Shooting Vests   What should I look for in a shooting vest?   First is fit. Not only must your vest look good, but it also has to provide you with unrestricted movement. Test your vest on crossing targets, overhead/tower targets and targets below your feet. A vest that fits well length-wise will also tend to have the front pockets at the correct height. A roomy vest with a drawstring comes in handy when adding winter clothes as under-layers. This adjustability also comes in handy immediately following overindulgences at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then there is function. … [Read more...]

Colored Targets   Many shooters have trouble picking up certain colored targets against certain backgrounds. Target setters can virtually eliminate this issue by using different target colors. Why is so little attention given to the problem of target visibility and its effect on sporting clays shooters?   While target setters need to understand how to use target colors to maximize visibility, we can’t always blame the target setter. To your point, when targets are set in such a way that a round of clays feels like more of an eye test than a shooting test, it’s time to provide … [Read more...]

Saving Face   Friends of mine, all novice shots, have invited me to shoot sporting clays for the first time. The last time I had a firearm in my hands was when I was in the army in 1959. I don’t want to look like an idiot. In 30 seconds or less, how do I keep my buddies from beating me?   That’s easy: Focus – Movement – Faith. Most shooters come to the sport assuming that shotgunning is identical to rifle shooting. They assume that our job, as shooters, is to visually and consciously line up the sights of the gun with the target and when everything looks aligned, execute the … [Read more...]