"nvelkhunter"Can a shooter cock the Wildcat with shooting hand without removing shooting hand from grip? Saw video of shooter cocking FX Impact this way but all the videos I've seen of the Wildcat shooters release their grip, cocks and then repositions shooting hand on grip.
Yes, you can. (Yes you can! Yes you can!) I do it every day.
If you hold the gun in the Crossed-Arm Standing Offhand position,
you don't even need to take your finger off the trigger. Even better than that Impact video.
The Wildcat is ideal for Crossed-Arm Standing Offhand shooting. - This is a version of how I described it on a UK forum (airgunbbs):
If you find that your lightweight bullpup twitchy when shooting standing unsupported (offhand), then try the following:
Make your rifle safe and unloaded.
Take the standard stance, looking through sights/scope at the target, then take your hand off the forend and grasp the elbow of your trigger arm.
Place the base of the pistol grip against your upper arm.
Your rifle should now be supported by 4 bits of your body: Cheek, Shoulder, Upper Arm and Hand
All these parts are near the core/axis of your body and are braced. None are "out on a limb".
If you find the sight picture steady like this with a little practice, then consider whether you can use it.
You cannot even begin to do this with a long, heavy rifle with mass out front, where in the normal stance, the inertia of the mass counteracts the wobble of the forend arm. Likewise, I have not tested this with heavily recoiling rifles, which are usually too heavy anyway, - plus I live in the UK
If you don't have a heavy mass waving around out there, you don't need an arm out there to support it. You can use your "core" to support it.
If you find the pistol grip hard against the bone of your upper arm, then a bit of
padding or a lighter weight scope will help. With a bullpup, this hold is very easy indeed. In fact, the extra height of a bullpup is integral to it.
I searched around for references to this hold, but could not find any, though I think someone mentioned using something similar with an Ultra.
I've been Crossed Arm Standing Offhand for a month now, and it feels natural. I'm getting more 10s and now the 6s and 7s are beginning to come down.
Update: This week, I equaled my previous (HW100TK) record = 184/200, with my Wildcat - using the new hold. OK, I'm not talented, but this hold may make me a passable offhand shooter.
2 other points. I find it much faster and less fatiguing than the standard hold. Also, the left (elbow holding) hand can flick up quickly to cycle the bolt, without your finger leaving the trigger.
If you can, try it and report back.
Meanwhile, I hope Ted's house move is going OK. Man, I know how stressful moving house is.