Reading breaks

[schmokinn]

I think knowing where you are on the clay is of great importance,i regularly watch friends when i am shooting and many times i have watched people get gradually further in front or behind the clay.

Many of them do not see it when they are shooting but i do and sometimes it means a little more or less push is necessary this can also translate to a change in hold point,i believe this gives you a better overall understanding of what you are doing and where you are going wrong.

Nice balls of soot or star breaks are always preferable to chips as you know you are on it not just somewhere near it.

Obviously this matters a lot less in Trap because of the large difference in gun movement to Sporting where you may be moving the gun 10X as much.

 

[ips]

Similar on game. I was loading for a gun in January who was in front of about three consecutive partridge shots, he asked why he missed so I told him "you were in front sir" he looked at me as if to say "your a complete arse" then took a right left partridge stone dead. Looked at me with a huge smile and said "you were right Ian, every other loader tells me I am behind"

my point to the story is this, he assumed he is always behind as that is what he had been told therefore he was in his mind compensating, but the wrong way thus getting further and further in front and getting in a right old muddle. One small correction greatly helped the amount of my tip ?

 

[timps]

If you are practicing it is very useful to try and read the breaks as it doesn’t matter if you read it wrong but great if you read right for the memory bank.

In competition, I have caveats.

I was told by a friend who happens to have won his fair share of majors if you take the front end of a crosser off don’t be tempted to cut back on lead as you will invariably cut back too much and miss.  I have proved him right many times before his wise words so stick to his advice on this one now.

At a shoot at hodnet I took the top edge off a crosser, evaluating why in my mind came to two simple options. It was dropping towards the end, so either stay on the same line but shoot it earlier or adjust the line and shoot it where I did. What was a bad idea was to shoot it the same as I did 1st time as shooting the top edge of a dropping clay isn’t a good idea. My adjustment of shooting the target earlier but on the same line worked.

At the same shoot, there was a horrible target that was catching people out, I decided on a plan to hit the first clay which then broke with an horrendous chippy break. I again evaluated the break and was unsure of what to change first so did the same as the 1st shot with the same result another 3 times. I know that I had ideas of what to change but all of them couldn’t be right so might as well stick with what worked first time even if they were dreadful zero confidence inspiring breaks.

I guess my point is I have successfully read breaks and adjusted timing, hold and pick up points, lead and line but as in my first example I was over the top but the cure was to shoot earlier rather than lower. It’s easier to shoot a clay doing one thing than factor in two, I only adjust when I am confident that I have identified what I was doing wrong.  I also leave well alone if I am not sure.

 

[westley]

If I manage to hit a clay, I do a little dance, I call it my 'Break Dance'     !

 

[balltrap]

If I manage to hit a clay, I do a little dance, I call it my 'Break Dance'     !

So you do not dance very often then Wes

 

[Skeet UK]

... I am not in here to start an argument but I think you have to be some sort of shooter to be able to move the point of impact 4 inches! 

Yeah, that's why they shoot Sporting!

I hear FITASC shooters can even choose which part of the shot cloud they use

 

[Hamster]

Yeah, that's why they shoot Sporting!

I hear FITASC shooters can even choose which part of the shot cloud they use

Joking aside it's perfectly possible to deliberately shoot low on rabbits and still get excellent breaks. It's done in order to avoid going over the top so in effect you're trading absolute density against an unenforced error through experience. 

 

[Skeet UK]

Joking aside it's perfectly possible to deliberately shoot low on rabbits and still get excellent breaks. It's done in order to avoid going over the top so in effect you're trading absolute density against an unenforced error through experience. 

I always shoot low on rabbits...which is why I used to miss those sneaky, slightly uphill ones at Gatton Bottom.

Took me a while to suss what I was doing wrong...the shame

 

[Wonko the Sane]

It looks like there about ten topics floating around in here so I'm just gonna go with this.  Reading a chippy break is BS - qualified by "By The Shooter".  Like was said by standing behind the shooter and knowing what to look for a good guess can be made.

Otherwise you only have to consider that identically appearing chippy breaks can come from anywhere in the 360deg periphery of fewer pellets that surround the denser core - the core hit that is fairly easy to recognize.

Like others have said, I don't bother either.  My poor hits are technique failure of not focusing properly on the target.  Or any one of maybe a dozen other bad habits or defective physical ability.  You'll have to find your own excuses.

 

[westley]

I like you Ian, 

I think you may just have gone to the top of his Christmas card list !!!       :wub:

 

[jwpzx9r]

I think you may just have gone to the top of his Christmas card list !!!       :wub:

Ha Ha Ha well there is nothing like a misquote , not that I mind being on the Christmas card list !!!

jwpzx9r actually said

"I, like you Ian, just shoot it and if it breaks...."

 

[balltrap]

Ha Ha Ha well there is nothing like a misquote , not that I mind being on the Christmas card list !!!

jwpzx9r actually said

"I, like you Ian, can we shoot together...."




1

:lol: :wub:

 

[westley]

Ha Ha Ha well there is nothing like a misquote , not that I mind being on the Christmas card list !!!

jwpzx9r actually said

"I, like you Ian, just shoot it and if it breaks...."

Hindsight eh.........................a wonderful thing  !    :angel:

 

[Paul120]

Joking aside it's perfectly possible to deliberately shoot low on rabbits and still get excellent breaks. It's done in order to avoid going over the top so in effect you're trading absolute density against an unenforced error through experience. 

Plus you get the added benefit of all the stones, Turf, cow, sheep dung being thrown up which can break the clay even if all the shot misses.