I brought up the breathing issue not because I doubt the validity of the method they're teaching at LRSU, but because I learned a different style for different reasons. The heart beat timing is to break the shot at the pause between the end of a beat, and the beginning of the next. That's where the pause of the heart is longest, and you have the most stability. In something like PRS this isn't really practical because you're running and gunning with an elevated heart rate. In high power and smallbore it works quite well.

Precision shooting instruction via Rifles Only, Frank Galli, JP Rifles, and Thunderbeast Arms ignore the heart beat. I suspect other schools are the same. The primary emphasis is the same concept as LRSU's PANTS acronym.

A few years ago I attended a Rifles Only course where the owner (Jacob Bynum) had a scope camera video device hooked up to a couple of rifle scopes. We students could watch on a laptop exactly what was going on in the shooter's scope. It was one of the most valuable bits of instruction I've ever received. Mainly with Jacob behind various rifles, we saw:
- the recoil effects of 308 Win vs. 223 Remy
- the recoil effect of suppressed vs. unsuppressed rifles
- the difference between well controlled recoil vs. poorly controlled recoil
- how the breathing cycle affect POA, if the shooter's shoulder is touching the rifle
- the wobble of a shooter using a sling for support

We discussed the effects of the heartbeat on POA, when using a tight sling. IIRC all students had a sling and we were well aware of the pulse feel in the support arm, while wearing a tight cuff.

Jacob slung up and got into a prone position, while using the scope camera. He did some dry firing and we watched the effects of timing the shot in his "figure 8 wobble" around the POA. While still slung, he then rested the front of the rifle on sand bags to eliminate the wobble from holding the rifle. We now could only see his vertical movement of POA from breathing.

Jacob stated his pulse was now hammering in his arm, at the cuff. He asked if any of us could see that in the reticle movement -- none of us could. Then Jacob held his breath and asked if any of us could see the pulse movement in the reticle. While holding his breath, there was a very faint movement of the reticle -- maybe 1/4 MOA, it was hard to tell. As Jacob held his breath longer and longer, the movement increased. His face started turning red and the muscles in his arm started to bounce. Now we really saw the movement in the reticle. Jacob stated that breathing issues -- specifically holding your breath -- have a whole lot more effect on shooting POA than our pulse.

I completely agree. I ignore pulse, regardless of my heart beat rate, shooting position, and form of rifle support.

The following is Jacob's video for Snipers Hide training. The video was made over a decade ago, before some of the "circus act" shooting positions became so common with PRS-type competitions. But the fundamentals always work. It can be difficult to see Jacob's breathing cycle in some positions, but I can guarantee he's breaking the shots during or very close to the natural respiratory pause.

rifle shooting positions

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by SgtGold:
[D]id they spend any time on timing the trigger pull to your heartbeat?

Interesting that you ask that.
I have read exactly one book by a long range shooter (former military sniper, IIRC) who promoted that idea. After reading it, I made some attempts to follow that guidance, and found it impossible. Even in the prone I’m normally not aware of my heartbeat enough to really know what it’s doing, but when I concentrate on it (rather than on everything else I should be doing) the only way I could time my trigger pull to such short intervals would be to snatch at it—hardly conducive to good control.

Way back in my smallbore shooting days I used a tight sling above my left biceps and could feel and see the small effect of my heartbeat on my hold then, but it has no effect on my shooting now that I can detect.

I am curious, though, what others think/do.

Just like the ranging with the reticle, WAITING to break a shot at the bottom of the breathing cycle or at the end of a heart beat at the bottom of a breathing cycle sounds good in theory. I haven't written any books or have confirmed kills..... I do have a coyote brown backpack with molle and a OD green sling though A constant shallow breathing pattern I believe is a better way to train. Along with solid trigger control/follow through this allows to shoot fast (follow up shot for wind correction), slow, from a unstable position....

1KPerDay, good stuff posting the "PANTS".