Project Appleseed

I was out practicing real distance about a week ago.

I realized that when I get into my cheek weld and shoot, I have my jaw opened.  I experimented with jaw opened and closed and "somewhere in between" and quickly learned that I don't much care to shoot with my jaw tightly clenched.

What's "correct," though?

Would I get more consistency and stability shooting with a clenched jaw and perhaps use a mouthguard to stop my teeth from rattling together?

It was really funny actually:  I got so startled by the feeling of the jaw-clenched shot that I had a flinch for several rounds afterwards that I had to work back out.

You would want you mouth closed but not clenched (wind driven powder gas, bugs and dirt taste bad).
Really doesn't matter a whit so long as it is the SAME each and every time

Sam

My 2 cents,

During prep period I dry fire breathing through my mouth and exhaling through my mouth just as I plan to do for live fire.

Once the "Shooters your preparation period has end." starts, I start breathing through my nose and exhale through my mouth pretty heavily to get that oxygen built up.

Once "Fire" is called, I start breathing through my mouth and exhale through my mouth through out the course of fire.  I find, as silly as it sounds, that my lips are pursed, but open to keep on breathing.

My exhales and inhales are pretty strong and quick, but my shooting shows it is a consistent rhythm.

At 600 yds, I average about 15" group with 7.62X51mm SA ball using this method.

My jaws are not clenched, they are relaxed, my mouth is open and ready for my lungs to get some more oxygen.


This what I do, don't know if it's right or wrong, it works for me.

Hope this helps.


Brett

Quote from: AZRedhawk44 on December 11, 2009, 06:08:00 PM
I was out practicing real distance about a week ago.

I realized that when I get into my cheek weld and shoot, I have my jaw opened.  I experimented with jaw opened and closed and "somewhere in between" and quickly learned that I don't much care to shoot with my jaw tightly clenched.

What's "correct," though?

Would I get more consistency and stability shooting with a clenched jaw and perhaps use a mouthguard to stop my teeth from rattling together?

It was really funny actually:  I got so startled by the feeling of the jaw-clenched shot that I had a flinch for several rounds afterwards that I had to work back out.

You are supposed to be relaxed when you shoot, how can you be relaxed when you are clenching your jaw?

I know you don't want to be chewing gum while shooting....
I guess, I pretty much always breath throug my mouth; so that's what I do.
Get a little after-taste of burnt powder; it's like frosting on the cake.
That's what we RWVA Volunteers do, right:  "Eat dirt and sweat bore-solvent."
-That's why I signed up. 

I tend to shoot with jaw relaxed and mouth either shut or lips open slightly for better breathing, like Voortrekker. I prefer my mouth hanging open (completely relaxed) but when you're prone and the wind is in your face, all kinds of dirt gets thrown up by the muzzle blast, and then there's that drool problem...eewwwww....
Pick one way and don't vary it.

A while back I noticed an article about competitive M1 shooters using different devices held in the mouth (e.g., fighter's or football player's mouth pieces, small rubber balls) when firing long distance- 600-1000 y.  The M1 matches don't allow any modifications, so the different sight height caused by the elevated rear sight at long range required either a different cheek weld position or, in these experiments, "different-sized cheeks".  The full discussion, for those interested, is on p. 109 of "Precision Shooting With the M1 Garand" by Roy Baumgardner.  A bit of shooting skills trivia...

Wow.  Funny how you do something so much without really THINKING about how you are actually doing it.

I do know that with my M1 and my 10/22 I have the thumb of my shooting hand over the top of the stock and I put that knuckle into my cheek right there so it sticks me in the gum between the first molar and the tooth in front of it.  That puts my eye the same distance and height behind the sights every time.  On the rifles with scopes I put the front end of that cheek riser in the same spot on my cheek.

As to mouth open and closed?  I know I'm relaxed and I think my lips are usually slightly parted but I wouldn't swear to it.

As others have said, consistency is the key.

Before you get carried away with all kinds of "accessories" designed (or hoped) to improve your score on paper, remember what you bought your rifle for in the first place.  Will you be using all those when you need to use that rifle?

Old Dog,
I suppose the manly way of doing that cheek weld adjustment would be to add a bit more chaw for increasing range, and to spit or swallow some as range decreases.

Quote from: staplegund on February 27, 2010, 11:40:00 AM
Old Dog,
I suppose the manly way of doing that cheek weld adjustment would be to add a bit more chaw for increasing range, and to spit or swallow some as range decreases.

Sorry, should have specified its the teeth in my upper jaw.  Chewin' tobacco...uuuugggghhhh!!!....tried it sitting on and ambush site a time or two in the Army (supposed to help keep you awake, help you concentrate, etc.) but I didn't like to spit and I sure wasn't going to swallow that stuff so a couple of times was enough to convince me it wasn't a good idea.

I know a couple of guys who swallowed their "chaw" though.  Made both of 'em sick.  Neither one knew they'd swallowed it right away but realized later when they got to feeling sick that instead of spitting it out they'd just swallowed it getting that first big breath.  It was pretty funny to everyone else.  Memories.

Glad this thread got started.  I realized on my SECOND Appleseed shoot, the one I shot Rifleman on, that I shoot with my mouth open.  It didn't affect me until I actually started thinking about.  I realized that it's pretty difficult to keep your mouth open at the same degree throughout the COF and from stage to stage. 

QuoteReally doesn't matter a whit so long as it is the SAME each and every time
Sam

As Sam said, it has to be in the SAAAAAAME place every single time.  My 0.002 cents is that you should try to keep you mouth shut but also relaxed at the same time, i.e. Jedi mind trick. 

---GF