|
Celebrity Views Open to Everyone! Archives |
This Article is Brought to You By Avery Outdoors: Tips for Improving Your Wingshooting... by David Rearick
For most hunters, the summer months are left to catch up on items that were left unattended during hunting season, take a family vacation, and prepare for the next year’s grind. While cleaning equipment, re-building spreads, and fixing the boat are all things that are on top of the list; one forgotten piece of the puzzle is the lack of time with your favorite fowling piece. With hunting season just around the corner, now is the time to get out and sharpen your skills after a few months of downtime. Wing shooting well is one of the hardest feats many hunters have trouble over coming. Lead, reaction time, and general form are all part of the game. An easy way to circumvent the first day frustration is to get out and practice not only shooting clays, but your form, gun mounting, and even your thought process before the shot. While you may not have the desire to compete in competitions, the three accomplished competition shooters below will give you some points and inside tips on how to improve your wing shooting on the course or in the field.
Tyson Keller; Avery Outdoors
Forearm Grip Using Pointer Finger A technique that I have found to be very useful is the way that a shooter holds the forearm of the shotgun. With a standard grip, most shooters hold the forearm with their thumb on one side while cradling the forearm of the gun in their palm and wrapping fingers around to the opposite side. Although this is a fairly standard way of holding the shotgun, I personally feel that an alternate grip gives a shooter an advantage. Since your forearm holding hand controls all gun movement, it only makes sense to use your pointer finger as a guide. A grip that utilizes an extended pointer finger to control the shotgun direction can be very beneficial. It is much easier to point at a target and use your finger to direct your shotgun versus the standard grip. Simply place your pointer finger in parallel alignment with your barrel, while you hold the forearm. Each person’s hold will depend on comfort and functionality and may slightly vary. I personally place my extended pointer finger and align it to the top of the forearm parallel to the barrel. This method is also very user friendly in building hand-eye coordination. If you use your pointer finger as the director of your shotgun aim, while watching the target closely, your eye and pointer finger will likely work in unison. As a result, this method will increase hand-eye coordination and put your barrel in the exact location of the target. Forearm Grip Without (Left) and With (Right) Pointer Finger
  ©Tyson Keller, Avery® Outdoors, Inc Correct Form When Shouldering Gun (Note Pointer Finger Placement on Forearm)  ©Tyson Keller, Avery® Outdoors, Inc Keeping Your Head On The Stock – Elevated Elbow One of the root causes of missing targets is due to the shooter lifting his or her head off of the stock. On targets that are flying straight away, angling, or dropping, it is often natural for a shooter to lift his or her head before pulling the trigger. As a result, the shooter will shoot just over the top of the target. To keep your head down on the stock and maintain a proper sight plane, I have found a method that is comfortable and has become a natural habit. When the gun is mounted, I tend to elevate my elbow of the arm that the gun is shouldered to. This will naturally pull your head closer to the stock and keep the gun tight to your cheek. The elevation of my elbow will sometimes vary depending on the way that the target is thrown. For targets that are rapidly descending, I will often raise my elbow slightly higher to keep my head down on the stock with the downward gun movement. For ascending targets, I will be less apt to raise my elbow as it is easier to keep the gun to the cheek with an upward swinging movement. Pay attention to your target and to your misses. Elbow height can be used as a variable to keep your head on the stock and can be easily adjusted for the target movement and for your comfort. Without Elevated Elbow - Incorrect With Elevated Elbow - Correct Stance Relative To Target Flight Path Aligning your stance relative to the target and shot location is very important to consistency and success. A shooter’s stance can often make gun movement much easier depending on how one positions himself or herself. It seems that the key is to position your stance and body where your gun movement is fluid and comfortable. To help decide on how to position yourself as well as your stance, watch the target and decide exactly where you want to break the bird. Since I am right handed, I position my left foot slightly ahead and in front of my right foot with a slight distance between my feet. I will often apply more of my body weight onto my left foot with a slight and comfortable forward lean. I actually use my left foot as a pointer to the exact flight path location of the target where I want to break the bird. Even if the bird is quartering, angling, or going straight away, I know that my body alignment and weight on my feet will keep my gun movement fluid and uniform. Aligning your stance to the location of where you want to break the target will allow a shooter to minimize body movement as well as maintain good form. Proper Stance Before Bird is Released; Can Also Be Applied to Standing Hunting Position Shotgun Placement Before Mounting The Gun Sporting clays shooters often call for birds with a shotgun in the non-mounted position. When the gun is not mounted, a shooter should develop habits of mounting the gun fluidly and comfortably when the bird appears. It seems as though many shooters make mistakes of holding the shotgun too low or with the barrel pointing in an awkward direction relative to the target’s flight path. The key is to position the gun correctly before mounting it. Simply align your shotgun somewhere between the trap house and the point in which you want to break the target. Also, keep your gun aligned in the same direction as the target as well as aligned to the relative height of the target’s flight path. This will help minimize unneeded gun movement so your mount if fast, fluid, and on target. For example, if a shooter is shooting a low and fast left to right crossing target it does not make sense to have your shotgun positioned with the barrel pointed straight up in the air and have yourself positioned directly towards the trap house. By making this mistake, a shooter not only has to bring the gun down to mount it, he also has to catch up to the bird since he has already positioned himself behind it. Improper gun placement will likely result in a miss, as well as, unneeded gun movement. The proper way to break this target would be to keep your shotgun pointed and positioned along the same relative flight path of the target. Position your gun about half way between the trap and the point you want to break the bird. When the target comes out, you will easily be able to mount your gun, follow through, and break the bird in a fluid motion at the desired breaking point. The proper gun placement will keep your gun movement at a minimum and it is likely that you will not have to play target catch up due to shotgun positioning. PICS 1-4 Show The Entire Gun Mounting Process From Before Bird is Released Until the Trigger is Pulled  ©Tyson Keller, Avery® Outdoors, Inc  ©Tyson Keller, Avery® Outdoors, Inc  ©Tyson Keller, Avery® Outdoors, Inc  ©Tyson Keller, Avery® Outdoors, Inc Analyzing Target Flight Path And Best Shot Location Paying attention to the flight path of the target will simply help a shooter break more targets. More times than not, a target will have a slight curve, angle, rise or drop. There will often times be a short window where the target will show more of it s face or bottom side depending on the angle it is thrown. The key is to figure out where the target has the most stable flight path and where the target presents itself the best. Whenever the target has more surface area showing or is on a stable flight path, it is easier to break. It is often not wise to wait on a target to start a rapid descent or try to shoot a target rapidly. Take the time to watch the target and decide where the most opportune target location exists. After you establish the most opportune shooting point, try to break the target in the same exact location every time the target is thrown. Repetition and shooting the target at the best location each time will often minimize guess work. This way, a shooter can utilize the same follow through, timing, and lead to repetitively break more targets.
Game Hogg Erik Nilsson; Avery and Zink Calls Pro-Staff
Applying Sporting Clays To Birds In The Field
When shooting target games, like sporting clays, keep in mind that target presentations were designed to replicate specific hunting scenarios. Targets like a pair of incoming clays can represent a pair of mallards drifting into a block of decoys. A crossing target may simulate a teal flying hard and fast in front of a blind or a quartering away target can relate to a flushed pheasant. Applying what you learn on the target course will pay dividends in the field. The Importance of Set-Up From clays to the field, how we set ourselves up for the shot is equally important. As hunters; we need to give ourselves the best opportunity when incoming birds bomb the decoys. Give yourself a good view of your intended landing hole when you get set-up for the day by cleaning out a shooting port. This will allow you ample time to prepare for the shot and avoid obstructions from hanging up on your gun when you go to mount it. Read The Target One tip I was given by a seasoned target shooter years ago was to learn how to read a target. While clay targets generally take a given flight path, real birds are much different. When a bird approaches, I watch their wings. By watching the wings and learning the different movements they make, a subtle dip left or right can give me a good idea of where the bird is going, affording me the ability to anticipate the shot. Don’t Aim And Swing That Gun Wing shooting is a dynamic activity. Common problems with wing shooting are that shooters aim at a target and pull the trigger or they provide no follow through on their target. Aiming occurs when a shooter has slowed or stopped the gun prior to the shot and the target simply moves away by the time the shot arrives. Follow Through is swinging through your target as you pull the trigger. By completing a good follow through; it allows the shooter a better chance of not stopping the gun prematurely resulting in a miss behind and a broken target or downed bird. It takes time to learn the concept and timing of your swing and lead, but when you do, it will be game on. Gun Fit Having a gun that fits your body structure is very important. Think of the gun as an extension of your body. If you are in the wrong size shoes, it doesn’t feel right to walk, and the same principle can be said for a gun that is too long in the stock. If the stock is too long or too short, your head and eye will not be in proper alignment causing you to make compensations with your head. And then, if the drop of the stock is too little or too much you are battling two factors at once. It is best to seek the services of a trained instructor or gunsmith for proper gun fit. Taking the time to get each gun you intend to shoot fit to your body dimensions is a great step in improving your shooting. Pattern Your Gun Patterning your shotgun allows you to determine a couple of things, point of impact and pattern density. Point of ImpactPattern Density is the amount of pellets acquired in a 30” circle at a given yardage. Different shot sizes and choke constrictions will vary and its best to know what combination of shell, shot size and choke works best for your hunting scenario. What you are looking for is a good even pattern without any voids in it. Trying multiple loads and chokes may sound like a lot of work, but not knowing that your combo has large holes or shoots 6” high can ruin a day or even a season, if not corrected. Regularly Clean Your Gun While many waterfowlers hunt in harsh conditions, the last thing they do is think about their gun at day’s end. Taking a little extra time to make sure everything is in working order will make your days less stressful. Keeping your gun clean and free of dirt and debris will ensure a smooth operating firearm when you need it most. Avoid using lubricants that will gum up actions of autoloaders, especially when it’s cold outside. Also, make sure to keep your choke tube and barrel clean and free of plastic build up from wads. This build up can cause blown patterns and frustration from missed shot.
Josh Noble; Avery Outdoors
Focus One of the most important parts of shooting clay targets or real birds is focus. When shooting, focus on the target at hand before moving onto the next. Never think about the potential for a double or even a triple, worry about shooting the first bird cleanly, before attempting to swing your gun to the next. Not only will this make your first shot more successful, but also you follow up shots, as they will not be “rushed” and the gun will flow fluidly from target to target. Practice Your Weaknesses Shooting incoming or crossing targets from your strong to weak side because they are easy or you are good at it isn’t going to make your weaknesses much better. When you go out to practice for the upcoming season, stress shooting targets that give you trouble like quartering away birds, overhead shots, or weak to strong side crossers. Not only will it improve your bad areas, it will help you with the lay-up shots when you get into the field. Mount Your Gun One of the easiest things to do in the off-season to improve your shooting is practice mounting your gun. Start out by holding the gun just like you would in the field or set-up a layout blind in your living room. Then, take a 3X5 note card, pencil a nickel sized dot in the center of the card, place it on the wall, take your gun and place the muzzle 5-10” away from the card and practice mounting the gun The object is to keep the muzzle/sight in the center of the dot while mounting the gun. This exercise will generate muscle memory and stabilize the muzzle of the gun while mounting the shotgun which will keep the barrel on the line of the target. Perfect Practice The adage of practice makes perfect is true to some extent, however if you’re practicing/training in an unfamiliar way, you’re only gaining a fraction of what you would if you were training in the correct way “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.” If you just don’t know where to start, find a better shooter to learn from or better yet find an accomplished shooting coach. Don’t be afraid to admit your need for help as an accomplished shooting coach can point out obvious technical errors that will make you a better shooter over night. Practice What Is Taught If you take the time to learn from an accomplished shooter, make sure you remember what he or she taught you and practice it. Just because your friends decided to go out the week before the season to shoot a round of skeet like to make fun of the way you are mounting your gun or setting up for the shot, don’t let them discourage you. The only one that will be laughing is you, when that first flock of teal scream through the decoys and you are the only one needing to pick up birds, as they stand there with empty guns. Copyright © 2008 Game Hogg Hunt ClubTM. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the author is prohibited. |
