Breath Control for rifle precision shooting

[Qbeam]

I was having a conversation with another rifle shooter about breath control, and the "respiratory pause" moment came up. They used the empty lung (bottom of the breathing cycle) technique, whereas I use the half-breath lung method (full breath in, pause at about halfway).

NRA basic rifle teaches the empty lung method, while other competitive shooting sites teach half-breath method or modification of the empty lung method.

This takes into account a solid shooting position and Natural Point of Aim is established.

Which do you use? I understand the empty lung method and have used it, but I shoot better with the half-breath method.

Q

 

[mauser58]

I have always exhaled and held it when taking a shot. Just always felt most comfortable that way

 

[4g64loser]

I hit other because I need to be able to shoot on "cue/command/etc" sometimes and that almost never happens during a perfect point in the respiratory cycle.

I've pretty much tossed the NRA method as it gives a very narrow window to break the shot before blood oxygen starts to drop and you need to breathe a few times to get ready for the next pause.

Shooting standing and sling (with no time pressure) I will usually be half full or so. If I am fully supported in prone or on a surface that affords me purchase for a bipod and a rear bag I can pretty much shoot at any point in my respiratory cycle. I don't even think about it anymore but I breathe "low" to keep movement as far down my torso as possible. I keep my shoulders and chest as.static as possible given the position. Reticle movement drops enough to hold half MOA or better (with capable rifle and ammunition).

 

[paperwork351]

Russian coach olympic shooting method. Slow your heartrate down too. Amazon or NRA

 

[Doco Overboard]

What I do is settle my breathing into how the top of my front sight post moves. (with a sling, prone single load)
Once I get it to settle down a bit and can manipulate the amount of target black to buff using a six oclock hold, I hold until I break the shot. On a half an inhale, soon as the post rises, and I have center, I squeeze straight back then exhale while maintaining trigger control to call my shot.
During rapid fire, and between a magazine change Ill often blow it becuase I'm undisciplined/not that good a competitor/marksman.
Or its my rifles fault, velocity deviation, brass hasent been polished enough etc, wrong lube, damaged my rifle from cleaning to often, over-gassed headspace etc.

 

[Tungsten]

I've only done Appleseed, but what seemed to help quite a bit was shallow breathing. When I exhale all the way my heart tends to beat very hard and throw off my aim, so what works for me is a very shallow inhale...pause...shoot... then shallow exhale.

 

[BFMIN]

2~3 FULL inhale, exhale cycles. (load the blood with O2)
Las full breath in them "dribble out" till the bull comes back in line, hold & fire.
Exhale fully, breathe normally.