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Hartmann’s Hints #87: Cheek Pressure

Cheek Pressure

Recently I’ve had two solid ‘B’ class Skeet shooters that have ask me to help them bring their scores up to the next level.

Both of these shooters have acquired different shotguns within the last three years and their scores have shown a marked improvement.

However, during the 2020/21 shooting years they both noticed that their improvement had peaked, they were both unable to move up in class.

Both of these shooters had a common problem, they did not have consistent cheek pressure. An important aspect of shooting a shotgun as well as for gun fitting is for the shooter to have consistent cheek pressure.

Both of their shotguns had adjustable combs.

Both of these shooters thought they had their combs adjusted correctly.  When I looked, both of them were in proper alignment with the shotguns rib but they were looking at the back of the shotguns breech.  Their combs were too low.

In order to see the target properly they had to ‘float’ their heads.  One of these shooters  combs had not been changed since he acquired his shotgun.  The other shooters comb had been adjusted close to where it should be but, in an effort to improve his scores, he had lowered it thinking that it was too high.

I adjusted their combs so they could keep their heads down and still see the targets without ‘floating’ their heads.

Both of these gentlemen should have had either a good instructor or a good stock fitter evaluate their gun fit when they first acquired their new shotguns and then not adjusted them further without knowledgeable help.  And, yes, there are times after the original fitting that adjustments may be necessary. You may gain or loose weight or have some physical changes that make adjustments necessary.  Periodic evaluation may be required.

If you’re not putting your head down consistently on the stock, you’ll have a hard time getting consistent scores.

 

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

 

 

 

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Hartmann’s Hints #86: One is Better Than None

One is Better Than None

A while back I shot the Saint Pat’s shoot at the Tulsa Gun Club.  I wish I could tell you that I shot well but ………

I like to watch shooters when I’m not shooting, as I can learn something from almost all of the people I watch.

One of the shooters I watched was a young shooter that normally shoots some good scores.  I watched as him shoot doubles and he ‘dutched’ at least four pairs in the two rounds that I watched his squad shooting.  He would miss the first target and give up on the second.

I tell my students to always try to get both targets but I also tell them that ‘one is better than none’.

We don’t want to miss any, but it does happen. When it happens on the first target of a pair, we have to stay in the gun and execute the second shot correctly, not give up.

 

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

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Hartmann’s Hints #85: Gun Mount

Gun Mount

You can read a lot of articles about gun mount. Gun mount is one of the most important aspects of shotgun shooting. An inconsistent gun mount leads to many misses.

A poor gun mount, as well as poor execution of several other aspects of shotgun shooting, can lower your opportunities to hit the targets.

I have found that many new or less experienced students lose their mount as they follow the target across the field. Their bodies continue to turn with the gun while they’re following the target, but their turn slows down even while their eyes stay with the target. This is where the student uses their arms, and their face-to-comb pressure loosens, sometimes considerably.

A common comment is, “I thought I had that.”

This loss of face-to-comb pressure is frequently seen when right-handed shooters are shooting a left-to-right shot, or left handed shooters are shooting a right to left shot. There appears to be a natural tendency for this to happen, and you as the shooter have to learn to control that tendency and to stay on the gun throughout the shot execution and its follow-through.

Constant face-to-comb pressure is necessary if the shooter wants consistent hits.

“Arming” may be caused by myriad issues, one of which is foot position. Others may be stance and/or gun fit, or maybe hold or look points. Almost all of the causes begin at set-up and are displayed as the shot is executed.

I believe that the relationship of the shotgun and your eyes has to stay constant. I tell students to place their head on the gun and to make sure they have their head down hard (and keep it that way) as they execute the shot and the follow-through, keeping the relationship of their guns and their eyes constant.

If you are having a problem with this or any of a number of other problems, go to an NSSA-NSCA Certified Instructor. They will work with you to help solve your problems.

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.

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Hartmann’s Hints #84: Apprehension

Apprehension

The thesaurus has several words that, for me, define apprehension, among them being worry, concern and anxiety. These pretty much state its meaning as well as being some of its synonyms.

When we are competing, it is natural for us to have confidence in our skill, but along with that confidence, we may also have some level of apprehension.

About 25 years ago, my wife Saundra and I occasionally shot with Brian Holt, a gentleman and a world class skeet shooter. Brian is now deceased, but while he was shooting, he had many four-by-fours and some five-by-fives. You can see his records in the Skeet Records Annual.

At a shoot at the old Miramar Shotgun Shooting Range, we were discussing skeet and the various targets when Brian made a statement that I found profound. He stated that no matter how many 100, 400 or 500 straights he had shot, he was always apprehensive about high 2.

He was not afraid when he shot that target but he was concerned about it because that was the target that he had to work hardest at, to make sure he hit it. If you watch the greats of skeet shooting as they execute their shots, they exhibit little or no concern, but like the rest of us, they may be anxious about one target or another.

Personally, while I’m not a great (or even a good) skeet shooter, I know that I am apprehensive as I call for and shoot the low house on the double at station six,  the target that I have to work at the hardest.

Apprehension is not a bad thing if you can control it, along with your other emotions, and execute your shots as you have practiced them. Practice is the key to minimizing apprehension, as well as increasing your confidence and skill level.

 

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.

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Hartmann’s Hints #81: Patterning Your Shotgun

Patterning your shotgun

I have thought of writing this hint for a couple of years, but because there are so many great articles about patterning written by great shooter/coaches, I’ve waited. Now three of my students have recently purchased used or new shotguns, and all of them want to pattern their shotguns.

Patterning gives the shooter confidence in where their shotgun and any sub-gauge tubes, as well as their shot shells, shoot. I personally like to pattern my shotgun when I’m evaluating new loads just to see if they perform as well or better than my previous loads. I also pattern any new (to me) shotguns.

Many years ago a friend of mine purchased a couple of pallets of 12-gauge ammunition for a really great price. His scores with these new shells dropped him out of AA almost immediately.

At first he thought he was just having a few bad days. After this happened  a third time, I suggested that we pattern his shells. We found big holes in the several patterns that we shot. I loaned him some of my reloads while still at the pattern board, and they worked fine. He then used my reloads at his next shoot, and his scores came back up.  His great deal wasn’t so great after all, and patterning proved it was the shells, not him.

I like to pattern from a steady rest as you might when sighting in a rifle. I believe that shows me where the shotgun shoots the loads or the shotgun I’m evaluating. I also like to use paper so I can take the patterns home to mark and evaluate at my leisure. Paper also allows me to keep a record of past evaluations. I place the paper between 14 and  18 yards for skeet. I use that yardage as that’s about where I try to break most of my skeet targets.

Pattern your new shotguns, sub-gauge tubes, and shotshells to see where they shoot so you’re confident in their points of impact.

If, with your current shotgun, you have a sudden change for the worse as you try a new brand of shells or a new reloading formula, take your new brand or new reloads and some of your old ones to the patterning board and see if there’s a difference in your patterns. It may be your problem is with your ammunition and not just you or your shotgun that’s affecting your scores.

 

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.