Flintlock flinching

[WonkyEye]

Flinching is tough because it's one of those things you don't realize you're doing. I think it's easier to recognize with a flintlock because when the eventual flash and no fire happens, you're either on target still, or you're off target and can't blame the recoil. One of the things I have done for years when is see someone jerking the trigger or flinching, I learned from my drill instructor. On a CLEAR rifle, put a cleaning rod in the barrel half way and have a helper balance a dime on the rod. Dry fire without dropping the dime, and stay on target. repeat as necessary. It really does work.

 

[Wncman]

I reckon we've all done that, especially before we learned not to. I learned decades ago, and my method is what I thought about before each shot. My question is for anyone who wouldn't mind revealing how they mastered the 'no flinch.' My method was/is a bit different from what experienced and great shooters do. I've heard it taught that we should learn to ignore the pan flash. I suppose that works very well after much practice. Quality, fast locks like Siler and Kibler lessen the need to deal with a delay, I know, but we can't always tell what might slow the process. Dull flint, flint not aligned, dirty flash hole.
Decades ago I flinched. So I practiced with a wooden flints. When I got to the point my sight picture didn't change while 'firing,' I started priming the pan and firing without a loaded gun. After mastering that (ignoring the flash,) I was good to go.
But now at advanced age, and shooting less often, my method is a tad different. Now, when aiming, even with a very fast lock, I've taught myself to EXPECT the flash, to know that the flash is all important and that once that occurs, it is over; that the gun will fire on it's own and that my sight alignment won't change. Mental procedures are incredibly difficult to explain, and I've not really said what my mindset is at that critical instant, but it works for me. I've said all that to ask, HOW DID OR DO YOU OVERCOME FLINCHING, before or during the firing process. This is likely the longest thread opening question ever asked.

I’ve heard them called flinchlocks. Some folks flinch with any firearm.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I concentrate on the holding and squeezing. My locks are pretty fast and to be honest I'm really not aware of the pan flash anymore - unless there isn't one...

 

[Butch Martin]

I never had a flinch problem. I think shooting bottle rockets out of a shoulder mounted pvc pipe in my youth cured me of that.

I have some left-over bottle rockets from New Year's, and I need a piece of PVC. I have to try this, and thank you for the idea.

 

[flatcreek]

Relax and don't anticipate.

 

[Snooterpup]

Actually if you following the fundamentals of marksmanship breath, relax, aim, squeeze, and follow through you will never see the flash. Keep your head down on the stock and focused on the sights. If your seeing the flash your doing something wrong. Now yanking or jerking the trigger in expectations is something totally different, that goes back to the squeeze portion of marksmanship.

You may be right for all the right handed shooters but us left handed always see the flash. Like said above, the fundamentals and practice practice practice.

 

[CaptainVane]

I have some left-over bottle rockets from New Year's, and I need a piece of PVC. I have to try this, and thank you for the idea.

On 7/4, we would line up on opposite sides of field and shoot at each other. No helmets, eye protection, kevlar vests, or warning labels. How did we ever survive? No flinching allowed.

 

[CaptainVane]

I have some left-over bottle rockets from New Year's, and I need a piece of PVC. I have to try this, and thank you for the idea.

Get a pvc pipe, I forgot what diameter, lil bigger than , stick in ground like a mortar, drop in lit 1 1/2” er, then a tennis ball. My god you won’t believe how far it goes. Good times.

 

[OldRust]

Flinching is not a problem as an old man. If you startle me now I'll flinch on Tuesday. The advice I give younger flintlock shooters is to wear a ball cap and adjust the bill so they can only see the sights. Not a cure all but a start.

Thanks,
O.R.

 

[BP Addict]

A club member let me shoot his Flintlock rifle a couple of times at a Match. I had a hard time ignoring the flash. The pan is about 6 inches or so from your face but when it goes off, it seems like it's right in front of your eyes.

He talked me into buying one. I went out and practiced a couple of days a week before the next Match. By concentrating on the target and sights, I was soon able to ignore it.

Just my two cents.

Walt

 

[Commodore Swab]

Play with early locks with massive pans alot. I have one where the pan takes 15+ grains. Before long you won't even notice.

 

[CaptainVane]

Oh Oh Oh! I gotta tell this story. My wife’s mother married a guy named Harry who had acreage. So one day Harry and I go shooting on his property. Now i got my Tc .50 flint Hawken now as anyone knows weighs about 11 pounds and and has zero recoil. I always just laid it on open left hand and it it would just raise a little bit and flop back down.
Harry on the other hand, so to speak, had some 30-06 Ww2 rifle, ya he was a lot older than me.
So we decided to swap rifles. He tries my Hawken Flinter. Liked it.
I take his 30-06 with scope, you know where this is going, lean into it and of course i hold left hand open like my Hawken.
Well i pull the trigger, recoil kicks back, scope impacts my eye, gashes my eye, blood is pouring down, cant see a dam thing.
Ended up with a huge black and bloody right eye for next 2 weeks.
Good times!
PS so no, i dont flinch from flintlocks, i flinch from 30-06 scopes. You cant make this shat up.

 

[Sam squanch]

After flinching for 20 years over my wife’s purchases, I’ve got it beat.

 

[CaptainVane]

After flinching for 20 years over my wife’s purchases, I’ve got it beat.

 

[bpd303]

Another thing my grandfather did to get me over flinching was to prime the pan without a load in the barrel or sometimes he would load it. I never knew if it was loaded or not. He would watch me for any sign of flinching and correct what I did.

 

[stephenprops1]

All the above works especially the wood flint and dry fire, dry fire, dry fire.

One of the best ways (I have posted this before) is to have a group of friends watch you shoot, when you have a klatch and they hoot and holler making fun of your flinch you will stop it.

If you record yourself shooting a shotgun you can audit how you handle it. I didn't even realize I was flinching until I fired a shotgun and the shell didn't go off. It was quite obvious to me, and my friends, how much I flinched. With that knowledge I began working on stopping it.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

You may be right for all the right handed shooters but us left handed always see the flash. Like said above, the fundamentals and practice practice practice.

Well you wouldn't if you had a left handed gun

 

[Coinneach]

Never had the flinch problem, can't say why I just didn't.

Pssssst, some of us have been doing it "from before"......

 

[Coinneach]

Looking forward to ''not flinching", as I'm waiting on a kit to arrive so I can join in the fun.....

Welcome sir to the addiction.

 

[Coinneach]

Flinching is tough because it's one of those things you don't realize you're doing. I think it's easier to recognize with a flintlock because when the eventual flash and no fire happens, you're either on target still, or you're off target and can't blame the recoil. One of the things I have done for years when is see someone jerking the trigger or flinching, I learned from my drill instructor. On a CLEAR rifle, put a cleaning rod in the barrel half way and have a helper balance a dime on the rod. Dry fire without dropping the dime, and stay on target. repeat as necessary. It really does work.

But who in their right mind is going to risk losing a Dime coin that way, that said I'm prepared to use a signed IOU in your hand writing.