Drew, I have at least two advanced degrees in flinching. It was so bad I was a walking shooting hazard. It was so bad that I quit for months only to find my flinch waiting for me when I returned. Tried using middle finger, shooting low gun, shooting a dozen different guns, shooting with a patch over my non shooting eye thinking my flinch had become a visual thing, then learning how to shoot left handed after 35 plus years as a right handed shooter.
Ended up shooting about 40-50k .410 shells left handed, over several years until my left handed shooting was competitive, 94-96 scores most days at Skeet with several 99's and one lucky 100 straight. Even learned how to shoot trap from the 16 yard line with a .410. Not as hard as most think it is. Then went back to shooting right handed over a full year by shooting some rounds left handed and some right handed. It really freaked out my squad, when I would shoot the first round left handed then shoot the next one right handed. Don't do that in registered targets if you do not know your squad mates. It will mess with their minds. Or do it if you want to mess with their minds. But thanks to a lot of .410 I out grew my flinch. It is still there from time to time but now days I can withhold fire and ride the flinch out well enough to break the bird at what are long range shots.
Anyone who has a decent flinch has my sympathy. They are such a bear to get rid of and you never know when they will happen.
