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...]
Ask the Instructor: Mounts
Mounts In observing the top guns shoot, I noticed most of them mount the gun to the kill point, then wind back to the hold point and call for the target. Why do they use this pre-shot routine, which seems like it draws attention to the gun? This is an interesting observation. Yes, many top shooters mount to the break point during their pre-shot routine, but it is not for the reasons you might imagine. Many students at the novice to intermediate level pre-mount as part of their pre-shot routine in order to visually “check” the alignment of their shooting eye over the rib. … [Read more...]
Ask The Instructor: Reasonable Gun Fit
Reasonable Gun Fit I’d like your opinion on a “reasonable gun fit,” what it is and what it lacks, and whether or not anything more than that is required for most shooters. A shooter’s performance on the sporting clays course depends greatly on gun fit; however, the tolerances are much more forgiving for a beginner trying to break into the 60s versus an experienced shooter trying to break into the 90s. While the dimensions of a shotgun can be quite involved, there are four primary dimensions that we gun fitters evaluate: 1) cast, or “bend,” of the back stock; 2) drop at … [Read more...]
Sights
Sights Recently, I noticed I have a tendency to look at my sights when shooting sporting clays. A friend told me that many shooters have started taking the sights off of their guns. I haven’t heard of this and am hesitant to make alterations on my gun. Your opinion? Perhaps the most important phrase in your question was, “recently I noticed I have a tendency to look at my sights.” Clearly something has happened to make you more barrel conscious than you were before, and the possible causes are numerous. 1) Have you changed shotguns or your setup? If you changed your … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Long Barrels
Long Barrels Last month I bought a sporting clays gun with 32-inch barrels, and as a result, my scores have fallen sharply. I started out with 28-inch barrels then moved up to 30-inch, and now, with the longer barrels, I can’t seem to catch up to the target. I’m 6’5” and 250 pounds so the gun does not seem too big to me, but any tips for improving my scores would help. Answering your question is sort of like trying to conduct a gun fitting by email or Skype. It’s impossible! But allow me to speculate. First of all, I seriously doubt that a two-inch difference in barrel … [Read more...]
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