Shotgun shooting

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

2 years ago I drove down to Rend Lake, IN to take an advanced Sporting Clays Class from Gil and Vicki Ash. I picked up a few pointers, but the biggest one of the day was how to practice your gun mount to ensure that it's smooth and on target. For starters, make sure that there is a snap cap in the gun, and the gun is unloaded. Everybody was told that if you use a 12 ga. shotgun, to take a AA MagLight, put a wrap or so of electrical tape around it so it fits snugly in the choke tube, turn it on and focus it to it's smallest beam. Stand so that you are facing a corner of a room in the house, 10' or so away. With the flashlight on, and the gun held in the pre-mount position, put the light so that it shines in the corner of the room where the ceiling and walls come together. Now keep the light in the corner, and mount the gun (bring it to your shoulder and face).
As soon as the butt of the gun hits your shoulder, pull the trigger. The trick is to do this with the light staying in the corner and not bouncing around. Once you've mastered this, back away from one wall 10' or so, facing the center of the wall. The corner should be 8' or so to your left or right. Pick a break point that's directly in front of you. Put the light in the corner, and as you are mounting the gun, move the light along the seam where the wall meets the ceiling towards your break point. When the butt of the gun hits your shoulder, pull the trigger. Again the trick is to keep the light on the seam as you mount the gun, and time it so the butt of the gun hits your shoulder as the light crosses the break point.

This doesn't have to be done fast, in fact it's easier if you really slow things down - almost to the point that it seems that you're moving in slow motion. Don't forget that you are looking at the corner of the room and the light, not at your gun.

Practice this 50 times per practice session and your muscles will start to develop a memory. Once you have mastered this, your gun mount will become automatic and it will be one less thing that you'll have to think about when you're shooting.

 

[big6x6]

Hey Scott,
That's a REALLY good pointer! I'm going to do that myself!

 

[Anonymous]

2 years ago I drove down to Rend Lake, IN to take an advanced Sporting Clays Class from Gil and Vicki Ash.

Can you say that it has picked up a general number of birds for you?

Is high gun allowed?

 

[Rifleman]

"As soon as the butt of the gun hits your shoulder, pull the trigger"



LOL Oh boy I was wondering how long it would be before Scott started espousing the merits of the english shooting style. But hey it is ok by me, Scott your on your own here though buddy as I think you know way more about this then me. [/quote]

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Randy:

A high gun is allowed in Sporting, but not in FITASC http://www.sportingclays.org.au/rules/fitasc-rules.htm (see 1.05)

But, the technique won't help if you shoot with a pre-mounted gun. I wish that Sporting Clays wouldn't allow it, you don't hunt that way, and Sporting was supposed to mimic hunting situations. Yes, going to the "class" did help me pick up a few birds. At the time, I was in a slump and only shooting in the mid to high 80's.

Dwight: That's one was to keep you from checking the bead! If you get good at mounting the gun consistently, and we fit the gun to you, I'll bet that I could take the sights off of it and you wouldn't shoot any worse.

 

[Anonymous]

I wish that Sporting Clays wouldn't allow it, you don't hunt that way, and Sporting was supposed to mimic hunting situations.

It started out that way, but-- little surprise, it has turned into its own world. It is easy to remember the last time I change a choke tube while wing-shooting; that would be never.

 

[Rifleman]

Probably so Bdot, but like I told you in the boat, I do think the "english style" has a few pitfalls and I am not sure I would want to shoot that way. I also think I would need one of the real pros to teach me, as I think I have a fair handle on shotgunning as it is. When I shoot alot I shoot well. If I lay off, just fair.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Oh how so true! I use whatever style fits that particular presentation, be it English, American (sustained lead, pull away or pull thru). Sometimes it's just stab and pray too! :lol:

But, I still believe that you'd be more consistent if the gun fitted you, rather than you trying to fit to the gun. (which will happen when you shoot a gun that doesn't quite fit you a lot.) Sorta like muscling the rifle on target rather than aligning your body for a natural point of aim.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Randy:

I don't think I've ever changed a choke tube while hunting either, but I know I've switched from under to over for the first shot when hunting.

 

[Rifleman]

Gun fit and shooting style are two different items all together. In shotgunning fit is critical.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Gun fit and shooting style are two different items all together. In shotgunning fit is critical.

So are you saying that bead checking is gun fit or shooting style?

 

[Anonymous]

Gun fit and shooting style are two different items all together.

So is clays work and hunting-- a clay pigeon has to slow down after it is thrown, a game bird does not.

 

[Rifleman]

Bead checking is shooter error regardless of style or gunfit.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

So you agree that it's shooter's error. Now what causes that error? Is it lack of confidence in your gun mount, lack of confidence in your gun fit or something else? Think about it before you reply!

 

[Rifleman]

Not a confidence thing at all. I know you are trying to make a case for fit or style but I don't buy it. Sorry buddy.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Just remember old dogs are never too old to learn a new trick! Bead checking is a problem, and it has to have an underlying cause even if a shooter has done it long enough for it to become a habit. It will cost you birds, and it will be more apparent on the shots where the gun is shouldered for a longer time, and you have a chance to take a long look at the bird. When you look at the bead, your swing naturally slows down, and you lose your hard focus on the bird.

 

[Admin]

I'm not a big shotgun shooter. This is the area I would need the biggest improvement. I use shotguns like a rifle. :?

 

[Rifleman]

So make a case Bluedot, if you can prove beadchecking is a fit issue,then why do folks who have professionally fit guns still do it?
If it is a technique only issue why do english style shooters loose focus on target, in essence a form of bead checking?
Like I said it is shooter error and the underlying cause is lack of concentration ,regardless.
But hey make your case I will listen.

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

So make a case Bluedot, if you can prove beadchecking is a fit issue,then why do folks who have professionally fit guns still do it?
If it is a technique only issue why do english style shooters loose focus on target, in essence a form of bead checking?
Like I said it is shooter error and the underlying cause is lack of concentration ,regardless.
But hey make your case I will listen.

1) It could be a number of things. Just because they had a gun fitted to them, it won't necessiarly be fitted correctly 100% of the time - gaining or losing weight, heavier/lighter clothes, etc. will all contribute or detract from gun fit. Now when we're talking about gun fit, we're talking about checking POI also, right?

2) Losing eye focus on the bird doesn't have to mean bead checking. It could be that they lost concentration on the bird because they lost mental concentration, and weren't 100% mentally focused on the bird as well.

You know that once you've got the gun mount down, and your gun is fitted so that it shoots where you're looking, that 90% of shooting is mental. You can talk yourself out of making a shot just as easily as talking yourself into making a hangin' smokeball. I'll bet that if your gun is fitted to you, I could remove your beads and you'd still shoot the same scores - maybe shoot a little bit better. Remember my experience with Dee Woolem? http://www.fastdraw.org/fd_hist.html

 

[Rifleman]

I think I certainly could, as a matter fact remember what I told you about 16 yd line hip shootin?