No bead?

[owdladben]

Hi just curious to know if anyone has removed the bead from their shotgun and what they think of it. After all should be looking at the clay not the gun... Cheers!

 

[DavidJ]

Bead for me always, although I'm not looking at the gun I am totally aware of my bead to clay relationship. 

 

[ips]

been here many times but go on then.

I believe if you think it or not you are aware of either a bead or if you take it off the end of the barrell. I have tried removing it and the rib suddenly became a BIG reference point. So it could be argued that if you want a big obvious reference point remove the bead, the opposite effect in reality. Imo of course.

off you go.

ps

another 6 ...probably ?

 

[Paul120]

Try it and make your own mind up. Not really helpful I know.  But after 9 pages and 100 posts you will be no wiser than by trying it yourself. 

 

[Iggy]

We ran out of bread earlier...managed to get a few baps from the local Tesco. 

Oh, sorry.....bead.

Plese ignore the above. 

 

[ChrisPackham]

I find that without a bead my eye dominance flickers, although I tried a buddies ribless game last weekend and didn't notice this happening.

 

[chippy]

I always remove the bead from all my guns and replace it with something larger. I currently use 6mm airsoft ammo. After if you need to put the bead on the clay a larger one is going to be much easier.

 

[Jonny English]

I have removed my bead this last month or two after damaging it. Didn't use it as i don't see the barrels or bead when shooting. I have replaced it with a small grub screw to keep the threads in tact.

I found it strange  the first time out, second and third time went a lot better. Then on Thursday I put the performance of a lifetime in doing a 105 in B class at the Jack Pyke, so losing the bead certainly hasn't impeded me as I shot 12.5 % above my average.

 

[schmokinn]

Don't seem to notice beads apart from when using to ascertain gun fit,mid one fell off my semi auto at some point in the last month or so

 

[EdSolomons]

Always taken them off my gun and I am always deliberately conscious of where the rib is- you have to be if you plan of shooting sporting/FITASC to a decent level.

 

[ips]

Always taken them off my gun and I am always deliberately conscious of where the rib is- you have to be if you plan of shooting sporting/FITASC to a decent level.

morning ed.

do you agree with me that having removed the bead you then use the muzzle as a reference point ?? Therefore the argument that one does not or should not be aware of the bead / barrell is a red herring ??

I have always been fascinated by this topic ?

 

[Oldblaster]

I have 2 beads but never see them, l do see a blur of the barrels in my peripheral vision to calculate lead. l suppose there ok for pattern testing or gun fit, but not an aid to good shooting. 

 

[EdSolomons]

morning ed.

do you agree with me that having removed the bead you then use the muzzle as a reference point ?? Therefore the argument that one does not or should not be aware of the bead / barrell is a red herring ??

I have always been fascinated by this topic ?

I believe you need "A" reference point; I prefer to use and unobstructed rib (I do see plenty of it) however if you are comfy with a bead then that is as good. 

Im not sure a lack of bead makes me more or less aware of the gun per se, it is just my personal choice.

 

[ips]

thanks ed.

as I say I have always been fascinated by this aspect of shooting. The old adage of not looking at the barrell and or not seeing the bead I consider to be taken to literally. What should be stated is do not "focus" on the barrell or the bead but as you say you surely need a reference point all be it in your peripheral vision on some if not all targets.

do you concur and if I may ask your opinion on one more matter. Do you shoot game in the same manner as in with a reference point (as you put it) of in your case the rib or do you consider game shooting to be a totally different technique.

these are genuine questions I am genuinely interested in your opinion as I know you are a handy game shooter also.

regards ian

 

[owdladben]

How about fibre optic beads? Or can they be too distracting of a reference point .  . I guess they're somewhat like marmite in the sense that some love them some hate them... 

 

[EdSolomons]

thanks ed.

as I say I have always been fascinated by this aspect of shooting. The old adage of not looking at the barrell and or not seeing the bead I consider to be taken to literally. What should be stated is do not "focus" on the barrell or the bead but as you say you surely need a reference point all be it in your peripheral vision on some if not all targets.

do you concur and if I may ask your opinion on one more matter. Do you shoot game in the same manner as in with a reference point (as you put it) of in your case the rib or do you consider game shooting to be a totally different technique.

these are genuine questions I am genuinely interested in your opinion as I know you are a handy game shooter also.

regards ian

Absolutely. You can probably get away with just looking at the bird and lashing through t a bit on the lower stuff but shoot anything at a half sensible height, curling or with an element of crossing about it and you need a degree of barrel awareness for sure.

 

[ips]

cheers ed that is most helpful not only to me but no doubt to others.

I find the whole esp thing very difficult. As a trap shooter (ex trap shooter at the moment) I am used to using gun speed and obviously targets are all going away so all your doing is following the line, chase the bird down and shoot "at" the target , gun speed imparts the lead so your never really aware of giving lead even though you will be. Muscle memory and learnt sight picture after thirty odd years is difficult to overcome. I am not too bad on driven and I have enjoyed reasonably good pheasant drives by using what I now know to be pull away however having given it a lot of thought I am thinking I am probably better using swing through on as many presentations that will allow it as this method will be closer to the trap method which is now so deeply engrained. So far I think my esp method would be best described as mount stab and hope ?

regards

ian

 

[paul b]

Ips i have gone in the opposite direction to you,going from sporting to fast trap,and as i have a important sporting event coming up i am leaving trap this month to get back to half decent sporting scores.

I am finding myself slashing through stuff hence piling on mega lead.so on Saturday i practiced shooting single targets using all the different methods to prove to myself which one was best,and spray and pray wasnt the best

Strangley on fast trap the bead is like a beacon to me when it touches the clay but on sporting targets i dont realy notice it although i know where it is in relation to the clay.

 

[ips]

paul

so having tried different methods and being a trappie what method did you decide worked the best (for the majority of targets as I appreciate one needs to use different techniques for different targets)

I am thinking swing through for trap shooters, as a default anyway.