[Zman28302]

I started Trap at a club almost a year ago. I am having trouble with consistency. I have been getting consistently better. I haven't shot a 25 yet but was averaging 20 to a high of 24 3 or 4 times. That was before Christmas. After a short time off I have been getting 17s regularly then out of the blue a 24. I am using a 32 inch Browning 725 Sporter , and a 30 inch Cynergy CX. I have been shooting 2 rounds per gun per time out. So I decided to go with just the 725.
I am just a little upset that I have been getting worse than I ever have . I use challenger 8 in one oz. Factory D'S full , and Carlsons I'M D'S. Gun shoots 70 30 with comb adjusted.
Do all shooters have ups and downs? I am getting a little down about this situation. I have the gun fitted to me and I have been a Hunter for over 50 years. I just took up Trap to hone my shooting skills.

 

[hopper810]

No matter the game EVERYONE has up's and downs,just part of the process of learning. There is no magic tip/choke/shell Clay shooting is life time marathon of learning. If needed get a couple of lessons and up to you to put in time and effort towards being semi consistent.

Also for me and many others I know Clay shooting is a perishable skill meaning a lay off will mess with your timing/focus etc and the newer you are the results show up more.

Just my .02

 

[cwtech]

At our club, many shooters will say their scores go down in the winter months.

Thick / heavy clothing may hinder your swing, alter your gun mount, or alter your gun fit.

For me, the cold weather affects my old bones and I don't move as fluidly as in warmer weather.

 

[rhodesengr]

I am having trouble with consistency.

You and me both my man
I have been shooting Trap regularly for almost 3 years. I have had two 25's. I'd like to say my average is about 21 but it probably isn't really.
I usually shoot Saturday's but we had a like three in a row with rain. I went out two weeks ago after that pause and my first round after 4 weeks off was a 23 but my next two were worse. Last weekend I shot three rounds in the high teens and then shot a 20. It's just the nature of the game. I gave up on trying to be good and try more now to just have fun and enjoy the day. In my trying to be good phase, I bought all the popular gizmos and aides: Garmin Xero, ShotKam, The Wall Chart, some books, and some DVD's. They actually all helped to some degree.

 

[Zman28302]

At our club, many shooters will say their scores go down in the winter months.

Thick / heavy clothing may hinder your swing, alter your gun mount, or alter your gun fit.

For me, the cold weather affects my old bones and I don't move as fluidly as in warmer weather.

Yes I recently bought a NICA winter shooting coat. Keeping me warm but kind of bulky. Has been in the 30sF lately so I need the coat. Being 75 and a Cancer chemo survivor makes me prone to the cold. I can use that as an excuse!.

 

[Zman28302]

You and me both my man
I have been shooting Trap regularly for almost 3 years. I have had two 25's. I'd like to say my average is about 21 but it probably isn't really.
I usually shoot Saturday's but we had a like three in a row with rain. I went out two weeks ago after that pause and my first round after 4 weeks off was a 23 but my next two were worse. Last weekend I shot three rounds in the high teens and then shot a 20. It's just the nature of the game. I gave up on trying to be good and try more now to just have fun and enjoy the day. In my trying to be good phase, I bought all the popular gizmos and aides: Garmin Xero, ShotKam, The Wall Chart, some books, and some DVD's. They actually all helped to some degree.

For me the biggest issue was going from one eyed shooting to both eyes. I have shot 3 or 4 24s. When I get to 20 I start to think too hard and usually miss 21 then round out the next four. Very frustrating. But lately 5 to 10 lost birds.
Very upsetting but our shooting group is having the same issue. We all come off the field shaking our heads.

 

[joe kuhn]

For me the biggest issue was going from one eyed shooting to both eyes. I have shot 3 or 4 24s. When I get to 20 I start to think too hard and usually miss 21 then round out the next four. Very frustrating. But lately 5 to 10 lost birds.
Very upsetting but our shooting group is having the same issue. We all come off the field shaking our heads.

Every bird is #21. Stick with your mental game even if you have to yell it to yourself inside your head. Perhaps prefix your mental game before each target with "Here goes 21...".

 

[gpark09]

I started Trap at a club almost a year ago. I am having trouble with consistency. I have been getting consistently better. I haven't shot a 25 yet but was averaging 20 to a high of 24 3 or 4 times. That was before Christmas. After a short time off I have been getting 17s regularly then out of the blue a 24. I am using a 32 inch Browning 725 Sporter , and a 30 inch Cynergy CX. I have been shooting 2 rounds per gun per time out. So I decided to go with just the 725.
I am just a little upset that I have been getting worse than I ever have . I use challenger 8 in one oz. Factory D'S full , and Carlsons I'M D'S. Gun shoots 70 30 with comb adjusted.
Do all shooters have ups and downs? I am getting a little down about this situation. I have the gun fitted to me and I have been a Hunter for over 50 years. I just took up Trap to hone my shooting skills.

Mind asking you if you have taken any formal lesson from a reputable coach?

 

[toptechX6]

75? You're just over the hill, wait that's how old I am so that can't be it. Just part of the game, happens to everyone, I have no doubt scores will climb back to normal once weather moderates.

 

[Multiflora]

16s?....and are you shooting in a full squad or by yourself?

We all normally stairstep forward with plateaus varying......my guess is you may be rushing and/or trying to be too exact....especially as the counted misses accumulate.

I would shoot more than 50 targets in a squad setting while focusing on picking up the bird and moving smoothly to and thru.
A good coach can shorten any learning curve, if the two of you match well.

Good luck.

And, pick a load and forget it....the load is never the problem.

 

[Spankey]

I’ve been struggling. I’m pretty convinced shooting sporting clays has me way off wack. Head movement and inconsistency of where I’m breaking the target. I’m not struggling to acquire the target feel that I’m maybe riding it. Not shooting as quick as I use to. I’ll pull it together, I should not blame SC’s because it is shooting and all shooting should help your game.

 

[Alangaq]

I suggest a focus back on fundamentals. work on your stance and gun mount at home, over, and over ad nauseum.. make sure your hold points are consistent both laterally over the house, and vertically. maintain your "soft focus" out in the distance until you see the bird. On post 3 put your hold point about 6" right or left of center. Do your daily eye exercises, and positive visual imagery. Lastly, remember to have fun at this!

 

[Zman28302]

Mind asking you if you have taken any formal lesson from a reputable coach?

No not yet.

 

[Zman28302]

Today it was 15 degrees F. With wind at our backs at between 10 to 20 mph. I wear light layers and a NICA winter shooting coat and snow pants. All very bulky. My first round was a 24 AGAIN, then into the club for a coffee. It was a 2 man shoot starting on position 2. I followed that with a 20. It was very cold and we stopped at 2 rounds. My shooting buddy is going through the same issues, and he did get professional training when he first started shooting trap a few months before I started.
Thanks for the replies, I have thought about the problems and basically went back to square 1. I use all of the tips , and feel that things are looking better. I think I had picked up some bad habits over the break. Putting too much pressure, especially with the cold and windy conditions.
Thanks again for the responses.

 

[randyflycaster]

Slow your swing down, especially on the straightaways. (Read up about angular velocity.) The target must travel almost 20 yards before you kill it. The front of your gun barrel, depending on where you hold, moves only 7 to twelve inches.
Randy

 

[Edcnh]

For me the biggest issue was going from one eyed shooting to both eyes. I have shot 3 or 4 24s. When I get to 20 I start to think too hard and usually miss 21 then round out the next four. Very frustrating. But lately 5 to 10 lost birds.
Very upsetting but our shooting group is having the same issue. We all come off the field shaking our heads.

I forced myself to shoot with both eyes open years ago when practicing mounting my rifle quickly to take a shot while deer hunting. I saw an article in Field and Stream magazine about practicing with the same type of 22 rifle ( ex: scoped bolt action)you use hunting. The purpose of the drill was to make you comfortable shooting with both eyes open. I used two eyes open while bird hunting anyway. When I took up trap a little over 2 years ago I started from day one with both eyes open. Once you get comfortable shooting with both eyes open I think you will like the two eyes method. A friend who is in his 80’s and has been a trap shooter most of his life told me that no matter how good you get at trap you will have days where “you are better off throwing rocks at the birds.”

 

[gpark09]

Today it was 15 degrees F. With wind at our backs at between 10 to 20 mph. I wear light layers and a NICA winter shooting coat and snow pants. All very bulky. My first round was a 24 AGAIN, then into the club for a coffee. It was a 2 man shoot starting on position 2. I followed that with a 20. It was very cold and we stopped at 2 rounds. My shooting buddy is going through the same issues, and he did get professional training when he first started shooting trap a few months before I started.
Thanks for the replies, I have thought about the problems and basically went back to square 1. I use all of the tips , and feel that things are looking better. I think I had picked up some bad habits over the break. Putting too much pressure, especially with the cold and windy conditions.
Thanks again for the responses.

It's nice to hear things came back quickly. It's amazing how things will look differently each days.

When things don't play out for me, first thing I do is revisit the fundaments. If still not working, I decide not to get stressed and call the coach for a quick session. There's always one sleeper in my swing that I didn't realize.

Well, happy shooting and break'em all.

 

[randyflycaster]

Since returning to trap shooting after my hip replacement I haven't been shooting well. I think some of this is because my timing is off. I was swinging the gun in my house and probably got into the bad habit of swinging too fast. Also, yesterday I realized that instead of soft focusing right over the trap house, my eyes were on the front bead. As basically a one-eye shooter, I was holding with my bead even with the top edge of the trap house. Then I remembered that Nora Ross holds a little lower. So I lowered my hold point just a little and it made it easier for me to soft focus without seeing the bead.

Finally, I lowered my POI to 70/30. (It seemed a few times I was crushing my straightways when my barrel was well under the target.) Interestingly, when I tested my new POI from the 27-yard line I had solid hits. Does that mean I should lower my POI again to shoot at 16 yards? I do not know.

Randy

 

[joe kuhn]

Every bird is #21. Stick with your mental game even if you have to yell it to yourself inside your head. Perhaps prefix your mental game before each target with "Here goes 21...".

Actually I meant to say all the targets are the same...

 

[Coach Super-X]

I’ve been struggling. I’m pretty convinced shooting sporting clays has me way off wack. Head movement and inconsistency of where I’m breaking the target. I’m not struggling to acquire the target feel that I’m maybe riding it. Not shooting as quick as I use to. I’ll pull it together, I should not blame SC’s because it is shooting and all shooting should help your game.

You and Zman will find happiness when you learn to shoot with both eyes locked so intensively on the clay that you do not notice the barrel at all. "Not at all" means exactly that, not "in my peripheral vision," not "95%/5%," not at all.

Sporting does give you a lot of presentations that permit "riding the bird." You are riding the bird in order to AIM at it. "Aiming" is not lining your beads up on the target, it means consciously noticing where your barrel is relative to the target at all. Don't do it, ever, on any target.

When done right the sensation is that you are just seeing the target and directing the gun "by feel." There is more to it than that, but you do not need to be concerned about it, just learn to shoot "by feel."

Not only is it a hugely fun way to shoot, but you will be much more accurate in the long run. You don't learn to be great shooting "by feel" over-night. However, another huge benefit is that all "eye dominance" issues become completely immaterial, even if you are strongly cross-dominant. I have seen this happen over and over again.

Shooting a shotgun well is not rocket science, but what you do with your eyes is critical. You can do everything else completely right, but if you do not do the right thing with your eyes after you call "pull" you will be doomed to mediocrity.

That is the good news. The bad news is that "aiming" is a habit that is extremely difficult to break. It is impossible for some people. It is the Syren Song you never want to hear, if you can help it.