Just the Tips: Should You Breathe While Shooting Or Not?
Does a real straight shooter let it out or hold it in?
My favorite argument to read online right now is whether a shooter should breathe while they’re squeezing their trigger, because it generates more hot air than my crew after a giant-ass pot of my old lady’s famous beanie-wienies. Some peeps think you oughta hold your breath, some say you gotta let just a little out before you squeeze the trigger, and some say you gotta let it all out at once and to Hell with the consequences. Is it a decision that’s gonna make or break your reputation as a real slayer? Probably not—but let’s lift a cheek and risk it anyway.
Option 1: Hold it In and Bear the Pain
A lot of newbies will notice that no matter how steadily they hold their piece, their sight picture will bounce around—that’s called the wobble and everybody’s got one—and part of the reason why is that your whole upper body moves a little bit when you breathe. So the first thing that seems natural is to take a deep breath and hold that bad boy in like you’re meeting the Queen of England or something. The problem with this is that it’s as uncomfortable as being stuck in a traffic jam right when your espresso-and-bran-muffin breakfast turns your belly into a mosh pit. The tension gets unbearable pretty quick, and pretty soon it’s all you can think about. Your heart’s pounding, you’re starting to sweat…and that’s no way to hold it steady.
Option 2: Release a Little Squeaker and See How it Goes
Some folks think your best bet is to take a deep breath, let some of it out, hold the rest in, and then squeeze your trigger. The problem is that nobody can agree on just how much to let out: 10 percent, 30 percent, half? Does the percentage just depend on what you had for lunch and who’s standing next to you? If this method works for you, then I got mad respect for you, because every time I try it I start trying to do the math in my head about how much is out and how much is in while I’m letting out my little “tests,” and then I start wondering just how magnets work anyway, and I’m not really focusing on much else. Like my sight picture, my trigger squeeze, or whether anybody’s looking at me accusingly.
Option 3: Let it Out and Bear the Shame
The last option is my favorite, and it’s not just because I have no shame to bear and I like my own brand. Lots of experts strongly recommend taking a deep breath to oxygenate yourself, letting it all out, then starting your shot sequence at what the eggheads call the “respiratory pause.” (Me, I call it “comfort.”) The idea is that you’re relaxed, and your body is going to settle into the same steady configuration every time naturally without you having to spend much brainpower. Naturally, any option that doesn’t mean I gotta think too much is going to work best for me. But even folks who know how magnets work prefer to use their godlike smarts on something else while they’re shooting. That’s why I say: Let ‘er rip!
Just the tips!
“Old School” has it right. Unless you’re only practicing for competition shooting you should be practicing for as real a scenario you might face in a real world “fight”. That would be when you feel a threat of some kind and your life may be in danger. Your body reacts in a FIGHT or FLIGHT mode and that means adrenaline is pumping and so is your heart and your probably breathing fast and shallow. Each person is different so practice what WORKS best for you . The operative word here is “WORKS”. If it doesn’t work, then get proper training and go from there. There is only a few reasons to own a gun. One is for competition shooting, another is for personal protection and for those who just love guns, it could be collecting them for show. JMO
Al
Author.is preoccupied with bodily functions instead of writing a good article.
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I usually hold my breath, it helps in making the last thrust more pleasing.
There is a 4th option which is shallow breathing. If shallow breathing is learned and practiced, then you could breath and shoot. You can practice shallow breathing any where any time, you just have to think about it and practice. No trip to the range is necessary in order to practice shallow breathing.
I think it depends on the type of shooting you are doing! Speed shooting does not allow time to inhale, exhale, release and all the mental concentration such as in this video of Jerry Miculek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHG-ibZaKM
Bob Munden doesn’t seem to waste any time breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5WjkI5FuP0
I practice with an 8″ target stuck in the middle of a B 27 and concentrate on merely hitting the 8″ target. Inhale or exhale, I don’t know I just shoot. In a self defense situation there is no time to concentrate on all the little things like grip, trigger pull, breathing etc which is why I practice shooting accurately and don’t get bogged down in the technical aspects. I don’t advocate ignoring them but practice on the range is time well spent doing the things that work for you.
By experience on Miami University’s AFROTC rifle team in the 1950’s, I found the take-it-in-and-let-a-little-out worked best for me.
Charlie Brown, MU(Ohio)’53
Letting it out and pausing was how I was taught to shoot many, many moons ago when I was a pre/early teen. That was also taught a few years later on the rang in boot camp. I don’t even consciously think about it any more.
I like to take normal breaths, let it all out and shoot before the inhale. There is a natural pause as the lungs empty and another at the end of the inhale, I find that’s when my body is most relaxed. Plus you’ve got two opportunities to shoot, empty or full. I’ve seen people huff and puff, suck in a big gulp of air, let “half” of it out and stop breathing until they shoot. I’ve also taken shots while exhaling slowly. I don’t like to take a shot when inhaling because when the chest rises the body tends to move more. If you try to do too many things at once, like holding your breath and forcing a shot before you need to breath you’ll likely have inconsistent results. Figure out what seems natural to you and go from there.
In a hunting scenario or emergency situation breathing is what ever it is.
breath control when rounds are coming at you? I think not! first thing on your mind is throwing some lead back., quickly. A sniper / hunter / target shooter & chairborne rangers have that kind of time. practice the way you play.