Need Advice - Overcoming Chicken Finger

[jelenko]

I do not subscribe to being surprised by the trigger break

This is a challenge.
On one hand we need to choose the time to release the shot at the same time if we use our conscious mind to do the deciding, it is very difficult to not have some other part of the body 'help out'.

You want to have our mind decide to release the shot when the hold is 'stable'. One of the reasons why off hand is the hardest [for the vast majority of us] to master is we have to learn to quickly recognize 'stable' and release a good shot in 1-2 seconds.

 

[flintcreek6412]

I don't remember seeing it mentioned but what power scope are you using. Dial it down until the "wobble" is negated. Too many people try to shoot with too high a magnification and it messes with the most experienced. Just because you might have 25x or even 9x available doesn't mean you should use it. And shooting sticks can be tricky....they give a false sense of stability that isn't really there unless you have the right position and breathing. Even something as simple as the chair you are using could be the problem. Most of those chairs are not stable at all and every slight move is magnified.

What caliber? Maybe you are also anticipating recoil which can make trigger pull terrible.

And as stated earlier with the archery reference....target panic is a real thing. Funny how it goes away when you shoot instinctive. Put a sight back on and it can all go to hell.

 

[dc.fireman]

I used to prefer a two stage trigger, but do not anymore. My preference now is for the lightest possible single stage trigger that I can use without causing the bolt closure to dislodge the sear.

The member who recommended dry-firing hit the nail squarely on the head. Trigger/shot execution can ruin what would otherwise be an excellent shot when all the other rules were followed. The best competitive shooters worldwide make dry-firing a part of their daily training regimen. Many of the more expensive competition rifles have a dry firing mode, and most if not all Olympic grade air pistols & rifles have a dry fire feature as part of their design.

My sequence is:

1. breathe in normally, exhale normally.
2. somewhere near the bottom of the breath, there's a natural pause. Hold it there.
3. gently squeeze in a continuous motion, straight back.
4. keep squeezing back, and hold the trigger blade rearward after the shot goes off, for 2 seconds.

You have only have 4-6 seconds for holding your breath. When deprived of oxygen, the brain begins to shut down the 'periphery functions', of which your eyes are a part. The location of the finger on the trigger blade needs to be the same each time - if you use the 'tip' or the 'pad' of your finger, then use it each and every time.

Cliff notes: dry fire lots, breathe normally, hold-squeeze-hold, same place.

 

[K22]

Lots of good advice - Thanks.

Answer to some questions:

Caliber: 223 Rem - recoil anticipation not an issue.

Scope X: Various scopes on various rifles: 14X to18X.

Rest: Shooting Cross Sticks while sitting on a sportsman's chair with elbows on knees. Some wobble but fairly stable.

Trigger: Single stage - 2.25 to 2.5 lbs. breaks clean w/o creep. Even though I know some varmint hunters have triggers under 1 lbs, I don't want to go this route for safety concerns plus it would ruin me for all my other rifles, of which I have many. I don't believe its of the weight of the pull that causing the problem - the problem is between my ears. During practice sessions on the range off the sticks my bad shots are very predicable i.e. I call them out and where.

Will work more on dry firing and technique. One thing I have noticed in experimenting with technique changes is that if I place my thumb alone side the stock rather than the conventional wrap over the trigger breaks easier.

 

[Fast14riot]

Lots of good advice - Thanks.

<snip>

Rest: Shooting Cross Sticks while sitting on a sportsman's chair with elbows on knees. Some wobble but fairly stable. <snip>

This part right here, resting elbows on your knees. If you are putting the "point" of your elbow into the soft spot above your kneecap, that allows lots of wobble and not a sturdy/stable position. Move the point of your elbow out past your kneecap so the flat spot of your joint is resting directly on top of your kneecap

 

[K22]

This part right here, resting elbows on your knees. If you are putting the "point" of your elbow into the soft spot above your kneecap, that allows lots of wobble and not a sturdy/stable position. Move the point of your elbow out past your kneecap so the flat spot of your joint is resting directly on top of your kneecap

Thanks - Sorry I wasn't specific enough - actually the elbows are resting on my thighs slightly back from the knee caps - maybe that's worse but it feels comfortable. I apply a slight pressure rearward with the non-shooting hand gripped on the cross sticks. I try to maintain consistency shot to shot but some wobble is unavoidable.

One of the other things I'm working on is trying to keep the pressure uniform and consistent on the bottom three fingers of the shooting hand - i.e. not increasing the grip of these fingers as I squeeze the trigger. This seems to help at least in dry firing.