Dave,
I am the last person to give offhand advice since my technique involves closing my eyes at some point.   
The late Bob Zimmerman was a great offhand shot and he attributed his success to being an industrial electrician and having his arms over his head most of his working life. He also said practicing with a flintlock helped.  RIP Bob

Jack

I’m guilty of being long winded will try for a short technique answer. I’ve used three hear’s one.

Offhand Schuetzen, the 100 shot Hudson match holding hard works best. Bullseye target off center laterally cost as much as vertically, pull through not ideal. Best advice is Harry Popes. Quote from memory “ does not take good shots, its the absence of bad shots that make scores”  Harry’s one page offhand lesson is the best ever written.

Years ago i saved 10 targets from one of Charlie Dells matches. Overlaid on a fresh target and made black marks center of each strike. 100 marks told the story. 93 good shots all within 7 moa. Seven out of the group, they took a potential match winning score down to  also ran. If I had put the rifle down and re mounted odds are those seven would have improved to be a potential winner. Don’t pull the trigger on a miss.

Will cover pull through separately 

Boats 

Last competition. Learning to win is the third piece of puzzle.

You need competition to improve. Few offhand shooters won’t push you to improve. East of the Mississippi with two exceptions not many chances to shoot competitive offhand single shots . Conestoga club in Southampton PA gallery winter time the best. Lots of competition very good shooters. ASSRA targets and format  It’s a long drive for me and winter weather often makes it difficult. I envy you guys out west more competition. Silhouette I traveled west flying every year Single shots it’s all driving.

Our Virginia Ram Bash single shots iron sight matches monthly's. 2  CF 2 RF with a Third club starting RF are well attended. Range capacity’s about 32 average attendance 25 plus. Have turned out some very good shooters.Formats one of the reasons  for the turn out. 4 shooting positions each with a single steel ram shoot 10 shots on one move to the next 4 times

Its squaded 6 shooters to a squad. 3 shoot in turn 10 shots. Off shooters man 2 spotting scopes and a spotting board large drawn ram outline on cork. 3 sets of 10 colored pins. Each shot called by the spotters “hit or miss” and marked with a push pin. Red White and Blue. Shooter can get a look at his strike from the board instant feedback makes for faster learning 

Most matches have ties, settled with a shoot off round. Another learning experience, pressure is on to hit the target.
Last and possibly a key success reason. Pins awarded after the match. 1,2,3rd position and 10 in a row. Gives everyone a goal.

Opps forgot the money half total entry fee paid back to the shooters in cash. It’s a turn out draw for sure.

Boats

You stand still and break the shot when the bullet will hit center.

It’s the standard technique used by Olympic style shooters and many Schuetzen shooters. Best explained in “The Russian Book” it was NRA published after some shooter stole a copy from the Russian Team early 50’s or so the story goes. NRA translated and sold copies. Very expensive used today. Well worth owning.

But, my opinion hard hold depends on a lot. Absolutely perfect stance , Natural Point of aim, right clothing, even down to shoes. There are rules on shoes can’t be stiff flat bottomed . Rifle is stocked to fit, adjustable modern, built to fit the shooter Schuetzen rifles. There are some tricks too. Palm rest support perfectly legal, forward elbow indexed on a stiff wide belt, or the real rule pushers, holster on the belt under a sweatshirt to index the elbow. 

I use some parts of hard hold on approach shooting. NPA for sure and wear stiff sole boots. Elbow fits my hip without any tricks. Often see shooters with soft running soles. Bounce and stand still are not related why do that ?

Boats

Boats you forgot, “and total focus!”

That’s a good point it’s easy to slip into drifting thoughts. After all multi tasking is the way we operate most of them time these days .

Dodge I use is focus on a downrange object, tree, bush, something simple, block out everything else . Then shift focus to were I want the bullet to strike. All thoughts and eye focus on hitting the spot.  swing the gun into the target and break the shot within a few seconds. If I can’t get the shot off with total focus go through the routine again, and again. Third try I may have to break the shot or run out of time.

Three times no shot and if the match allows put the rifle down relax breathe deep and go through the routine again. Short timed match like silhouette may have to rush the shot. But routine practiced working swift you can usually make it work.


It’s very much like a technique developed for basketball free throws “quiet eye” total focus on the spot for a brief time no over holding. Look it up on line lots of examples in UTube

One more thing ASSRA with sighter target beside record used to dump,one if I couldn’t settle. Now I think its counter productive to dump.

Boats

Many years ago Jim Feren told me how he got ready for a match. He said you go out there in the desert by yourself, put up a target and get yourself right.

And there you have it!