Off hand shooting

[hortonstn]

When shooting off hand do you set your sights for a dead on hit or figure 8
Try to figure it out I've been shooting bench rest for the last 25 years
Any advice appreciated

[Bob McBride]

When shooting off hand do you set your sights for a dead on hit or figure 8
Try to figure it out I've been shooting bench rest for the last 25 years
Any advice appreciated

I use dead on sights but do figure 8 my muzzle a bit to stabilize things. About 4 small figure 8's over the target give me about 1.5 seconds of dead steady. Sometimes I don't need to do that, and sometimes it doesn't help. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I sight in my rifles from a bench so that the ball hits exactly where the sights are, ie:  dead centre.  I do not use a 6 o'clock hold, although I bring the sights up into the target from below the bull until I'm right on the middle, and then I squeeze off the shot.  When I'm fresh, I can almost always hold the sights on the bull, keeping them inside of about 1 1/2" while I touch it off.  I've never understood the concept of deliberately moving the sights around in the bull and hoping for a lucky trigger break.

[smylee grouch]

I try to hold steady on what ever point I want to hit but I also never liked the idea of chasing a stationary target 

[Tim Ault]

I go from the button up when the top of the blade hits the bottom of the bull I touch it off

[bob in the woods]

I try to hold dead steady, and practice really helps with that. If something seems off, re the sight picture I will bring the gun down, take a few breaths and then bring it up and try again. Holding steady through and after the trigger break is the key.  My rifles are sighted to shoot exactly to point of aim.

[Bob McBride]

I sight in my rifles from a bench so that the ball hits exactly where the sights are, ie:  dead centre.  I do not use a 6 o'clock hold, although I bring the sights up into the target from below the bull until I'm right on the middle, and then I squeeze off the shot.  When I'm fresh, I can almost always hold the sights on the bull, keeping them inside of about 1 1/2" while I touch it off.  I've never understood the concept of deliberately moving the sights around in the bull and hoping for a lucky trigger break.

It’s not moving and hoping for a lucky break Taylor, it’s just a preshot routine to relax yourself. Anyone who tries to shoot on the move of a figure 8 has misunderstood.  Some guys swing subtly back and forth or concentrate on retarding their exhale, pop their neck, or whatever.. Most people do something.

[mushka]

After shooting standing for 60 years I've found that practice is the only way to succeed.  Learn the sight picture you want to see and practice til you get sick of it.  After awhile you'll end up being a decent shot.

[smylee grouch]

When you guys say that your rifles are sighted to point of aim, I assume with a certain load at a certain range. My rifles are sighted so too but twice, once as the ball is going up past the line of sight and then later as it crosses the line of sight down range. Every thing  before, inbetween or past is an educated guess.   

[alacran]

I shoot at different parts of the state of Arizona it takes 8 hours to drive from where I live to Yuma 4 hours to Phoenix a little longer to Tucson. All ranges are different some you shoot to the North some to the South. So to say I have a zero on any gun that is dead on for everywhere I shoot, would not be factual. I also shoot in the Midwest at an average elevation of 400' above sea level. At home I shoot at 6500 feet. When shooting paper targets, NMLRA paper targets I  like a six o'clock hold. I have a target flintlock with adjustable sights so I can adjust for the different ranges. For doing trailwalks I use a fixed sight rifle either in flint or cap. When shooting gongs a center of mass hold is best. But I never sight my rifles off the bench since most of the competition I shoot is offhand. The only guns I sight from a rest are cross stick rifles. The point is, sight picture and point of aim is relevant to where you are shooting.
I tried to figure out why when I go to the Midwest my guns generally shoot higher than they do at home. I just go with it and adjust accordingly.

[Daryl]

My guns are always moving, but I do try to hold steady. Both my flinters have set triggers, simple trigger on the .69 and I
shoot it best, likely because it is a cap lock. It also has the shortest barrel/sight radius.  Both flinters 'seem' to hold better
but the proof is in the shooting.

[Daniel Coats]

I agree with practice and the more the better. When I was training for my Alaska hunt I would pop up from behind the couch and sight on a light switch as fast as I could. My dog never did get used to that!

[Dave Marsh]

I agree with practice and the more the better. When I was training for my Alaska hunt I would pop up from behind the couch and sight on a light switch as fast as I could. My dog never did get used to that!

I agree with practice as well however my wife would never handle me popping up from behind the couch like that...LOL.   

[hanshi]

I always try and hold the muzzle steady but it usually does a figure 8 despite every thing I do.  Generally I'll just control my breathing, concentrate on the sights during the slow trigger pull.  This gives me the best groups (always mediocre however) I can manage.  One rifle I had to sell was a flint Va. rifle with a straight 42" barrel.  It was muzzle heavy but that weight out front made the figure 8 tiny and it moved slowly, really slowly.  As long as I fired within 5 or 6 seconds I could normally hit the poa.  I called it "rock steady" and it made me look not that bad.  Deer calibers are usually sighted in at about 2" high at 50 yds.  This gives me a point blank range approaching 100 yards.  Small bores are sighted in to put the hole in the target on top of the front sight at 25-30 yards.

[AZshot]

With any rifle offhand, I find left to right is the main movement.  I try to snap the shot when it passes the target.  Elevation, not as much variation.  Yes, we're all told to squeeeezzz the trigger slowly and not know when it's going to go off.  But - to a certain extent that's NOT what I do in say silhouette, and with a set trigger.  You will only be "spot on" for about 1/4 of a second.  If you're too slow squeezing, you're going to be back off again when it goes off.  I pull faster than you'd think....and shoot pretty good offhand too.  Shot Expert Rifle in the military, AAA at BPCR, and after years of not shooting, was doing pretty good at .22 Silhouette last year.  Shot elk off hand.  And shoot off hand at the range every time I go, groups surpassing the black rifles with scopes at half the distance I'm shooting.  The point is - it works for me.

The set trigger let's you fire fast, so I do.  I try to have good follow through, and don't hold the rifle up too long.  If I don't feel right about a shot, I lower it for 10 seconds, then start again. 

[hortonstn]

Thanks I appreciate all the help I think my biggest problem is not practicing enough
I always thought when I retired I'd shoot more it seems that's not the case I hate cold weather
Thanks again
Paul

[smylee grouch]

Actual practice is about the best way to keep your edge but simple muscle memory can be attained by picking up your rifle several times a day and sighting on a spot on the wall,light switch, corner of a picture frame,etc. This will help when you do finely get to go out and shoot. Done with a UN-loaded gun of course.

[retired fella]

I start with holding steady on target and when i miss i chalk it up to being a "flyer".  If i hit where i aim i give myself an attaboy.   

[Jeff Murray]

I have all my rifles sighted in for dead center hold.  When shooting targets at the range I carry an adjustable powder measure.  A 5 or 10 grain adjustment (50caliber) is all that is needed to retain the center hold at longer ranges.  For novelty shoots I shoot the rifle's preferred sweet spot load unless I know it is 100 plus yards.  For hunting I use the hunting load and adjust the hold for close shots.  If you shoot enough you will find out where to hold with a single load.  Shoot your most accurate load at all ranges you will likely encounter frequently to get comfortable.  It also helps to set out some wind flags at a range session to learn how the wind drifts your most accurate load.  Testing off a bench will tell you where your rifle shoots.  Then you can find out where you shoot.

[Daryl]

When shooting the trail with the .36 and .50, I use their most accurate loads for all ranges. In the .69, that would be rough on the body
over 40 shots, not to mention, a pound of powder, so I use a lighter load that still shoots reasonably well, but does not the guilt-edge
accuracy I get with the hunting load.  There is a big difference in shooting the trail with 85gr. 2F, compared with 165gr. 2F.  As well, the
lighter load does not break as many targets, either.  The big one is brutal on the plates & chains.