Switching to release trigger to beat the flinch

When I was a little kid I remember selling christmas cards and selling enough to get my first ever shotgun..... a 410 bolt action thru the mail! Can you imagine? At the time my dad was a trap shooter and he would throw clays for me and taught me how to shoot. One day the 410 had a miss-hap and I remember powder burning my face as the gun fired. It happened again and I put the gun down. My dad thought I was nuts and he gave it a try and it happened to him as well. He immediately sent the gun back to the factory for repair and they promptly sent it back. That day was a defining moment for me to have a flinch with a gun.

Fast forward 50 years and I am now retired and shooting trap for 4 years. I knew the flinch was there but I really thought I could beat it with dry fire exercises. The bottom line was I could not and my scores plateaued and then dropped to the mid 80's. I started to pay close attention to the great shooters and they mostly shoot release. One day I was speaking to another great shooter and asked about the release. He asked why I inquired about it and told him the story above. His answer was .......just get the release and your scores will go up and the flinch will leave. So then I was on a mission to find a release cheap for a K80. There is no cheap at $1100. So I considered getting the parts and doing my own. For $250 I bought used release plates and installed them myself. Being a tool and die eng./toolmaker/business owner, it was no big deal. So for $250 I was able to find out if the release would work. I was not dissappointed! The next day I was practicing just in front of a thunderstorm and shot 75 straight. A week later and ran 100 straight. The release did it's job.

I suppose the release is not for everyone but it did work for me and what a difference! Shooting is pleasurable once again.

Bud

 

Congratulations. I am amazed it worked so quickly.

 

Terry Jordan and Bill Wylie were my guiding lights with my flinching many years ago. I didn't know these gentlemen the day I shot with them and apologized for my flinching. We have since that day become very good friends.

They sat and talked with me and my wife for a couple of hours. Terry told me about his Chart, BUT he thought I was too far gone for it to be effective, (although it has saved many early flinchers from having to switch) and to think strongly about going to a release trigger.

Bill told me how he worked with Terry's chart.

So I decided to get the release made for my Rottweil, and purchase a chart to use before I went to the range and use it with live shells.

Straight out of the box, 23-24-25-25.

So, I have those two fine men, along with Terry's chart, for allowing me to continue my hobby to this day.