Maintained Lead.

[Hamster]

personally I dont like a target getting in front of my barrels, makes me panic and slash wildly swing through for me is just not repeatable enough, relies too much on timing and if i start getting exited I get fast. Not sure that I shoot "proper" maintained but more of the insert in front and pull from there technique that mx8man describes

The way to avoid erratic speed of swing through is to kill the bird at the exact same place each time :wink: with the exact same tempo. The undoubted advantage of swing through is automatic precision line finding, I used to shoot quartering birds with maintained but unlike Ed found a Eureka moment :.: , well eventually anyway, that transformed my scores and kill quality on these. I hold slightly further towards the trap, let the bird go then line find and sweep through it having gauged it's speed and rise or descent and fire with a faster gun speed near enough at the bird. Just goes to show what I have always maintained , that you must play to your strengths.

 

[Hamster]

As others have said maintained lead can be nasty in the wrong hands, the trouble with true maintained is that it leads to a period of the shooter being mesmerised by things, by definition you have to almost measure things so you watch and watch, often too long with beginners, bad things start to happen in this period, you can switch to the wrong eye, you can bead watch back and forth trying to ascertain the gap is correct, the gun speed must by definition begin to slow as the clay decelerates and it isn't easy remaining fluid for long.

I am fairly sure that what we call maintained isn't actually necessarily the pure version, probably a large dollop of coming from behind on occasion or insertion on the bird and pull away is involved. These revised methods still allow the shooter to see a gap, albeit momentarily which may make us think we're shooting maintained ?! I personally shoot it on most crossers but doubt if it's the pure method I'm using.

 

[k80ben]

This has been discussed numerous times, maintained lead is the least used method amongst the worlds best, in fact I try to never ever use it. It really really is so inconsistent and leaves far too much guessing where other methods guarantee line and speed. In the early days when John bid well was at his best and won his titles a lot of machine only threw straight line targets and maintained lead was fine, now a machine can make a target do a lot of funky things and methods needed to adapt. To learn the better methods find a competent coach who wins consistently and learn, prepare for a dip in form whilst learning, but the winter months are the best time.

Ben

Ps people teach maintained as a quick fix for results on the day spend time and learn in stages not leaps.

 

[jake.keeling]

Thanks Ben, very interesting.

 

[k80ben]

Jake mail me ur email and ill send u some info

 

[jake.keeling]

Only just seen this, I've sent an e-mail to your address.

 

[Mark Whelan]

I don't see lead at all with me am looking at the bird only far or near . Gun speed I think

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Maintained lead has it's uses.....you just have to know how to use it. Lots of top skeet shots use it and as Ed has shown top sporting shots use it.

There are many styles used in a round of 100 whatever.... just know your discipline, know your capabilities and perform them to your best ability.

Don't try too hard to copy any experts or your heroes if it is not something that compliments your way of naturally shooting.

 

[cjc]

I shoot maintained lead at pretty much everything, the one good thing is that you can shoot targets pretty quick using this method which can help with simo pairs and such like

 

[Salopian]

I think the biggest issue is that so many people have had lessons, read books , watched DVD's about different styles and adapted what suited them at that time and have ended up with a mismatch of varying styles, none of which work when they are in a performance slump.

The best thing that they can do then is go back to basics and get a lesson or two with a good coach. A lesson with a good coach will cost less than a weekend of wasted clays, cartridges, fuel and money.

 

[Westward]

I shoot maintained lead at pretty much everything, the one good thing is that you can shoot targets pretty quick using this method which can help with simo pairs and such like

Well Chris, it certainly helped you massacre the overhead simo pair at Westfield on Sunday... :wink:

 

[Will Hewland]

I have enormous respect for Chris and it is so impressive how he shoots stuff early and so well. Not certain it is for everybody though, as most of us shoot a lot less, are older and are just not as bloody talented. Its important to find what works for you. If a newcomer looked at Chris and Richard Faulds shooting the same stand, they would be left scratching their head for a definitive answer regarding styles..

 

[KevC]

I had never shot maintained lead EVER before until about three weeks ago, but having tried it now on certain targets(mainly quick targets,with short window of time to shoot them)realise it is a lot easier than other methods(for me) and sometimes seems effortless to break the clay. It seems a more instinctive way of shooting somehow.As said on this thread before i don't think you should dismiss any of the techniques(as i have done with maintained lead)because all have their place and are handy to use when the time comes.

Kev

 

[jake.keeling]

I had never shot maintained lead EVER before until about three weeks ago, but having tried it now on certain targets(mainly quick targets,with short window of time to shoot them)realise it is a lot easier than other methods(for me) and sometimes seems effortless to break the clay. It seems a more instinctive way of shooting somehow.As said on this thread before i don't think you should dismiss any of the techniques(as i have done with maintained lead)because all have their place and are handy to use when the time comes.
Kev

This is purely out of interest, because people see the gun and target relationship differently. Are you sure the target doesn't get near your rib or are you using pull away? And do you still come from behind on targets that don't need much lead.

 

[Salopian]

Jake,

This thread could run for ever, simply because most shooters really haven't got a clue what they do. "I just shoot".

As I said earlier the more we learn the more we need to learn and the more we become confused. Keep it simple.

People do see very different pictures of lead, some look out to the target, some barrel steer, some 'gap' shoot, it can be a mess.

Many people have no idea of what a foot or a metre of lead looks like until you give them an everyday example such as a loaf of bread, a farm gate, a TV screen etc.

Then we have to deal with gun speed or lack of it.

Maintained lead can be a misnomer, for instance how do you shoot skeet peg 4 doubles with maintained lead on both birds? Long going away Teal?

 

[jake.keeling]

Jake,This thread could run for ever, simply because most shooters really haven't got a clue what they do. "I just shoot".

As I said earlier the more we learn the more we need to learn and the more we become confused. Keep it simple.

People do see very different pictures of lead, some look out to the target, some barrel steer, some 'gap' shoot, it can be a mess.

Many people have no idea of what a foot or a metre of lead looks like until you give them an everyday example such as a loaf of bread, a farm gate, a TV screen etc.

Then we have to deal with gun speed or lack of it.

Maintained lead can be a misnomer, for instance how do you shoot skeet peg 4 doubles with maintained lead on both birds? Long going away Teal?

Exactly! Some of this is what I was trying to get at without upsetting or confusing anybody. It is very true that an awful lot of shooters don't honestly know how they are breaking the clay. I had to have a good look at myself to see what I did on most targets.

 

[Emmsy]

for instance how do you shoot skeet peg 4 doubles with maintained lead on both birds?

thats fairly straighforward!

 

[KevC]

This is purely out of interest, because people see the gun and target relationship differently. Are you sure the target doesn't get near your rib or are you using pull away? And do you still come from behind on targets that don't need much lead.

Hi Jake

No the target doesn't get near the gun,i'm not confusing it with pull away.

For probably 70% of targets i usually follow smoothly just behind target and then pull through to the correct lead(sometimes)and pull the trigger.

Targets that don't need much lead(quartering,or close crossers)i start nearer the trap let it go and use gunspeed shooting pretty much at the targets.

I don't seem to be able to use maintained lead on targets i can see coming for a while,i seem to be checking the gap,so think i will just use it for targets i want to shoot straight away where it feels like, point gun at kill point,wind back slightly,look back for clay,see clay, start moving gun without conciously thinking about lead and pull trigger straight away.

I don't know if my shooting style sounds a bit of a mess or not,but it seems to work reasonably well,my biggest problem is consistency not method of shooting.Although no doubt the two are probably linked,who knows.

Kev

 

[jake.keeling]

Hi Jake

No the target doesn't get near the gun,i'm not confusing it with pull away.

For probably 70% of targets i usually follow smoothly just behind target and then pull through to the correct lead(sometimes)and pull the trigger.

Targets that don't need much lead(quartering,or close crossers)i start nearer the trap let it go and use gunspeed shooting pretty much at the targets.

I don't seem to be able to use maintained lead on targets i can see coming for a while,i seem to be checking the gap,so think i will just use it for targets i want to shoot straight away where it feels like, point gun at kill point,wind back slightly,look back for clay,see clay, start moving gun without conciously thinking about lead and pull trigger straight away.

I don't know if my shooting style sounds a bit of a mess or not,but it seems to work reasonably well,my biggest problem is consistency not method of shooting.Although no doubt the two are probably linked,who knows.

Kev

No, it doesn't sound like your style is a mess, it sounds like you have a good handle on what you're doing. I find this interesting because my local range where I honed my skills has no trees or cover as such, so I see most targets for a long time and I struggle to use proper maintained. Yet when I shoot in England I find it much easier, it is also always windy at home, which I think can be problematic with Maintained as Loopers and canted targets might be.

 

[KevC]

No, it doesn't sound like your style is a mess, it sounds like you have a good handle on what you're doing. I find this interesting because my local range where I honed my skills has no trees or cover as such, so I see most targets for a long time and I struggle to use proper maintained. Yet when I shoot in England I find it much easier, it is also always windy at home, which I think can be problematic with Maintained as Loopers and canted targets might be.

Sounds very similar to where i practice at Blackpool sporting clays,not many trees,very open and usually windy.I had a hell of a shock when i started doing registered shoots with trees and other terrible things like that around as i really had got used to riding targets out and shooting very slowly.

Kev