Barrel Angle Is it generally better to keep the barrel angle on the target line throughout the move from the hold point to the break point, or should it start below the target line at the hold point, then move up toward the target line until just before the break point? Muzzle angle, or barrel angle, is a critical element of the ready position. Inappropriate muzzle angle can cause a shooter to occlude the target with the muzzle (if too high), or generate excessive gun movement if the muzzle is too far removed from the target line. First, let’s differentiate “principles” … [Read more...]
Cheek Bruises
Cheek Bruises I have recently begun to get a bruise on my cheek from the recoil of my new gun. I am a mid-level shooter, and I have a smooth move and mount, but probably once per 25 rounds I will feel myself getting whacked. Can you help me? My guess would be that one of two things is happening (or a combination of the two): 1) Your cheek might not be in contact with the comb of the stock during shot execution, thus the comb might be impacting your cheek as the shot is executed and the recoil causes the gun to jump into your cheek. 2) Your shotgun might not have … [Read more...]
Center Ocular
Center Ocular My wife is “center ocular.” She is a beginner but seems to only hit birds when she closes her left eye (shooting right-handed). How do you compensate for center vision in gun fitting? Or is she better off just learning with one eye? The short answer is, we never want to adjust the fit of a shotgun to compensate for any “bias” in eye dominance. We treat eye dominance and gun fit as two critical but separate issues with distinctly different fixes. When a shooter is center ocular, it means that they do not have a dominant eye and, in some cases, the … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Comb Adjustment
Comb Adjustment Short of having a gun fitter adjust my comb, how can I be sure that my adjustable comb is in the right place and adjusted properly? Most senior instructors would be more than glad to take a quick look at your shotgun and help you adjust it without charge, but here are a few tips for the do-it-yourselfer. Find a mirror inside your home or in the clubhouse and stand in front of it, facing the mirror, with the muzzle of your unloaded shotgun about six inches away from the mirror when you are fully mounted to the shotgun. Use a whiteboard marker to place a … [Read more...]
Downhill Targets
Downhill Targets I’m having trouble hitting targets that are going downhill, below the level of the shooting station (or most any target below the level of the shooting station). What is the best way to hit these targets? There are usually two issues associated with a shooter’s move when missing a target that is below waist level and going downhill or plunging. First of all, the natural swing of a shooter in a properly balanced, erect shooting stance is 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock or 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock at the elevation of the shooter’s shoulders. When a target is below your … [Read more...]
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