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