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Hartmann’s Hint #4: New Shooters

New Shooters

 

Many times after we finish our shooting, we see a group of new shooters that seem to be struggling with the game they’re trying to shoot.

 

You, as a more knowledgeable shooter, might just ask them if they would like some help.

This is not a bad thing to do if it’s done in a helpful and friendly manner. In fact, it shows that it’s a friendly club and that you welcome new shooters. If you approach them in a helpful manner, they may even want to join your club.

When I encounter struggling shooters I’ll ask them if they need help understanding the principles or some hints on how they might shoot a target they happen to be having a hard time hitting.

I’ll always approach them by asking if they’d like a hint on how to hit that target they keep missing. If they don’t that’s fine, but if they do, you may have a new friend and may have recruited a new club member.

There are a lot of new shooters that come to the club. If we as members show them friendliness without being pushy, we may help the sport and the club grow.

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who can help you improve your skills at American Skeet and wingshooting. To contact Barry, email him at threeat8@aol.com or give him a call at (918)803-2393.

 

 

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Hartmann’s Hint #3: Courtesy

Courtesy

 

We never shoot at another shooter’s target, it’s common courtesy. We never take a gun that’s not ours out of the rack unless we first ask the owner if we can—that’s being courteous too. We, as shooters, are usually pretty courteous folk.

 

One of the discourteous things that many of us do is to talk while another shooter near us is shooting. Whether we’re on the field with other shooters or behind the line, we need to be cognizant of those shooting and stay as quiet as we can so as to not, through our talking, cause that shooter to lose their focus and miss.

Usually when I’m shooting, I’m trying to resolve a problem, looking at another way to shoot a specific target, to solidify a method I’ve adopted, or I may be in a competition. In these cases we need to be able to concentrate on what we’re doing at that time and not be listening to someone else.

Sometimes we talk to explain why we missed on a specific shot, and while that’s important to you, the shooter  you’re speaking to probably doesn’t want to know about it (unless they’re your coach) and wishes you’d talk to yourself and not out loud. Usually that other shooter is concentrating on what they’re trying to accomplish, and they don’t need outside influences breaking that concentration.

Remember be as courteous to the other shooter as you wish they would be for you.

Courtesy is contagious.

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who can help you improve your skills at American Skeet and wingshooting. To contact Barry, email him at threeat8@aol.com or give him a call at (918)803-2393.

 

 

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Hartmann’s Hint #1: Henry Ford

Henry Ford

 

Many years ago, Henry Ford was quoted as saying, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

 

I’m pretty sure he wasn’t referring to the shooting sports when he made this statement, but with a little massaging it can, and in my opinion does, fit our sport. When we shoot, are we just having fun shooting with our friends or do we have a goal?

Are we practicing, trying to hit the ’10 ring’ more often, trying to hit low 5 sooner or trying to hit that elusive rabbit? In other words, are we working on that part of our sport that we as individuals need to work on, or are we losing sight of our personal goals and just playing?

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who instructs in American Skeet and wingshooting. To contact Barry, email him at threeat8@aol.com or give him a call at (918)803-2393.

 

 

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Hartmann’s Hint #2: Prevent Rust

Prevent Rust

 

We’ve all heard the phrase that states something like, ‘Guns have only two enemies, politicians and rust.’

 

While politicians are what I consider our greatest challenge, the only thing we can do to remedy this problem is to flush the political bowl as we need to by voting out the worst and voting in the least harmful. Don’t forget to vote every time there’s an election. We need the pro-gun vote to help us keep our rights. The Americans that wrote our constitution gave us that right, and each vote does count.

Rust is also difficult to get rid of unless we stay on top of it constantly. Here in Oklahoma we have a lot of moisture in the air most of the year — snow in the winter, humidity during the summer, and rain almost any time.

I learned a long time ago that surface rust starts in no time at all; you shoot, place your gun in its case, and head for home. By the time you get home it has started, and while you might not see it right away, it’s there. This is the point where you either clean your gun or see the corrosion start etching the metal parts. That’s what corrosion does — it eats metal.

Take those few minutes after you get home to dry, clean, and lubricate every part that needs it. If you aren’t sure if the cleaning and lubricating products you’re using are the best, check with your shooting companions, see what products they like, look at advertisements, look at the products that are sponsors of the major pro-gun organizations such as the NSSA, the NRA, or the ATA, and ask your gun’s manufacturer to suggest some products.

Remember, the process of getting new politicians takes time, but rust can be fought with a little time and the good products that are now available.

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who can help you improve your skills at American Skeet and wingshooting. To contact Barry, email him at threeat8@aol.com or give him a call at (918)803-2393.