You can't be too safe Safety is something that should always be central in our thinking. It's difficult to think about shotgun shooting without thinking about the things we have to do to make it a safe sport. One safety consideration when you're shooting shotguns is to make sure you only carry shells for the gauge you're shooting. One of the things that older shooters will remember is when 20-gauge shells were red just like the 12-gauge shells were. The reason the manufacturers and the sport changed the 20-gauge shells to yellow was for safety reasons. If, back in the … [Read more...]
Hartmann’s Hints: Damaged Shotguns
Damaged Shotguns I recently had a novice shooter ask me to show him how to load, unload, clean, and shoot his shotgun. He had purchased a Remington Model 11-48 at a local gun show for what he said was a good price. At first glance, it looked like a nice, well-maintained shotgun. I always start new shooters with a discussion regarding safety and make sure they understand safety by asking them questions. We then discuss gun fit, mount and stance. During this discussion, the student mounted his newly acquired shotgun, and I saw why he had gotten such a good deal on it. About … [Read more...]
Hartmann’s Hints: Breathing
Breathing Holding your breath, for even a short period of time, can create periods of tension. One way that I try to reduce tension in myself is by using a proper breathing technique. I know that's something our bodies do for us without thinking, but there are times when doing something intense and physically demanding, such as during the stress of competition, that many of us hold our breath. Proper breathing will help us to elevate our performance. Not breathing correctly can limit our mobility. I have been studying martial arts for a few years. During the classes, our … [Read more...]
Wood to Wood 'Wood to Wood' is a term that a student of mine coined for my instruction to remind himself to keep his head down on the stock before, during, and after the shot is taken. I've seen many skeet shooters lift or "float" their head rather than locking their head down hard on the stock. A lot of this seems to be due to bad stock fit. Many shotguns have adjustable combs that are adjusted too low. When the comb is too low, the shooter may be looking at the back of the breech, and in order to see down the plane of the barrel they have to lift or float their heads. Recently, a … [Read more...]
Hartmann’s Hint #62: Thinking
Thinking I recently went to a 5x50 shoot at the Oklahoma City Gun Club. The club is a great place to shoot with some great people attending the shoot. I was assigned to a squad that was made up of people I know from Kansas. One of them, Mr. Cloyce Spradling, mentioned that I should write a hint about thinking, so here it is. During the shoot, as I raised my shotgun to call for high 2, a fly landed on my hand. I had to lower the gun so I could blow it off, and then I proceeded to call for the target while I was still thinking about that ##$^%&$ fly, so I missed the … [Read more...]
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