Poor Man's Sporting Clays Shooting Tips

    Everyone reaches a stage in their sporting clays shooting where they seemingly “hit a wall” when they are trying to improve their “break the birds” scores.  Everyone seems to have their own pet technique or advice to help the shooters in this improvement process.  Here are some suggestions I have heard discussed:

1.     Buy a better gun that has been fitted specifically to the shooter.

2.     Buy special shot shell loads fashioned to break more targets. Match the shot size and load according to the target presentation.

3.     Buy this choke tube or that choke tube to use according to the target presentation at each station.

4.     Buy specials stocks, back-bored barrels, stock pads, stock extensions with recoil springs, barrel weights for balancing, special glowing barrel sights, refined triggers, or have the gun bent in any desired direction.

5.     Buy shooting glasses with interchangeable colored lenses to meet environmental conditions.

6.     Buy shoulder recoil pads or shoulder slings for consistent gun mounting.

7.     Buy low recoil shot shells for practice.

8.     Hire an instructor to point out the shooter’s weaknesses when all else fails.

    Notice that every item on this list requires that the shooter spend more money to improve their shooting skills.  I admit that we are competitive in nature and we want the best equipment we can afford.  However, what are the majorities of shooters, who are poor, budget-minded people, supposed to do to improve their scores?  I think there are some easy, cheap ways to improve scores.

1.     Use the same gun, the same shot shell load, the same choke tubes, and the same glasses at each shooting session, whether during practice or serious competition. Quit playing with all your guns if you seriously want to improve your scores.  If you have to shoot a smaller load or a smaller gauge gun to withstand the recoil, do it consistently.

2.     Shoot instinctively.  Have you ever seen a bird that is thrown differently than expected be broken to the surprise of the shooter?  The shooter then misses the following targets when he knows exactly where the target is to go?  Many good shooters keep both eyes open and point the gun, not aim it.  Aiming slows following the target.

3.     Decide to swing through a speeding target and pull the trigger after you have a lead on its path whether the target is rising, falling, or going side to side.  Some shooters spend so much time calculating lead that they stop the swing of the gun and shoot behind or over the target.

4.     Remember, I’m a retired teacher.  Take notes on the techniques that work best for you and go over them each time you shoot.  Score improvement will come with repetition and consistency.

5.     Don’t copy other shooter’s techniques and change yours all the time because they are not you.  Sorry, some shooters are just naturally more adept at breaking targets.  Again, develop consistent techniques that you can master with practice.

6.     Learn to concentrate on the path of the thrown targets at each station before you get into the station to shoot.  Did you ever hear someone say: “I just can’t seem to see the targets today”?
 

7.     Develop confidence that you can break the target.  Having a positive mental attitude is an overused term, but it works! Get mad if you miss a target, but get over it quickly and move on.  Post mortems never help you improve as a shooter.  Look forward to shooting at each session don’t be intimidated by other shooters.

8.     These encouraging words keep jumping to my mind: repetition, consistency, and confidence along with practice, practice, practice.   Repress inconsistency, frustration, fear, embarrassment, and an “oh well” attitude.

    I hope just one of these items can help you become a better, happier shooter.  Money cannot and will not create success in a sport that seems so simple to master.  My best memories of shooting sporting clays is beating someone who has spent more money on their gun and other equipment than I have on my truck.  A friend of mine always says “be good, don’t just look good.”

"Do what you can where you are with what you have."

~ Theodore Roosevelt

 

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. "

~ Lou Holtz

 

A Winter Day Sporting Clays Experience

    I have a friend that says riding in a boat across a lake in the summer "just doesn't get any better than this!"  I would like to amend this statement to include shooting sporting clays in the winter.  This past Saturday we shot two rounds at a local sporting clays site and had a great time.  The sun was bright, 4-5 inches of snow was on the ground, and the temperature hovered around twenty-five degrees.  Sure it was not really that cold, but the air was clean, the targets were easier to see, and we weren't sitting around the house bored to tears.  There is nothing like the crisp bang of a good shotgun, the smell of burned gunpowder,  the crunch of snow under your feet, and the companionship of good friends to warm your heart as well as soothe your mind.  Every station was a photograph ready to be taken and remembered for another day.  We as Americans have the unique opportunity to enjoy a sport other countries only dream about.

   Why, you say, would anyone in his right mind want to be outside when the weather is so bad?  I say because we can.  Before I retired, I spent many days at my job looking out the window planning to do things I couldn't while being employed; my bucket list I guess.  Now, I am emptying that bucket with a vengeance.  I have reached an age where I had better enjoy life while I'm capable.

    So, what can a shooter do to prepare for a winter sporting clays event?

• Wear layers of additional clothing, more than you should need. It is much easier to remove some clothing than it is to walk back to your vehicle for more or be uncomfortable the whole round.  A face covering hat/scarf is essential on the particularly cold windy days.
• Wear water-proof, warm footwear and always bring an extra pair of socks and gloves.
• Include disposable hand warmers in your shooting bag along with some coffee or hot chocolate.
• Many shooters say to shoot size 7 1/2 sized shot to more effectively break those cold, heavy birds.
• Make sure your powder is not too cold sensitive to cause annoying "bloops".
• Shoot in groups of 4-5 so you won't have to stand around so long waiting your turn to shoot.
• Bring out a gun you don't shoot that often and experiment, have fun.
• Choose a site that has a warm, refreshment equipped club house to rest between rounds.
• Find a friend that has a golf cart with a windshield to carry all the extra equipment.  Ha!

    Obviously, you will probably not shoot as well as usual because you may have to shoot with gloves on and the additional padding on your shoulder makes it difficult to mount the gun properly and feel comfortable.  However, you are getting out, enjoying God's creation, getting some exercise, (minus the golf cart), and satisfying that innate need to destroy something completely without being judged for doing so.  I have noticed that I shoot a lot better when the warm weather rolls around than I did the previous summer.  We all seek to improve our scores (although some aren't willing to admit it) and the more we shoot the better we will achieve this goal.

    Do you have any ideas of additional preparation items I have omitted in the list above?  Give winter shooting a try if you are the adventuresome type and you can join the list of us who are probably just crazy!

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face."    Victor Hugo