trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

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bubblewhip
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trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by bubblewhip »

A dumb question, but I was never told what part of your index finger should give pressure to the trigger when pulling a trigger?

With a traditional Monte carlo stock you usually achieve a trigger finger placement on the fingerprint pad of your finger like this.

Image

I also heard (from the internet with a big block of salt) that you should use the joint of your finger to have the least amount of mushiness like here.

Image

On my 10/22 with a full pistol grip my finger lays naturally on this odd position C

Image

Which is right? or does it matter if so long as you are doing consistent and steady pulls?
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Denis
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Denis »

I belong to the 'fleshy pad of the first joint' school, since that is the part of your finger which is most sensitive.
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JustinR
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by JustinR »

I've always been told A, as it's easiest to get a consistant straight back trigger pull, and not push or pull the gun to one side.
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Denis
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Denis »

It does matter, as what you want to achieve with a proper trigger pull is a movement which is as close as possible to being exclusively backwards along an axis parallel to the axis of your barrel. You don't want to be imparting any moments of rotation around that axis, or inducing any 'pitch' or 'yaw' (to borrow the aero/nautical terminology).

If you get the chance to operate a really fine shooting instrument with a really good trigger, you will see and feel that proper trigger finger placement and movement reduces the deviation of the sights from the centre of the 'bullseye'. Good target guns even have triggers which are adjustible in three planes so as to limit the deflection imparted by your finger. Ideally, no part of your finger other than the pad of the first phalanx should touch any part of the gun.

Having said all that, what is right for one shooter may not work well for another. Have a look at the Army Marksmanship Guide, which 'allows' either of your positions a or b. Like anything else in shooting, finding the movement which suits you and your gun* and repeating it consistently is more important than which movement you choose!

* A gun that ill fits your hand, or whose trigger position is not right for your hand, or whose trigger pull is too heavy or jerky may force you to use an unorthodox trigger-finger position or technique. Have a look at Col. Cooper's explanation of using the 'pinch' technique to win a bet in 'The Art of the Rifle'.
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Highspeed
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Highspeed »

I have always used 'A' and a kind of pinch grip. This is because it's probably the best way to get consistent results from a spring air rifle ( what I started out on ) and I never changed my technique when I began to use real rifles.

The position in 'C' seems a bit weird to me, but if it works...
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Jericho941
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Jericho941 »

I've always had best results with "A" (which is why I like godawful big handguns with fat grips, it's more natural to me) but I'm a firm believer in the school of thought that says "If it works best for you, go for it." With the caveat: Try other things from time to time, because you might be surprised.
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Erik
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Erik »

If you want to shoot with precision, A is how you do it. Think of it as operating a precision instrument, or pressing a touch sensitive switch. You'll always have more feeling and control with the tip of the finger. Also, using the tip of the finger means that the rest of the finger wont touch anything, and the trigger can be pushed straight back, both very important for precision.

However. I know some very good shooters that uses B when shooting fast, claiming they get more power by using the joint, and when shooting fast that makes up for the loss of feel they give up. I also know a top revolver competitor that uses C when shooting double action. He uses the tip if his finger as an indicator of when the shot breaks, he pulls the trigger until the tip of his finger touches the frame on the other side of the trigger, and then he just has to pull it a little bit more to break the shot. He claims that technique gives him excellent control so he can shoot double action with both speed and accuracy.

But that's more the exceptions, as a general rule A is the way to go. The other takes a lot of skill and practice to do well.
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Jeffro
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Jeffro »

Denis wrote:It does matter, as what you want to achieve with a proper trigger pull is a movement which is as close as possible to being exclusively backwards along an axis parallel to the axis of your barrel. You don't want to be imparting any moments of rotation around that axis, or inducing any 'pitch' or 'yaw' (to borrow the aero/nautical terminology).
This. It partly depends on the grip or hand placement and the length of your fingers plus the size of the weapon grips or stock in relation to your hand. If all you can do to reach the trigger is use "A" then you have no choice. If you have big hands and long fingers, you'll have a mechanical advantage. My own experience is to use "A" whenever possible, but if I'm pulling on something a bit more difficult, I'll use "B."
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Aglifter
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by Aglifter »

In general, you want as little finger as possible - revolver can be different due to weight and length of pull.
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NVGdude
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Re: trigger finger placement. Does it matter?

Post by NVGdude »

As per everyone above, A has always been considered "correct". You want to impart minimal sideways torque to the firearm and to pull the trigger straight back.

On a double action you may need to resort to B to get enough leverage.
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