If you shoot a rifle well...

[injb]

...then I have a question for you. Specifically about rifles with traditional, semi pistol grip stocks: what part of you braces the rifle from moving backwards as you pull the trigger? I mean, when you pull the trigger, do you use the pistol grip like a pistol, i.e. pull the rifle back into you your hand? Or do you pull the entire rifle back into your shoulder with your trigger finger?

I've never been sure exactly what role the thumb should play in this. These things are called "pistol grips" but I have never been able to comfortably grip one like a pistol or an AR-15. I've seen people who don't even wrap their thumb over the back of the "pistol grip", but just keep it on the right hand side of the stock the whole time. What's the best thing to do for accuracy? If it makes any difference, I'm talking about show-fire from a bench for best accuracy.

 

[TheJoker]

In my case, my shoulder takes all of the recoil. I prefer the older style pistol grip, like on the M1 to the AR style. I am one of those folks that doesn't wrap my thumb. So, that I don't affect aim when squeezing the trigger. I don't shoot from the bench much, just prone, seated and off hand.

 

[jayhawk]

My trigger hand does almost nothing for support. Just there to ease the trigger back as consistently as possible. Support comes from the shoulder and forehand (and/or knee, barrier, bipod, etc). For bench shooting I use a front bag or bipod, rear bag, shoulder. The support hand is placed under the rear stock to make slight adjustments and the shoulder takes the recoil.

 

[bwillits]

Glad you mentioned bench shooting and for accuracy. Bipod and or bags, thumb does not wrap, and I don’t worry about recoil and therefore don’t have a tight grip or am pulling the rifle against my shoulder.

If we are talking about running and gunning, thumb wraps, support hand is pulling rifle into body.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

I pull back with the bottom three fingers of my firing hand. That thumb rests along the same side so I don't torque the rifle over to the side by gripping it too strongly. That's with slow fire shooting for an accurate shot. From the bench, prone, seated...

If I have to take a snap shot. I'll often keep the thumb wrapped as I mount the rifle, because getting the shot off quicky is the more important thing in that moment. The only change to this is repeated quick shots with a lever gun... for obvious reasons.

Any weapon with an actual "pistol grip" like an AR, gets the thumb wrapped. It's designed for it, and I've done it that way for decades, so it's become muscle memory.

 

[Sigblitz]

Try this exercise.
Put your empty hand in front of you and act like it's wrapped around a pistol grip. Pull the trigger. Did your thumb move? Did your hand move?

Now put your thumb forward like you're shooting from a traditional stock. Pull the trigger. Did anything but your trigger finger move?

 

[Sigblitz]

I'm not sure what a traditional semi pistol grip is. A picture would help. My exercise was pistol gripped stock vs no pistol grip.

 

[injb]

I'm not sure what a traditional semi pistol grip is. A picture would help. My exercise was pistol gripped stock vs no pistol grip.

The type of stock that most rifles had before AK-47s, AR-15s etc.

E.g.:

Pistol grip - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Sigblitz]

Ok. For right handed shooting, thumb forward on right side of stock. Brace rifle with left hand.