What is your method to combat offhand wobble?

[azmntman]

What is your method to combat offhand wobble?​

A tree.

 

[andy52]

We all know that practice in our sport will make us a better shot. This post is asking what do you do to combat any wobble when shooting offhand? I have alway been taught to bring the rifle up, acquire sight picture, center and hold your POA, stay steady, and squeeze the trigger. I just read an article that said to help avoid OH wobble one should shoot similar to wing shooting. The article said that when the rifle is used in the swing position, it has little, or less wobble. I have never been successful at swinging the sights across a target and timing my trigger pull to have discharge when the POA is accoss the sights.
Opinions and thoughts please.
Larry

Two different technics here if I see this right, if I'm shooting at a standing or slow-moving target a slow wobble means I've spent too much time on the target. Fast moving you haven't time for that so just speed up your slower shots to a faster motion. There's really no difference between the two other than time.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Here's what works for me. I shoot a Lyman/Invest Arm .50 caplock GPR with the Lyman rear aperture and Lyman globe front sight with a wide post insert. 1. Acquire NPOA or you are fighting yourself. 2. Look through, not at the rear sight. Don't consciously try to center the post in the aperture, just look thru it. Your eye will do what it is supposed to do, trust me. 3. Focus sharply, that means concentrate on making the front sight as sharp as possible. I keep saying to myself "front sight", "front sight." Don't be upset when the rear sight and the target go somewhat out of focus. That means you're doing it right. 4. Breathe in and out a couple times with the front sight post at 12 o clock on the black. 5. On the last exhaled breath, slowly bring the post down thru the bull until just above center and at that moment (while still continuing to slowly drop) touch off the set trigger. You must learn your rifle, you must practice, it isn't guaranteed, but it works pretty well for me.

 

[bronko220002]

49er is right about focusing only on the front sight.
But remember practice does NOT make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Let's face it. We're human and our bodies are in constant motion -breathing, heartbeat etc.
Many years ago when I was shooting competitively my mentor told me to that you will never hold your rifle still. The trick is to get it moving it a circular motion. With practice the circle will get smaller. After a while and much practice he was right. With muscle memory I was able to get this circle so small that it would not veer out of the 10 ring. Then all I had to do was focus and squeeze the trigger.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Here's what works for me. I shoot a Lyman/Invest Arm .50 caplock GPR with the Lyman rear aperture and Lyman globe front sight with a wide post insert. 1. Acquire NPOA or you are fighting yourself. 2. Look through, not at the rear sight. Don't consciously try to center the post in the aperture, just look thru it. Your eye will do what it is supposed to do, trust me. 3. Focus sharply, that means concentrate on making the front sight as sharp as possible. I keep saying to myself "front sight", "front sight." Don't be upset when the rear sight and the target go somewhat out of focus. That means you're doing it right. 4. Breathe in and out a couple times with the front sight post at 12 o clock on the black. 5. On the last exhaled breath, slowly bring the post down thru the bull until just above center and at that moment (while still continuing to slowly drop) touch off the set trigger. You must learn your rifle, you must practice, it isn't guaranteed, but it works pretty well for me.

Thanks for your thoughts, you have some good points, but one for sure is not for me. I bring the gun up to a lower area of my POA (6 o'clock) and then continue raising to POA. Why am I doing that? 2 reasons: I can't see dead center at 12 o'clock because the barrel is covering it up. Second reason: It is easier/smoother stopping, if raising, compared to lowering. Raising to the POA you just slack off a little muscle to stop at POA versus having to increase muscle for the stop if you lower to POA.

Larry

 

[mikesto44]

Follow through is most important... Your sights should still be on target after the shot. If your gun doesn't fit you well. You will never be a excellent shot with it.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

What is your method to combat offhand wobble?​

A tree.

Smarty We all knew that! We were all just waiting to see if you knew.
Larry

 

[Pratt]

There are so many points to know. Find your rifles balance point. Start with your left hand rearward from there. Know sight alignment . Most important. Now place your target in a sight picture. Now Breathe easy and full. Start your figure 4 pattern. Up down left across feel the squeeze. Let the rifle do its job. Do curls with your left arm. Practice your trigger squeeze. Feel the pores of the metal of the trigger. SLOW your heart beat. Above all practice.

 

[The Miner '49er]

Thanks for your thoughts, you have some good points, but one for sure is not for me. I bring the gun up to a lower area of my POA (6 o'clock) and then continue raising to POA. Why am I doing that? 2 reasons: I can't see dead center at 12 o'clock because the barrel is covering it up. Second reason: It is easier/smoother stopping, if raising, compared to lowering. Raising to the POA you just slack off a little muscle to stop at POA versus having to increase muscle for the stop if you lower to POA.

Larry

Larry, I tried the "come up from 6" method but found the "12 and down" worked better for me since gravity was helping me as my muscles and concentration flagged. Also, I don't stop when the front sight gets to the POA. Since your method works for you, don't change it. A couple weeks ago I saw a guy wearing a tee shirt that said Wait a minute while I overthink this. My wife is looking for one of those for me.

 

[Stub]

I have a wobble problem but one thing I haven't figured out is that I often shoot a higher Off hand score at 50 yards than I do at 25 yards.

 

[azmntman]

Tree was a fact. I just about won't shoot game off hand (excluding shotgun). Just never trusted myself. The VERY few times I have I killed ok just where I am there's always a tree close by. Don't shoot competition. Except against myself. Lose every time too.

 

[Coinneach]

And if I m

Breathing … stance (establish your Natural Point of Aim) … practice … keeping all your focus on the front sight, front sight, FrOnT SiGhT, FRONT SIGHT all the way THROUGH the shot, plus recognizing that no human being can actually eliminate wobble. With practice, you will know how to hold, make the shot and ‘when’ to fire.

Add in some dry firing and/or practicing with a springer air rifle and you’ll have it!

And if I may add the 3 second rule, (RA Inf Centre Small Arms Wing) once you're sighted your max hold should be no more than 3 seconds to trigger squeeze (breathing control happens before the 3 second phase).
What it does is eliminate the wobble /movement before it takes effect, and it takes dry "firing" practise.

 

[Coinneach]

Dont "hold your breath."

Its much better to learn a habit slowing down of pausing during an exhale right before you will shoot. Holding after an inhale will create tension.

A key military marksmanship principle is breathing control, first a reasonably deep breath then exhale, followed by a half breath and hold (3 second final sighting) then trigger squeeze and follow through.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Practice, practice, practice, then practice some more. Many top shooters do a lot of dry firing. Chuck Blender, a former top ml champion, had a spot on the wall in his home he aimed at and dry fired hundreds of times a day. He also lifted weights. Some top shooters I have known you could do chin-ups on their barrel while they are sighting and it wouldn't bother them........well........almost.

 

[Rawhide67]

I've never found a solution, at least at targets. In the woods, the deer get hit and die. Maybe under pressure it's less of a problem. I do know that the longer you hold it and try to focus, it gets worse. At least for me and many Ive trained.

 

[Kev308]

There will always be a little wobble, the trick is to minimize it.
Your natural point of aim is all important!
Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, at about 90 degrees to the target. get the buttplate as high as you can in your shoulder, if you tilt your head down onto the cheekpiece it will cause a problem. Front hand under the foreend as close to the lock as is comfortable for you. Now look down the barrel- where is your front sight in relation to the target? Use your back foot to get yourself on target by moving it forward or backward till the sight is on target. I like to get my front hand as close to my chest as possible it provides good support. Too low or too high? Move the front hand. Now close your eyes and relax- open them where is your sight? If need be make minor adjustments with your feet of hand.
If it looks good remember where your feet and hands are.
Do not stare at the sights too long if your position is good breathe, and squeeze the trigger.
FOLLOW THROUGH
Repeat eveytime and eventually this will become routine.
Practice practice practice good offhand shooting is all about bone support amd muscle memory

 

[LME]

What is your method to combat offhand wobble?​

A tree.

Well I'll be! All these years and now I find a simple solution! LOL!

 

[Mike]

If you want to get your forearm even closer to your torso, turn your left hand around and put your thumb on the right side of the rifle.

Believe it or not, it's a much more comfortable position when you're gripping just in front of the trigger guard.

I used to shoot my Garand this way. That muzzle just sat there.

That's how I did with the heavier rifles as well. Seems to lock the arm/torso into a stable A.

 

[Crazdgunman]

Well, I’m formally an avid Metallic Silhouette shooter, so I have a lot of practice. It requires the development of muscle groups that aren’t really used for anything else to be really good at it.

That said, I always use shooting sticks in the field.

 

[nkbj]

I've found bracing off the screen door helps quite a bit.