Think I failed this season

[Bad Karma]

Lots of great information here. Anyone who’s been shooting for any length of time will deal with a bit of target panic or flinch. The tendency to yank or grab the trigger in anticipation of the explosion is a strong one. Back to the basics. By all means, try the coin trick, also occasionally having a friend load your rifle behind your back so you don’t know if you’re firing a live round, a priming charge only, or an empty rifle. This can be a real eye opener, revealing the extent and severity of any flinches... B.R.A.S.S. has been mentioned and you should also work on building a stable firing platform (your body essentially) volumes have been written on the subject.

 

[yonderin]

Another trick to identifying flinches is to have somebody had you the gun, with you not knowing whether or not it's loaded. Kind of hard to do with the involved process of loading a muzzle loader but somebody behind you going through all the motions to try and keep you honest.

Thought occurs to me that if you fire with it fully rested;
a. You eliminate or at least greatly reduce the flinch until you're used to the priming charge going off;
b. The satisfaction of better results to boost confidence; and
c. Reduce the human factor in load development.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You can also cheat.....
"Standing unsupported"...aka shooting a rifle "off hand" is rather difficult. It's one of the reasons the position is used in target shooting, but I've only used it three times with a rifle when hunting. Once with a squirrel, once with a rabbit, and once with a deer. ALL of those times the critter was less than 15 yards from me. Otherwise when using a rifle I use a much steadier position.

What I'm trying to say is there are firing positions that can drastically lessen or eliminate the effect of a flinch, and some of these are not used in marksmanship training. Basically, use a support and "cheat". It's hunting, not a contest, so don't feel obligated to forgo a good position. Use a tree to help support you, crossed sticks in a meadow or if your knees can handle it, the proper kneeling position is pretty tight and steady.

LD

 

[Pete G]

There are three rules for good offhand shooting....
1.Follow through
2.Follow through
3.Follow through

 

[SDSmlf]

I am trying to shoot .445s because the .440s are illegal in this state

Curious about this statement or regulation in your state (and what state is it?). Most state regulations specify a barrel caliber (40, 45, 50 etc.), not a roundball size. Believe most game wardens go by caliber stamped on the barrel and are not checking for .005” diameter differences with a micrometer. And I bet if you check some of your .440” roundballs some would be larger than .440” by a few thousands.

 

[1sthound]

State is Utah .45 is legal but they have rules on ball wt. .440s are too light by a few grains. Screwy I know but its .445 or a bufflo ballet or something similar. Cant use a .50 on elk either ball to light same deal as .45s

 

[Britsmoothy]

State is Utah .45 is legal but they have rules on ball wt. .440s are too light by a few grains. Screwy I know but its .445 or a bufflo ballet or something similar. Cant use a .50 on elk either ball to light same deal as .45s

"Bufflo ballet".....is that like swan lake just heavier?

 

[SDSmlf]

"Bufflo ballet".....is that like swan lake just heavier?

Maybe Russian?

 

[Bad Karma]

You can also cheat.....
"Standing unsupported"...aka shooting a rifle "off hand" is rather difficult. It's one of the reasons the position is used in target shooting, but I've only used it three times with a rifle when hunting. Once with a squirrel, once with a rabbit, and once with a deer. ALL of those times the critter was less than 15 yards from me. Otherwise when using a rifle I use a much steadier position.

What I'm trying to say is there are firing positions that can drastically lessen or eliminate the effect of a flinch, and some of these are not used in marksmanship training. Basically, use a support and "cheat". It's hunting, not a contest, so don't feel obligated to forgo a good position. Use a tree to help support you, crossed sticks in a meadow or if your knees can handle it, the proper kneeling position is pretty tight and steady.

LD

Always this! I’m a strong proponent of practicing all field positions and I feel strongly that most hunters do not do enough of it. I’m continually amazed at the number of hunters that show up at the range, sighting in from the bench and then take to the field “ready” in their minds, to take 2 and 3 hundred yard shots because they have all of the right gear. Kudos for taking the opposite approach and learning what you are capable of in real time @1sthound... as LD says, practice but be ready to cheat.

 

[1sthound]

Heck I never call it cheating, More like using my noodle and common sense. I am not a new shooter by any means, 65 now and have been hunting ever since I made my first bow at 6 yrs old. I am new to flintlocks though and that is why I am concerned with my accuracy. I owe it to my quarry to make a good shot above all else. Stuff happens with any weapon but this is glaring to me. I have until the 25th of this month to succeed or fail, either way it goes cap or rock I will be hunting with a muzzleloader. I will learn even if it takes more time, I enjoy a good challenge and am having loads of fun trying

 

[SDSmlf]

Heck I never call it cheating, More like using my noodle and common sense. I am not a new shooter by any means, 65 now and have been hunting ever since I made my first bow at 6 yrs old. I am new to flintlocks though and that is why I am concerned with my accuracy. I owe it to my quarry to make a good shot above all else. Stuff happens with any weapon but this is glaring to me. I have until the 25th of this month to succeed or fail, either way it goes cap or rock I will be hunting with a muzzleloader. I will learn even if it takes more time, I enjoy a good challenge and am having loads of fun trying

If you cannot get the .445 to shoot well and you’ve got the .440 shooting good, might consider storing the .440 in the .445 container. If stoped, offer container to whoever it is that stops you. Realistically, have found more than 5 grain weight difference between individual purchased round balls. That is why I cast and sort for any serious shooting. The difference between 128 and 130 grains is well within manufacture tolerances based on what I have seen, or I have purchased defective roundballs and should have requested a refund.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Heck I never call it cheating, More like using my noodle and common sense.

I call it "cheating" because such uncommon positions and/or the addition of shooting "aids" are verboten in shooting competitions. Where I am they call these "training scars" when a person who trains in a specific manner, fails to recognize that a real world situation doesn't have a referee and thus you can do what you need to do.
Learn how to stand and use your hiking staff as a makeshift "monopod" if you cross a large meadow or meadows where you hunt.
learn how to use the same staff and carry a small folding seat if you can't use the tight, kneeling position.
Learn the tight, kneeling position
In the woods, put your non-trigger hand fingers up, palm forward against a sturdy tree trunk. Then lay the rifle or smoothbore into the crook of the thumb of that hand to act as a support as you stand or sit next to that same tree. I've shot a lot of deer from that position.
Use a low branch on a sturdy bush like you would a support on a bench on the range..., you might be squatting a bit, but it'll be steady.
I've never tried this, but supposedly it was very popular for more than a century for long range shooting...,


LD

 

[Stumpkiller]

Been shooting the heck out of my first flinter for awhile now (.45 pedersoli kentucky) But I am not happy at all with my accuracy, My groups are around 6in at 60 yds. I know I am flinching like an unruly dog caught in the garbage! I try not to but I can feel it. I have gone through several sizes of patches with same results. Having fun trying but not good enough to hunt with yet. So I will have to go back to a capper for this season DRATS! I am trying to shoot .445s because the .440s are illegal in this state. Oh well I am learning quiet a lot on here and will keep trying until I get it right.

Wear a hat with a short brim. Focus on the target. Relax your neck muscles. Squeeze the trigger slowly. And, as said above, follow through. Ignition is crucial but not all flinters are instantaneous. There are things that can help that but the lock and vent have to be right to begin with.

Play around with the prime until you find the best. I like the pan topped to just below the vent.

 

[1sthound]

Spent the day shooting the .45, took the Lyman along to see what I could do with that one, Well I never touched the Lyman .50 because I was going to just take a couple of shots with the .45 ( you bet ) I must be getting a little more used to a flinter because I was putting the shots into a 3in circle at 65 to 70 yds. I need to do better and know I can eventually with time. I am calling it good enough to hunt deer with this season within my range. Thanks for all the help folks

 

[Britsmoothy]

Spent the day shooting the .45, took the Lyman along to see what I could do with that one, Well I never touched the Lyman .50 because I was going to just take a couple of shots with the .45 ( you bet ) I must be getting a little more used to a flinter because I was putting the shots into a 3in circle at 65 to 70 yds. I need to do better and know I can eventually with time. I am calling it good enough to hunt deer with this season within my range. Thanks for all the help folks

That's brilliant. Stay relaxed about it.
I think that's why many use these guns, they are humbling, they require us as part of the system a lot thus magnifing our short comings which while many may lament over that many of us see it as a good thing!

 

[BJHabermehl]

There are three rules for good offhand shooting....
1.Follow through
2.Follow through
3.Follow through

It might help to define follow thru technique. For me it is a three count of continued aim after the trigger breaks. This prevents head lifting and a host of anticipation problems. BJH

 

[Sun City]

Weigh your round balls. Last box I bought of .445 had almost half over 1 grain or more lighter than the heaviest ball. It was kind of depressing...

Won't make 'jack' difference if they were 5 grains difference!!

Ask me how I know!!

 

[Rodd Boyer]

The way I figure, they have a void in there somewhere and if it's off center, then the ball will not spin evenly... kind of like a wheel and tire that is not balanced. I'm not saying that IS the way it transpires, but it makes sense to me.

 

[Patrick Thomas]

Won't make 'jack' difference if they were 5 grains difference!!

Ask me how I know!!

I’ll bite. How do you know?

 

[Col. Batguano]

Dry firing practice is just about as essential as live firing. Even Olympic shooters do it for about 1/3 of their practice time, which is generally as much as 20 hours a week.