Stock Contact "Where should the buttstock engage the shoulder? Should the heel be below, slightly on, or slightly above the clavicle? And what is the proper amount of cheek-to-stock pressure?" Regarding cheek-to-stock pressure, think about the pressure of a medium handshake: not a death grip but also not a limp handshake. This is the approximate pressure you should feel on all four points of physical contact with your shotgun: the front hand against the shotgun’s forearm, the back hand in the pistol grip area, the cheek against the comb and the shoulder against the butt … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Scorecard Gems
Scorecard Gems "I’ve been shooting in the mid 60s and low 70s. In studying my scorecard, I miss the first or second bird more frequently than the other six. I realize it must be my shot plan, but I’ve been unable to adjust. Can you help?" I strongly urge shooters to take a picture of your scorecard after each and every tournament. After the competition, you can study your scorecard and identify areas of weakness in your game. I discuss this at length in “Revelations of the Scorecard” available at www.doncurrie.com/revelations-of-the-scorecard. Repeatedly missing the … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Finger Pain
Finger Pain "My trigger guard is impacting my middle finger on recoil. What is the cause of this? I have never had this problem before. I’ve been shooting the same shotgun for months and I’ve made no change in ammo. Any suggestions would be appreciated, because it’s beginning to affect my shooting. I’m anticipating the recoil instead of concentrating on the target." There are three possible causes for bruising of the middle finger due to impact from the back of the trigger guard when the gun recoils. First, your trigger-to-grip distance may be too short for the size of your … [Read more...]
Point of Aim
Point of Aim My shotgun shoots to the point of aim. However, this doesn’t build the skill of proper gun mount and the resulting desire of the firearm shooting where I look. What procedure would you suggest for practice that promotes hitting where you are looking, specifically when using a patterning board? First of all, let’s define something. The term “point of aim” is a misnomer but is commonly used in the shotgun world to mean the point at which the shooter is applying visual focus. We don’t aim a shotgun unless we are shooting in a tactical setting or at turkeys. When … [Read more...]
Barrel Angle
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...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 17
- Next Page »
