eye problem when firing off the shot

[watchman 256]

a mate of mine wanted to get out with me up the golf course to take a few bunnies with the air-rifles so i told him to come round and we would plink a few targets in my back garden just so i could see his shooting capability,dont get me wrong i dont pretend to be a super crack shot but i can hit the sweet spot on a bunny with no problems.

well after setting up a few targets and then me zeroing in his scope he took over,well it soon became apparent he cant shoot for shit,,he is using a springer so i got up pianomans post that he put up the other day in relation to shooting with a springer,very informative i hasten to add, to let my mate have a read.

so back to the targets,he wasnt getting any regular grouping to speek of,i thought it might be down to me zeroing the scope but his wild and varied shooting made it impossible for me to zero it with him doing the shooting.

 

i then noticed IT,just as he takes up the pressure on the trigger he anticipates the shot and closes his eyes i let him carry on for a few shots just to make sure and yes he does it everytime,i told him the shot should come as a suprise but he just cant get out of this obvious bad habbit,well he not likely to hit anything with both eyes shut is he,its like he knows its going to make him jump is the easy way to describe it,at one point he didnt take the safety off,so there he was sqeezing the trigger both eyes clamped shut with nothing happening,well apart from me pissing myself watching that is

so what advice can i give this lad to get him sorted as it is obvious his trip up the golf course is still a long way off yet and im not sure he has the budget to go down the pcp route just yet if that is indeed a possible way forward for cure.

thanks for reading

[secretagentmole 1,701]

The only advice I c an give is to find a big stick, put some nails in it, then when he starts to close his eyes, belt him over the top of the head with it! What a silly thing to do! You have to keep your eyes open as you have to follow the aim through the shot, that improves accuracy, your mate blindly waving a rifle around is going to be a danger to anything down range of the muzzle of the gun!

[watchman 256]

The only advice I c an give is to find a big stick, put some nails in it, then when he starts to close his eyes, belt him over the top of the head with it! What a silly thing to do! You have to keep your eyes open as you have to follow the aim through the shot, that improves accuracy, your mate blindly waving a rifle around is going to be a danger to anything down range of the muzzle of the gun!

 

at the big stick,as for waving around blindly not quite but get your jist ,to the rest of your post,we know that ,

i want to help with a cure for him not state the obvious to him again and again i tried that it didnt work,the only way to describe it properly is almost like he scared of it,does that make sense,seen it in the army years ago,yes long before we got the sa80 when a good old slr was the tool for the job at the time,frightened many a recruit seems he has the same symptoms

[davyt63 1,845]

hi buddy

personally

i think he is scared to shoot? or he could be a very timid person?

what springer is he shooting?

 

he is going to need a lot of work before you can take him out with you! or any one else!

is there a club near you? where he can practice,practice,practice!

 

regards

 

Davy

[watchman 256]

hi buddy

personally

i think he is scared to shoot? or he could be a very timid person?

what springer is he shooting?

 

he is going to need a lot of work before you can take him out with you! or any one else!

is there a club near you? where he can practice,practice,practice!

 

regards

 

Davy

 

he is trying to shoot a .22 b.s.a supersport,agree he seems scared of the shot and as i say trip to the golf course is a long way off yet although have to say he far from timid,quite the opposite in fact,iv told him to keep practicing for now and to see what i can come up with,if anything,might just be a case of sticking to the ferrets for him

[Richie10 345]

He needs to grow a pair!

[silentshot1 206]

Hi Watchman

 

This is not as unusual as you'd think. I used to do the same with a shot gun when I was about 14 and learning how to shoot, as did my brother and several guys we knew who learned on lighter 20's such as AYA No. 4's (very popular as a first gun at the time).

 

My Father bought some snap caps and would load the gun first with snap caps but out of our sight, time and time again, following clays and pulling the trigger with our eyes open so we would get used to following the bird and taking the shot in a proper stance without the recoil and without flinching/closing our eyes. Then he slipped in a light load cartridge on the second trigger at random. Over two days, we learnt to keep our eyes open and not stiffen for the recoil.

 

Whilst not the same, an idea if you have the time, could be to stand where you friend can hear but not see you load the gun, break the barrel but don't cock/load the rifle and hand him the uncocked gun. Get him to go through the whole shot cycle a good few times. Then after him clearly keeping his eyes open during the cycle, hand him the loaded rifle. He goes through the process without his eyes closed. Then return to the uncocked cycle, adding loaded shots at random.

 

Just an idea, but it worked with a larger recoil in two days.

 

Good luck

[watchman 256]

Hi Watchman

 

This is not as unusual as you'd think. I used to do the same with a shot gun when I was about 14 and learning how to shoot, as did my brother and several guys we knew who learned on lighter 20's such as AYA No. 4's (very popular as a first gun at the time).

 

My Father bought some snap caps and would load the gun first with snap caps but out of our sight, time and time again, following clays and pulling the trigger with our eyes open so we would get used to following the bird and taking the shot in a proper stance without the recoil and without flinching/closing our eyes. Then he slipped in a light load cartridge on the second trigger at random. Over two days, we learnt to keep our eyes open and not stiffen for the recoil.

 

Whilst not the same, an idea if you have the time, could be to stand where you friend can hear but not see you load the gun, break the barrel but don't cock/load the rifle and hand him the uncocked gun. Get him to go through the whole shot cycle a good few times. Then after him clearly keeping his eyes open during the cycle, hand him the loaded rifle. He goes through the process without his eyes closed. Then return to the uncocked cycle, adding loaded shots at random.

 

Just an idea, but it worked with a larger recoil in two days.

 

Good luck

 

sounds an excellent bit of advice that mate,may well be the way forward iv got all the time in the world to try and get him sorted so will give that a go,thankyou

be nice to see him overcome this and become a competant shot

[SEAN3513 7]

my only suggetion would be to try and get him to shoot at a moving paper target......even if it meant you pulling it along on a skate board or similar.

 

or have one swinging from a washing line ...........with a suitable backstop of course.

 

im sure with time he will remedy his " bad habbit".

 

cheers

 

sean

[watchman 256]

my only suggetion would be to try and get him to shoot at a moving paper target......even if it meant you pulling it along on a skate board or similar.

 

or have one swinging from a washing line ...........with a suitable backstop of course.

 

im sure with time he will remedy his " bad habbit".

 

cheers

 

sean

 

forcing him to keep his eyes open and on the target? im guessing

[SEAN3513 7]

in theory

 

got to be a simple way of finding out........it may just work , if he wants to hit the target.

 

cheers

 

sean

[watchman 256]

in theory

 

got to be a simple way of finding out........it may just work , if he wants to hit the target.

 

cheers

 

sean

 

 

if he starts hitting a moving target i will never take him out not if he gets that bloody good

[SEAN3513 7]

well, just make sure you move it slowly then

[Phantom 631]

SS1 is correct and as so is duely awarded an SP

 

It just takes time, I used to anticipate the shot and both stiffen and close the eyes when I 1st began all those decades ago.

I perseveared and eventually broke the habbit, talk him through through the cycle very slowleya few times and each time he closes his eyes, simply tell him to stop and start again.

 

Another thing is to let him loose off some shots into soft dirt while keeping him engaged in conversation or you loose of some shots while chatting to him until he begins to relax. Seems he is anticipating the bang? maybe an ear plug in his ear thats next to the stock.

 

Just a few ideas to try

[watchman 256]

SS1 is correct and as so is duely awarded an SP

 

It just takes time, I used to anticipate the shot and both stiffen and close the eyes when I 1st began all those decades ago.

I perseveared and eventually broke the habbit, talk him through through the cycle very slowleya few times and each time he closes his eyes, simply tell him to stop and start again.

 

Another thing is to let him loose off some shots into soft dirt while keeping him engaged in conversation or you loose of some shots while chatting to him until he begins to relax. Seems he is anticipating the bang? maybe an ear plug in his ear thats next to the stock.

 

Just a few ideas to try

 

thanks mate i will try a few methods mentioned and see how we get on