What is the artillery hold?

The artillery hold is a deliberately loose, repeatable hold that lets the gun recoil freely, the way a field artillery piece sits in its carriage.

Rest the forestock on an open, flat palm at the gun's balance point, keep fingers relaxed, hold the pistol grip lightly, and let the gun bounce on the shot. The point is being identical from shot to shot, not being floppy. The name was popularized by Tom Gaylord. Once mastered, group sizes typically shrink dramatically with the same gun and pellet.