Ignore the bead and then 'hard focus' on the clay

[AW13]

Been shooting 3 times this week with mixed results. I have read loads and listened to all the advice on here so yesterday I decided to stop trying to focus on the bead and the clay. 

Instead I just tried to make sure my mount was consistant and the bead was lined up and then I ignored the bead and just tried to get a really hard foucs on the clay. RESULT.

My average jumped up to about 80%+ on most of the stands I shot at West Kent. I even managed to get 50% on the horrid fast R/L crosser, never hit that one before.

Hopefully I can repeat the result next time I shoot.

 

[maddmatt]

Try remembering this, you aim a rifle and point a shotgun! Your focus should be on the clay and nothing else, the mount and start of the shot will become second nature the more you practice it, sometimes people find it helps to removed the bead this can help if you find you are looking at the end of the gun.

Good to see you trying things though

 

[AW13]

My son was telling me earlier in the week that I was hitting more clays when I had less time and had to shoot more instinctively; that got me thinking I was overthinking and still trying to aim!

Yesterday I even tried gun down [i mean barrel pointed about 4 feet in front of my feet], and waited until I had seen the clay before I mounted and shot. 

Next I want to find some DTL near me. 

 

[Will Hewland]

Yesterday I even tried gun down [i mean barrel pointed about 4 feet in front of my feet], and waited until I had seen the clay before I mounted and shot.

That really is not the way to shoot gun down. You must not swing the gun barrels up at all. It's all about moving mainly the stock, with the barrels always at the right hold point regardless of gun up or gun down. There will be plenty of you tube videos to show this I am sure.

 

[Skeet UK]

Yesterday I even tried gun down [i mean barrel pointed about 4 feet in front of my feet], and waited until I had seen the clay before I mounted and shot.

Dartford has DTL.

Glad to hear you are trying things.

With gun down; it would be better to do the following.

- Point your body and gun to where you intend to break the target.

- Bring the gun back to your hold point.

- Bring your eyes, to where you will look for the clay.

- So now, the gun is still up. You have rehearsed the shot, everything is where it needs to be.

Now, push the gun forward and down. By forward, I only mean slightly, so you don't get in the habit of resting it against your body, or under your arm.

And by down, I mean about 6 inches or so.

Keep the barrels etc, pointed "up" as they had been at your hold point. Don't point them at the floor.

Now, eyes are looking into the distance, call for the bird. As you see it, your eyes will lock on BEFORE, the barrels appear in your vision.

Eyes locked on, start to move towards your kill point, gun comes UP to your cheek, then BACK to your shoulder.

Lead will almost be correct "by magic", shoot the clay and watch it break.

Repeat.

Point being...If you want to shoot gun down (and you certainly should try), don't just point it at the ground. It might work for some targets, but for others, it will cause you to rush the gun.

 

[Bebo]

They've got DTL at Willow Farm.  Hardly ever seems to be used though.

 

[Jan Powell]

and please don't try shooting gun down at DTL unless you're on your own on the line.

 

[Skeet UK]

[No message]

 

[Bryn12]

Coming from rifle shooting I had real issues with my sight flicking to the barrels immediately before taking the shot which of course interupted the swing. Best advice I had was to really 'stare the clay out', now the barrels are just a kind of indistinct blur in my peripheral vision "bead, what bead?' :.: . Unlike rifle where you want pinpoint precision, shotgun is a sort of put it roughly in the right place and let the pattern/string of the shot do its job kind of thing. Just something you'll have to consciously work on for a wee while until it becomes natural.

Great advice and links above.

 

[AW13]

Thanks for the above. I will look at the videos tonight.

Is the Dartford club the one at Joyce Green Lane? Not been there yet.

 

[Salopian]

Looking HARD at the target may be incorrect advise !

Have a look at Looking Hard at the target on www.shotgunworld.com Sporting Clays, there is a thread on there that runs at the moment to 87 pages and the original poster is desperate to get it to 100 pages. So read what Richard Faulds has to say and ignore the rest (except my posts of course!). 

 

[Skeet UK]

Thanks for the above. I will look at the videos tonight.

Is the Dartford club the one at Joyce Green Lane? Not been there yet.

Yes mate.  They have 5 Skeet layouts, various trap, DTL, covered Compak, nice club house, nice grub, good prices too.

 

[AW13]

I will be there either this Saturday or the following then....depends on other social plans.

Cheers

Andy

Ps.....I would never have gun right down in the company of others. I was shooting alone and trying out various approaches. This shooting malarkey is really getting under my skin. Great fun and very challenging.

 

[ips]

..... And at times very very frustrating.

 

[Bryn12]

Looking HARD at the target may be incorrect advise !

Have a look at Looking Hard at the target on www.shotgunworld.com Sporting Clays, there is a thread on there that runs at the moment to 87 pages and the original poster is desperate to get it to 100 pages. So read what Richard Faulds has to say and ignore the rest (except my posts of course!). 

You have a point I think staring/looking Hard are the wrong words I think 'focus' is more accurate, I also think that within limits different techniques work for different people and I doubt there is one single best method, I reckon driven requires a different technique as you have to blank them out but timing/rhythm is key as to the amount of lead. I find looking slightly beyond and ahead of the where the clay first breaks cover (traphouse/trees) helps me pick up the clay quicker and 'lock onto' it as it is in flight, my subconscious then guages the 'lead' until it feels right and I maintain that picture throughout the sequence of firing the shot. However I have also found that on v.short stuff things happen so quickly I'm unaware of any of the process, and its purely instinctive. But that is just what is working for me at the moment.

good link, got to page 7 before my brain hurt, always read your posts .

 

[Bryn12]

..... And at times very very frustrating.

Skeet, stand 4 and DTL, stand one, wide left ARGGHH!!!

 

[Skeet UK]

Skeet, stand 4 and DTL, stand one, wide left ARGGHH!!!

 

[Aspire]

and please don't try shooting gun down at DTL unless you're on your own on the line.

Why?

 

[Will Hewland]

Why?

I nearly asked that too.. Presumably a bit of extra movement will distract the next shooter from their zen-like state..