Posted by Bob LeDoux on December 02, 2001 at 21:47:02:
I have found my most effective air pistol finger position is not the one suggested in most manuals. Most manuals suggest pressing the trigger with the finger placed on the trigger about halfway between the finger tip and the first joint. I use a fairly light grip pressure, and when I use that technique, the trigger can cause side-to-side wobble as I pull.
My most effective technique is to placed the edge of the trigger right up against the bend in the joint, and then set the fore-aft trigger position so the finger pulls straight back from the beginning of the second stage position.
The mechanics of this approach appear to reduce the amount of perceived pull, and the shorter lever action in the trigger gives me the sense of more precise trigger pressure recognition.
I'm interested in other shooters' experimentation on this point and their results.
Posted by Mako on December 02, 2001 at 22:34:59:
One of the top shooters at our local air gun silhouette club has his LP1 trigger rotated so that he pushes against the "sharpest" edge ... feeling that this gives him the most precise feel. On the other hand some air gun companies offer extra wide trigger shoes ... the feeling being that having the pressure spread over a wider area makes the trigger feel lighter. (Camera accessory companies use to offer extra wide shutter release button attachments using the same reasoning.) There is an accessory air rifle trigger release that consists of a point ...
So there are obviously two very different schools of thought here! :-)
Why do you think it's better to use the bend of the joint as opposed to the pad of the first finger joint ... if you are going for a "sharper" feel ... I guess it's because you feel that for yourself it's straight-er back. I sure could use more of that .... I'll have to give it a try ... along with more over travel ... see earlier message ...
Posted by RML on December 03, 2001 at 06:48:10:
I do the same thing! I find that I have better control with the trigger closer to the joint. The movement of the finger should be in the second joint, so having the trigger that close to the first joint does not affect the finger movement in any way.
I have also seen top shooters pulling the trigger more or less with the trigger placed at their first joint. As long as the pull is straight backwards, it should not matter much how the finger is placed on the trigger.
RML
Posted by Jack Foley on December 03, 2001 at 07:36:48:
I, too, place the joint on the edge of the trigger, but not for a mechanical advantage. I found that I was wasting time and attention on finger placement. Looking for proper and consistent placement was a distraction.
Now, with all of my competition guns, the trigger finger and hand positions are a constant, and no longer a distraction.
Posted by Jerry on December 03, 2001 at 14:13:38:
Hmm, I suffer from "long fingeritis" and in addition I shoot left eyed and right handed. This forces me to cant the barrel a bit to the right which aggravates the tension in my hand. I tried dry firing a few times late last night using this technique and found that the trigger went "off" a bit sooner than I had hoped for, some practice with a "live" might be useful, if successful I think that it might help alleviate some of the problems caused by my longish fingers....
--Jerry
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