Good Gun Mount

 

What’s the best way to perfect my mount?

 

The best way to perfect your mount is to practice to perfection, but first let me share with you my five rules of movement: 1) Keep the weight of the gun in your hands and lead with the front hand, 2) Keep the head still, 3) Move at a comfortable pace, 4) Mount to the cheek, not the shoulder, and 5) Commit to the finish (i.e., commit to your break point and watch the target break). Never forget that a good gun mount starts with a proper stance and ready position.

The following are the most common flaws I see in a shooter’s mount. If the back hand overpowers the front hand, rather than moving in unison with the front hand, it will result in a seesaw-like movement. This barrel wobble can be a visual distraction and draw the eyes off the target and to the muzzle. If you mount to the shoulder and lower the head to the stock, it can sometimes result in the eye coming to rest below the rib, thus causing you to occlude the target.

Moving your head is like shaking a camera as you take a picture. The quality of the visual imagery you are sending to the brain is of lesser quality. Keeping your head relatively still and in sync with the gun and target results in higher quality information going to the brain. The speed of your mount and move should be at a reasonable pace, considering the speed of the target and the window you have to engage it.

Then there is practice. I find one of the best practices for your mount is shooting singles from a low-gun position from station 4 on a skeet field. Use video as a tool to uncover any flaws in your movement. Indoors, I recommend you use dryfire mounting drills with a penlight or other practice tools like the Ultimate Practice Shooting System or RLS-1 Laser unit.