TargetTalk

I've been reading David Tubb's book, and his approach to offhand shooting has peaked my interest. What do experienced shooters think of his "approach" technique vs. the standard "hold" technique? Thanks.

Come on, ladies and gents, I am fairly new to this and I am struggling to find the best way to shoot offhand. I have been experimenting with the approach method used by Tubb, and all I can say is that I feel like it's teaching me to snatch the trigger. Tubb claims to be very aggressive on the trigger; he says he pulls it "quickly and with authority." Can this be true? All I do is explode my rifle off the target when I try to pull "quickly and with authority." Can someone please offer some input?

Paul, my offhand is based on his method. After establishing NPA, I force my hips just a few degrees to the left of target and let the body just come back.

Trigger control is tricky. It took me a while (LOTS of dry firing) to get it to a conditioned reflex that breaks the shot as soon as the mind registers a steady front sight on the aiming black. My shot is gone in less than a second from the time I see an acceptable sight picture. I think that's what David means by aggression, not lollygagging on the trigger when the sight picture is attained, but breaking the shot immediately. I don't think he means smash the trigger so hard that you break your hold off the target.

It helps to have an excellent trigger with LOTS of overtravel. Both my CF rifles (Model 70 and AR15) have adjustable two stage triggers with as much overtravel as I can dial in. Both of those triggers are set up with most of the weight on the first stage. The AR has 4 lbs on the 1st and 12 oz on the 2nd, the M70 has 1 lb 12 oz on the 1st and 12 oz on the 2nd. My Anschutz is also set up that way (3 oz 1st, 1 oz 2nd). I take up the first stage as I see the post just touch the black and the second stage breaks as explained above.

I think that standing is my strong suit. I am primarily a Highpower Rifle shooter (concentrating on Service Rifle) and my standing average is right around 193 - 194 for 20 shots.

I am primarily a silhouette shooter, and not very experienced at that. I did shoot some 3-P while in ROTC back in 1980, but very little.I have an Anschutz 1712fwt w/ 2-stage trigger, but it needs to make legal weight for hunter class. I can't make the second stage break in ounces. I'd guess it takes up about a pound and breaks at about a pound, give or take an ounce. If you shoot a .22, how do you dryfire? Anschutz warns against it for rimfires. I once read that Gary Anderson dry-fired his .22 so much that it ruined the chamber (as a kid). I have ordered a used Anschutz super air 2001 just so I can practice offhand shooting, but I just haven't had any luck steering the sights to the spot and breaking the trigger. I have developed the dreaded "controlled jerk" from trying to learn it. Can you elaborate on your experiences in learning it? How good of a sight picture are you seeing when you fire; the instant you see the bull, do you break the trigger, or do you wait to steady up for an instant or two? Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

You don't need a super light trigger to do well offhand. It just needs to be crisp, and preferably with as much overtravel as you can get. If you can get your second stage to break at about 1 lb, that's good enough.

I dry fire my rimfires with these fake, orange plastic 22 RF dummy rounds. I can't remember where I found them, but I will look around.

It's hard for me to explain how I learn things. Believe me, I wish I knew how to explain the sequence of events that led me to where I am. All I can tell you is that it takes a lot of dryfiring to get the conditioned reflex dialed in.

I can tell you this, I know what I want to see to make me break the shot. I want to see the front sight stop for about a second (two max) in the right spot before I break the trigger. On average, I would guess I break the shot the instant I see the front sight stop moving. But it is more than seeing the sight slow down, it is also having a subconscious awareness of the balance of my position, particularly laterally. If the sight stops for that brief moment, but I feel myself being slightly out of balance, I stop. I at least lift my head, recheck NPA and give it another run. Maybe even put the rifle down and start over. It doesn't always work, and sometimes I shank a 9 or 8. But most of the time I refuse to accept a less than solid position even though the sight might be slowing down around the black.