Gun mount

[El Spavo]

Think there's a specific name for that technique from what I'm reading.

Interesting you say you drop your face Will; keep getting told by so many gun shops and shooters, etc. that you keep your face upright and move the gun to it so it's not leaning over. Horses for courses.

 

[MartynB]

It’s whatever works for you .  Personally I think that every shooter should learn gun down at some point. If you can instinctively point a finger at a sparrow flying down the garden , and you can catch a ball  , you are 90% of the way there . 

Of course if you shoot competitions , where points are important the most appropriate way to tackle a target is the method with the highest chance of success , which will probably be some variation of shouldering the gun in a lot of the stands . 

One of my favourite “ games “ during “pensioners playtime “ ( early retired  that is we are all still waiting for the state pension to kick and provide us with an untold bounty ... ) is to stand on a sport trap layout , like  the lake at  Kelbrook, say “ ready “ and then some time soon get at random one of eight clays , ranging from away under your feet, to a 40 -60 yard looper . A very good practice method for gun down shooting .  

 

[ips]

Think there's a specific name for that technique from what I'm reading.

Yes its called the "i cant make my mind up" technique

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I often watch 'gun up' shooters on long incomers, the end of the gun is 'bunny hopping' or "Target/Gun/Target/Gun/Target/Gun/Target/Gun as their eyes switch between the two. Each time they look at the gun, it stops. This often ends in a miss. Keeping the gun down on this target pays dividends, or it does for me.

The simple solution is to keep the gun mounted and simply drop the muzzle out of sight.  Riding the target is totally unnecessary

There are some days on the clays when gun down is a definite advantage for me.  Will - the stand at 4Cs at the end of the car park - both birds gun down - some days  my barrels just seem awfully long and wieldy and gun down gives me some control over outcome.  A mix of gun up and gun down generally speaking for me.

Probably because they are what with the silly current fad of mega-barrels.  For me a mixing of gunup/gundown seems much like a recipe for unhappiness.  I've shot gun down sporting and skeet just to do it and my only conclusion was that it was a lot of extra effort and of limited application.  That of course takes into account my own limitations - - YMMV

 

[Sian]

The simple solution is to keep the gun mounted and simply drop the muzzle out of sight.  Riding the target is totally unnecessary

Probably because they are what with the silly current fad of mega-barrels.  For me a mixing of gunup/gundown seems much like a recipe for unhappiness.  I've shot gun down sporting and skeet just to do it and my only conclusion was that it was a lot of extra effort and of limited application.  That of course takes into account my own limitations - - YMMV

Can’t agree Charlie particularly on long crossers, battue and chondels gun down is far better for me.

 

[Will Hewland]

Think there's a specific name for that technique from what I'm reading.

Interesting you say you drop your face Will; keep getting told by so many gun shops and shooters, etc. that you keep your face upright and move the gun to it so it's not leaning over. Horses for courses.

During a gun down mount, yes 

 

[westley]

As I was a game shooter, long before I ever shot at a clay target, I had perfected my gun mount (I think !) and had my gun fitted accordingly. My first Competition was a National event, and was a 50 bird English Skeet competition. I took my ONLY gun, an AyA no.2,   26" side by side. It weighed 6 1/4 lbs.  I was given 50 Winchester AA skeet 9's in 32 gram and a few loose ones for any 'no birds'.  I can recall the Referee being very patient with me and having to explain which target was next to shoot. This was in the days of single cartridge in gun, for the single targets, only loading 2,  for the pairs. I can recall shooting 44/50 and I finished 9th. I also shot the highest score of my 'team'. Thrown in at the deep end, maybe,  but that was it, I was hooked.  I got paid to go and shoot, my cartridges supplied, and my entry paid for. What was NOT to like (apart from 32 gram AA's in a light S x S  !)  I shot gun down for both skeet and sporting, (NOT Dtl) and I still do to this day, except as age and eyesight have reduced my ability somewhat, I find that I am pre-mounting my gun for certain sporting targets. 

So adapt your own style and if that entails a bit of gun up and gun down so be it especially if it works FOR YOU  !

 

[El Spavo]

Yup, thanks, and totally agree, just making sure I'm not missing summat. To be honest, I find that sort of zen moment when it all feels right getting all the parts of my body and gun in the right place by mounting up and ready, so as much as it's possibly a good way to do it up or down for some, it feels an aid to focussing for me by getting it all ready before calling pull.

And regarding having the gun lowered slightlyfor when it's tricky to see a bird, I've never really found that problem so I don't know from inexperience if I'm doing something right, wrong or just personal... I just see roughly where it's gonna come from and either point lower than it's perigee or wait for it to come roughly into sight then track it. Seems to work.

 

[Mikey]

Its weird that i shot gun up trap for over 30 yrs and yet i cannot shoot any sporting target gun up, it just does not feel right or work for me. Go figure !!

Hi ips, exactly the same for me shot trap for over 30 years but sporting or skeet have to shoot gun down otherwise does not feel natural.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Can’t agree Charlie particularly on long crossers, battue and chondels gun down is far better for me.

I gotta tell ya, Sian that there is no way I'm gonna argue with you!  I'd be betting that you're a better shot than I am to start with and I've not shot sporting for near 20 years - so I'm right there at the WTF do I know level   :lolu:

I don't see many long crossers at helice but the ones I have seen were way long and 2nd barrel shots so gun up no matter what.  The only other crossers I see are on the skeet field and there is certainly no need to spend much time looking at those things.  I figure as long as the gun down thing is not rule driven it's just an unnecessary complication.

JMO of course 

 

[ips]

Hi ips, exactly the same for me shot trap for over 30 years but sporting or skeet have to shoot gun down otherwise does not feel natural.

Exactly Mikey

 

[Sian]

I gotta tell ya, Sian that there is no way I'm gonna argue with you!  I'd be betting that you're a better shot than I am to start with and I've not shot sporting for near 20 years - so I'm right there at the WTF do I know level   :lolu:

I don't see many long crossers at helice but the ones I have seen were way long and 2nd barrel shots so gun up no matter what.  The only other crossers I see are on the skeet field and there is certainly no need to spend much time looking at those things.  I figure as long as the gun down thing is not rule driven it's just an unnecessary complication.

JMO of course 

I have been fortunate to see some stonking crossers, battue sand chondels in Sporting and Fitasc Wonko that really lends themselves to gun down.