[Chicago Busdriver]

This is the 2nd year I've really gotten into clays and must say it has my wife wondering about an affair. I'm starting to become a little obsessive about it all...LOL! For some reason I'm either dead on or dead off. I'm currently using a Browning O/U Ultra Sporter w/ modified and imp mod chokes, Remington Premier Handicaps 7 1/2 shot. When lining up my shot, I snowman the sight beads, but don't know if I should put the top bead dead on the clay from a left to right shot or just a tad ahead. I'm just trying to look for some consistency and my frustration leads me to lower scores. Looking for some pointers!!! They would be very much appreciated!

 

[hoashooter]

It's really hard to tell what's wrong over the net.There could be anything from raising your head off the stock,flinching,shooting over,under,etc.A good start does not mean a good finishing shot.I would get with a member of the club with some experience and analize your shooting form/procedure/follow thru :wink:

 

[claybuster425]

Chicago Busdriver;
If you're driving your bus down the road in the wintertime and some jerk throws a snowball at you, he must throw ahead of you in order to get a hit. Same thing with shooting a crossing target. Shoot in front of it. How much you ask? It depends on how fast your driving. If your speeding, he needs to throw a quite a bit in front. If your going slow, then he doesn't need to throw so far in front. Fast target needs more lead. Let your instinct take over and try not to be looking at the beads. Keep your eyes on the target and just make sure the gun is out in front of it. You'll never hit it if you are shooting right at it, you'll be shooting behind it. And if you're looking at the beads, you're not going to hit it either. You can't hit it if you're not looking at it. If you're looking at the beads how do you know what you're shooting at or where it is?

 

[TexasTon]

To add to Claybusters analogy, you don't use some fixture on the bus to know it is headed down the street (hood ornament/windshield wiper), you look ahead at your target, the eyes/brain tell the hands what needs to be done to accomplish this task. And for targets, that really isn't an oversimplification, unless the target is perfectly still, you should never consciously see the beads.

 

[JoeCool]

When lining up the clay, if you miss, the reason is that you
have the gun pointed in the wrong place. Try another place.
I heard this piece of advice out on the trap range just about
a three months ago. It seemed to make sense. In fact
everyone standing around agreed with this reasoning.

 

[waverider]

What kind of shooting are you doing? Trap? Skeet? Sporting Clays/5 Stand?

IM/Mod seems rather tight for everything except Trap or a Sporting course that has 30 yard plus targets.

I suggest that you take some lessons. Check out the instructor list, if Tal/IL is not close to you, try http://www.mynsca.com for sporting clays and http://www.mynssa.com for skeet.

 

[GordonWood421]

Driver ,

In my limited opinion , you might go to IC and LM if you have 'em -- if not a bit more open that what you now have in .

Snow-manning the beads is more of a trap "thing " than SCs . What you'd like to achieve is "shooting where you look" . Ignore the beads -- some resort to taking the suckers off 'cause we tend to check the target against the beads and that usually spells "lost" .

Do you know which is your dominant eye ? Are you relying on it ?

If you are trying anything other than a full pre-mount , practice, practice, practice until you can close your eyes , mount the gun , then open your eyes . If your dominant eye isn't looking right down the rib ; get someone to help find what your glitch is . If you are cross-dominant , you may need professional help to get through "that" quickly --- you can get help here -- but it may be more extended .

Right now , don't worry too much about which ammo/load you are using . The old skeet field is a good place to check progress against quartering and crossing targets --- granted the ambienance isn't like SCs presentations , but usually skeet targets are cheaper and for basics , not a bad place to check out fundamentals .

421