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Ask the Instructor: Bad Follow-Through

Bad Follow-Through

 

I have a good friend who shoots sporting clays with me regularly. He tends to push the gun away from the target at a very fast speed. I have been trying to get him to stop this, but I think it is now a bad habit. Why does he do this?

 

Experience tells me that, at some point during your friend’s shooting career, he had a problem with visual follow-through and has now overcompensated for it. As a shooter softens focus on a target in an attempt to aim, the gun stops or slows down and the shooter misses behind. I’m also speculating that, at some point, someone noticed that your friend was shooting behind and subsequently instructed your friend to “keep swinging the gun!” Your friend tries it. The target breaks. A habit is formed!

Your friend is now convinced that, in order to prevent the gun from stopping, he must add lead by pushing the gun at the end of the stroke. Now he has a different problem. When he encounters a transitioning target, this “technique” fails, as he repeatedly misses high and in front.

When a shooter’s shotgun stops or slows, it is the result of a lack of visual focus on the target, not lack of gun speed. To maintain proper gun speed, the shooter must maintain sharp visual focus on the target through shot execution. Otherwise, the gun will lose its pace with the target. If the eyes stay on the target, so will the gun!

One thing you can suggest to help your friend fix this is the “two-shot drill” on a slow-moving, high-angle target that transitions at the break point at about 30 yards in front of the shooter. If you have an over-and-under, use a cylinder or skeet choke in the first barrel and a modified choke in the second. With the first shot, break the target. With the second, quickly shoot a piece of the broken target. Concentrate on ending the first shot at the planned break point, watching the target break and resisting the temptation to push the gun after the shot.

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.  You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.

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Ask the Instructor: The Right Load

The Right Load

 

What are your thoughts on the best 12-gauge load for sporting clays regarding shot size, weight and speed? Am I handicapping myself if I shoot a lighter payload, like 7/8-ounce shells?

 

My advice is to stick with a shell that works for you. According to the NSCA rule book, for sporting clays, if you are shooting 12-gauge lead shot, you are limited to a maximum of 1 1/8-ounce load. Shot size must be between 7 1/2 and 9. For steel shot, shot size of up to 6 is permitted. When shooting FITASC, the maximum permitted load is 1 ounce (28 grams) and spreader shells are not permitted. For more on ammunition rules, see the 2017 NSCA Rule Book: Section IV-E-4 for sporting clays and Chapter 7 for FITASC.

With that out of the way, the “best load” is a matter of functionality and preference. Many semi-automatics will not operate properly unless you use a shell with enough energy to reliably activate the action. This varies from gun to gun, but I recommend a speed of 1,250 feet per second (fps) or greater when shooting a semi. For an over-and-under, I recommend any shell between 1,200 and 1,300 fps, or lighter if you are recoil sensitive. As for shot size, a larger shot, say 7 1/2, will enable you to better engage rabbits and targets that are edge-on or at longer distances. Smaller shot, such as 8 1/2 or 9, will disperse more quickly after leaving the muzzle and is more effective on closer range targets or belly/face presentations. In terms of load, some believe more is better. Theoretically, I guess that’s true, however, the greater the payload, the more powder you need to achieve the same speed. With more powder and more shot comes more recoil. I personally like a 1-ounce, 7 1/2, 1,260 fps shell. It’s a good compromise and I don’t have to change shells when shooting FITASC. When competing, I also carry a 8 1/2, 1-ounce B&P shell for short-range targets and those with more belly or face..

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.  You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.

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Ask the Instructor: Hold Points

Hold Points

 

Is the recommended hold point for crossing targets of two-thirds back from the break point towards the visual pick-up point equally suitable for both maintained lead and pull-away styles, or is an adjustment needed?

 

The short answer is, it depends. For planning purposes, a hold point that is two-thirds of the way back from the break point toward the trap is a good start for a flat-trajectory crossing target, regardless of your engagement technique. The speed, distance and engagement window of a target and pair may, however, require that you adjust your hold point closer to the breakpoint. Use your outstretched front hand to test your plan and see if a hold point adjustment is necessary.

With that said, and very generally speaking, you will need a bit less “runway” to execute a sustained-lead move on a crossing target, and thus can usually move your hold point closer to the break point. When using pull-away on a crossing target, the two-thirds rule is still applicable; however, you may find that a hold point that is halfway back from the break point is adequate when using sustained lead. With sustained lead, you are inserting to the lead and executing the shot ó whereas with pull-away, you must first insert to the target then separate from the target prior to executing the shot. Shooters tend to ignore a target’s transition point when selecting the break point and engagement technique. Almost all targets will transition, or change speed and direction, at some point along the flight path as the target succumbs to gravity. If the target is transitioning at the chosen break point, it is much more likely that you will occlude the target with the barrel and miss high and in front ó particularly if using pull-away. This is why I advocate that a shooter possess a handful of techniques to draw from and select the technique and hold point that is appropriate for each target.

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.  You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.

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Ask the Instructor: Mental Process

Mental Process

 

I’ve been shooting for two years now and progressing well. When I practice, things go well, but in a registered shoot, I just cannot bring it all together for a good score. The boredom gets to me waiting to shoot. Any advice on the mental game of registered shooting?

 

At a certain point in your technical development, you will reach a point where very few targets are beyond your ability to break. At this point, the mental process you follow while in the stand, and just prior to calling for the target, has a much greater impact on your score.

Some, who don’t really understand how the conscious mind works, will tell you that you need to “clear your mind” prior to calling for a target. The reality is, our conscious mind is never quiet and must occupy itself with something constantly. As your conscious mind tends to wander, it can fall victim to boredom, fear or other emotions during competition and can contribute to inconsistencies in your performance if not controlled.

A number of years ago, at the peak of my competitive activity, I did some independent research on the pre-shot routine of elite athletes outside our sport. What I found was fascinating. There are three elements common to most pre-shot routines of athletes at the elite level: 1) deep breathing, 2) visualization, and 3) a trigger thought or mental cue (like “focus”). So, as you step into the shooting stand, having conducted your pre-shot planning process, you should visualize the pair you are about to attempt. While you visualize, take at least two deep breaths. Lastly, as you move to your ready position and prepare to call for the target, use a trigger word or thought to remind yourself to focus acutely on the target as you execute the shot.

Concentrating on this pre-shot process at each stand, instead of allowing your mind to wander or worrying about your score, will indeed improve your consistency and performance.

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.  You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.

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Ask the Instructor: Heavy Loads

Heavy Loads

 

I’ve noticed that some sporting clays shooters use expensive ammunition with heavier loads like 1-1/8 and 1¼ ounce. Is there a real advantage?

 

The 1¼-ounce load is better saved for duck or turkey season. Most courses and clubs don’t allow them, and in competition, the rules require that 12-gauge shells have no more than 1-1/8 ounces of shot. For choosing between a 1-1/8-ounce and a 1-ounce load, I’ll give you both sides of the argument and then my preference.

Some shooters prefer 1-1/8 ounces of shot because they believe they are more likely to break a target with more lead in the air. A 1-1/8-ounce shell puts 12.5 percent more shot (44 more pellets) in the air than a 1-ounce shell; however, you have to pack more powder (and more recoil) into the 1-1/8-ounce shell to yield the same muzzle velocity as the 1-ounce load. Shooters who prefer automatic shotguns will often shoot 1-1/8 ounce because the additional recoil isn’t a big factor, and the added recoil actually helps engage the action more reliably.

Those who swear by a 1-ounce load usually do so because they can achieve greater speed with less felt recoil and experience slightly better pattern integrity over distance. Personally, I use only 1-ounce loads, for two reasons: 1) Since I shoot FITASC, I have to use a 1-ounce shell anyway and really don’t want to change back and forth between 1-ounce and 1-1/8-ounce loads; and 2) I can have the advantage of a faster shell with less felt recoil.

Keep in mind that felt recoil can vary considerably from one brand of shell to another.

Whatever camp you’re in, pick your shell and stick with it. The fewer variables you have to manage, the more consistent you will be.

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.  You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.