heartbeat effecting long range shooting.. tips ?

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OtisBlkR1

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Im dabbling in semi-long range shooting. does anyone have any taught tricks for dealing with heartbeat/optic movement ?
On a shooting table with bi-pod 100yrd 1.25 inch groupings are ok. at 200yrd's im finding it slightly more difficult, @300Yrd's i can still hit my targets but my grouping's could deffinately improve. I know the weapons capable, when im snugged up every heartbeat is very clear in my sight.. I can still hit milk jug's at 300 but i want to do better..

old school tips ? tricks? ect ? militairy taught training for controlling movement ?
 
Sqeeze the trigger between heart beats. be able to slow heart rate to 50 or less makes it easier.

Training, practice, and more practice.
 
Originally Posted By: DNVDMAX
Google FM 3-22.9. Start there.


Awesome.. exactly where i need to be. Thank you.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
Im dabbling in semi-long range shooting. does anyone have any taught tricks for dealing with heartbeat/optic movement ?
On a shooting table with bi-pod 100yrd 1.25 inch groupings are ok. at 200yrd's im finding it slightly more difficult, @300Yrd's i can still hit my targets but my grouping's could deffinately improve. I know the weapons capable, when im snugged up every heartbeat is very clear in my sight.. I can still hit milk jug's at 300 but i want to do better..

old school tips ? tricks? ect ? militairy taught training for controlling movement ?



1.25" groups at 100 yards is pathetically bad which can be mismatched/bad loads but in your case is more likely the loose nut behind the trigger. I realize my version of long range shooting (2400yards) is different than your version (300yards) but the same fundamentals still apply. You can slow your heartbeat with controlled breathing but your heartbeat isn't where your problem is, at least at this stage. You loads and technique are where your problem is. Your best bet would be to practice slowing down and concentrating while shooting. Let the shot surprise you, i.e. don't anticipate the recoil. I'm going to guess that you don't handload which means you'll have to find ammo off the shelf that your gun likes but it's tricky because until you have the shooting fundamentals down you'll never know if it's the ammo or you and because of that you'll never learn the long-range game until you have a known good shooter. I would suggest buying a guaranteed 2MOA trainer so you can start weeding out factors. Once you get better loads and skills you can start paying attention to the little things like heartbeats but since most people don't want to learn the right way, I'll give you a heartbeat tip: The tighter you hold your rifle the more your heartbeat will translate. The take away point is that you need to have better 100yrd groups before you can move on because you're just adding factors. Here's what your 100yrd groups should look like before moving on:

This is in .308
2hi2iwh.jpg
 
I am NOT a long range shooter, just an IDPA / 3-gun guy... but I have noticed that if I double-muff (ear plugs and over the ear hearing protection).. I tend to shoot a little more accurately. Not sure how relevant this is.

Mixologist... darn fine shooting there!!!
 
Work a little bit with your breathing and hold.
There is a period of about 6 seconds where your blood is oxygen saturated and the hearbeat is unaffected.

Hold half breath, not full or empty.
Pressure on the diaphragm increases the effect of the heartbeat.
You have to find your own sweet spot, and it does change a bit with conditions.

Full stomach... affects pressure on diaphragm.
Something else to work around, especially on hot days when you're hydrating like mad.

Bipod height is a biggie.
Consider going as low as practical, and scoop dirt if you must.
Get as much body contact with the ground as possible, and get your weight off your diaphragm.

Lighten up on your hold. Tense muscle transmits the heartbeat, relaxed muscles dampen it. The rifle isn't gonna run off, so just hold it in place lightly while using as little effort as possible to keep it there.

Getting into better shape usually lowers the heart rate, and relaxing mentally before the relay always pays dividends.
Don't let yourself get rattled, period.

It's all stuff that's combined to get a slightly longer window and no single aspect will cure anything. The mental side of things is 90% of it, and fighting a bumpy heartbeat is part of it.

One thing that I have found that does help, is lower scope magnification for several practice sessions to gain confidence.
Darn 24X optic makes the bumps 24X more obvious and gets a guy worried, wheras a 10X wont appear to be heaving around as much and allows for quartering the pie and concentrating on the important stuff.

It can't be eliminated...well yeah it can, but it involves a high dollar artificial heart..so ya learn to work around it.

It's all part of the game really, and maddening fun.

Good luck to ya!!
 
Hunting ground squirrels off my flatbed pick-up pillows work best for me. Tried a bi-pod and went right back to pillows... just couldnt get used to a bi-pod that my buddy had.
 
Originally Posted By: AVB
It seems to me a bi-pod could act as a fulcrum, and transfer movement.


Anything can be a hindrance if the user doesn't know what they're doing. Bi-pods with a rear bag are the go-to choice for long range shooting but a pack and rear bag work equally as well if employed properly.
 
thanks for the tips everyone, a professional "team member" is helping me alot with all the above.
 
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