I just bought a commander length 1911 in .45 Auto. I've owned commanders before, but only in 9mm. Anyway, I love this new gun, but it does pack quite a kick to it. After about 600 rounds, I seem to have a very nasty flinch when shooting this gun. Other than concentration and being aware of it, is there a good way to train oneself to avoid flinching?
flinching
- Thread starter UncleWalther
- Start date
Hey Uncle W!
Some flinch-fighting techniques include:
1) Practice dry firing but do it really well - really pretend that it's going to go off in your hand. Watch the end of your barrel for the effects of your flinch.
2) Have someone watch you shooting, from all angles, to isolate what the flinch is causing you to do (vis-a-vis misaiming). For example, if all of your shots seem to go to the left, get someone to watch for that.
3) Get some dummy rounds and have a friend load a couple along with live rounds into a mag and put it into your gun so that you don't know which is which. Then, when the dummy round comes up, all you'll hear is the click of your hammer falling and you'll see exactly what your flinch is doing.
4) What helped me get better right away was to not so much as fight the urge to flinch, but rather let it happen a little bit later (i.e. after the bullet has left the barrel). This worked hand in hand with me closing my eyes for a brief second after I fired the gun, and led to dramatic improvements in my accuracy right away. Again, the idea was to allow my reaction to the gun going off, but just delay it by a little bit so that the bullet has left the barrel before the flinch could affect my aim.
Hope this helps and happy shooting!
I too bought my first commander this year and have fallen in love with it.
Some flinch-fighting techniques include:
1) Practice dry firing but do it really well - really pretend that it's going to go off in your hand. Watch the end of your barrel for the effects of your flinch.
2) Have someone watch you shooting, from all angles, to isolate what the flinch is causing you to do (vis-a-vis misaiming). For example, if all of your shots seem to go to the left, get someone to watch for that.
3) Get some dummy rounds and have a friend load a couple along with live rounds into a mag and put it into your gun so that you don't know which is which. Then, when the dummy round comes up, all you'll hear is the click of your hammer falling and you'll see exactly what your flinch is doing.
4) What helped me get better right away was to not so much as fight the urge to flinch, but rather let it happen a little bit later (i.e. after the bullet has left the barrel). This worked hand in hand with me closing my eyes for a brief second after I fired the gun, and led to dramatic improvements in my accuracy right away. Again, the idea was to allow my reaction to the gun going off, but just delay it by a little bit so that the bullet has left the barrel before the flinch could affect my aim.
Hope this helps and happy shooting!
I too bought my first commander this year and have fallen in love with it.
Well said.
The dummy rounds will show you the flinch and trigger jerk etc very vividly. Also, a 22 conversion kit might be a good helper, get you building good mechanics and skills with the 45 frame, allowing you to concentrate on trigger pull, sight alignment, etc without worrying about the BOOM...
). The dry firing excercise didn't help me as much as the dummy round excercise. Very apparent and vivid!!
Almost all bad shots are caused by anticipation; flinching is just the most obvious side affect. It's hard to avoid anticipating a .45 going off, but you can learn to shoot it without anticipation. Step one is to be aware that you are anticipating the shot. At the critical moment, your trigger finger is mashing down to make the gun go off and your hand is trying to pull down against the recoil at the same time. Your subconscious is doing this.
1) Slow down on the trigger. It has to be a smooth, continuous increase in pressure until the gun goes off as a mild surprise. Once you start applying pressure don't stop until the shot "breaks" but don't rush it. Smoooooth.
2) Focus on the front sight. Your job is to maintain sight alignment, not to force the gun to go "bang" when you think it's in the right spot. Don't blink. In fact, if you don't know when the gun is going to go off, you won't be able to blink when it does. That's a hint. Watch the front sight and you will soon be able to call your shot, because you will get a mental picture of where the front sight was when it jumps under recoil. Don't "NOW!" the shot.
3) Slow down on the trigger some more.
4) Don't listen for the shot, don't expect the shot. Don't anticipate.
5) Slow down on the trigger some more. Smoooth.
1) Slow down on the trigger. It has to be a smooth, continuous increase in pressure until the gun goes off as a mild surprise. Once you start applying pressure don't stop until the shot "breaks" but don't rush it. Smoooooth.
2) Focus on the front sight. Your job is to maintain sight alignment, not to force the gun to go "bang" when you think it's in the right spot. Don't blink. In fact, if you don't know when the gun is going to go off, you won't be able to blink when it does. That's a hint. Watch the front sight and you will soon be able to call your shot, because you will get a mental picture of where the front sight was when it jumps under recoil. Don't "NOW!" the shot.
3) Slow down on the trigger some more.
4) Don't listen for the shot, don't expect the shot. Don't anticipate.
5) Slow down on the trigger some more. Smoooth.
shorten your strings as well- i think i'd get a pretty good flinch if i fired 600 rounds of hardball at one sitting- you could also step down your loads- look up what practise ammo loads are as opposed to full house- and maybe a lighter bullet- i regularly shoot 200 grain semi-wadcutters over 6.0 of 231, but that's my full house- if you go to 230 grain( the factory hardball) it bucks pretty good as well
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Hey Rob, I'll load those dummy rounds for you. Maybe we can get to the range when this whacky weather stops.
Ian
Ian
All good advice. I would like to add that I shoot primarily 22LR pistol and rifles. For me this tends to not lead to a flinch response. Then when I switch to larger calibers like 45 acp I do not have a flinch response as my body has no fear of the report and recoil of a 22.
Set your purse down before shooting it
Sure, as long as you don't mind holding it for me
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Fire short strings with a generous rest time between strings. Concentrate on the mechanics of the shot to the exclusion of any other consideration. The gun is going to kick anyway, so you might as well hit what you're aiming at.
X2 on good hearing protection.
X2 on good hearing protection.
A lot of the methods talked about are good but they mostly just show you that you have a flinch (you know that already). Dry firing (a lot) and canceling the noise is the most effective means to counteract it.
Double up the ear protection. Dry fire at home every night and at the range fire 5-10 dry and then load 1 and fire live. Repeat as often as neccessary until you are happy. It seems tedious but in the end it will be worth it.
tbhupe
Double up the ear protection. Dry fire at home every night and at the range fire 5-10 dry and then load 1 and fire live. Repeat as often as neccessary until you are happy. It seems tedious but in the end it will be worth it.
tbhupe
Last edited:
DON'T BLINK. When you dry fire, concentrate on keeping your eyes open and on target throughout the shot. This might seem to be a very minor point, but it makes a HUGE difference contributing to a flinch.
Also, relax your shoulders. When holding/pointing your gun and preparing to fire, raise and drop your shoulders ONLY.
Feel what muscle groups are used in your shoulders as compared to those that you use to hold your gun up and which muscles you use to keep a grip on your gun.
Also do this just holding your hands in front of you.
These are methods of ELIMINATING a flinch, not identifying it. When you flinch, it is not just your hands that move, but it originates from tensing up your entire body, including blinking.
Also, relax your shoulders. When holding/pointing your gun and preparing to fire, raise and drop your shoulders ONLY.
Feel what muscle groups are used in your shoulders as compared to those that you use to hold your gun up and which muscles you use to keep a grip on your gun.
Also do this just holding your hands in front of you.
These are methods of ELIMINATING a flinch, not identifying it. When you flinch, it is not just your hands that move, but it originates from tensing up your entire body, including blinking.
Sadly enough - I am still catching myself flinching, especially after shooting 45 acp for a while. Awareness of a problem helps a lot, because flinching creeps back in unnoticeable.
I also try to see fireball with every shot. If you don't see flash that means you blink as well. To me those are both coming together, blink and flinch. Amazingly enough though I can still shoot some 5" groups at 20 yards even flinching and blinking.
Dry firing may be misleading, it may improve your shooting a little bit but may also hide another problem within. You may start trying timing your shots and jerk trigger when sights line up "just right". Mistake is not obvious when you dryfire because you cannot see flier on your target.
Try shooting 22 with spotting scope nearby and check after every shot. Change targets frequently so you always know exactly wher your last shot went. Observe how you made last shot if it was good and try remembering only good shots. Try repeating those good shots by bringing the same feelings and doing things the same way.
Also try this:
shoot at steel silhouette that has thin vertical shape, like 2" angle iron erected vertically for example. No matter where but try hitting iron so it makes "ding" - that ding is your reward for a good shot. Try shooting so that you hear ding every time.
Then you can also try shooting horizontal bar, its the same idea - line up your sights only partially and concentrate on only one part - either front pin exactly in hte middle or exactly level with rear sight. This makes learning more constructive and fun too. Im proves your trigger control as well.
I also try to see fireball with every shot. If you don't see flash that means you blink as well. To me those are both coming together, blink and flinch. Amazingly enough though I can still shoot some 5" groups at 20 yards even flinching and blinking.
Dry firing may be misleading, it may improve your shooting a little bit but may also hide another problem within. You may start trying timing your shots and jerk trigger when sights line up "just right". Mistake is not obvious when you dryfire because you cannot see flier on your target.
Try shooting 22 with spotting scope nearby and check after every shot. Change targets frequently so you always know exactly wher your last shot went. Observe how you made last shot if it was good and try remembering only good shots. Try repeating those good shots by bringing the same feelings and doing things the same way.
Also try this:
shoot at steel silhouette that has thin vertical shape, like 2" angle iron erected vertically for example. No matter where but try hitting iron so it makes "ding" - that ding is your reward for a good shot. Try shooting so that you hear ding every time.
Then you can also try shooting horizontal bar, its the same idea - line up your sights only partially and concentrate on only one part - either front pin exactly in hte middle or exactly level with rear sight. This makes learning more constructive and fun too. Im proves your trigger control as well.
