Hey guys I can't wait to hunt. Counting down the days.... But since there is downtime I was wondering what you guys like to do in the off season to stay sharp on the gun. I am a terrible shot and I want to really work at it this year and get better. Any suggestions? I just realized tonight that I never shoulder the gun the same way twice and I don't conciously decide whether to shoot with one eye open or two open so I honestly have no idea how I do that. Any suggestions on practice drills to help with the gunning? I mean outside of the skeet range. I plan on doing that too. I want to knock a few more down this year... Any help would be greatly appreciated
I would suggest a local sporting clays course and a lesson from the pro at that venue. They can lay down some basics for you - dominant eye determination, consistent gun mount and hard focus on the target.
Lessons and practice are fun, so take a hunting partner or two.
Drills are boring as hell but necessary for building in muscle memory. Here is a good drill for mounting the shotgun to you're shoulder, keep the pistol grip at hip level and mount the shotgun to you're shoulder. Start off slowly raising it to you're shoulder and keeping you're head glued to the comb of the butt stock. Pick a spot on the wall and bring the comb to you're face while focusing on that spot on the wall. Over time you're speed will increase and the faster you will become when the muscle memory starts to kick in.
Here is a similar drill, mount the shotgun to you're shoulder with you're eyes closed. Then see if you're master eye is looking directly down the middle of the rib when you open them. If you're master eye is not looking down the center of the rib then there is work to do. The reason for this drill is so that over time you will be able to acquire the target much faster than if you never did it. You will see a big difference in both clay birds and live ones as well.
Always face the shot so you don't get out of position. Keep you're feet several feet apart for a good stance. If you're right handed bend the left knee and lean into the shot, this keeps you're weight a little forward and helps you control the firearm much better.
This will help a lot as you're shotgun won't feel like a forign object, you will become one with it if you practice enough.
Next is to shoot as much as you can afford too. Just beware of one thing, it's better to practice while you feel sharp, if you shoot to much and you don't feel sharp you're scores will go down instead of up! I have seen this so many times over the last four decades with fellas starting out. If you're starting to get tired and you don't feel as hyped up after say 100 rounds then stop for the day. It's far better to get in a very good short practice than an unproductive long one!
Good luck PA.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
PA Crownut---I'm going to go back even further and suggest that you figure out some of the most basic items to start with. A good coach will go over these items but in case you don't have a coach or want to try it on your own, I'd suggest the following if you haven't already done so----
1) First I would make sure you know what is your dominant eye. Trying to shoot right handed with a left dominant eye, or vice versa, creates plenty of issues.
2) Second, make sure your gun at least fits ok. It doesn't have to be perfect but it is helpful to make sure you aren't hitting way off target and are at least within a couple of inches of your target. Most of us can learn to accomodate a gun that is slightly off, high/low, right/left but if you are off by a tremendous amount that will be a bear to overcome. Shoot at a dot with a tight choke at about 13-15 yards. If the gun doesn't hit awful close to that dot, you might have a gun fit problem or even a choke tube alignment issue.
3) Follow Bob's advice and practice your mount. Serious shooters get good by being consistent. By using a pre-mounted gun and learning to stack beads in perfect alignment each and every time, American skeet and trap shooters have found a way that helps them with a consistent gun mount. Unfortunately, becoming too complacent with a pre-mounted gun can create plenty of issues when you go after live birds so learning to mount and fire is a key that takes its own practice.
4) Sounds like you have already been to the skeet field. I think most folks are best to start practicing on a skeet range for general field applications. You get varied target presentations and will fairly quickly see different methods of lead to break the same target. When you have some confidence breaking targets and have spent a fair amount of time doing gun mount drills, try practicing a round of skeet or just a few stations from a gun down position so that you have to mount the gun for each target. It will allow you to tie together your gun mounting drills with how it feels to shoot from that position.
I'd also suggest some time on the trap field. The target presentations aren't as varied but you have the surprise of not knowing exactly where the target will go. It helps you develop your target focus skills and smooth response to a fleeing target. Plus, you get to build up your images of what it should look like to break going away targets. And it is even better if you can practice from a gun down position but that can sometimes be harder to accomplish depending on the culture of the trap field you are at.
5) I also think sporting is a great place to shoot and learn but it may or may not be the right place to start out. Compared to sporting, skeet/trap is usually much cheaper, more available and perfectly repeatable (or somewhat repeatable for trap). I usually hate to start someone new on sporting unless I know exactly how the course is set. Each station is different---you usually only see the same target presented 3-5 times over a 50-100 bird course which makes it hard for your brain to build up a database of sight pictures if those are not already stored away. And depending on the course it could have some "technical" targets that are designed to cause as many lost birds as possible. The target setter at the course I shoot each week hates to see any scores that exceed about 85%. As soon as he gets the feeling that too many of us are in that range, he goes on a target re-setting mission. For those of us that shoot regularly, the variation is great and what keeps us shooting. However, the unfortunate downside of that is it is not uncommon for the average hunter to walk in wanting to practice for season and walk away with a score of 10-15 over a 50 bird course. That leads to frustration, the desire to never return and very little learning.
But if you find the right course, sporting will teach you is how to acquire and focus on the target, how to break targets with various methods of lead, how to move and mount the gun, how to shoot doubles. It can definately be a great tune up for season.
These are 2 course in PA that I have enjoyed and can recommend
It's very easy to check which eye is dominant. Just hold out you're arm and point to an object and hold you're finger on the object and don't move it. Now close you're right eye while still keeping you're finger on the object. If you're finger is way off to the right of the object with you're right eye closed you are right eye dominant. If you close you're left eye while still keeping you're finger pointed at the object you're finger should be pointed right at the object.
Little tips sure make life a lot easier.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Thanks guys for all the advice. Thats why I love this site, ask and you shall receive. I am going to start working on the closed eye drill you suggested Bob that would be easy enough to do at home. With an unloaded all safe gun of course. :) I am definietely right eye dominant I know that. I spent a while last night mounting the gun in an attempt to get more used to it and it is becoming more clear that practice is needed. Odd how I will practice calling and decoy sets for hours but neglect the gun. Thank you for all the advice BBB. I am going to look into the courses you suggested for sure. I think that shooting clays is a good way to go. Thanks for everything and I will keep you guys posted on what is hopefully a shooting transformation. :) Oh yeah gotta check out that Jack Walsh fella
I had two of the neighborhood boys over yesterday. They are both 10 years old and school let out a few days ago for the summer. I keep a BB gun for them to shoot when they come over. The one kid wants to learn to shoot a shotgun so I told him to throw the can in the air and try to hit it with the BB gun. After about an hour he hit it several times and I told him to try and shoot the can (in mid air) in the same spot if he could. Well he started to hit it more & more by this time. I told the young lad he was building muscle memory for instinctive shooting! I told him not to aim at the can in the air, "just point the muzzle at it" and before supper that kid was throwing the can backwards over his shoulder and nailing it before it hit the ground. He shot up 350 BB's during practice and now wants to go kill somthing! You can tell he has it in him!
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Thats really cool Bob. It is good to see kids getting out and shooting. Most of them just want to be glued to the computer now. You will have to take him on a crow hunt with his bb gun. :) Hey JB it is fun to make the wife think your'e crazy.
You just reminded me of an old Irish buddy of mine who has past on,but he had a mouse in the kitchen and his bedroom was right off it,he used to stay up all nite trying to get that mouse till finally he took a shot at him with his .22,he missed the mouse and put a hole in the bottom of the stove! He said the mouse jumped 2 feet of the ground and he never seen him since! The hole is still in the stove!! Laughing my ass off!!
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"LOAD and RELOAD" "NEVER FORGET THOSE THAT TOOK A HIT FOR YOU EVEN WHEN THEY DID'T KNOW YOU" U.S. VETERANS!!
In my younger days while still living at my dads house in Long Island, NY there was this cat (a neighbors cat) that would knock the dickens out of my sisters cat. It would come right inside the house it was so brazen. I finally had enough and went and got my 410 with a 3/4 ounce load of 7 1/2's. The bad cat was on the second floor of the house. I put on my shootin glasses and went on a cat hunt! I ran the cat up the stairs to the attic (wooden stairs, no carpet) and popped him before he got half way up the stair case! My dad came up the stairs like a bolt of lightning from the first floor and said "are you friggin nuts" it took most of the afternoon to calm dear old dad down over that deal. I was in the dog house for a while, but the problem got solved! True story!
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
In my younger days while still living at my dads house in Long Island, NY there was this cat (a neighbors cat) that would knock the dickens out of my sisters cat. It would come right inside the house it was so brazen. I finally had enough and went and got my 410 with a 3/4 ounce load of 7 1/2's. The bad cat was on the second floor of the house. I put on my shootin glasses and went on a cat hunt! I ran the cat up the stairs to the attic (wooden stairs, no carpet) and popped him before he got half way up the stair case! My dad came up the stairs like a bolt of lightning from the first floor and said "are you friggin nuts" it took most of the afternoon to calm dear old dad down over that deal. I was in the dog house for a while, but the problem got solved! True story!
Bob A.
Now that is just hilarious!!!
J.Weber
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Jeremiah Weber Owner of Boondock-Outdoors. Makers of the Boondocker Flocker Crow decoys.
My pop would have been very unhappy with me if I ever pulled a stunt like that. not cuz I shot a cat but cuz of the mess it would have made and the damage to his house! great story Bob
Keep you elbow out perpindicular to your body when you shoot and it will create a natural pocket on you shoulder. That will help you shoulder the gun right.
I like doing the dry-firing practice like Bob A. talked about. My shop has hundreds of screw heads showing all over the walls and ceiling. I pick a screw, shoulder and point the gun, then "CLICK."
I do the same thing with the light fixtures in my house. I will have to try the holding my shoulder out perpendicular. I honestly don't know if I do that or not. I will have to pay attention next time. I didn't get to shoot any skeet this week because I had to work late. oh well. More money for bullets.
I like doing the dry-firing practice like Bob A. talked about. My shop has hundreds of screw heads showing all over the walls and ceiling. I pick a screw, shoulder and point the gun, then "CLICK."
Kev
I do the same thing. To help with a more consistent gun mount, when you mount your gun raise elbow so it is pointing 90 degrees to your body. This raises your shoulder which moves the gun to your face not your face to the gun. My shooting got better when I started this years ago.
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A SUPER 90 and a crow in range, life is good. A good sandwich and bag of M&Ms doesnt hurt either.
A few points and pointers. Be sure to learn to shoot with both eyes open. You can see a lot more of what's going on. Do some live practice off season. When the crows are seen or heard you want to be pretty well ready and not be mounting the gun when they can see you. If one blindsides you, oh well, do what you have to so you get the kill. I'd really recommend that you get some practice shooting while kneeling. Sometimes stand up blinds are not available or do not work out. I've shot sitting down and it's about the last thing I want to do. The balance is not good.You could do some pre-season stuff like scouting blinds and preparing them, getting landowners permission ahead of time, stay clear of other hunters and do not tell them how much fun crowhunting really is, and be aware of what's up out there. Hope you have a lot of success and fun.
Couldn't agree more. I joined a local gun club and am pretty good at trap but can't hit skeet for anything. I just have to figure out lead times which is probably a whole nother can of worms. Any tips on leads? There are a million factors I know.
My style of shooting on close targets is what some folks call "pull through" or "snap shooting"
On a skeet field this works for me as I don't have to lead targets on station 3, 4 , and 5 three feet inorder to hit them. I just get the muzzle of my shotgun swinging faster that the target is moving. As soon as I see daylight in front of the target I slap the trigger! I myself like this method of shooting because you don't have to have all differen't leads to think about, all you have to do is get your timing down and the birds will be history.
On live birds or clay birds I use this method on shots 20 to 25 yards and under. On further shots then one must be a little more deliberate with some forward allowance.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Couldn't agree more. I joined a local gun club and am pretty good at trap but can't hit skeet for anything. I just have to figure out lead times which is probably a whole nother can of worms. Any tips on leads? There are a million factors I know.
Are you shooting a skeet gun/choke PACN? Rather tough if too much choke is used... unless your a crack shot My first attempt at skeet was with a full trap gun. The outcome left much room for improvement
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
Sound wisdom trenchcrow,,,,,,,About the both eyes open thing I have tried closing one eye and cant hit the side of a barn. I musta started keeping both eyes open when I was young. I don't remember being taught that. Both eyes open has been the cause of a many a doubles tho thats for sure
You just reminded me of an old Irish buddy of mine who has past on,but he had a mouse in the kitchen and his bedroom was right off it,he used to stay up all nite trying to get that mouse till finally he took a shot at him with his .22,he missed the mouse and put a hole in the bottom of the stove! He said the mouse jumped 2 feet of the ground and he never seen him since! The hole is still in the stove!! Laughing my ass off!!
Now that there is funny, I don't care who you are !!!
Both eyes open is the way to go. I have been shooting a modified choke through my gun so I may switch to a skeet choke that may help a bit. I like the idea of shooting when kneeling for practice too. I bet that would get some funny looks from the super serious trap guys though lol. Bob, what you describe is what I try (key word being try) to do. lol, I'm just not that good at it. Thanks for the sound advice guys
Any help would be greatly appreciated
I have tried closing one eye and cant hit the side of a barn. I musta started keeping both eyes open when I was young. I don't remember being taught that. Both eyes open has been the cause of a many a doubles tho thats for sure