Parrallel thumb
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Formal Match & Competition shooting
Forum Description: Just as the title says...
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14462
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 2:51pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Parrallel thumb
Posted By: A square 10
Subject: Parrallel thumb
Date Posted: February 27 2026 at 8:07pm
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has anyone tried this ? does it work for you? im going to give it a go https://blog.gritrsports.com/parallel-thumb-placement/?avad=202155_b4a2d12dd" rel="nofollow - https://blog.gritrsports.com/parallel-thumb-placement/?avad=202155_b4a2d12dd
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Replies:
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: February 27 2026 at 8:15pm
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That was an interesting, well thought out and presented video. I'll try that next time I go shooting. Thanks for sharing it here! ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: February 27 2026 at 8:36pm
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your welcome - i can across it on my rimfire site and it sounded a good idea worth trying , |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 3:40am
| Interesting. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 4:10am
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I have experimented with this a bit, it did not work for me. I think it depends on the contour of the butt stock. Anyone who has shot wood stocked full bore military service rifles will quickly learn that you must pull the rifle back into the shoulder. This is taught for a reason which the shooter quickly finds out if he/she doesn’t do it. With the old military type straight stocks, it is difficult to pull the rifle into the shoulder unless your thumb wraps around the stock. It’s not as important with a heavier precision or modern sniper rifle because the additional weight reduces recoil.
When using a sling, I still grasp the rifle fairly firmly (like a firm handshake), but don’t pull back nearly as hard, perhaps not at all. When shooting the Lee Enfield, the tip of my end finger is pressed up against the back of the notch on the bottom of the wrist to apply some backwards pull, but a full grasp of the wrist gives a better grip. He’s right about not dragging your index finger along the stock as you press the trigger. We call that “dragging wood” and does result in groups scattered left to right. With the exception of the fundamentals in shooting, what works for some doesn’t necessarily work for others. I get my best results with a fairly firm grip with the shooting hand. It does not need to be (and should not be) a “death grip”. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 11:35am
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I've always shot with the strong hand NOT grasping the stock wrist. I was taught this way with the Lee-Enfield specifically, with the trigger finger curled back below the bolt knob & the thumb resting atop it. This was with the No4's, because open hand "palming" of the bolt got me a couple of gouges in the ball of the thumb from the rear sight bridge.  A part of my training was to get in position, fully. adjusting for the most comfortable & stable one. Then grasping & releasing the grip as I watched through a scope at max Magnification to see just how much difference it actually made to "Natural Pointing"! ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 1:10pm
| Sounds like the plan. |
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 1:45pm
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No. There's so much more to go wrong with what I call the "Dainty Grip". I've tried it on & off over the years thinking I might be hard headed. No, I wasn't. Drive the gun. Don't let the gun drive you!
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 2:09pm
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Ha, it’s just as I said, what works for some does not work for others! Having said that, I pay an LOT of attention to what the winners of the Sovereigns Prize and Presidents 100 do. I’ve not yet come across any writings that describe a loose grip with the trigger hand, they all say a firm grip. But, I suspect that with heavy rifles supported by bipods or with bench rest rifles, you want to just barely touch the rifle. I’ve seen bench rest shooters only touch the rifle with the thumb and first finger, thumb on back of trigger guard and tip of first finger on the trigger. But this is far from a Service Rifle. Hopefully, we can entice Strangely Brown (Mick) to come along and comment. SR(a) and SR(b) is quite different, the likes of Reynolds and Robin Fulton say that both left and right hands must grasp the rifle firmly for SR(a) which slings are not permitted. That makes sense to me, although I’m primarily a SR(b) shooter where slings are allowed in prone and sitting positions. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: February 28 2026 at 3:50pm
Oh yes the sling is my friend. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: March 01 2026 at 7:55am
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A good web sling is the way to go. You can grasp a web sling better than leather. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: March 01 2026 at 12:04pm
I still like the pat 03 one, or my "Ching" (improved) one. I don't grasp it at all, just loop up. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: March 01 2026 at 2:11pm
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When I first started learning to shoot in position, I used a M1 canvas sling. I had a quick disconnect at the sling swivel attachment on my 10/22, and left the sling looped around my arm between match stages. Was very convenient! But I soon changed to a biothane M1907 sling and not looked back. Have them on all my service rifles. Something to be said for consistency. A properly adjusted sling is an immense aid to accuracy. |
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: March 01 2026 at 4:06pm
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What's the benefit over a web sling? What's a good, no pulse shooting glove?
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: March 01 2026 at 4:36pm
1907 sling is much easier to get into and out of, and will not stretch under load. It’s far easier to adjust for repeatable lengths than the web sling. Web sling is a PITA to adjust when you’re wearing additional layers and when not. I know the notch positions of the 1907 sling to use depending on if I’m wearing additional layers or not under my shooting coat. We get two minutes of prep for the match, last thing you want to do is struggle adjusting that web sling. That’s when I gave up with a web sling. You just don’t see them on the line, well, not from any experienced shooters anyway. I get the Creedmoor shooting gloves. They will last me about a year of shooting, maybe two. |
Irish Blonde wrote:Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: March 02 2026 at 11:23am
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^^^ THIS. I actually have my pat 03's marked on the rough side with ball point. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: March 02 2026 at 1:10pm
| I've seen people shoot like this before but never understood the reasoning behind it. |