Truer words were never spoken about the subconscious. Now matter that some people like to call it intuitive, leading a target with a shotgun is not imprinted on the human brain at birth.

Sera,

the only difference to what I was going suggest was go the Sporting Clays course you know best and can hit easily. Then shoot each pair using all the techniques you know and you will find some targets CANNOT be shot with some methods, some are best with one method, and some it does not matter which method you use

Then do all that again with this change take the target with early, middling and late break points and you will build your library of target strategies in your head, and never have to think again

Roger

Excellent post, Sera.

Well said!

Good subject to talk about. Even the very top shooters work on ways to break targets. A lot of Shooters think they are using one method, and they are not, many times a combination of methods.

I think most of us use a standard way of taking a target 60-70% of the course. But certain stations need a certain method and approach/plan. If you don't, walking away with a lot of misses, you'll think of a method you should have tried/used. I've done that a few times..

Intercept is the only one I use as a true method. Commiting to it has no combination of another. Intercept I've been using more and more, but certain presentations doesn't work well for me.....

Thanks for the info, I was actually meaning to make a post asking how to use a skeet field to practice for SC. I will definitely give this a try! I'm off to shoot right now

I have been shooting sporting for 30 years and I have taken lots of classes. But I learned something in McAlpine class in the eastern panhandle of WV. He wanted to us to prove to ourselves that we could break targets at 110 yards. So try as I might I could not beak a single target using all the methods I had been taught, got discussed and put the gun away. The other fellows were hitting them, and I was just beat. Mike came over to me and said you were beat when I stepped into the station just shoot the bird put the thinking away. I got the gun out and called for the bird and shooting with a down gun I broke 3 in a row. Now I don’t know what to make of that, but I shot like I would a grouse. I have not shot at a grouse that far away. What it taught me was maybe all these lessons and techniques screw you up as well as help you. I don’t know how I hit that target, but as best as I could tell it was move mount shoot with a 20 or so ft of lead. I use mms on close targets, but something that far I didn’t think it possible.

Long targets ease away, longer targets ease away a little more. For me sustained lead causes to much thinking and I start doing dumb stuff.

I have learned and taken away some tips from every class I have taken. Anthony M’s tape is well done and worth the price. Classes are better though.
Bob www.islandcreeksc.com

If the target needs two feet or less of lead I usually shoot swing through. Almost any quartering away birds I shoot swing through. Any quartering or crossing rabbit I mount to the tail and then swing through. Any bird needing more than two feet of lead I shoot pull-away. I only ever shoot MMS anymore when I don't physically have time for the other methods.

After reading all the responses I think I’m in your camp .
Your hold point and mount is super critical, and at times even when I think I’ve used pull away the reality is that I’ve actually started fractionally behind the target and used a type of interrupted swing through