steadiness with rifles

[Ramrod]

I don't believe being in shape or not, caffiene intake, or the phase of the moon has anything too do with good offhand shooting. There is only one way to be good at it, it's called "practice", and lot's of it. Get a good .22 and shoot 50 or a hundred rounds a day. Can't get outdoors? How about an air rifle? There are no shortcuts here. Going to a gym might make you feel good, but without constant target practice, it won't help offhand shooting one bit.

[Buckfever]

I always leave the scope on 4 power and 6 at max. for freehand shots, sometimes down to 3 power if it is tight cover.  I tend to over correct when the scope is on too high a power.  It seems like at 7 and above I move all over the place.   Buckfever

[cam69conv]

Ok Folks....I havnt really been posting much as of late with Business and all but here goes.....I mainly archery hunt nowadays (which also requires ALOT of practice holding steady) but I do have a certain background in firearms that I really cant talk to much about but lets just say I was trained by the best in the business (lil hint, pink mist).. Vets will understand what I mean. Now to the question at hand. #1 YES physical fitness can and DOES affect an offhand shot and the poster stressing CORE strength is ABSOLUTLY correct. As well as all the other posters when it comes to PRACTICE. There can be ALOT of factors both mental and physical that can affect an offhand shot. One thing that I found on game was, the quicker I got on target and fired (instinctual) the more success I had on a clean and efficiant hit. I am guessing I didnt give my CONCIOUS mind time to second guess my instincts from training and practice. As with a Bow,,,the longer you hold the more you are apt to screw tha pooch. Muscle memory is absolutely importaint in ANY form of shooting. Your brain reacts to new situations as a learning proccess and tends to over compensate when something is out of order. Running deer offhand at more than 50 yards should be avoided anyway no matter how good you are or THINK you are. There are WAY to many variables that can end up just wounding an animal and since you posted this question I am assuming that you wish to improve your skill so as NOT to do that. Also (and this will probably bring in some laughs from the mentaly challenged) try meditation. If practiced properly and often you will be TOTALY surprised at your increase in concentration and your abilities to control breathing, heartrate, muscle control. Now...If all these tend to fail and you just cant seem to get over it...There is a new product out called the Sling Stix. Its a bi-pod that folds up in a pocket in a sling that has a shock cord. Very fast getting it out...less than 3 seconds...And it has a position for an offhand Stability shot. No they arent long enough to reach the ground in a standing position but you bring the *feet* back 45 degrees against your waist and that will create a more stable hold. Take a look at them www.slingstix.com if all else fails. They look like a handy little product. To be honest noone can really tell you on a forum like this what to do because we cant see you shooting. Have a friend (one thats into shooting and knows what he is doing) go with you to the range and watch your form. Watch your midsection as you are prepairing to shoot and see if your core is solid...arms stable...all that jazz...Thats about all I can do to help ya there bud and good luck...Its nice to see that people care enough to realize they have a problem with a certain position of shooting and care enough to try to correct it before they attempt a poorly placed shot on something so majestic as a deer.

[HuntingGuy]

Get a good sling and practice shooting with it as a stabilizer.  It has increased my stability immensely.

[goalie]

CZ 452 in .22LR
Remington 700 in .223 with a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20x scope
Mossberg ATR100 in .270 with a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10 scope
Marlin 336 30-30 with Nikon Monarch fixed 4x scope on quick-detach mounts with ghost ring irons
Savage accutrigger .308 with Weaver Grand Slam fixed 4.75x scope
Remington 700 in .375 H&H with Nikon Monarch fixed 4x scope

All are synthetic stocked except for the Marlin.

I'm good for anything on the planet, but I liked the Mossy ATR100 enough that, at the price they go for, I am going to pick one up in 30-06 just to have one. 

[Ron/Pa.]

I have a BLR in 7mm-08 and there is no way it can be shot offhand with any degree of accuracy! The trigger pull is long and creepy and the gun is light. I shoot my Flinter quite a bit and can hold it pretty steady. It weighs about 9lbs and has a hair trigger on it. I believe that the weight of the gun plus a good trigger pill plus the stock has to fit, is the way to go for offhand shooting success!

[charles p]

If you just dry fire about 20 shots a day, every day, you'll gain a lot of trigger control.  When shooting offhand, it is a tremendous advantage to know when the trigger is going to drop, and to do it without flinching.  Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire.  You'll be able to call your shots and know where the sights are when the hammer falls.

[jro45]

I always try to find something to lean against to steady myself or shooting sticks work great also

[lilabner]

If you shoot a pistol well, you can rule out breath control or trigger control as your problems. I was unhappy with my rifle shooting from standing (sometimes in hunting it is either a standing shot or no shot). I bought a Daisy target grade air rifle and shot it only from standing position. After putting roughly 5,000 pellets through the Daisy, I was much improved. First thing I changed was body position relative to the target. You make that adjustment by aiming at the target, closing your eyes and relaxing for a few seconds. Open your eyes and see where the rifle is pointing. Make stance adjustments accordingly, and your muscles will be more relaxed. The size of the wobble zone gets smaller. Make adjustments in arm and hand position when you hold the rifle and the part of your trigger finger you use to shoot. The rifle should "hang" when you hold it loosely and the trigger pull should not move the rifle sideways. You can never get rid of the wobble but you can reduce the wobble zone considerably. Group size tells you when you have made an improvement.