# breathing when shooting?



## ghostman (Dec 11, 2014)

How are you supposed to breathe when shooting? Are you supposed to take a deep breath before shots and then hold your breath and shoot or exhale and shoot or something entirely different?


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## Preppersaurusrex (Jan 31, 2016)

Exhale fully then pause your breath, squeeze the trigger and inhale with the recoil. Don't worry about the heartbeat thing, that's for recon snipers....


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I've always taken a normal breath, let half out, then squeeze. jmo.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

I believe that either would work at normal distances. The idea being to reduce movement as much as possible for a steadier platform. Long distance would likely have some additional requirements as that is something I do not do.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Today's "accepted" standard is that you breathe normally for a couple of breaths, . . . exhale as you line up the sights for the shot, . . . and during your exhale pause, that most people have no trouble at all holding for 10 seconds, . . . you take the shot.

This is supposed to cause the least movement of the weapon. Personally, . . . I like and use the concept, . . . works for me.

This is supposed to be THE best if you are using a forward bipod on the rifle, . . . and a hand held sandbag under the rear point of the stock. 

May God bless,
Dwight


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Can't tell if you're target shooting with a long gun, but here's how to simulate defensive shooting in a life-threatening situation. You should:

1. Drink 10 cups of coffee and don't go to the restroom all day,
2. Run a mile in 7 minutes just before picking up the firearm,
3. Have people on both sides of you rapid-fire .44 magnums,
4. Remember to breath correctly before you are shot first. LOL.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

sideKahr said:


> Can't tell if you're target shooting with a long gun, but here's how to simulate defensive shooting in a life-threatening situation. You should:
> 
> 1. Drink 10 cups of coffee and don't go to the restroom all day,
> 2. Run a mile in 7 minutes just before picking up the firearm,
> ...


:joyous:

All that plus have a Drill Sergeant stand 3 inches from your face and scream obscenities about you and your mamma to raise your stress and adrenaline levels.:glee:
The ideal (and something I have read being experimented with) would be to inject a stiff dose of adrenaline straight into your veins.

Seriously, when the chips were down I don't personally remember anything about my breathing. For all I know I could have been panting like a marathoner, or holding my breath. Either one.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> I've always taken a normal breath, let half out, then squeeze. jmo.


Not just your opinion, but how I was trained for competition rifle shooting.

That is for competitive shooting at paper. For competitive shooting in reality (winner keeps his life) see RPD's post! :armata_PDT_12:


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

I pull the trigger on the end of my exhale , when I target shoot ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, works for me ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

They trained us in sniper school to shoot in the respiratory pause between breathes. It worked better for me to exhale, take in a half of a breath, pause then squeeze. You had more oxygen to work with and it kept your heart rate slower for a longer period. You can watch your cross hairs move with every beat.


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

To borrow from others: Link: http://www.militarytraining.net/Marksmanship/Marksmanship Breath Control.htm

The object of marksmanship training is to ingrain correct habits to the point that they are automatic when needed in the most stressful of emergency situations. (ie you won't know you did it, but it will be successful) Like most other successful training, it will happen naturally when needed without conscience thought.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

rice paddy daddy said:


> :joyous:
> 
> ...The ideal (and something I have read being experimented with) would be to inject a stiff dose of adrenaline straight into your veins.


I went into Anaphalactic (sp?) shock and the Paramedic, misunderstood the ER docs orders, and hit me with an IV dose of Adrenaline. Mrs S was with me in the ambulance and she will attest, I immediately went rigid on the gurney and was so jacked up I could barely move. When we got to the hospital the ER doc gave the Paramedic a good cussing out and then attended to me.

After it was over, I felt like I had just flexed every muscle in my body until failure. I was sore. I doubt that I could have pulled a trigger let alone concentrate on taking a shot.

Adrenaline injected intramuscular is much slower to react and would be test enough...but IV Adrenaline (depending on the dosage) would not be good!


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## Doc Holliday (Dec 22, 2012)

I like to turn my gun sideways and just pull the trigger as fast as I can while yelling obscenities . I find this method to be the most accurate.. :arrow:


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> I've always taken a normal breath, let half out, then squeeze. jmo.


Same - and while I'm not happy with my accuracy at distance, people around me say "DAAAAAYUM!" So I don't know.

At 100 yards I'm 
6" groups with a lever action 30-30 and irons.
5" groups with a bolt action 22 and scope
9" groups with a 357 magnum revolver 6" barrel and iron sights

Then with the AR-15 and a modest scope, I can get all of the bullets in a magazine in an area as big as a hot tub at a slow rate of fire - soooooo? Maybe I'm just not an AR kind of guy.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

I was taught like most above. In an ideal scenario take a breath..let out about half and take the shot. For up close and nasty bad guy shooting...dont think anybody would be worried about proper breathing techniques.


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## PCH5150 (Jun 15, 2015)

Ill agree with the others. The way I was taught in the Army was take a breath, exhale, and squeeze the trigger during the pause between breaths.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Slippy said:


> I went into Anaphalactic (sp?) shock and the Paramedic, misunderstood the ER docs orders, and hit me with an IV dose of Adrenaline. Mrs S was with me in the ambulance and she will attest, I immediately went rigid on the gurney and was so jacked up I could barely move. When we got to the hospital the ER doc gave the Paramedic a good cussing out and then attended to me.
> 
> After it was over, I felt like I had just flexed every muscle in my body until failure. I was sore. I doubt that I could have pulled a trigger let alone concentrate on taking a shot.
> 
> Adrenaline injected intramuscular is much slower to react and would be test enough...but IV Adrenaline (depending on the dosage) would not be good!


To this day, a sudden loud noise will make me jump.
A sudden bright flash of light sends a jolt of adrenaline straight into my heart. It hurts, too. Even just walking into the kitchen after dark, flip on the light, and it blows out with that bright blue flash? ZAP! Straight into the heart. One of these days my heart will just stop.
The VA calls it Exaggerated Startle Response. 
It's a bitch, too.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Think I have that too. Each time my wife lets out a blood curdling scream over some unimportant calamity..I nearly jump out of my skin..get rapid pulse etc. A little couch lock Indica works pretty good to ease the symptoms..but I am currently out...sniff sniff.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I'm pretty sure one has to breathe while shooting, it that or pass out.
I use the method Denton describes in his previous post while target shooting and plinking at targets that don't shoot back. However I'm pretty sure that would all go out the window when confronted with a life or death situation.


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

It is merely a question of whose decision it is Seneca. Most folks think in reactionary terms. (they are victims) As a hunter ambushing the prey all those other factors are secondary to trained marksmanship skills. Guess it depends on which side of the scope your on?


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Take a normal breath, let out half, hold, front sight focus, trigger squeeze


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Breath in breath out pause and squeeze.

I am amazed that your heart beat can affect the trigger drop. Depending on your blood pressure of course


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

It's not that difficult to understand when your entire target is less than one mildot in height! That's going to take a while to register.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I have that exaggerated startle response. My wife takes a particular medication that causes sitting up in the middle of the night and screaming my name out at the top of her lungs. My response is to yell, curse and generally freak out.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

alterego said:


> Breath in breath out pause and squeeze.
> 
> I am amazed that your heart beat can affect the trigger drop. Depending on your blood pressure of course


I noticed that with the scope. I can hold breath and if I'm in the zone enough, I can watch the reticle bounce lightly with my pulse. Have no idea how to control it and I don't think my guns/scopes are accurate enough for it to matter, but it was interesting to watch and be conscious of.


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