Trigger freeze

[WilkoF3]

Hi everyone , I wonder if anyone can give any advice on a problem I seem to be developing , it only happens on targets that are visible and followed for a long time , as it gets to the kill point I seem to stutter on the trigger , I can feel the trigger on my finger but can't pull it resulting in me snatching it and pulling of line . I'm wondering if adjusting the trigger would help , i shoot a Blaser F3 so tigger itself shouldn't be to blame . Can loose 5 -6 clays around because of this , any help would be appreciated .

[Hamster]

You may developing an involuntary flinch, opinions vary as to the cause but recoil seems to be a common theme. You may well not think you're affected to any worrying degree but the body may know differently, some believe secret messages are sent to the brain to avoid punishment resulting in an inability to pull the trigger. This can be a serious issue for some and you ought to address it before it gets a hold, some people find dropping down to 24g helps and a few end up going to release trigger set ups which according to the US forums are the last resort but do usually work.

 

My own personal view is that it is a combination of factors with fear of missing high on the list. In your example you're following a clay for a while giving your subconscious plenty of time to expect a bang, the deliberate aiming may also lead to that dreaded fear of missing having time to develop.

[bostonmick]

a chap who shoots with at the same club I do has this problem,however it only happens if he has mounted the gun before calling for the bird if he calls then mounts he fires ok every time.i doubt adjusting the trigger would help but try it and see.

[Jono74]

If you r thinking too much this can cause it.i shoot rifles alot and took to long to shoot,i have had one 3 hr lesson with a pigeon shooter mate and now i dont think at all ,also i never mount the gun till the clay has left the trap.

Now on fast clays i play catch up alot .

[GingerCat]

Do you shoot rifles? Had a similar issue, stop aiming and point, easier said then done, less recoil may help, prwtice will def help.

[remmyman]

You may developing an involuntary flinch, opinions vary as to the cause but recoil seems to be a common theme. You may well not think you're affected to any worrying degree but the body may know differently, some believe secret messages are sent to the brain to avoid punishment resulting in an inability to pull the trigger. This can be a serious issue for some and you ought to address it before it gets a hold, some people find dropping down to 24g helps and a few end up going to release trigger set ups which according to the US forums are the last resort but do usually work.

 

My own personal view is that it is a combination of factors with fear of missing high on the list. In your example you're following a clay for a while giving your subconscious plenty of time to expect a bang, the deliberate aiming may also lead to that dreaded fear of missing having time to develop.

Totally agree Hamster, my thoughts exactly.May I also add that another strategy (to be used in conjunction with others) is to only shoot 'practice' for a while, and replicate these problem targets whilst doing so. If fear of missing is part/all of the problem it can be very effective.

 

Regards Remmyman

[guiltyyapper]

My dad had the same problem, he tried lighter cartridges down to 21g, a semi auto and had the trigger pull down as light as possible nothing worked now he's shooting a gun with double release trigger and now not looked back he was at the stage were if this hadn't worked he would have packed in for good. He has now been in the England Team and GB Team this year ,but he has had to put a lot of effort in to do this

[BaikalsRule90]

My friend used to suffer with trigger freeze quite badly, I suggested switching to a double trigger gun for a bit which made him physically move his hand after every shot, now he is absolutely fine with his sporter again now.

I had a similar thing with darts where I physically could not let my darts go no matter how much I wanted to. I started to throw a heavier set for a while and got my "rhythm" back eventually. its all in your head! its just finding a change that works for you.

Edited September 13, 2013 by BaikalsRule90

[WilkoF3]

Cheers chaps , some very interesting points I hadn't thought of especially the fear of missing . I spoke to a coach at Dartford yesterday who had just finished a course ( which covered this topic ) and he also suggested that as the birds were being tracked for a long time and tended to be the higher ones , it was unlikely to be trigger freeze and that what actually was happening was my hand was sliding back on the stock without realising it . I shot a practise round , very light hearted and put a few things to the test , anyway an 82 on some tricky birds and not a hint of stutter made me feel a lot better about things . Still open to any other ideas , but looking good so far .

[Salopian]

I have written a paper on this subject.

You may read the some of it on Phil Coley's website.