reducing the shakes

[Scott Semmel]

Do you folks who are serious off hand shooters do anything special to strengthen you forward arm for shooting? I shoot lefty so I'm talking about my right arm. With a gun that is just a tad muzzle heavy my right arm fatigues on me, and the front sight starts shaking and bouncing after a bit. The shaking buggers up my concentration and next thing ya know I can't hit a barn from the inside.
I started doing a bunch of dry firing, shooting and air gun, rather heavily front weighted, in my basement and taped a steel bar to an old stock, in lew of a barrel, so it is super muzzle heavy and try to hold that steady several times a day.
I think this stuff is helping but if you guys have any trade secrets you would like to share that would be apprciated.

[axelp]

dumbells will help...

K

[Daryl]

My offhand shooting and resistance to recoil has improved a great deal since I started going to the gym with my wife, twice a week. Shirts are getting tight, but the shooting has impoved.

I also have a torn cartilage in my right shoulder, front and back and the weight training has strengthened that shoulder & the other considerably.

[Roger Fisher]

dumbells will help...

K

Til you over do it, then visit that 5' 9"" blonde gal that is in chiropractic.  Been there, Barbara won't let me go back

[greybeard]

Years ago this was adressed in Muzzle blast and it was sugested putting a spike it a post at  the aproptiate level . Mount the gun with the end of the barrel under the spike and apply upward pressure for a few reps a few times a day . Might help ??
    Bob

[Simon]

Do you folks who are serious off hand shooters do anything special to strengthen you forward arm for shooting? I shoot lefty so I'm talking about my right arm. With a gun that is just a tad muzzle heavy my right arm fatigues on me, and the front sight starts shaking and bouncing after a bit. The shaking buggers up my concentration and next thing ya know I can't hit a barn from the inside.
I started doing a bunch of dry firing, shooting and air gun, rather heavily front weighted, in my basement and taped a steel bar to an old stock, in lew of a barrel, so it is super muzzle heavy and try to hold that steady several times a day.
I think this stuff is helping but if you guys have any trade secrets you would like to share that would be apprciated.

  If you are a serious shooter and want to be competitive, you have to have a training program incorporating weights for whole body strengthening along with some cardio work.  Keep all this age related.  Also keep up the drying firing and the airgun(the air gun should be target grade if possible).    The cardio is very important,  it will lower your heart rate and enhance your breath control.

[omark]

roger, wheres this 5'9" blonde work?  i havent found one.   mark     

[Wyoming Mike]

Do the weight training for the arms and shoulders.  Also do the heavy barrel dry firing.  That helps the upper body but also the lower back muscles.  Strengthening the lower back will also help holding the rifle steady.  You're still going to get a little wobble but you should be able to lock onto the target long enough for the shot.

[axelp]

universally for any sporting endeavor its good to have a strong core (back and abs)

[Daryl]

Those are the only workouts I can do, Mike, due to previous injuries. Seems to work. The main thing is to do something - not just vegetate while thinking about it- that won't help at all.

[northmn]

I also found that the classic offhand rifle may be a bit barrel heavy.  As I got older I found that using a slightly lighter gun also helps.  Look at your technique also.  You may need to shoot quicker.  I have seen some shooters that hold that rifle up for a long time before shooting.  Sometimes it is better to dismount the rifle, take a couple of breaths and retry. 

DP

[hanshi]

Due to past shoulder surgeries I also have a strength problem that use to not exist.  Interestingly, I seem to do my best off hand shooting with a long barreled and nose heavy EV .50.  If I can get the shot off under 6 seconds or so I'm fine.  Once I get toward 10 seconds or so major wobbles set in.  Even with lighter guns the quicker I shoot the better.

[Roger Fisher]

roger, wheres this 5'9" blonde work?  i havent found one.   mark     

Bout 8 mi north.  Well maybe she's only 5'8" since she isn't getting any younger

[Scott Semmel]

Thanks folks, That peg on a post thing sounds interesting should work on specific muscles.  I have a pair of dumbells my son abandoned, avoiding the dumbell with a dumbell jokes is the challenge.
I spent too many years working a family farm, where all the exercise I needed and more was right outside my door, to drag myself into a gym. I used to harass all my gym going friends that they could come to the farm and I would give them a full body workout and cardio with no membership fee.
I have no delusions or desire of becoming a serious competitor, just want to go to a few local shoots without saying to myself "how could you miss by that &%*$ing much!

[James]

I hesitate to speak up as you all have more experience. However, when shooting off hand it is possible also to learn to start just above the target, lowering the rifle slowly, slack, squeeze, and fire quickly at the top of the target while still slowly lowering the muzzle, there will be no side to side movement when you are directing the direction by going slowly down. I always hit 10 for 10 offhand at 200 yards at the rifle range in the Marines using this method. Few others could do the same. Just my 2-cents, and only trying to help. Good luck, James

[bgf]

The advice about getting the shot off quick is spot-on, as well as directing the movement, rather than holding it still.  Before a nasty ear infection last fall left me hopeless for a time (happy to hit what I can for a while), I worked on small targets at 50 yards by going from left to right very slowly, and noting where to pull the trigger.  My scores went up a lot, but more importantly my consistency became noticeably better.  I used the side-motion because our range rules say not to start above target but rather go up -- it really doesn't matter that much.  Any way, control the motion and get the shot off before you lose control.  Do not get to the end of your rope and take a panic shot, just put the rifle down and try again.  Also, position your body so that the rifle is pointing naturally at the bullseye -- that will decrease the time it takes to get a shot off.  Test your posture by closing your eyes and relaxing just a little after raising the rifle; the rifle should be right where you want it after a few seconds, not pointing at the target to one side or the ground.

My qualifications as a teacher of this is that I can't do it all the time .

[Daryl]

James - please enter the 200yard round ball match this summer - all of you - we need some participation. It is FREE!

[Leatherbelly]

...need a hand cannon! 

[Roger Fisher]

...need a hand cannon! 

Or a 200 yd range!

[Kermit]

I knew a pistol shooter years ago who kept a 2lb weight beside his TV chair. He would pick it up and hold it out straight armed til he wobbled good, set it down to rest, repeated this. Seemed to work for him. He used to shoot a Ruger Old Army against the rest of us with rifles--and win a lot.

[James]

Daryl, I have been trying to talk myself into getting into the shooting, and when I finish my .62 48" barrel Rifle that I will be starting soon I will practice up and would seriously like to try the shoots, just have never done anything like this before. Thank you, James

[Daryl]

Everyone is welcome!

 Need 200 yards? - just go down any logging road a piece and pick a flat spot on a cut - block.  Dial up 200 yards to a root pile with your laser rangefinder, hang a target on it, back up and have at it - or use the rifle range - or come visit us & we'll help.

[trentOH]

There's no rule you have to shoot every time you mount. If you wobble too much, lower your rifle, take a few breaths, and try again.
In some shoots, shooting jackets are allowed. Maybe a back brace is permitted. And boots that support your ankles help stop the wobbles at the ground floor.

[D. Bowman]

Avoid caffeine and sugar!

[ottawa]

back when I was learning to be a PMI in the Marines they would have us add weight to the front of the rifle to help build up the muscles we did this by putting our pistol belts with full canteens on the muzzle when we did our dry fireing practice so maybee hanging something from the muzzle mite help one you still have the feel  of you rifle with the added weight.