Bullpup for Offhand

1. All of my rifles are of the bullpup design. Way more than I should have !

2. I only shoot off-hand (or free-hand).

I've found that the lighter rifles...Do...move around more than the heavy ones while aiming. Or, that my heavier rifles are easier to hold steady. Every time, no matter the brand, the length, the length of the reach (butt to trigger), no matter...my guns up in the 9 pound (BSA Defiant) range are easier to hold steady. The lighter that they get from the heaviest, the more they move around.

My Pulsar, Renegade, Cricket II, Argus 45 are up there in the top of the weight bracket, and...are the easiest to hold on target with. I may like some of my lighter guns better, it doesn't matter, when holding on target.

Mike

My older Hatsan Flashpup QE it feels like an extension of my arm . Its so easy to hold steady and aim. Don't like the cocking bolt though

I owned my P15 for around 8 months. Overall I satisfied with it, I shoot it benchrest and prone with bipod and it is a very accurate rifle. However I am interested to shoot offhand with it but I found that it is almost impossible to shoot it offhand. Even with the lowest magnification (4X) the aiming crosshair is moving wildly. I am looking for an answer and searched it on forum, nothing about this and in the contrary, a lot of people said bullpup is very good offhand rifle. I myself believe that good offhand rifle is balanced like olympic rifle that has COG a bit in front of palm rest. While my bulpup has COG in the trigger.

So my question is, is there any special technique or special equipment to make bullpup shootable for offhand shooting?

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I could hold steady at one time LOL. Now I use Primos trigger sticks.They are the cat's meow. Seriously they will afford you a steady rest and more importantly a better chance at an ethical kill shot. But like other things they have advantages and disadvantages. There are however a few techniques that will help when a rest is not available. For me I hold my breath when aiming to help steady any shot...offhand or from a rest. There are many techniques to help depending on body position, for example, standing or sitting. For certain it is is always prudent to use a rest of some kind when available.

Ulung, I don't think there is a "best" bullpup or technique for offhand shooting. It is difficult, and it takes dedicated practice. I wish I could speak from experience, but I'm a terrible offhand shooter. I think you will find that most shooters find that the longer, heavier bullpups are relatively easier to shoot offhand. As you have noticed, the balance of the shorter bullpup is very different than most longer rifles. If you don't have an additional silencer on the rifle, that might change the handling dynamics enough to make a difference. If you are willing to try other bullpups, you might find one that is better suited to you, but I think all of them require a lot of practice. Good luck.

Offhand shooting is very challenging! Follow through really helps. I rest my support hand on my hip and use a very low 2 - 4 magnification setting. Working on two inch steel circles @50 yards. 


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The big secret is no secret, of course, practice. To shoot my P15 offhand I threw out everything that I was told and taught, because of the weird ergonomics this particular gun has. I shoot mine with the butt of the gun on my chest, not in my shoulder, and it works for me. Take advantage of your respiratory pause, because it's ten times more important shooting this way. I, pretty much, only shoot it off-hand at 8-12 power and my heart rate is under 60 and I can make it work but it does take some getting use too. The gun is light and handy enough that I bothered to change how I shoot for it. The practice is the fun part! 

While it may seem counterintuitive, I think you should practice with a scope of full magnification for your specific need. To blame movement on a powerful scope makes no sense. The only thing that moves the rifle is the shooter. And if you can't see the movement, you can't fix it. Accept that no one can hold a rifle totally motionless, you can only manage it.

Bullpups are snappier due to the short length of pull and resulting lighter muzzle. I can't recommend a model due to lack of experience, but I can say traditional rifles are better suited for this. For an offhand Bullpup look for heft and a soft shot cycle. I know the impact fairs well in both areas. 

Some can shoot offhand and some can't.

I used to shoot well offhand, but, several (4) shoulder operations have left me using rests.

It never was a style of rifle for me. 

I grew up shooting offhand with open sights. When I got into PCP air rifles it was my first time using a scope. The Marauder was my first PCP and I learned how to shoot with a scope from a bench with that. But when I wanted to shoot the Marauder offhand, as I do my 397 pumper, it was difficult. The Marauder is just too front-heavy for me to control well. I just bought an FX DreamTac because it is much lighter than the Mrod, and I'll be darned but it's a great offhand shooter. I have a 2" gong at 45 yards and I hit way more than I miss. I won't say I'm grouping inside that 2 inch target, but I am hitting it. The DreamTac has perfect balance for me and makes me want to practice offhand shooting more. I say it isn't the weight of the gun, but how that weight is distributed... balance is the key IMO.

I also grew up shooting offhand with open and peep sights. Age and neurological issues have shifted our rifles to ones with a rearward weight bias, i.e. Prods, bullpups and Leshiys. The pair of bottled Dream-Tacs we purchased last Spring for this will be up for sale, although they are superb shooters they are a tad too heavy up front. Neither my wife nor I have any problems shooting the above mentioned offhand.

Having dealt with a bunch of upper body strength and dexterity issues I believe your support hand/arm are looking for more weight for the proper neuromuscular response. Try this exercise. Hold your arm in the support position, palm up with no weight. Use your finger as a sight and hold it steady against a distant aiming point. It will take about three weeks for the muscle memory to kick in.

Also be cognizant that any neck or upper back tension will cause instability. Smartphones and laptops have made this pervasive. Here are a few stretches that should be helpful. Found them while learning to play the guitar, now our dystonia specialist and chiropractor recommend them.

Once you've got your support arm recalibrated look into a Rhodesian sling. The basic Magpul RLS is often available for about $8. 

the key to wasting furry objects offhand is dont 'dwell' on the shot .. lead the hairs to your impact point and squeeze it off, timing and smooth fluid motion with the gun and trigger .. you almost have to feel it .. i pretty much know instantly if i got his little as without even walking out and looking lol ... if the timing was spot on ..

And again ,think a sling would help out with your hold.The trouble with too high a magnafiction=is it can frustrate a person shooting off hand...how many people can hold 10x steady offhand?With a sling it does help a person steady their aim....

Weight can help,but that weight needs to be balanced ...sometimes a scope can help with balance....length of pull...not too short,nor too long...maybe get a adjustable butt plate.

The thing that many people have a problem with is" follow thru" You are not finished with your aim,shot until the target is hit.....

Follow thru can be harder with a shorter and lighter Bullpup....you may have a tendency to relax right after you pull the trigger....and not follow thou.

I bring up this points because it is not just the gun you are shooting....it is how you are shooting it....

Immediate gratification is not something we shooters get,Practice and technquie trumps whatever you are shooting....

I found that using a magnified red dot instead of crosshairs really helped me to stay focud on the target and not having my crosshais moving around because I over compensate movement to get my target in the crosshairs. The red dot helps me to focus the dot on the target much easier

Try it, it may work for you too..

My scope is a UTG 1x8

https://www.amazon.com/UTG-1-8X28-Scope-Reticle-ACCU-SYNC/dp/B07H14LRQW

Another small tip for shooting air guns as compared to powder burners. When you squesse the trigger on a burner , the bullet is hitting the target almost instantly. Th bullet is out of the barrel almost instantly. Not so when shooting an air rifle. So what I'm getting at is you have to follow through the shot, being on aim as you hear the pellet strike. The same techneque is used to shoot a bow and arrow. We'll call into play "lock time." A lot of us become less happy when we are shooting all over the place. This lack of follow through could be responceable for it .With the harder to hold and shoot guns, this becomes ever so important.I know people that can shoot up a storm with thier powder guns, and , cant say the same with the air gun. I suspect follow through might have a lot to do with it.

The best airgun will have high velocity, soft shot cycle, balanced weight, clean trigger break, and a short barrel. 

Balance will steady, trigger will have the effect of not disrupting, soft shot cycle the same. Velocity will minimize pellet dwell time in the barrel (more time for path to be disrupted by bad follow through) and short barrel will have the same effect. 

When aiming a rifle and our muscles tend to get "tired" and gravity , wind, move the rifle we must overcome the momentum of the rifle to stop wavering and hold steady on target. A heavy rifle has more weight and more moment to overcome once the rifle is moving due to external forces outside our bodies. The difficulty is to find a rifle of the weight that is compatible with our muscle strength and has a center of gravity that works with our muscles. A strong person may have difficulty controlling the aiming point of a light rifle. Some folks embark on a weight training course and it benefits then others, find it makes a steady hold more difficult to maintain. IMO for me I prefer to add a light weight to my rifle muzzle and see immediately If it helps or if I need to practice with the weight attached all the time. With a new rifle I tend to start with less than 1 lb. Like I said In My Own Opinion, I don't use weight training with heavy weights or a dumbbell program. I do it with my rifle in small increments. You decide what you feel is best for you. Like choosing a tennis racket or a pool cue it has to fit me and I it. I find slow and steady works best for me. X rings and head shots GB