What Shooting Method ?

Help Support :

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Salopian

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2011
Messages
5,013
Here is a topic that may cause a useful debate.

What Method or Shooting style do you use as your default ?

Were you taught it , have you learned it since you started?

If you are an instructor or Coach , what is your preferred method?

Does the American mantra of 'Hard Focus' really work or is it shortcutting, Stanbury, Churchill, or Clarry Wilson (CPSA) methods ?

Do you really hit everything you point your gun at by just focussing on the clay??????

Tin Hat on Fix Bayonets , they don't like it up 'em Sir!

.

 
Pull away on crossers, swing through on 1/4 to straight...taught this by Ben H.

 
I generally shoot pull away method, not really sure how I have come to shoot it as I've never had any lessons, but its something that I seemed to have dropped into.  But that doesn't mean that I don't use maintained lead or pull through.  I can sometimes use maintained lead on very fast clays and insert the gun in front of the clay, or very up close clays. I can use pull through on very distant clays as well to get a better line or I end up poking and stopping the gun or miss judging line, but as a rule 90% of the time I use pull away.  But I believe you need to be able to use all 3 methods really.  I haven't mastered all 3 as I'm only a B standard hobby shooter, but I try to understand that sometimes you need to change method if one isn't working on a certain type of target.

I'm also one of these people that has to see lead at every target unless it is very close.  A mate of mine see's no lead when shooting loopers, my Dad see's no lead when shooting rabbits.  I however have to be looking at a space in front of every clay unless its within 15 yards.  I shoot with both eyes open and my main problem is letting my eyes come back to the clay to watch it break instead of keeping my focus out in front, I then obviously miss behind.  You hear people talk that they shoot straight at all clays, it is basic physics that the gun has to be in front of the target when you pull the trigger, its just how you perceive this.

Gun speed has a lot to play in all of this as well.  Some targets need more gun speed and less lead, I alter my gun speed by moving my hold points, sometimes I just don't cotton on what I need to change before I've finished a stand.

 
I use swing through as a staple but I do apparently use other methods but I am not really aware of it at the time, the old man tells me afterwards.

 
I am totally unaware of what "method" I use. I have never had a formal lesson in my life, but have shot an awful lot over the years and learned most of what I know by trial and error.

Most of the time it works for me and sometimes it doesn't. I don't let it worry me into spending huge sums, only to be told "you're behind it mate!" though, as my competition days are well and truly over. I have been everywhere between A and AAA class in English Sporting so sometimes your own hard work and intuition can work for you if you feel there is no need to buy a quick fix towards competence.

My favourite method to watch however, is CPSA Pull away method. Hilarious when your timing is out!  :smile:

As for Stanbury or Churchill method, I find when game shooting you don't always get the chance to adjust your weight to the "correct" foot, so again, style has no part to play in my shooting.

 
I was taught swing-through early days, so did that for a long time. After about a year I needed to start seeing smaller gaps, as I had sped up without realising, which shows the inherent "danger" of this method. Success with it comes from a critical blend of speed and sight picture of gap, which I don't like as you have two things to simultaneously control. The other thing I don't like about swing-through is the way it commits you to line. I see a lot of people missing above targets because a swing-through tends to be a flat movement whereas clays are usually looping, either slightly or a lot. They are usually slowing up too, which swing-through doesn't cope well with either. So, I'm not a fan of swing-through for everything!

I shoot most targets with a hybrid method that makes sense to me.. I bring the muzzle from just behind the clay, briefly stay with the clay, then pull away quite quickly on the line to the gap I need. I will then hold that gap for a moment, so it's now a bit like maintained lead. I will often have a little too much gap and actually slow up just a touch as I fire, so I am finishing on diminishing lead. That sounds a complex mix when I write it down, but people tell me it looks smooth. For me, I am taking care of two things particularly; the visible and repeatable gap, plus the line by pulling off the clay to where it is headed.

I use proper maintained lead on fast away loopers. On fast quartering and similar, I will swing through but when the barrel is ahead of the clay I slow up a touch to control the kill point.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I use all of them including spot shooting clays from behind, the trouble is remembering the correct method when in the stand. 

 
Now ! Do you see how interesting this can be?

Not one of you uses the American method !

Reading Will's post he could make about 5 Sunrise DvD's.

Thank you for the input, keep it coming.

 
Not one of you uses the American method !
What do the Americans know about shooting? Surround it, throw everything you have at it, then go see what it was you were shooting at (because you had no idea beforehand!). To me they lack a certain finesse. No wonder they cover themselves in orange when out in the field!

They only corrupted our methods like they did our language!!   :wink:

P.S. Apologies to Wonko who is an Honourary Brit.  :smile:

 
I am completely self taught and learned most of what I do know from things gleaned off here and other internet sources. I only shoot trap and my method is to look for the target and only move my gun after the target has been clearly seen. I never consciously look back at my gun and only look at the target then pull the trigger for some reason which I actually consciously don't know at the time it just happens. I have to add though I have no idea whatsoever why I hit the target... or don't.  When it works for me it works very well and then there are times when it does not. I would like to have some coaching but down here it is not readily available and what coaching there is, is an enthusiastic amateur not really that well qualified to do the job. Top shots at clubs will only give you so much then it dries up when you start getting within a couple of targets of them even if they do see a very obvious flaw in your setup the are schtum about it.

 
I shoot and teach all the methods, as I feel you can have a base preference but need to be able to use them all on a good round of targets.

my two go to methods are maintained and swing through, but this will largely depend on the presentation.

im not a big follower of the "look at the clay and see the rings" line. I have had this chat with Mr Lyons several times; you can either see something or you can't. There are not various degrees of looking at something. My eyes have been assessed this week and my prescription perfected- can I see rings at 40 yards? Can I f#%k! 

I understand that we do need to look at the bird (not the gun) and for beginners this is an important point worth reinforcing, however I don't believe it is the reason for most misses as some would have you believe.

also, I am 100% aware of lead on pretty much every shot I take, and you will always have a degree of barrel awareness. Try hitting one of Steves 60 yard battues by looking hard at the clay and doing nothing else- let me know how you get on!

 
"im not a big follower of the "look at the clay and see the rings" line. I have had this chat with Mr Lyons several times; you can either see something or you can't. There are not various degrees of looking at something. My eyes have been assessed this week and my prescription perfected- can I see rings at 40 yards? Can I f#%k! "

Funny you should say that I think for most if not all people seeing the rings is impossible at 30m . I look for the target for, and watch the target for a different reason. I find if I don't deliberately hold my gun for a split second while I watch the target I slow my gun and miss behind it. Whereas if I hold for an instant and then move the gun my gun accelerates faster and I shoot with a gun that is moving at a greater speed. Of course my technique could be greatly flawed and this is where a knowledgeable coach would be able to help me. Another thing I hear said by trap shooter is " you want to take your shot just as the clay sits on top of the bead".... oh how I laugh at that one... but again a good coach may be able to teach me how to do that!

 
repeat from last night, :smile:

Posted 16 hours ago · Report post
     17 hours ago, chippy said:
it must have been slow to only see 10 ft. if it was at any speed i would see 25 =30 ft possibly more

     17 hours ago, Hamster said:
It wasn't particularly slow but I generally see less lead as I tend to have a fast swing through, very difficult to articulate something you just can't hit consistently enough. 

this would make a good thread on its own, we all see `lead` differently, just chat to fellow shooters, and watch them shooting, to see many different approaches `as to how`.

some swing thro,(instinctive?)  some are `pull away`, others are sustained lead,, all of which are subject to big differences in style and interpretation.

my personal style is sustained, as much as possible,, with the target dictating which way to shoot it ! (or miss, as the case may be :rolleyes: )

it was a way to shoot shown (taught ) to me years ago by some of the best in the business , but then GD seems to swing, or pull away, 

i think the sustained method to see  a yards or feet in front out at the target is the easiest way to be consistent, and also to convey to some-one who shoots the same, as swing,  etc is difficult to convey

in hammys case,(75 yards), i probably would say 7-10 yards ,depending !   don't think of this as an argument, or which way is right,,, might be interesting to see views on this,,, maybe a new thread,,,?

 
When I first started shooting I was taught all the various methods. Once I took up trap shooting, soon after I first started clay shooting, I was shown a method which simply involves looking at the clay and shooting it. Yes of course there is lead, but I'm not consciously aware of it, nor am I consciously aware of the muzzles. If I see the muzzles I will always miss. I'm not the only trap shooter who uses this method of shooting, if you can call it a method of course, because its just allowing the subconscious instinct and reflexes to take control.

 
Les ,what trap shooters do is swing through mostley,gun speed does all the work and subconscious mind pulls the trigger at the right time IF you let it.In sporting the gap i see is in inches rather than feet because i use a lot of gun speed but sometimes a different method is needed.If all else fails spray and pray something runs into your shot string is the only option i find.

 
ooh I like this can I have a go .....

I have never ever had a lesson totally self taught, no idea what I do I just chuck the gun up shout for a target and shoot the first thing that comes out the trench. No idea about different methods I look for the target and trust my natural ability.

The one thing that 30 yrs has taught me is that start to think or over anylise any part of it and a miss will ensue.

Carry on

 
:cool: ooh I like this can I have a go .....

I have never ever had a lesson totally self taught, no idea what I do I just chuck the gun up shout for a target and shoot the first thing that comes out the trench. No idea about different methods I look for the target and trust my natural ability.

The one thing that 30 yrs has taught me is that start to think or over anylise any part of it and a miss will ensue.

Carry on
Ian, we are now getting very close to a drift towards Renato Lamera!

 
Also this is re sporting, as trap requires no lead as such (just gun speed). As stated earlier a target that takes 15-20ft is a different ballpark

 
I believe I use the swing through and maintained lead, but sum reason I find I hit more calys shooting gun pre mounted on close in fast targets and gun down on long range clays especially in comers! 

 

Latest posts

Back
Top