TargetTalk

I have an IZH 46M. Recently I removed all the trigger travel screws and smooth out the tips.

Inadvertently, I had make trigger pull very long. I usually shoot within 7-8 second count, once I get into the area hold. But now it is more like 14-15 seconds with my usual pull rate. I really have to pull at a faster pace now, and just keep the finger moving.

The unintended consequence of this long, but faster pull is obviously less, or in fact no, chicken finger. And the results are surprisingly good. Scores are not super precise, but almost all 9's, all on target.

Now going back to my Steyr LP10 with regular trigger setting, I am shooting it a bit faster, and I noticed much less chicken finger incidence.

Wondering anyone used long trigger pull for training, against chicken finger?

I haven't tried that, but generally speeding up your trigger squeeze will help with chicken finger. The instant you hesitate or slow down, you're going to have a problem. The trick is to still get the shot off smoothly without anticipation. Some people confuse speeding up with yoinking on the trigger and disturbing the sight alignment. Also, the quicker you squeeze, the more likely that you will learn when it's going to fire, and that can introduce a host of other problems. Yes, it is possible to have an anticipatory flinch, even with an air pistol.

Any time you make a dramatic change, you can benefit (for a while) from the "new gun syndrome". When you change things dramatically, people tend to focus on the fundamentals until they get familiar with the new gun/setup. Then many people will go right back to the bad habits that were holding them back earlier...

The fact that it helps to shoot your Steyr better is a good sign.

Chicken finger?

I've tried everything (I think) long pull, rolling trigger, single stage etc, etc, and there are no silver bullets, they work for a while then falls to bits as mentioned. Keep it simple weight about 60/40, first / second stage, short take up on first stage, blade correctly placed using the scatt but dead inline with the bore if you can do it and do not have silly long fingers. Try this for chicken finger - get your dry fire release and follow through on a blank wall perfect and do not shoot any cards until this is really good and you have confidence you can keep the sights in line during the release and for the follow through. Now lift to top of target white area, align sights, take up first stage, exhale quite briskly and see your perfect hold drop to the hold area (low away from the black), release (pull trigger) and follow through for two seconds and drop. Release within a second of settling in the hold zone (a second is a very long time - count - zero - and - one - and - two ) or reject the shot and start over, holding on and on is not going to improve your process. At no time look at the black and its relation to the sight picture but make that sight alignment perfect and release. My coach has beaten me up for ages to do just as he says (all of the above) but of course the shooter always does what they always do and makes the silly over hold mistake. The eureka moment for me was when on sport pistol rapid fire I was overlapping five shots and my precision was all over the shop.

“Chicken finger” as it is commonly called is a result of consciously trying to make the shot too
perfect.

This over emphasis on perfection results in a technique meltdown. Speeding the trigger travel is one way of circumventing this problem but until you can focus on technique execution and leave your desires to attain 10’s at home the affliction will continue.

It is a psychological problem that can only be overcome by adhering to correct technique and letting the score fall where it will rather than focusing on an inner desire to shoot only 10’s.

deadeyedick wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:34 pm “Chicken finger” as it is commonly called is a result of consciously trying to make the shot too
perfect.

This over emphasis on perfection results in a technique meltdown. Speeding the trigger travel is one way of circumventing this problem but until you can focus on technique execution and leave your desires to attain 10’s at home the affliction will continue.

It is a psychological problem that can only be overcome by adhering to correct technique and letting the score fall where it will rather than focusing on an inner desire to shoot only 10’s.

Ahh thank you.yes I do that from time to time

Superbly put Dick!

It is a psychological problem that can only be overcome by adhering to correct technique and letting the score fall where it will rather than focusing on an inner desire to shoot only 10’s.
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It is indeed a psychological problem. The above is one way to deal with it.

Another is to be sure to have a "minimum shot goal" for each shot. When the hold is within your "minimum shot goal" , but the finger will not operate the trigger, STOP. Tell yourself it was a good hold, and you should have taken the shot. Do this aloud, or at least sub-vocally, as engaging more senses (hearing, moving the vocal chords, lips and tongue) makes the brain pay more attention to the what you are trying to tell it.

If you have a "shot goal" (of 8 eg), you will get lots of those. If you have a "minimum shot goal" (again 8 eg) you will get 8s, but also more higher scores.