That infernal heartbeat !!!!!

[garandman]

So, I've got a good gun, and found a good ammo. But I can watch the reticle move contra the target with each heartbeat. Short of completely stopping my heartbeat.... ..... how can I mitigate this?

I use a front bipod and a rear sandbag. I've wanted to use the (Atlas) bipod to mimick PRS style competition, but.... am I hurting my self ?

Rear bag:





Tricks, tips, magic incantations and talisman welcome.

 

[jimmymac]

Heartbeat is good. Still on the right side of the grass.

 

[JFrank]

Stop touching the rifle

 

[garandman]

Stop touching the rifle

I'm desperately searching for a cell phone app to fire my rifle while I sit in a comfy lounge chair in the shade....

Seriously tho...a coupla times Ive set the rifle up on bipod and bag, took my cheek and shoulder off the gun and only touched the trigger. It worked pretty good.

 

[Papa Charlie]

I have had the same issue. I don't know of a perfect way to do this but this is what I did to help.

1) No coffee in the morning before I shoot. Caffeine will exacerbate the problem.
2) Take three good breaths, like you would if you were going to dive below the water. This oxygenates the blood and the heart doesn't have to work as hard to move the oxygenated blood round.
3) I try to relax before a string. Breathing slowly and try to be calm.
4) I take blood pressure medicine. I make sure that I take it at least an hour or more before I go to the range.
5) Reduce your cheek, shoulder and trigger hand pressure on the rifle. The less you touch it, the less you will move it.

 

[243winxb]

Avoid caffeine & nicotine & sugar.
Chest should make contact with bench, side and front. Like wedging into a corner.

When you no longer see your heart beat move the cross hairs, see your cardiologist immediately. No joke.

 

[redrockranger]

Turn the power down on your scope.

 

[Doug Beach]

If you aren’t shooting for group, but are just trying to hit a thing (x, steel, critter, etc), as long as your pulse isn’t moving you off the x, don’t stress over it. Trigger control is nearly everything. It’s amazing what can be shot through, if you don’t let it into your head.

 

[garandman]

If you aren’t shooting for group, but are just trying to hit a thing (x, steel, critter, etc), as long as your pulse isn’t moving you off the x, don’t stress over it. Trigger control is nearly everything. It’s amazing what can be shot through, if you don’t let it into your head.

Im working hard on trigger control, so thanx for that reminder / encouragement.

That said.... this is for ARA competition, and hitting a target the size of a " . " at 50 yards.

 

[garandman]

I'm a little surprised no one's told me to lose the bipod.... and get a front rest... (well, yet...)

 

[jpx2rk]

I'm a little surprised no one's told me to lose the bipod.... and get a front rest... (well, yet...)

Lose the bipod and get a front rest.

A solid front rest, even a Bald Eagle one for starters will change your set up for the better. The gun will be more stable, and you won't have to watch your heartbeat in the scope as the front rest and rear bag will "hold" the gun in place.

 

[garandman]

@jpx2rk ...I've got one. I'll try it out tomorrow.

 

[Tim s]

Unless you have a compelling reason to love that bipod, throw it in the deepest pond you can find
, if you shoot any kind of BR comp, rest shooting, it will kill you all day.
Throw the rear bag sitting on wood chips right behind it.
You will never get ahead bag squeezing, sliding things around.
Get a proper rest with windage/elevation or a joystick,and not one of those ridiculous Caldwell deals.
Even money, a great percentage of the wild flyers you like to call “outliers” come from your setup.
You see your pulse in the xhairs, your setup sucks, or you’re way too heavy into the gun.....or both.
Better still, there is only so much you’re ever going to grasp on forums, find a real match and/or a bonafide competitor and ask for help if for no other reason you avoid getting to the point where 1/2 your time gets spent unlearning bad habits

 

[CT10ring]

Your rear bag may be too wide for your stock... I fold 1/8" neoprene pads into my rear bag to snug it all up.
But I'm not a benchrest shooter. Are you loading your bipod with your shoulder?

If you run 6 mi. day your resting heartbeat will drop alot Me, I ride a bike.

 

[Straightshooter1]

No problem with this when shooting free recoil.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2011/03/free-recoil-benchrest-shooting-demonstrated/

 

[golong]

If you regularly drink coffee, smoke, whatever, you need to keep doing that when you shoot. Those that say don't either are not paying attention to their body, or they don't smoke, drink coffee, etc. When you body is expecting that stuff you shake, body stresses, all that fun stuff when you don't keep doing the same thing.

Unless you are going full benchrest, buying a trigger that you can blow on, or are strapping into a full sled, I would suggest not doing the free recoil thing. Pull the rifle back into your shoulder like a man and control it. Don't squeeze the crap out of the palm swell, let the thumb just be there, and pull back with the fingers on your shooting hand that are under the trigger guard.

Heartbeat is normal, it just depends on how much you are getting. Unless your pulse is excessive (high blood pressure or way out of shape), just relax and be ready to finish the trigger squeeze when your heartbeat hits the correct timing with the bottom of your breath. Shooting is not about being in a hurry.

That is about 8 cents worth there.

 

[garandman]

@Tim s .... thanx. Helpful. I do love that bipod but I know yer right. I'd love to reel in those "outiers" which are much more likely me / my set up than the gun or ammo. Its a friendly match, so no serious joystick type rests, but yer overall point is well made.

Thx, again.

 

[garandman]

For those who made diet / lifestyle observations, thx. I don't smoke coffee, or drink Do cardio 3x / wk. Reeled in diet and lost 25 lbs. Started a dedicated hydration program and have already seen modest improvement in eyeball "floaters"

 

[garandman]

Your rear bag may be too wide for your stock... I fold 1/8" neoprene pads into my rear bag to snug it all up.
But I'm not a benchrest shooter. Are you loading your bipod with your shoulder?

If you run 6 mi. day your resting heartbeat will drop alot Me, I ride a bike.

Resting heart rate is 69 - 72 bpm. I know I need to work on my mental game more....relaxation / mediatation prior to the shoot / each shot.

Is 70ish bpm too fast?

 

[Outrider27]

Just a related piece of information; I shot on the varsity pistol team in college (mid 1960s), and we were always looking for anything that was related to heartbeat/wobble area that might improve our scores in slow fire - same for the rifle guys in offhand. From a surprising source (not that they researched it, but, at that time, that they released their findings to the rest of the world), the Russians did quite a project and stated that in slow fire pistol or off hand rifle, if you could not achieve the sight picture you wanted and get the shot off in a maximum of 14 seconds, put the firearm down, take a few deep breaths, and start over again, as your wobble area starts to increase dramatically at anything over 14 seconds.