinch. Thinking back and carefully analyzing the cause of my tendency to flinch, when I do flinch, likely has roots in shooting shotguns. Shotguns have probably caused my tendency to flinch as much as any heavy recoiling rifle I may have shot. With rifle, I know I have to squeeze trigger until release for accurate shooting. With shotgun there is no squeeze involved… it is a timed trigger pull (mild yank) hah! .

I know a large caliber rifle is going to recoil a bunch and I know a 22rf is not. I still have to concentrate on not flinching every time I shoot any rifle, no matter the recoil. It is a conscious decision and requires real time concentration for each shot. I have no idea how many rounds I’ve shot over the past 70 years of shooting… 10s of thousands? 100s of thousands?. But it doesn’t matter, BB gun or big 45 cal high power rifles, I still have to concentrate on trigger squeeze until surprise release for each shot to shoot well.

 

[Russ16]

The flinch phenomenon is interesting. Blast compression wave can cause flinching- either from one’s own gun or one being shot nearby. It’s one reason I detest brakes and refuse to shoot near anyone using one.

I’ve shot and hunted a lot over the years. I think I’m fairly normal for being vulnerable to flinch. Thinking back and carefully analyzing the cause of my tendency to flinch, when I do flinch, likely has roots in shooting shotguns. Shotguns have probably caused my tendency to flinch as much as any heavy recoiling rifle I may have shot. With rifle, I know I have to squeeze trigger until release for accurate shooting. With shotgun there is no squeeze involved… it is a timed trigger pull (mild yank) hah! .

I know a large caliber rifle is going to recoil a bunch and I know a 22rf is not. I still have to concentrate on not flinching every time I shoot any rifle, no matter the recoil. It is a conscious decision and requires real time concentration for each shot. I have no idea how many rounds I’ve shot over the past 70 years of shooting… 10s of thousands? 100s of thousands?. But it doesn’t matter, BB gun or big 45 cal high power rifles, I still have to concentrate on trigger squeeze until surprise release for each shot to shoot well.

My flinch is very gun specific. I have one gun that once hurt me shootning form a bad position with a steel buttplate. I have to concentrate very hard with that gun. Every time I put it to my shoulder I know a flinch is possible. Heavier recoiling guns I think nothing about.

Shotguns have actually helped my flinch. Shooting them poorly mounted even from the hip has helped me concentrate on the target and not think about the gun at all.

 

[allranch2025]

The flinch phenomenon is interesting. Blast compression wave can cause flinching- either from one’s own gun or one being shot nearby. It’s one reason I detest brakes and refuse to shoot near anyone using one.

I’ve shot and hunted a lot over the years. I think I’m fairly normal for being vulnerable to flinch. Thinking back and carefully analyzing the cause of my tendency to flinch, when I do flinch, likely has roots in shooting shotguns. Shotguns have probably caused my tendency to flinch as much as any heavy recoiling rifle I may have shot. With rifle, I know I have to squeeze trigger until release for accurate shooting. With shotgun there is no squeeze involved… it is a timed trigger pull (mild yank) hah! .

I know a large caliber rifle is going to recoil a bunch and I know a 22rf is not. I still have to concentrate on not flinching every time I shoot any rifle, no matter the recoil. It is a conscious decision and requires real time concentration for each shot. I have no idea how many rounds I’ve shot over the past 70 years of shooting… 10s of thousands? 100s of thousands?. But it doesn’t matter, BB gun or big 45 cal high power rifles, I still have to concentrate on trigger squeeze until surprise release for each shot to shoot well.

Shot gun shooters would when shooting Quail swing into the shot and slam the trigger, swinging the barrel to spread the shot, no time to breath, squeeze the trigger, etc.

 

[Mountainshadows]

Some of you may remember the dime/washer exercise from your younger days. If you are having a problem, it doesn't hurt to go back and do that some more.

 

[Garciamarquez1918]

I don't know the "dime/washer" exercise. Please explain.

 

[Mountainshadows]

Get down in a prone position with your rifle. Elbows supporting your upper body and rifle. Have an assistant place a dime or a washer on the barrel 3/4 of the way to the muzzle. Hold your sight alignment and squeeze the trigger (empty gun). If you are flinching or jerking the trigger the dime/washer will fall off the barrel. Do this until you are consistently not making the dime/washer fall off.
This used to be a standard drill used in the US Army's Basic Rifle Marksmanship portion of basic training. It is done to help the shooter not flinch or jerk when the trigger is pulled.
Not sure if this is still taught or not in basic.

This is done with an empty rifle. Dry firing.

 

[coreydb]

I'll shoot the rifle until i get used to the of the kick. Not for accuracy, but just to get used to the recoil.

 

[steve white]

Oh, if only someone had coached us in the best methods of gun handling at the first of shooting! Churchill's method to push with the left hand on a shotgun, which absorbs some of the recoil, Nathan Foster's advice on how to grip the fore end on a heavy kicker, the dime trick for trigger squeeze, or just someone to observe us and tell us what we were doing would have been golden. Handing someone an empty gun can be enlightening to say the least! My BIL handed me one and then stated, "man, you've got a bad flinch." I didn't even know I was doing it.
.22 practice has been great for me. Any shot concentration is really helpful. I think everyone has a threshold, and should stay away from it. Even an artillery man in WWI could finally get shell shock. My method at bench rest is to place a sand bag between my shoulder and the butt plate. It doesn't kick then and tells my brain it is not going to kick.
On Saturday, I could do no wrong for the first three pheasants, but my shooting deteriorated after that, however I think I was slipping back into an old habit (the first self taught method) of looking at the barrel and trying to measure lead. I won't discount a hidden flinch, though. LOOK AT THE BIRD...dummy.

 

[steve white]

I hope the OP will allow this thread to morph into a flinch control subject. Useful thread!

 

[dgr416]

I learned quick to shoot my big rifles standing not off the bench .I put a milk crate then a 60 pound bull bag on top to shoot off of .I also wear two magum past pads .I have shot my 416s up to 125 timss with reduced loads in a day no problem .There is a gun that brought back my flinch a winchester big bore 444 marlin carbine 20 inch barrel weighing 6 pounds .It kicks like a mule .The only worss kicking gun i had was a 4 3/4 pound contender carbine in 375 jdj .It bent the scope mount and blew open the action.I tried to reduce losds some still did it .I sold the barrel told the guy to put a muzzlebdreak on it before he shot it .The worse kicking gun ever was a model 70 470 capstick that was a friends .It has destroyed every scope put on it and broke 4 stocks .That day I shot 338 win mag 338-378 weatherby 416 rem mag and 405 winchester 1895 no problem.I shot that 470 caostick twice and it was like getting hit in the back of the head with a sledge hammer .That day I decided the 416 rem mag was my recoil limit .I have 4 416s three are kinda light 7.5 pounds but with kevelar straight stocks they are fun to shoot and kick less han my 416 ren mag super grade model 70 that weighs 9.5 pounds .Its weird but true even friends said the same thing .I need a good stock for that model 70 .Recoil can really mess up your shooting quick .I always shoot from lesser kicking guns to harder kicking start with 22 lr then 243 then 6.5 cm then 338 416 works good off standing bench .