Oldblaster, you will hit clays with your interpretation of swing through, but you will hit them MORE consistently if you move your hold point out from the trap to where it should be, let the clay pass your gun/insert your mount behind (by a pre planned distance), move the gun at a controlled speed (faster than the clay) and shoot 'at' the clay with a moving gun...but I'd personally only use that method on straight or quartering clays, on crossers I'd use pull away.
Shooting fast right to left crossers
- Thread starter Gastro
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Hi,
I have only been shooting for 12 weeks so my reply may be a bit text book as that all I have to go by as I have not had any lessons yet. Anyway I do not have a problem hitting these targets and this is what I do if it's of any help.
1. I work out the break point which is for me somewhere between 3/4 and the end of its flight path/kill zone depending on speed.
2. I setup my stance so that I am comfortable when addressing the break point with my body in it's natural point of alignment when the gun is mounted. From here I am in a comfortable position to break the clay anywhere from 3/4 to the end of its flight path/kill zone.
3. When setup in this stance (towards the break point) I wind my body back to the hold point, which for me is below the target flight path, and maybe halfway between the break point and the trap. The idea for me here is to not hold the mussels to close to the trap or the clay will accelerate to fast past the gun and you end up having to do a wild swing to try and catch the clay (resulting in to much gun speed and probably missing in front due to lack of mussle control, or you will stop the gun as you recognise that you have gone to far past the clay and miss behind.
4. With my stance setup to the break point, and my body wound back to the hold point with the gun held below the target flight path. I then use my eyes.
5. I tend to pickup this type of clay with a soft focus a few meters out of the trap (if the trap can be seen), at this precise time I anticipate the move and start to move my gun generating soom gun movement. I then try to lock on to the clay with a hard focus trying to look at the front edge (this is hard to do) by this time my gun is now moving and I am visually locked onto the clay literally trying to burn a hole in it with my eyes as this point my body is unwinding to its natural position so everything feels natural. I tend to try and start with the gun slightly out of the shoulder as I find being able to generate some movement with the mussles helps in inserting onto the target, even if it's only a little bit it helps as I feel that I am not trying to insert a dead gun onto the clay. I aim to try and mount the gun as my body unwinds, and whilst the gun has some lateral movement. ( I.e. I try not to mount then swing, I try to unwind, laterally move the gun towards my cheek, insert the mussles onto the clay in one movement. (This is not easy for me and takes a lot of practice dry mounting at home) but doing this I find that I get a lot more time and do not feel as rushed.
6. Now that I am visually locked onto to the target i do not take your eyes off it, I will have started to move the gun and anticipated the move when I first saw the clay in my soft focus. During the completion of the mount I try to Insert the mussles onto the clay - pull way and pull the trigger.
So the key to this shot for me is what my body, hands, eyes and mussles are doing prior to calling for the target. Also I try to keep dead still just before calling pull, and at that point anticipate the clay, but i do not move the gun until I actually see the clay my soft focus. At this point the gun starts to make a lateral move in the target direction, at this point my mussles are below it's line but are constantly moving to the line as the stock comes to my cheek.
By the time I have fully mounted the gun, it will have already been moving laterally as my body unwinds to the break point, aiming to have inserted the mussles onto the clay at the time the mount is complete. Pull away then pull the trigger.
I hope that this helps but as I say my only experience in regards to how you shoot these is from books etc. but it seems to work for me.
At EJ Churchills last week they had a sim pair, which was a fast going away bird below your feet and a close fast right to left crossers. We shot the going away bird first then had a verye small window to hit the right to left crosser. In this instance the setup for me is different, as there is another bird to worry about. So I guess the description above would have to be changed to fit in with your style.
If someone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated as I have no idea how to hit Battue type targets or quartering away looping type targets (not sure what they are called) if anyone could help me out and describe the process it would be appreciated. I have my first lesson booked in three weeks time with Carl Bloxham so will definitely be asking him to teach me these.
I have only been shooting for 12 weeks so my reply may be a bit text book as that all I have to go by as I have not had any lessons yet. Anyway I do not have a problem hitting these targets and this is what I do if it's of any help.
1. I work out the break point which is for me somewhere between 3/4 and the end of its flight path/kill zone depending on speed.
2. I setup my stance so that I am comfortable when addressing the break point with my body in it's natural point of alignment when the gun is mounted. From here I am in a comfortable position to break the clay anywhere from 3/4 to the end of its flight path/kill zone.
3. When setup in this stance (towards the break point) I wind my body back to the hold point, which for me is below the target flight path, and maybe halfway between the break point and the trap. The idea for me here is to not hold the mussels to close to the trap or the clay will accelerate to fast past the gun and you end up having to do a wild swing to try and catch the clay (resulting in to much gun speed and probably missing in front due to lack of mussle control, or you will stop the gun as you recognise that you have gone to far past the clay and miss behind.
4. With my stance setup to the break point, and my body wound back to the hold point with the gun held below the target flight path. I then use my eyes.
5. I tend to pickup this type of clay with a soft focus a few meters out of the trap (if the trap can be seen), at this precise time I anticipate the move and start to move my gun generating soom gun movement. I then try to lock on to the clay with a hard focus trying to look at the front edge (this is hard to do) by this time my gun is now moving and I am visually locked onto the clay literally trying to burn a hole in it with my eyes as this point my body is unwinding to its natural position so everything feels natural. I tend to try and start with the gun slightly out of the shoulder as I find being able to generate some movement with the mussles helps in inserting onto the target, even if it's only a little bit it helps as I feel that I am not trying to insert a dead gun onto the clay. I aim to try and mount the gun as my body unwinds, and whilst the gun has some lateral movement. ( I.e. I try not to mount then swing, I try to unwind, laterally move the gun towards my cheek, insert the mussles onto the clay in one movement. (This is not easy for me and takes a lot of practice dry mounting at home) but doing this I find that I get a lot more time and do not feel as rushed.
6. Now that I am visually locked onto to the target i do not take your eyes off it, I will have started to move the gun and anticipated the move when I first saw the clay in my soft focus. During the completion of the mount I try to Insert the mussles onto the clay - pull way and pull the trigger.
So the key to this shot for me is what my body, hands, eyes and mussles are doing prior to calling for the target. Also I try to keep dead still just before calling pull, and at that point anticipate the clay, but i do not move the gun until I actually see the clay my soft focus. At this point the gun starts to make a lateral move in the target direction, at this point my mussles are below it's line but are constantly moving to the line as the stock comes to my cheek.
By the time I have fully mounted the gun, it will have already been moving laterally as my body unwinds to the break point, aiming to have inserted the mussles onto the clay at the time the mount is complete. Pull away then pull the trigger.
I hope that this helps but as I say my only experience in regards to how you shoot these is from books etc. but it seems to work for me.
At EJ Churchills last week they had a sim pair, which was a fast going away bird below your feet and a close fast right to left crossers. We shot the going away bird first then had a verye small window to hit the right to left crosser. In this instance the setup for me is different, as there is another bird to worry about. So I guess the description above would have to be changed to fit in with your style.
If someone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated as I have no idea how to hit Battue type targets or quartering away looping type targets (not sure what they are called) if anyone could help me out and describe the process it would be appreciated. I have my first lesson booked in three weeks time with Carl Bloxham so will definitely be asking him to teach me these.
Just to add balance to the advice here (which is gratefully received).I've had many coaches in the past, but none have been a patch on my current coach. In fact, I've made very good progress with his help and regularly achieve class positions.
As many shooters will attest, ultimately breaking clays is in the hand of the shooter. My issue is not my coaches fault, it's mine.
All I'm after is a second look and perhaps a different approach to this specific problem. I'm in no doubt - I have not outgrown my current coach
he has identified the issue and offered solutions, but whatever reason I don't appear to be able to follow the instructions given !
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Will Hewland
Well-known member
Just assisting mates (usually at my local straw baler), I have had some good results in similar situations to you, where you know you are doing something wrongly, but cannot make yourself change. It often occurs on shooting above teal or in front of close rabbits. I get them to stop shooting and we really talk about the method and movement. Then the exercise in the stand is NOT about hitting the clay, but solely about the method. So, "let's not hit the clay, it doesn't matter" but shoot just behind the rabbit / just under the teal. Hitting the clay is NOTHING to do with the exercise. (Usually they then hit the clay of course). But you have to take the clay out of focus sometimes, or the subconscious so wants to hit it, that it takes over and forces the old error that is fixed in the head.
So, really talk yourself into method and that the clay does not matter for now. Worth a try.. If you totally struggle to forget the clay, try a few with no cartridges in the gun, allowing you to think movement without the worry of failing to break the target.
So, really talk yourself into method and that the clay does not matter for now. Worth a try.. If you totally struggle to forget the clay, try a few with no cartridges in the gun, allowing you to think movement without the worry of failing to break the target.
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Will Hewland
Well-known member
Jim Wheeler
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2014
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so ips ,, how come trappies miss ? :hunter:
Rosso
Well-known member
I would have a couple hundred on a skeet range.
I was also going to suggest a skeet layout. Start at station 2, shoot all low house, only moving to station 3 when you are nailing EVERY target at station 2 and so on. If you need to practice on a lower target, take a step ladder along with you.
Salopian,
It is usually the centre peg straight away target the DTL guys miss !
Salopian,
It is usually the centre peg straight away target the DTL guys miss !
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Dick Arbon
Well-known member
Gastro, if you are right handed the probable reason for struggling with this particular target will be because you will lose sight of the target especially if your gun shoots flat. It might mean you need to hold a tad lower on the target so you can see the target better. This does of course assume that you shoot with both eyes open. I think you said it was better when you didn't pre-mount which may confirm my theory. Changing your sight picture with a comb raiser may help but it would also mean re-learning sight pictures on targets that you are not struggling with. Not sure what would be best, but I would have thought a good coach would steer you in the right direction.
Rosso
Well-known member
I'm not going to give advice there's good advice already given, we had a bird on our ground for about 12 months (didn't change it cause it caused so much trouble) close fast and low (chest height)full crosser running along a hedge, it was 15yards max and every one was missing in front but been told behind by fellow shooters cause the hedge made it look so, the lead on the bird was anything from 1 clay to one foot any more and you were in front, it was good fun watching people shoot it for the first time,
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