Ask the Instructor: Why FITASC?

Why FITASC?

Why should I shoot FITASC?

Well, the first and best reason I can think of is, itâ€™s a blast. It is also, in the opinion of many, the most challenging form of sporting. FITASC is an acronym for the French federation that governs the international form of sporting clays. FITASC typically occupies fewer trap machines and less acreage than sporting clays and is thus more common in Europe, where wide-open spaces are less plentiful.

A single parcour (or course) comprises 25 target presentations shot over three pegs (or positions). A 3-foot-diameter hoop usually marks each peg on the ground, and the shooter must stand within the hoop while engaging the targets. At each of the three pegs on a parcour, there is a menu indicating how the targets will be presented. Typically, the menu at each peg will include four to five single target presentations and two pairs, either report or true. For the single target presentations, the shooter has full use of the gun, meaning that the shooter may load and expend two shells in his attempt to break each target. Each shooter rotates into the shooting position to shoot singles, and when all have shot singles, they will proceed to shoot the pairs.

Other than the above, the primary differences between FITASC and sporting clays is that in FITASC, the shooter must call for the target while in a low-gun ready position. As you can imagine, a shooter with a perfected gun mount has the advantage. The other rule strange to the FITASC newcomer is that the shooter may not move from the time he calls for the target until the target is visible.

The reason sporting clays shooters love our sport is because we enjoy the variety and challenge of the targets we encounter. Assuming that you love sporting clays for the same reasons, you will like FITASC as much or more. So give it a go!

Don Currie is NSCA’s Chief Instructor, an Orvis Wingshooting School instructor, and Master Class competitor. To get free shooting tips and videos, sign up for his monthly newsletter. Â You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.

May 23, 2018July 6, 2020

Ask the Instructor: Drop At Comb

Drop At Comb

I have lowered my adjustable comb as far as possible, and yet I still find myself being slightly high on the gun â€” I see the mid-rib bead with far too much separation to the end-bead. To compensate, I have to push forward more, and while I shoot OK like that, itâ€™s not as natural as I would like it to be. What should I do?

What should you see when properly mounted? You should be â€œno lower than snowman,â€ meaning that you should see the mid-rib bead immediately below the muzzle bead with no space in between.

Many shooters I fit have the misconception that they need to be flat on the rib, with no rib visible at all. This is incorrect and will diminish your visual connection with the target. Some shooters shoot with more â€œfloatâ€ than others and see more of the rib, and thatâ€™s OK. Verifying the point of impact on the patterning board, and particularly on actual targets, is the real test. If your gun shoots where youâ€™re looking, youâ€™re in good shape.

With that said, you should never adjust your mount to make a shotgun fit. If you are, it is time for a gun fitting. Adjusting your mount to compensate for a poorly fitted shotgun can result in the formation of some very nasty habits that can be very hard to break.

If you have verified that youâ€™re shooting high when properly and comfortably mounted to the gun, you have three options given that your comb is already at its lowest adjustment:

1) Sand down the top of your comb until your gun shoots where you are looking, but no further. Be careful not to encroach on the hardware inside your comb.

2) Raise your rib slightly by adding an aftermarket add-on rib. A number of companies will make a custom rib for your shotgun, but you will need to have some idea of the height that is ideal for your fit. I use a piece of balsa wood to achieve the correct height.

3) Get a gun fitting from an expert gun fitter and have a custom stock made for your gun.

April 25, 2018July 6, 2020

Ask the Instructor: Winter Butt Pads

Winter Butt Pads

If you wear heavy clothes or add a spacer to your gunstock to lengthen the LOP, it would seem to change the point of impact, as your face would be lower on the stock. So would sporting clay shotguns be better off using a parallel stock?

The short answer is â€œno.â€ For shooters who initiate the gun mount to the cheek and shoulder after the bird becomes visible (game shooting, FITASC, International skeet), a sloped comb makes for a more successful mount and more consistent cheek/stock connection. Since the process of mounting a shotgun is dynamic rather than static, the shooter can more consistently â€œslide intoâ€ the comb and make a good cheek/comb connection. For the disciplines of American trap and American skeet, premounting is commonplace. In these cases, and among sporting clays shooters who always premount, parallel combs are more appropriate. I donâ€™t recommend a parallel comb for any shooter who mounts the gun to the target, as it tends to result in a less consistent mount and cheek/stock connection.

As for changing the length of pull on a shotgun with a parallel versus a sloped comb: It is true that changing LOP on a shotgun with a parallel comb has no effect on the drop at comb. It is also true that changing the LOP on a shotgun with a sloped comb changes the drop at face (and thus the position of the eye over the rib) assuming no other variables are changed. However, changing the LOP by changing butt pads to compensate for winter clothing will not change the drop at face or position of the eye as long as the amount of LOP increase or decrease matches the thickness of the clothes you are adding to your shoulder.

Parallel combs are not for everyone. Each shooter has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages against their style of shooting, but having two butt pads â€” a shorter one for winter and a thicker one for summer â€” is not a bad idea.

April 18, 2018July 6, 2020

Ask the Instructor: Shooting Vests

Shooting Vests

What should I look for in a shooting vest?

First is fit. Not only must your vest look good, but it also has to provide you with unrestricted movement. Test your vest on crossing targets, overhead/tower targets and targets below your feet. A vest that fits well length-wise will also tend to have the front pockets at the correct height. A roomy vest with a drawstring comes in handy when adding winter clothes as under-layers. This adjustability also comes in handy immediately following overindulgences at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Then there is function. What characteristics do you want in your vest? If you live in the South, as I do, you might want to think about a mesh vest. Mesh panels will allow the vest to breathe as you are working up a sweat. The number and placement of pockets is also a factor. If you carry more than one type of shell when you compete, you might want to think about split pockets: two sections in each of your two front pockets. If you reload, you might want to buy a vest with a back pocket to slip your empties into. I also like a breast pocket where I can store my lens cloth.

Then there is the material and positioning of the gun mount pad. I strongly prefer a leather or imitation leather pad versus a cloth or suede gun mount pad. This helps to avoid getting your gun butt caught on your vest during the mount. If you mount more to the outside of the shoulder, you may want a wider pad than the standard.

Lastly, durability of the vest is important. The gun mount pad as well as the upper areas of the front pockets are high-friction areas and are most likely to wear out first. If you are â€œdimensionally challenged,â€ you might want to consider a custom vest from BEST (Ballistic Equipment & Sports Technology) or Shoot the Moon. Overall, I prefer shooting in a vest over a pouch because it ensures a consistent surface to which to mount your shotgun.

April 10, 2018July 6, 2020

Ask the Instructor: Colored Targets

Colored Targets

Many shooters have trouble picking up certain colored targets against certain backgrounds. Target setters can virtually eliminate this issue by using different target colors. Why is so little attention given to the problem of target visibility and its effect on sporting clays shooters?

While target setters need to understand how to use target colors to maximize visibility, we canâ€™t always blame the target setter. To your point, when targets are set in such a way that a round of clays feels like more of an eye test than a shooting test, itâ€™s time to provide some constructive criticism to the target setter or club manager.

Generally speaking, target setters should use black targets against the sky and colored targets against green foliage or other dark backgrounds. Club managers should have a variety of target types and colors on-hand so the target setter can use his creativity in setting a course for maximum visibility. Additionally, the target setter should provide the shooter with a minimum of a two- to three-second engagement window for each target and, when possible, take into consideration the changing angle of direct sunlight throughout the day.

With that said, the target setterâ€™s job is not an easy one. On overcast days, an orange target can still be difficult to see against foliage. Similarly, if the sun is directly behind the shooter, sunlight reflecting off of a black target in the sky can make a target very difficult to visually acquire. At courses with an abundance of tall trees, the background of a given target may vary throughout its flight path, causing the strobe effect you mentioned. Another factor affecting target visibility is weather: The sky can be blue, gray or a combination of the two. While skilled target setters take all of those factors into account, they often go unrecognized for their effort, skill and creativity. After all, itâ€™s impossible to please 100 percent of the shooters 100 percent of the time. Next time you are at your local club, take the time to thank your valued target setter.