Do you shoot free recoil ? If not, what do you do and how do you do it? Does trigger pulling or trigger slapping make a difference? - Multiple
Glenn Newick
Yes, I shoot free recoil; for several reasons. Being the excitable sort when there are four shots into a knot, I try to keep off the rifle. I have changed several things in my shooting style since the book came out in '89. First was thanks to Tony Boyer. I added a front stop to keep the forend weighting the same between shots. the other is to use a slightly heavier trigger. I think that Arnold Jewell is doing a disservice by making his triggers only available in 1.5 oz. I find that new shooters, and many old ones, definately slap the trigger when they get too light. To cure that problem with me, I have an old Canjar that's around 3 oz. and a Shilen 12 oz. that I can drop in for practice sessions. It's amazing how apparent slaps become when you have a 12 oz. trigger installed. Since I'm left handed, if I'm slapping, I pull shots low right. By having sessions with the heavier triggers I solve follow through problems, one of the MOST important items for small aggregates.
John Whitley
Yes I shoot free recoil.
J.D. Denoff
No I don't shoot free recoil. I use thumb pressure on tang. Have my trigger adjusted so that I can feel metal without firing, about 1.5 oz.. I use a smooth trigger pull no slapping. Does different styles make a difference? No I don't think so, use what works for you. Being consistent is the main ingredient. Keep 'em tight.
Kip Torjusen
YES, I shoot free recoil, with only the smallest possible area of my finger touching the trigger.
Ray Wight
I shoot as free recoil as I can make myself touching only the trigger with the pad of my trigger finger keeping my cheek off the stock even though it does 'brush' it (I usually add talcum to my right cheek as a precaution.) During set up, I try to make sure that the rifle will point back at the aiming point after recoil/sliding forward. There was a time that I used the rear bag to adjust my aiming point, but I felt that there was too much room for error, so changed - even though bag-squeezing was much faster. As much as I hate to admit it, as I believe it is faulty technique, I do slap the trigger, especially when in a hurry to get the string completed in a condition.
Mickey Coleman
Yes, but the rifle only moves about 1/4 inch before it hits my shoulder. I have held the rifle against the stop on the rest with my shoulder (firmly) and the rifle still shoots well. I am of the opinion that when you're shooting free recoil you have to be even more particular about set-up since the rifle is free to do whatever it is allowed to do...like make a fool of me by moving me down 20 places with just one group. Shooting free recoil demands the utmost in concentration.
Ron Galbraith
It depends quite a bit on the range conditions during any particular match, and whether I am shooting a LV as opposed to a HV rifle, but overall I try to shoot free recoil. I try to set up the front bags fairly snug as I found that this can save the day when shooting free recoil and you happen to double with a shooter on the next bench. I'm always amazed when setting the rifle up how much the crosshairs will move even when someone walks by on the concrete pads that support the benches. The vibrations from his or her footsteps can be seen in the scope. So I think a snug front bag helps here, even though the trade-off is that the gun will not recoil as freely. I will use only the lightest of contact with my shoulder and cheek so that no pressure is exerted on the rifle. Likewise, I will use a bag to support my trigger hand so that no unwanted pressure is exerted on the rifle when I slowly pull the trigger, concentrating on a pull straight back. I think that ignoring recoil and muzzle blast is very important. Even the slightest of flinches can lay waste to the best laid plans. I try not to move any part of my body except my trigger finger when firing. But free recoil becomes a dicey proposition when waiting on a condition, or conditions are changing quickly, and you have to go to the sighter frequently. It takes longer to get the crosshairs set exactly, and by that time your condition could have departed for parts unknown. I can recall a couple (?) matches this past summer where stubbornly sticking to free recoil ruined my group because I took too long to set up the shot and then ended up shooting just as conditions reversed. A 200 yard group in the .2's turned into a 1 inch group ! So now when conditions are squirrely I tend to switch to a medium hold as I can get the shot off faster. I try never to slap the trigger as this creates a tendency to become jerky ( at least for me ) and it doesn't take much movement at the muzzle to spoil the group. I find that free recoil also works best when one's gun is well balanced and if one's choice of stock rides the bags well. I have one HV rifle that has a balance point too far forward and I am more leery of shooting it free recoil. On the other hand, I generally find it's easier to shoot a HV free recoil as its added weight makes for more forgiving gun handling, and therefore a more forgiving result when one does screw up. In conclusion, I feel that free recoil works best for me as it isolates the gun from unwanted external influences, allowing me to have confidence in where a shot will print, but that it does have its limitations, and one should not hesitate to adapt to changing circumstances during a match.
Bill Giel
I shoot a LV, and I've been scolded by grizzled old benchrest legend Joe Vinci that "ya don't shoot a Sporter or LV free recoil" The theory is you shoot HV free recoil. Let your shoulder touch the rifle in LV/Sporter, and wrap your fingers around the pistol grip. Just do it the same way every time :-) Like shooting a .308, only a much gentler squeeze. The trigger? I keep my finger on the trigger guard until the flags look good. No touch until it OK to shoot. The above has worked very well (and also very poorly)... matter of personal taste, I guess.
Allen Arnette
I mostly shoot free recoil. I do sometimes put a little down pressure with my thumb if the gun is a little too barrel heavy and doesn't ride the rear bag just right.
Rich Griffin
I don't shoot free recoil. I have tried to shoot free recoil but I tend to shoot a real small group or a lot of bigger groups. This due in part to other people shooting around you , and sometimes this is due to lack of concentration which is the most frustrating thing for me.
I use the front rest where I have windage and elevation to guide the rifle with, the rear bag I try not to touch at all , as for the trigger I like to barely touch it.
Walt Berger
Yes I now shoot free recoil. It was not easy for me to learn. I have held the gun for many years and at one time was sort of successful. Old age and slow reflexes made me change. I am convinced proper trigger control is as important and maybe more so with free recoil than when you hold the rifle. I can not slap the trigger it has to be a deliberate squeeze for me to have any kind of satisfactory results. Some shooters have told me they slap the trigger with good results. Take your choice.
Mike Bryant
I shoot free recoil but I rest my thumb lightly above the pistol grip. I squeeze the trigger and will let off my squeeze if the conditions change. I watch the flags with my left eye and look through the scope with the right. The rifle recoils about 1/4" before it hits my shoulder. I then push the rifle back to the stock with my shoulder, reload and then look to see where my bullet hit.
Wilbur Harris
Free recoil is my choice. No particular reason except that it makes sense that if my rifle shoots OK free then why mess with it. I maintain a deficiency with follow through (which I think is important). Given a condition that I think (emphasis on “think”) will produce a competitive group, I have but one goal - put 5 on the record and don’t look back. In achieving that goal I often, if not always, fail to follow through like I know I should. Sometimes it’s a good group, sometimes not but this is how I shoot for aggregate (not for group). I learned that if I have 4 in a small hole, the worst thing I can do is aim close and squeeze off the last one. If I don’t slap/jerk the trigger like I did on the other 4 the shot won’t go (really bad won’t go).
