Holding the Air Rifle

[Misny]

Do most good precision air rifle shooters hold the rifle firmly into their shoulders gripping hard with the shooting hand or do they use a light hold?

[JSBmatch]

That's a good question and one i asked several top German shooters last year in Dortmund.
There is a mixed reaction to this, some advocate a firm hold and some a loose hold. I guess its a very individual thing.

In the book 'Air Rifle Shooting' they say to hold the grip firmly but not to over squeeze it. If the rifle is seated in the shoulder well and the support hand and cheek are a nice snug fit, there is probably no nead to pull the rifle into the shoulder that hard and if you do there will be a set of arm muscles under tension which you don't need.
Bottom line, a firm hold but not too tight and recognise that if you do use a firm hold it has to be consistant from shot to shot.
Personally, i prefer my trigger finger arm to be quite relaxed but i use a light but firm pistol grip.
I'm sure you will get plenty of advice on this.

JSB

[Misny]

I am late with this because I thought there would be more interest in this topic. Thank you for your response to my question. It looks like it is something I will have to work out for myself. So far, it seems like a very firm grip might be the way to go. I have a second-hand ill-fitting shooting coat and it seems like holding the rifle firmly into the shoulder with the pistol grip may have merit for me personally. I have a pistol shooting background where I always gripped hard, so this seems "natural".

I learned to shoot pistol without coaching and it was a long process with a lot of "wheel spinning" and " one step forward and two steps back". Books helped, but this was before Al Gore invented the internet. I really do appreciate the tips. Being a novice at this I hope I'm on the right track.

[Soupy44]

You do have to apply from force with your trigger hand to keep the rifle in your shoulder. It should be the force you can easily do consistently since inconsistency can lead to left/right distribution.

If you would like to try something to decrease the amount of force you need to apply, make your rifle heavier in the butt stock. This will make the rifle seem lighter too.

[2650 Plus]

Please dont waste time reventing the wheel. Get a copy of Air Rifle Shooting and apply what you read to your own technique. This will allow you to move very rapidly into far better scores than anything I could sugest absent help from a really competent coach. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[Misny]

Thanks for the tip. I guess I had better start saving up for the book. At $70.00 per copy, they aren't exactly giving them away.

[TerryKuz]

Thanks for the tip. I guess I had better start saving up for the book. At $70.00 per copy, they aren't exactly giving them away.

I hate to spend your money, BUT it is worth it. Ways of the rifle, may be even better. I wanted to get Ways of the Rifle 2009, but it is not available at the places I checked.

[melchloboo]

+1 WOTR 2009.

Think about this. There are 2 ways to think about grip. Are we talking actual pressure, measurable in lb/in(2)? Or are we talking some subjective measure, tight, loose,etc. What may feel loose to someone with really strong hands may be super-tight for someone with week hands if we actually measured the force on the grip.

Guns shoot great in a vice. So it would make sense, especially with pistol, if you have a super strong grip. But as we know, for each of us you can only grip so hard before you tremble, get tired, or interfere with trigger finger function. So I think the best thing to do is make your hands stronger, or at least your grip, because then you have even more flexibility to choose something comfortable. I think you want to reach a stage where a grip that feels light to you is still putting considerable, even pressure on the gun in your hand, rifle or pistol.

That's why, unless you think its a purely ergonomic or mental issue, I think its not very helpful to ask someone else how they grip unless you know your hands are both the same relative strength. The more precise question, and I think it would be an interesting study, is to find out actually how many pounds of pressure the top shooters are actually applying to the grip, regardless of how they subjectively characterize their grips as "weak" or "strong".

Every top shooter I've shaken hands with has a pretty firm handshake, including women, FWIW.

[Misny]

+1 WOTR 2009.

That's why, unless you think its a purely ergonomic or mental issue, I think its not very helpful to ask someone else how they grip unless you know your hands are both the same relative strength. The more precise question, and I think it would be an interesting study, is to find out actually how many pounds of pressure the top shooters are actually applying to the grip, regardless of how they subjectively characterize their grips as "weak" or "strong".

Every top shooter I've shaken hands with has a pretty firm handshake, including women, FWIW.

Most pistol shooters use a very firm grip. Bill Blankenship actually shows a photo of his hand after gripping the pistol to show that he grips it hard. I have been experimenting a little with rifle hold and it seems like a very firm hold might be the way to go for me. I haven't really given it enough time to make a real determination, though. Hence the question about top air rifle shooters.

It seems like as one progresses in the sport and the needed muscles are toned and strengthened and endurance increases, that one may be able to increase pressure without difficulty. You have a good point. Firm grip might be differing measured pressures in different people, but the top air rifle shooters have developed the muscles needed and therefore whether or not they use a firm grip and hold or light one should be easy to differentiate.

[TerryKuz]

Firm, not strong, works for me. If I have a weak grip I have a tendency to jerk the trigger instead of squeeze. Funny, but a firm grip also seems to give me better follow though. Maybe it is physically related, or maybe it is a concentration issue?

[2650 Plus]

I started out with a FWB 300 springer and learned to minimize all contact with the rifle. Minimum pressure of the stock in the shoulder, Very light grip on the pistol grip , and fisting the left hand under the forearm. None of this may apply to shooting a compressed air rifle and I don't have enough experience with one to provide meaningful input. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[GaryN]

Bill
I had somewhat of the opposite experience with my FWB-300.
I had to hold it firmly into my shoulder, for the sledge to recoil properly.
If I held the rifle loose, the entire rifle would try to recoil.
Although in thinking about it, maybe the rail the the sledge slides on needed to be lubed.