Shooting between heart beats

[thomasair]

This has nothing to do with the heartbeat thing, but I bet the last person that posted will understand the significance.

 

[Guest]

Ha! Was 5150 after?

 

[nomojo65]

Thomasair, In the name of science!, can I borrow that gun for exhaustive testing... may need it for a while for objective and conclusive results!!!

 

[thomasair]

Wasn’t as much of a Van Halen fan

as I was a Rush fan.

Nomojo....you are welcome to come here and shoot it all you want.

 

[nomojo65]

Thank you! Was worth a shot

 

[Centercut]

Attention all planets of the Solar Federation, we have assumed control... we have assumed control... we have assumed control.

 

[thomasair]

 

[steve123]

I was squaded with a national FT champ one time, the guy was shooting a highly modified Steyr LG100 with 1-ish oz trigger. I'd watch what he'd do concerning the trigger, and it was all punch, lol, he didn't even take up the first stage. Basically the trigger was so light that he had no choice but to shoot that way. Of note is the lock time on this rifle is fast, and the barrel is short. Both those attributes help make for a more forgiving rifle to shoot. BTW he won this two day wildcat FT match which was quite prestigious and known for being a windy place - at LD's. 

I had a LG100 that AZ modded, for 4-5 years, and can relate to how that guy shot because I could get away with doing the same thing he did, and doing so I won a couple state matches with my Steyr.

My USFT, which has other strong points to it, and has also won me state matches, is the opposite of the Steyr in various ways, and I use a different technique when I shoot it.The early ones, which I own, have a long barrel, a slow-ish lock time, and a 10 oz trigger. I flat out have to start a slow squeeze, and let the shot just happen, this while using good follow through, ooooorrr else,! It's the form I've had to develop with this rifle, and well it's the same form I've used to win long range championships with a centerfire. Of course I can't do this technique in offhand or kneeling, which involves timing the shot and a quick push of the trigger. 

If I'm relaxed and comfortable I don't need to attempt timing a shot between heartbeats because I'm well within the wobble zone that will make a clean hit. I usually don't even think about my heartbeat while shooting. 

If I'm not comfortable, as well as a bit nervous, I need to try to time the shot somewhat because I'm "that" wobbly. I hate it when I'm in this mental and physical condition, with that higher heart beat present, because it's something I don't ever think of practicing, nor want to practice! It'd help if I wore a shooting coat ,etc, but I don't like wearing them. Heck the last 4 years I've been shooting freestyle off a tripod mostly. 'yes I'm a rebel ', and I sometimes get nervous enough that I can see twice the wobble than if I'm relaxed. I'm not so much trying to shoot between heartbeats but trying to break the trigger when the reticle hold is where I want it.

Ehh, I'm not a serious enough competitor to worry about this subject. I just adapt the best I can and it's going to be what it's going to be. 

 

[Guest]

From time to time I'll get my heart beatin good then sit down, or stand and shoot. As I've said in the past I like situational training and there's nothing more nerve wracking than a shoot off.

 

[Centercut]

I gotta be honest, I’ve never heard of this before. I initially thought the OP was pulling my leg, but apparently this is a thing? I’ve heard of slowly exhaling while pulling the trigger to be as still and calm as possible. But shooting between heartbeats? Isn’t there enough to think about without throwing that in also? I’ve never seen my crosshairs move due to heartbeat when sighting a target, even at 27x and 100 yards or more. Anyone else thinking the same?

 

[nervoustrig]

All I can say is I can clearly see my heartbeat with 12 - 16x magnification at 50 yards, and it’s more apparent at shorter distances.

With a good 2-stage trigger, I can time the sear release without jerking the trigger.

 

[Centercut]

All I can say is I can clearly see my heartbeat with 12 - 16x magnification at 50 yards, and it’s more apparent at shorter distances.

With a good 2-stage trigger, I can time the sear release without jerking the trigger.

It probably depends on the way you hold the gun. I don’t butt the gun against my shoulder and instead just hold the butt down onto the rear bag with my left hand, and my right hand very lightly on the grip. No way to transfer heartbeat to the gun. That’s just for benchrest. Hunting, Speed, and PRS I use a normal hold. 

 

[thomasair]

I have a noticeable heartbeat in my sitting position for FT....but I just center up the small waver and do the normal slow trigger pull and when it goes off, it goes off. It’s not enough for me to worry over. If the pellet goes anywhere in the wobble, it will be good enough.

I think the technique was developed by shooters in the prone position using slings.

If you have ever tried shooting like that...you can have a pretty pronounced pulse bounce.

Mike 

 

[STO]

All I can say is I can clearly see my heartbeat with 12 - 16x magnification at 50 yards, and it’s more apparent at shorter distances.

With a good 2-stage trigger, I can time the sear release without jerking the trigger.

It probably depends on the way you hold the gun. I don’t butt the gun against my shoulder and instead just hold the butt down onto the rear bag with my left hand, and my right hand very lightly on the grip. No way to transfer heartbeat to the gun. That’s just for benchrest. Hunting, Speed, and PRS I use a normal hold.

I think a lot of it depends on how steady you are otherwise, and the rest has to do with your shooting conditions. I personally can watch my head move behind the scope with my pulse in certain positions. In general you do what you can, as you said, to remove pulse from your shooting position. Keep in mind not all disciplines are for calm shooters in benches or prone, more athletic shooting makes pulse a real factor to contend with. Practical shooting where you run between stations and shoot from stress positions are one example, but biathlon is probably among the most severe. Once you notice it and learn to build your shooting position to minimize it, I think you start seeing it more clearly everywhere.

I hope that makes more sense/explains it better.

 

[Scotchmo]

I have a noticeable heartbeat in my sitting position for FT....but I just center up the small waver and do the normal slow trigger pull and when it goes off, it goes off. It’s not enough for me to worry over. If the pellet goes anywhere in the wobble, it will be good enough.
...

+1. When settled into position, I do the same - center the heartbeat wobble so the entire motion stays within the KZ. And then slowly squeeze the trigger. If it's a particularly difficult shot and the MOA requirement is smaller than my wobble, I'll need to decide if the probability is worth trying to time the shot. If so, I'll try and relax a little more in hopes of getting my heartbeat down, and then squeeze off the shot during a diastole phase. When trying to time it, I run a greater risk of pulling the shot.

For offhand and kneeling shots, the hearbeat is such a small component of the wobble, It does not matter. If I'm wobbling within the KZ at least 50% of the time, I keep squeezing the trigger. Sometime I'll unconsciously snap the trigger and still hit the target.

Edit: I just realized that this is a "benchrest" thread. So my comments above may not apply. I've only shot a couple of benchrest matches, and that was with a springer. I suspect that heartbeat is not going to be much of an issue for benchrest with front/rear rests, and only a minor issue for front rested rifles.