Need tips for helping my son overcome flinch after scope-eye

[NXMR]

Hey all,

Any special tips for helping younger kids overcome flinch? I'd assume it would be the same with adults - like going back to the .22lr, etc. but anything unique for kids that I can try?

My son got bit by the scope on his new .30-06 a few weeks ago and now he can't shoot his .22lr without noticeably jumping.

Thanks in advance for any tips/tricks!

EDIT: This might need to be in general area - put it here because his .30-06 is bolt action and he'll be hunting this year with it.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Dry firing, then progress to dry firing with intermixed live rounds, just make sure he knows. It's got to be a surprise but not total surprise.

Scope bite sucks... My 6 year old got bit by a 204 Ruger and a pellet gun! he just won't keep his head back!

[Ridgerunner665]

22 long rifle...and lots of it (basically the same as dry fire practice, but with a little "bang")


EDIT: I posted before I read the whole thing Since he is flinching with the 22, the dry fire is a good idea.

[kmaysob]

ouch! i caught myself in the nose with my .308 when i first installed the new scope. luckily it was a very light hit

[mrawesome22]

Lots of Springfield.

Expecting 22LR recoil from the ought six will get old in about one shot.

Ear plugs and proper form.

Get him a 243Win.

Sent from HenseMod6.

[tahunua001]

I would recommend dry firing it, then letting him shoot a 22, then moving up with as many calibers as you have between 22 and 06 and once he gets up to the 06, remove the scope and let him shoot open sights until he gets adjusted to the recoil, then add the scope and see if he's still getting dummy ringed(sorry for wording, old habits) if he is you may need to switch to a scope with better eye relief.

[Doyle]

I just don't understand why some scope manufacturers insist on having a really short eye relief. I refuse to buy one that has less than 3.5" of relief.

[Saltydog235]

As others have said a .22LR and lots of it, maybe even a pellet rifle.

Might want to get him something like a .243 to hunt with for a while. That whippin' the '06 gave him is going to be there for a while especially if he hasn't grow into that caliber yetand if he's hunting with it, his flinch runs the risk of wounding an animal that you might not recover. There's a reason kids should start small(er) and work up.

[NXMR]

Thanks for the suggestions all! I've got him back on his .22lr. Will work him up through an intermediate caliber, and then back on his aught 6. I like the alternating 'blanks' (we have some "snap-caps").

Hey guys, how about putting a Limbsaver recoil pad on his rifle?

His gun is a Savage Axis, and from what I've read it might not be the easiest rifle to switch the recoil pad on.

Any input on this?

[MOshooter65202]

Keep him shooting the 22 rifle to help with the flinch.
Help with his shooting form,I see many shooters allow their shoulder to take all of the recoil to the point they allow their shoulder to recoil back instead of their whole upper body to absorb the recoil. When that happens there's more of a chance for scope bite,your whole upper body should absorb the recoil instead of just the shoulder.If your whole upper body goes back with the recoil there's no way of scope bite because you are not allowing the shoulder to collapse back and allowing the rifle and scope to move back without your whole upper body moving back keeping the same eye to scope distance.

I agree on using a scope with generous eye relief,also maybe a less recoiling cartridge as mentioned maybe a 243?...If you have a high powered rifle with iron sights take the scope off and let him shoot without the scope,this will allow a chance for proper shooting technique without the chance of scope bite,then after lots of practice put the scope back on he should be good to go get that big Buck

[Mobuck]

You know they make reduced recoil 30/06?
I've had to correct "flinchitus" on a couple of kids and it takes lots of time. Maybe go back to an air rifle so there's no recoil at all and start fresh. I've had the snot kicked out of me a few times in the past and had to do some remedial training to get over the yankits.

[TexAg]

Leupold scopes usually have good eye relief. I second (3rd, 4th?) the .243 idea. Might get him a wood stocked one too that's a little heavier than a light synthetic one.

[NXMR]

Good grief guys, you're killin' me with all this .243 talk!

You're all just trying to get me in trouble with the wife!

...but now that I think about it, there is a gun show coming up...

[robertsig]

Give him a rifle without a scope for awhile?

[Picher]

Unfortunately, the flinch may be with him for a long time, unless he's shooting at game. The 30-06 is a bad idea for a young kid, unless mild cast lead bullet loads are fired (except for hunting). I started shooting centerfire with a .30-06 at 17 years old and developed a range-flinch that was hard to conquer.

If the Savage has a full-length stock, the boy may have had the butt under his arm instead of against his shoulder. The first rule in having a kid shoot a centerfire is to have the stock the proper length. The second is to have a great recoil pad.

A .243 will do a good job on most deer, using 100 grain bullets. For practice lighter bullets will recoil less, but mild handloads are quite nice for practice.

I put a recoil pad on my Rem .243 Win, and it made a huge difference in perceived recoil when shooting from the bench or prone. Felt recoil is closer to my .223 (which doesn't have a pad).

My 12 year old grandson found a .243 Win Handi-Rifle (cut to proper length and recoil pad installed) comfortable to shoot from the bench with hunting loads.

[Rifleman1776]

You didn't say how old he is. But lots of shooting with a .22lr will get him acquainted with shooting and help develop good skills.
I agree with the others, a 30-06 is too much for a beginner rifle for a "kid". I agree that a .243 would have been a better cf rifle choice.
I also agree that eye reliefe is way too short on most scopes. I don't understand it. Some scopes actually touch my face to get a good sight picture.

[Picher]

Long eye relief and large exit pupil are two things to check before buying a scope. Today, folks seem to buy very powerful hunting scopes with large objective lenses. The combination often contributes to tiny exit pupils and shorter eye relief, as power is increased.

My older Balvar 8B 2-8X has the largest exit pupil, helping to acquire the view very quickly. The eye relief is also about 4 inches. My newer scopes don't have those traits.

[NXMR]

Thanks again for all the input guys!

We've got a relative with a .243, I'm sure we can get our hands on it for a couple of visits to the range - after a lot more time on his 22lr.

He's 14 - and in size he's surpassing me pretty quickly - big kid. Like a linebacker... Before his flinch set in, he used to group around 2" @ 100 yards with my '06, and fairly consistently. He'd just sit there and calmly put the rounds down range, stopping for a couple minutes every other shot or so to let the barrel cool as instructed. Funny thing is, when we were going more regularly, he didn't flinch any more with that gun than I did. Of course, his little synthetic stock produces a lot more felt recoil than the wood stock on mine.

Well, I'm rambling at this point - please excuse me! I think the .243 is a grand idea. We'll see how he does, and if he really likes it we may try and sell his .30-06 and with him saving a little of his allowance and report card money I'll help him get into a .243.

[OEF-Vet]

When he is ready to move back into hunting rifles one of these may help him to feel more comfortable and aid in consistent eye placement, just slide it up the scope until proper eye relief is obtained.
40mm-rifle-scope-rubber-eyepiece-extender-black

[warbirdlover]

Blindfold (while you align the rifle to go safely downrange) and load it for him putting in a live round or no round randomly so he never knows.

Do this over and over. It's the same as shooting an archery release aid. I had to do this to get my "squeeze" back after getting the flinches and it works.

If you "stick your chin out" and then slide your head up along the stock to get the right sight picture (chin still out) you'll never get hit with the scope no matter what monster magnum you're shooting. Tilting the head forward is the culprit.

[smoakingun]

I just don't understand why some scope manufacturers insist on having a really short eye relief. I refuse to buy one that has less than 3.5" of relief.

Eye relief is around 3" on 90% of the scopes on the planet. Eye relief is not the issue. Proper fit of the rifle is. Every weekend I see the same thing. Scopes set to far back, shooters holding their heads back to get proper eye relief/ sight alignment.

Step one to curing flinch: Fit the rifle to the shooter. Put the shooter behind the rifle, have him grab the rifle grip with his trigger hand, pull the rifle smartly back into the shoulder. Have the shooter push his neck forwrd and rest his cheek on the rifle. Move the scope away from the shooter untill proper sight alignment (no shadow visible in the scope) is achieved.

Step two: Ball and dummy. The shooter takes position behind the rifle. The coach(you dad) takes 5 rounds in his hand. The shooter turns his head away, the coach loads the rifle with either a live round or closes the bolt on an empty chamber(dummy). The shooter fires a shot. The rifle goes click or bang. The rifle should go click until the shooter stops flinching. Once he stops, feed him a live round. Repet the procedure untill the flinch goes away.

[NXMR]

Eye relief is around 3" on 90% of the scopes on the planet. Eye relief is not the issue. Proper fit of the rifle is. Every weekend I see the same thing. Scopes set to far back, shooters holding their heads back to get proper eye relief/ sight alignment.

Step one to curing flinch: Fit the rifle to the shooter. Put the shooter behind the rifle, have him grab the rifle grip with his trigger hand, pull the rifle smartly back into the shoulder. Have the shooter push his neck forwrd and rest his cheek on the rifle. Move the scope away from the shooter untill proper sight alignment (no shadow visible in the scope) is achieved.

Step two: Ball and dummy. The shooter takes position behind the rifle. The coach(you dad) takes 5 rounds in his hand. The shooter turns his head away, the coach loads the rifle with either a live round or closes the bolt on an empty chamber(dummy). The shooter fires a shot. The rifle goes click or bang. The rifle should go click until the shooter stops flinching. Once he stops, feed him a live round. Repet the procedure untill the flinch goes away.

Okay - got it, on all counts. From fitting the rifle to "ball and dummy."

I like Warbird's idea of the blindfold, but I think this will work just as well. I'm also strongly considering buying some of that managed recoil .30-06 that was mentioned (embarrassingly - I'd honestly never heard of it before, but found it on CTD )

I do want to say though that each and every one of you that have posted on this thread has helped us. You've all either given me explicit tips, or have provided bits of wisdom that in hindsight I probably should have done. Oh well, we live and learn! Point is, I want to thank all of you again.

I'll keep working with him and we'll get this under control. We went out and put a few hundred .22lr downrange this weekend, and he's now not flinching with his .22 any longer.

Will post back here and let you know how this is progressing.

[Mobuck]

The ball and dummy may not work as expected. I used this trick a few times and caught the shooter in a yank. The teenager became both embarrassed and mad at being caught in his mistake and left the bench.

[Doyle]

Eye relief is around 3" on 90% of the scopes on the planet.

None of the ones I would use. I've got Leupolds and Bushnell Elites. All have 3.5"+ of eye relief - and I've never been bitten.

[johnwilliamson062]

Are his eyes bad? If they aren't I would just ditch scopes in general. They aren't all that great. I was even less fond of them when I had 20/20+ vision.