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Artillery Hold? Does it Make a Difference?

theGunLocker - Airgun Reviews

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Artillery Hold: Is It Really Necessary for Tight Groups? 🎯

Does the way you hold your air rifle actually make a difference to accuracy? In this video, we put the popular Artillery Hold to the test and ask a bigger question: is the key to shooting tight groups the “correct” hold—or simply being consistent?

I test three different shooting styles:

1. Butt stock held at the shoulder, with the forend resting on a support,
2. Forend resting naturally on an open palm,
3. Forend clamped tightly against a rest.

The results are surprising and may challenge what you've been told about the Artillery Hold and how a spring-powered air rifle should be supported.

Rather than simply looking for the smallest group, we examine how each shooting style affects group size, consistency, point of impact and repeatability. The experiment raises an important question for airgun shooters: Is the perfect hold actually necessary, or is a consistent hold more important?

If you're shooting spring piston air rifles, this test could change the way you approach your shooting technique.

🎯 In this video:

What is the Artillery Hold?
Why is the Artillery Hold recommended for spring air rifles?
Three different shooting positions tested
Open-palm vs supported vs tightly clamped forend
Group size and consistency compared
Why consistency may matter more than you think
The surprising results of the test
Practical lessons you can apply to your own shooting

Chapters:

0:00 Struggling with the Springer Today
1:39 The Debate Over Hold Sensitivity
3:25 Understanding The Artillery Hold
6:02 Testing Different Shooting Methods
11:07 Setting Up For The Comparison
22:01 The Results Of The Clamped Hold
32:20 Reflections On The Day's Performance

Watch to the end to see which shooting style produces the most consistent results—and whether the traditional Artillery Hold really deserves its reputation.

If you enjoy air rifle accuracy tests, shooting technique, airgun testing, springer air rifles and practical accuracy experiments, make sure to subscribe for more.

👍 If you found the test useful, leave a comment: Which hold do you use, and does consistency matter more than achieving the “perfect” hold?

#ArtilleryHold #AirRifle #Airgun #Springer #AirgunAccuracy #ShootingTechnique #AirRifleAccuracy #TargetShooting #AirgunTesting #AccuracyTest

My aim is to create honest reviews based on my experiences of the air rifles and accessories that I've used. They may not be to everyone's liking as I'm not here to simply promote everything I get my hands on. I'm here to tell the truth, plain and simple.

Constructive feedback is always welcome, but profanity or abuse is not and will not be tolerated.

20 Comments

@andydowden8117 1 month ago

About time someone done a video on this at the end of the day it’s up to you period

@DG17722 1 month ago (edited)

Your production and presentation is top class. Great to see you making content again, it’s much appreciated sir 🎯👍

@damienm8416 1 month ago (edited)

I think the only thing that matters is that whatever you rest the stock on be it a hand ,shoulder or bag as long as it can slide its good .

@Sub12Airguns 1 month ago

Good video mate, I can feel the experts crawling out of the woodwork already! 😆🙂

@jongarratt5383 1 month ago

Also not resting your cheak heavily on the rear is a good idea as that can shift aim also

@StuartGray-hw 1 month ago

You’ve inspired me to do some testing,Great video mate keep them coming👍🏼

@shaneweightman 1 month ago

if you don't try experimentation you'll never no ,,,, great video , shaneweightman

@charlesoutdoors2424 1 month ago

I been shooting springers for about 25 years. The number one thing is don't rest or let the gun touch any hard surface when you shoot because most springers will bounce off it. They say the hand because it's a good surface to shoot off of. Most rifle rests can be a bit hard. I took some of the rice out of my shooting bags to soften them up. Next it comes down to what you consider an acceptable group. For me I want 5 shots in basically one hole. If I get under a 1/4 inch group at 25 yards I happy. That's the size of a .25 caliber pellets. Then there's the power level of the airgun and how much it jumps when fired. The artillery is suggested to anyone starting out and can't hold a group because rarely will most people be able to shoot better any other way than shooting with the artillery hold, unless their good enough that steadying the rear of the gun gives a better advantage than using the artillery hold to make sure the gun comes back the same every shot without it moving to one side or the other. Some guns just won't have not part of shooting straight off a bag. I try to shoot all my guns off a rest so I can hold the rear steady. My gun will then tell me if that works or not. If I set my HW95 down on the front rest it will jump up and to the left a little so I have to cup it lightly in my hand so it comes straight back every time. Maybe you get a 1 inch group on the rest vs under 1/2 inch resting on your hand. A heavy sub 12 FPE air rifle should be more forgiving than a 16 FPE or a 30 FPE springer, but even that don't always hold true. Some of my Gamo Magnums which are light weight and around 28 FPE will let me rest them on my soft bag and still get around dime size groups at 25 yards if I do my part. I still say anyone struggling to get groups rest the gun on their hand and test many pellets to start getting groups. Someone shooting the wrong pellets with the wrong hold has no chance. That's when they start saying that their springer isn't accurate. I have a Hatsan 125 Sniper in .22 caliber that took me hours to find the right hold to shoot 1 inch groups at 50 yards years ago. If I'm not grouping the first thing I do is revert back to the artillery and experiment with how I'm gripping the front and and the grip because the artillery hold is your base starting point if your not liking your groups.

@Phil_Mack 12 days ago

Many, many, decades ago, as a teen, I wondered why my lovely new FWB124 had great cut checkering on the pistol grip, but had a smooth & shiny fore-end...they must've known. I did work out a loose shoulder, loose grip, which I thought of as my "floppy hold" (ha, ha) way back in the day, which did work, at least for me.

@georgelev74727 1 month ago (edited)

Great video. It really comes down to which style suits the shooter… I noticed what you just showed us on my HW 80 fac, a firmer hold tightened my groups considerably.
Again thanks for a lovely vid, very calm and steady approach with great info, kinda meditative!

@jessicaandtrains7768 1 month ago (edited)

6:34
Exactly what I do as well and it works great. Very consistent.

I'd recommend trying different pellets. Some pellets just won't shoot accurately in my rifle while others are incredibly consistent.

@shaneweightman 1 month ago

interesting video,,, cheers Shane uk

@GeoffsAirgunning 1 month ago

Welcome to Norfolk, nice honest content, sounds a bit like the what's best.177 or .22

@djsiimz 1 month ago

Everyone has good and bad days shooting great video 👍🎯😅

@djsiimz 1 month ago

Very interesting that 🤔

@damian-leigh 1 month ago

My hw97 was awful when I 1st got it. I couldnt hit the broad side of a barn. I fitted a tbt kit in it and that was an complete game changer. Its now very nearly as accurate as my hw100 was. I did the same with my walther lgu. The whole hold sensitivity issue has gone. I alway have something soft under the front end but it'll shoot just as good pulled tight into my shoulder, resting and artillery style. I took ½ flb out of each rifle down to 11.2

@jongarratt5383 1 month ago

Slight to firm into the shoulder, light grip so recoil goes forward alowiing the spring to do it's thing, if you strangle the rifle the recoil energy from the spring can shift your aim left to right up or down..... Let the spring do it's thing 😊

@canderson1955 1 month ago

So for bench rest shooting my springer (HW95K) I have a bag at the front to rest the gun, on top of that I have some soft ‘shiny’ cloth on there to ensure it can move horizontally very smoothly. At the back I use a lab-jack, again with the same type of cloth. Slides super easily and the gun shoots very well. Off the bench and in the field I tend to use a tripod with a yolk on and use some cloth to help movement, holding the rifle at the rear as lightly as I can. Shoots well but not as good as bench rest. If I can’t use a tripod I tend to try and find a fence and use a gloved hand to use the artillery hold. It is Ok but for me I prefer not to hold by hand when I can do so.

@trashandslash 3 weeks ago

I do a lot of bell target shooting and for us we have to free stand no resting on anything, I shoot springers and PCP. I've tried all sorts.for me with the springer the but just rest in my shoulder and my non trigger hand sits at the balance point with a slight hold not night but enough so it don't jump out of my hand. When I go back onto the PCP I hold that tight like it's a bar of gold or something lol. Everyone will find there own way to shoot springers .

@Bobby-u6e4b 1 month ago

Although a Fleet Air Arm ex Armourer and now 79; I am fairly new to air guns. I have HW99s-77k-35K-Webley MK 3 - FWB127. I,m trembly at the age of 79. I find that the cricketting term of SOFT HANDS helps! Weihrauchs loosen their stock screws! Also...There may be a small gap between the trigger block and the stock! Fill it in with a shim and use blue locktight on dry screws! Gordon Bird Warton Lancs.