Your Call When teaching youth shooters with the SCTP, we often get some calling so softly that the pullers can't hear them. We have to remind them that the referees—like everyone else—wear ear protection, and they may not get the target when they expect it if their call is too soft. Conversely, we also remind them at times to not call too loudly, but to do so in an audible tone somewhere in between. We've had some shooters call so loudly that the fields adjacent to ours pull for their shooters on our shooter’s call. We need to make sure we give the referees a chance to pull … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Rabbit Targets
Rabbit Targets I'm inconsistent when shooting rabbit targets. Sometimes I break them OK; especially medium speed and closer targets. Other times I can’t seem to hit them at all. I do find that I am consistent when I get a good bounce and can shoot them in the air. I need help. Rabbits are deceptive. Due to this target’s proximity to the ground, the rabbit appears to be moving faster than it really is. Our natural reaction is to generate excess gun speed, resulting in the most common miss on a rabbit: in front. However, most of our squad mates will tell us that we are … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Inconsistency
Inconsistency One thing that drives me crazy on any clays course is the inconsistency of my shooting. I never know how I am going to shoot until I begin shooting. I practice as much as I can afford, but I can’t seem to break the cycle or whatever you would call it. We all have our great days and our not-so-great days. With that said, inconsistency in performance is often tied to inconsistency in process. Misses typically fall into one of three categories: technical misses, planning misses and mental misses. A technical miss occurs when a target is beyond your technical … [Read more...]
Hartmann’s Hint #34: After Buying a New Shotgun
After Buying a New Shotgun There are a lot of articles in print regarding getting a new shotgun. There may also be some about what to do after you have that new shotgun, but here are my thoughts on what you need to do. Many of the new guns these days have a multitude of adjustable components built in — adjustable comb, adjustable rib, adjustable recoil pad. That doesn't mean you should make all the adjustments yourself, and you'll get a better fit with help from a professional. For my 75th birthday, a few years ago, I bought one of these new guns. It has an adjustable comb and … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Flinching
Flinching I’m a C-class shooter and shoot regularly. Periodically, I’ll flinch on a shot and have no idea why. While I can’t detect a pattern, it tends to happen more often on the first target of a pair. Do you know of any research on why we flinch, and do you have any suggestions on ways to eliminate it? There is no mistaking a flinch — that momentary “hiccup” as you are about to pull the trigger of your shotgun. The most commonly held misconception is that a flinch is an anticipation of recoil caused by shooting heavy loads. It has been my experience that this is rarely … [Read more...]
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