proper trigger finger position, directon of pull, and rate of motion?

B

Boyd Allen

Active member
After having a discussion, with a competitor, about trigger pull, as it relates to the typical short range benchrest rifle with it's nominally 2 oz trigger, I went looking for references to bolster my position, and found that they were conspicuous by their brevity or total absence. What say ye? It is my contention that very light triggers, pressure to time shots to transient wind flag alignments, and the degree to which rests and bags maintain rifle alignment to point of aim, increase the likelyhood of shooters developing bad habits in their finger/hand position, and pull technique. Other factors may be stock pull lengths that are too long for a shooter to get into the best position. and the high probability that the amount of group enlargement that results from incorrect trigger pull being relatively small, and easily attributed to other factors. Enlighten us.
 
Well, maybe Boyd. I've gotten myself in trouble if I ever use a light hold, or occasionally if I jerk the trigger. I've also gotten in trouble pinching the trigger on a .22 with a heavier pull; the original Winchester micro-motion triggers on the 52s.

But with free recoil, or a heavy hold, esp. using the forearm hand to hold the heavy kickers, I haven't found trigger control an issue. So that's how I shoot.
 
In the 10.5# 6PPC recoil class, just the ball of the trigger finger on the bottom of the trigger and move the entire arm straight back. This requires having both a forearm rest and elbow rest in place.

On 13.5# 30BR recoil class some holding is advised. Carefull and consistent but some holding is needed to keep the gun in the same place in the bags.

On a properly set up 17# 600 yard gun in the 6BR/BRX/XD/CX/XC/ad nausium can be shot free recoil just like a 10.5# 6PPC.

In Charles E's recoil class super boomers, dig your toenails in, grab it and hang on!!
 
comfortable posture at the bench is necessary for trigger control and it is enhanced by a proper stool height. conversely it is nearly impossible to control the trigger if you struggle to sit upright [or the stock dont fit]
 
Thank you Boyd,,

,, for bringing this subject up. It is one that needs a great deal of attention.

In working with shooters in the tunnel on their rifle handling, misuse of the trigger is the problem I see most often with finger and thumb position being the most glaring error. Many shooters approach a 1.5 ounce BR trigger as if they were afraid of it, stretching their finger out straight forward with the thumb pointing up much like simulating shooting a pistol, just barely placing the tip of the finger on the side of the trigger shoe which makes it impossible to pull it straight back. :rolleyes:

Never underestimate the importance of bench technique and use of a 1.5 ounce BR trigger. During training in the tunnel, we do quite a bit of dry firing and exercises where I load the rifle so the shooter doesn't know whether or not the rifle will fire when the trigger is pulled. If he has a problem with flinching, this will bring it into focus.

Let's be honest with ourselves; unless you have been properly trained and practice regularly, it's perfectly natural to anticipate the shot, instinctively blink and hunch forward in anticipation of recoil and muzzle blast. Don't be ashamed to admit that you sometimes flinch. Anyone with normal reflexes will flinch unless he trains and practices regularly against it. It's a mental thing. Have you ever went to the line with one or more cartridges that you forgot to charge with powder or put a primer in upside down? I sure have! :mad: Sure does a spot check on your rifle handling; doesn't it? :rolleyes:

Let me know if I can help you.

Gene Beggs
 
Good post Gene. Not long ago, I was trying Tula primers (DON'T) and some wouldn't go off. And I caught myself in a flinch once in a while. I think it's something all should keep in mind, table manners.
 
When I read what Jerry wrote, about moving the entire arm back to pull the trigger, it reminded me of something that I think Tony Boyer may have said, that I may have read in one of Dick Wright's articles (Yes that is one too many "may haves."). I must confess that I pull my trigger by moving my finger, not my arm. How about the rest of you? I need to remember to try it their way, the next time that I go to the range, or perhaps dry firing, on my portable bench, in the garage. How does that go about doing the same experiment and expecting different results? ;-)
 
Winchester 52s

Charles E said:
Well, maybe Boyd. I've gotten myself in trouble if I ever use a light hold, or occasionally if I jerk the trigger. I've also gotten in trouble pinching the trigger on a .22 with a heavier pull; the original Winchester micro-motion triggers on the 52s.

But with free recoil, or a heavy hold, esp. using the forearm hand to hold the heavy kickers, I haven't found trigger control an issue. So that's how I shoot.
Click to expand...

Charles, Would you be kind enough to PM me as I have a question about the Winchester Model 52 that I own.

Thanks,

Bob
 
With the few matches I shoot in the course of a year I'm certainly not in the same league as you boys but I thought I'd share this little story anyway. A while back I found myself in a bad slump that lasted damn near the entire season. I shoot a light gun only, free recoil. After changing every thing I could think of to no avail I was just about ready to take up a new hobby. I can't recall who it was but someone suggested that I start paying more attention to the way I was pulling the trigger. All of a sudden the lights came on! I started pulling the trigger STRAIGHT back using my arm rather than using my finger alone and sometimes coming in from the side and my slump was over. I still shoot some big groups,but at least now I know why!
 
Boyd, my way may be wrong, but I use the ball of my first digit and do not move my arm or hand. I place a brick bag under my trigger hand ( to hide the nervous shaking) and put my thumb in the vertical position beside the stock. Yes, Gene Beggs warned me about that when in his tunnel. I don't touch the stock with my thumb, but I do allow the bolt to hit my thumb......at which time I begin the reloading process. Good shooting....James
 
Isnt trigger pulling a matter of doing, or using the same technique, whatever that may be, the exact same from shot to shot? I dont know this, but i would think as long as a shooter has some decent posture and trigger technique and as long as he does it the same, every time, all would be the same? Would it not??? I pin every rifle i shoot, so i am not real sure i have to worry about something like this AS MUCH as someone who shoots free recoil??? I dont know though. Good topic. Lee
 
Great thread.
This winter I've been shooting NRA small bore and doing a lot of pistol shooting.
About mid winter I realized that I was not squeezing the trigger properly despite my best efforts.
I changed my technique to concentrating on just slowly pivoting my index finger at the first joint.
Just a slow movement concentrating on moving only that first joint. (the one closest to the hand)
My pistol scores increased dramatically.
I also noticed that my inadvertent tensing in anticipation of recoil decreased.
I've known for a while that this tensing was a frequent cause of thrown shots.
In fact, I would bet that jerking the trigger is a major cause of thrown shots for many shooters.
I agree with Boyd that the light triggers on benchrest rifles probably contributes to this.
This way of thinking about my trigger squeeze has helped me decrease that.
It may not work for others but it sure has helped me.
James
 
Pinning a rifle is when you apply forward pressure on the butt with your shoulder so that the rifle is pushed against the stop with some force while shooting. Some shooters take this to the extreme of leaning into the butt to the point that their rest's rear leg point comes off of the bench, and then backing off just enough for it to reestablish contact.
 
j.higdon said:
What is meant by pining the rifle.
Click to expand...

What Boyd said.

Let me add that FOR ME pinning the rifle adds tensions into the system. I will pin with a rightward bias one day, a neutral bias another day and maybe a left or downward tension the next.

This kills me in competiton because no matter how I slice it competition is different than practice. For this reason I currently try to get all of my setups to respond to free-recoil.

al
 
I've tried free recoil and have not been able to get the right feel, I'm from the old school, shoot the dam gun. my wife on the other hand free recoils her rifle very well. I have to pin the the rifle as you say, but I use a towel or bag to keep my hand at the same level as the trigger with my hand and arm relaxed but my shoulder into the butt with a hard hold. Now you just concentrate on the X and squeeze.

Joe Salt
 
I have 2 diff styles.
1 is to close my thumb to the palm of my hand to keep it out of the way of the bolt and use my the ball of my first finger on the trigger
2 is to place my thumb on the stock behind the bolt about where a tang safety would be.
I do not move my whole arm as I see no need to add my whole arm into the equation for a 1.5oz trigger.
Usually when I get into trouble is when I forget and change styles in mid group......ooooops where did that come from.
 
Gene Beggs --- great post. I dug myself out of a slump after an observent coach noticed I was doing something funky with the trigger - like trying to steer the rifle with it. I started to imagine pulling the rifle off the bag by the trigger (free recoil) as a way of ensuring a straigt back movement. I also backed off the overtravel stop so the trigger would behave more like an Anschutz two-stage and less like a 52C micromotion. Cleary, one wouldn't do this with a 2 1/2 pound triger, but it makes it less likely to influence a rifle fitted with a 2-oz. trigger. Anyway, it worked for me. Now, if I could remember not to position my hand so that my knuckle gets whacked by the bolt handle on the odd shot ...

Harold
 
Thanks Boyd this is a very interesting topic.

I shoot free recoil and pinch the trigger between my index and second finger. I tried index and thumb but did not like getting my thumb jammed. This allows me to touch only the trigger on the gun.

Terry
 
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