More misses than an unmarried womens convention

Had a good day out yesterday. My shooting buddy bought his gun, so we walked around the course trying out different targets. We both shot really well (at our standard).

However, one target eluded me. It was a standard LR crosser, slightly towards, about 30 metres away. I could not hit it for the life of me. I said I’m not leaving until I hit it. 25 cartridges later I gave up! I tried everything (lead and line) but no idea why I was missing. My mate said I should have just chucked the box of cartridges in the bin and he’s not wrong

I though I was doing the right thing, but if that happens again, is it best to just walk away and shoot another day?

If it was coming slightly towards you it might be that you were giving it too much lead as the angle is foreshortened.

I very occasionally get an issue with low, close incoming targets from the right that don't really need lead. I think I'm shooting straight at them but I'm actually missing just behind (having been told by a coach looking over my shoulder). If I dim my left eye and shoot at them they break. I shoot everything both eyes open and I'm properly right eye dominant, but it seems like at some times on some presentations on some occasions something goes a bit screwy with my eyes. Maybe that was the issue for you?

The other thing that I've also started to change more when something isn't working as I expect it to is method. I tend to default to maintained lead a lot of the time on distant stuff. If that isn't working, even with a change in lead, I'll try swing through instead. Often works for me as it helps resolve some of the line issues that maintained might not be picking up.

PeeJay said:

but if that happens again, is it best to just walk away and shoot another day?

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If it's just practice, wait for the next batch of shooters to come through and watch how they approach it. You may even go as far as to ask them how they did it. Most will be happy to explain and the absolute worst that can happen is they tell you go away but you'll still have been able to watch the target being hit, observe where their hold points and hit points were and what method they used.

If you're struggling with a particular target never be afraid to try something drastically different as you've nothing to lose if you miss as you were likely going to miss again anyway. Something about trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

I had a target a little while back which was a quartering away L-R standard which slowed quite quickly toward the end of it's travel before hitting a hedge and becoming a lost target. Squad in front struggled with a only few hits, shooter in front of me missed all four of them. I missed the first three of four having done everything in a way I thought was correct and would have expected to have hit the target easily. Last of the four pairs I brought my hold point back almost to the trap, huge swing through and shot it 10 yards off the arm of the trap and got the hit. I couldn't have done that four times consistently but I had nothing to lose as maintaining what my original plan of attack wasn't getting me anywhere anyway.

PeeJay said:

Had a good day out yesterday. My shooting buddy bought his gun, so we walked around the course trying out different targets. We both shot really well (at our standard).

However, one target eluded me. It was a standard LR crosser, slightly towards, about 30 metres away. I could not hit it for the life of me. I said I’m not leaving until I hit it. 25 cartridges later I gave up! I tried everything (lead and line) but no idea why I was missing. My mate said I should have just chucked the box of cartridges in the bin and he’s not wrong

I though I was doing the right thing, but if that happens again, is it best to just walk away and shoot another day?

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it would probably be easy to miss above a target quartering inward, if you are confident you have the right line it's just a question of getting the lead right.

As has been said by the Great George if you are missing; double the lead, if you are still missing aim at it. Methinks slightly over simplified but you get the drift.

It's very easy to be fooled by the clay - after all it's the job of the course setter to make you read it incorrectly.

I've had a few that have taken a number to get right. The key is to have a plan and the answers above are spot on. More lead, try a different technique and adjust hold & kill points. Treat the misses as a learning curve as you go through those options. You might want to add a check of the trap location & point the clay hits the ground and also assess how much it slows. All those affect the lead but might appear different when you are in the cage. It is not uncommon to look at the trap and blade and find it isn't fitting in with your idea of what the clay is doing. And, MartinJ, does make a good point - perhaps not directly - but don't over think it. If you miss with 5 or 10 then walk away but do go back to it and then with a clear mind. I have had a few where the first was on it but it didn't break and then you are assuming a miss and the next 5 or so are misses whatever.

And do ask. Most will help and be more than missing to talk through what they do - but do remember that's how they shoot.

I would add that concentrating on the leading edge is also helpful to account for dropping or rising clays. For example a dropped L to R focus on the bottom right edge of the clay.

chesterse said:

If it was coming slightly towards you it might be that you were giving it too much lead as the angle is foreshortened.

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It was really strange. It was only slightly towards, about 20 degrees from being a full crosser.

In the end I tried everything. I did the George Digby “if you miss, double the lead, if you miss again, aim at the clay”.

Then I went from just touching the front edge, to extending the lead bit by bit.

Nothing.

Thank you to everyone for your input. I tried to change things on each shot but I’m not sure my idea of keeping at it until I hit it was the best idea.

If it happens again I’ll walk after 1/2 dozen and have a break.

PeeJay said:

Thank you to everyone for your input. I tried to change things on each shot but I’m not sure my idea of keeping at it until I hit it was the best idea.

If it happens again I’ll walk after 1/2 dozen and have a break.

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This happened to me recently during a lesson at Garlands. I had a really good session, but on the last stand I couldn't hit a simple R-L crosser at 20yds. It was at the end of a 2hr lesson and my instructor simply put it down to fatigue.

Yes there's a fast L to R crosser at Hangman's stone which fills me with dread. I expect to miss it so I do.
If it was in a different site I would probably do better.