Project Appleseed

I was talking with some folks, ladies actually, who talked about their basic shooting class - during the class it was suggested they practice trigger control on a squirty bottle.

Smooth steady pressure, reset, etc were used as the reasons
Just another idea I heard while out on the road.

Interesting idea. But, I think that the lack of a click (pen setting or releasing) or sear tripping may limit the usefulness of the squirt bottle. The value of the pen is that we so often have them. They are certainly not the best method for learning trigger control, but they common and innocuous.

The best method would be the rifle beside this desk, but it is not very innocuous. Seriously though. My best practice is dry fire. Sometimes it's just for the trigger work (Am I dragging wood?). Sometimes it is just NPOA or even just breathing (breath in, breath out to relaxed lungs, shut off the air at your throat and then think bang. BTW you can mediate this way with bangs instead of counting the breaths  ). And sometimes it's full on lie (or sit or stand) in the floor and practice all of the six steps, along with NPOA  and the steady hold factors.

None of this will make me a world class shooter. But it has made me a better one.

With a shooter that could not control a dancing finger and a trigger snatch, I got her to synchronize her trigger finger motion with her breathing. Using the pen as a focus device, I had her breathe out squeeze, breathe in release. a few minute of this and the concept began to sink in. The problem is not cured, but she is making progress.

I believe that it is important to visualize the rifle when dry firing your pen. Feel the stock in your hands. Feel your cheek welded to the stock. See your sights in correct alignment. Go through the 6 steps. for each squeeze of your dry fire ball point pen.

Has anyone ever used the "eye dropper" analogy?  You squeeze the bulb, the drop at the end of the tube "grows," and at an unpredictable moment, if you keep squeezing, the drop falls.  You can stop adding pressure at any time, and the drop stops growing.

This analogy breaks down somewhat at the "reset" step, and it works better in a one-on-one or small group setting, but it makes a better mental picture for some.

willorith,

I like your willingness to experiment but I could not determine from your description if you were asking the student to squeeze 'while' they were breathing or at the end of the breathing cycle. If you are asking them to squeeze while they are breathing out you are teaching the student to breath while they squeeze the trigger. Better that they squeeze when they stop breathing, preferably at the bottom of the breathing cycle.

I try to link the breathing cycle to trigger squeeze on the line by repeating "breath...relax...squeeze" as the shooter is firing sustained fire. If I've just discussed focusing on the front sight I may change the repetition to "breath...focus...squeeze". Sometimes "breath...squeeze...recoil...reset" to get them to hold the trigger back.

The visualization thing is always effective. Whenever they dry fire they need to make the visualization as rich in detail as possible.

VAshooter

All though we use the pen most of the time, the best presentation I have ever seen is by taking out a Garand/M1A trigger group and showing the trigger reset for real!

The trigger reset in that is LOUD!  Much easier to hear than a pen.  Both are effective I think. 

I use the "buddy" system often...another very helpful tool.

Breathe out, respiratory pause, squeeze, breathe in,  release, breathe out, respiratory pause, squeeze, breathe in, release.

As Appleseeders we fire every shot by the 6 steps. The only thing I did was have the student time her trigger movement with her breathing to help her with her follow through and dancing finger.

I really like bob210's idea of using a Garand trigger group to illustrate resetting the trigger. Time to hunt for an old trigger group and a stock I can cut down and mount it in and build a training aid. I love new toys.

VAshooter

Quote from: VAshooter on February 02, 2010, 10:41:43 AM
I really like bob210's idea of using a Garand trigger group to illustrate resetting the trigger. Time to hunt for an old trigger group and a stock I can cut down and mount it in and build a training aid. I love new toys.

VAshooter

an AR-15 lower works well too if you use a hammer block to protect the receiver and hammer.