Three Shots to Master Ahead of Hunting Season
Posted 07/31/2022
We slogged through an hour-long alder hell and didn't move a bird. The boys and I were shocked, for we called the covert Old Reliable. We were at the end, and I broke open my side-by-side and leashed Cider for the walk back to the truck. Wouldn't you know it, there was a brood of grouse feeding on insects at the edge of the field? Cider pointed, and the grouse flushed like a covey of quail. Two went to the left, two went straight away, and two went to the right. Bob missed one of the crossing shots, and Tim missed the straight-aways. Me? I gave 'em grief, 'cause that's what friends are for.
But truth be told, I've missed those gimmes before, too. There's always a reason, and those misses came from the element of surprise. These days we're all shy on time, so if you have to pick just three shots to master before hunting season, make them going-aways, incomers, and crossers. Grab your gloves, clays vests and eye and ear protection and focus on the bread-and-butter shots that will put more birds in your bag.
Rising, Going-Away Shots: Upland
What's the Shot: Straight going away.
Why We Miss: Flushed birds are rising targets, and most misses come from shooting under the bird. Sometimes we lift our heads off the stock so we can see the bird fall, while at other times we stop our swing and don't follow through the bird. Some of my best misses have come from a cocky attitude. "A going-away? That's the easiest shot in the book." Those misses are because my focus is soft. Another reason is a rushed gun mount that comes from the perceived need to kill the bird before it gets away.
How to turn misses into hits: Sharpen your target acquisition. When the bird flushes, concentrate on its flight path. Sometimes it's straight away, other times it's at an angle. Raise your muzzle from underneath the bird until you catch up with it, and get a mount so rock solid that your cheek skin folds over the comb. Keep swinging, blot out the target, pull the trigger and follow through. You'll know if you hit the bird because you'll see it fall from the corner of your eye. If it doesn't, then readjust for your next shot or two.
Where to practice: The trap field is far and away the best place to practice going-aways, mostly because the target presentations vary in trajectory. Some clays pitch slightly to the left, others slightly to the right, and some straight ahead. Rather than pre-mounting your shotgun, you'll improve hand-eye coordination as well as mechanics by using a low gun/instinctive technique. Another option is "low house 7" in skeet. Those are rising shots that are straight going away. A third option is a Wobble Trap, which adds a lot of variety for hitting the easiest shot in the books.
Descending, Incoming Shots: Waterfowl
Why We Miss: Ducks dropping into your spread seem so ridiculously easy. The birds get closer with every wingbeat, their cupped wings slow down their speed, and with spread wings and dropped landing gear they present bigger targets. Misses usually come because we point and shoot right at 'em. But those mallards are descending, and after we blot out the target we typically stop our swing. We miss these targets by shooting over the birds.
How to turn misses into hits: With a flock of ducks, target acquisition is important. Pick out the bird you want to kill, and commit to it. Concentrate on its flight path, mount your shotgun, and swing along the line of descent. When you catch up with the bird, keep swinging your muzzle until you block out the target and continue swinging through the bird. The duck is dropping, so follow through with your shot.
Where to practice: Most clays courses have high incoming targets that drop in front of the shooters. The Springing Teal station is equally good if you use a twist. Instead of breaking the clay when it's suspended in the air (neither rising nor falling), wait until it starts to drop. You'll need to shoot below the target for sure, and its excellent practice for decoying ducks. It also makes sense to wear the same jackets, vests, shooting shirts, glovesgloves and other gear that you'll wear during waterfowl season.
Crossing Shots: Upland and Waterfowl
Why We Miss: Crossing shots involve lead, and sometimes our eyes play tricks on us. Buddies share comments like "one inch in front of the bird" or "lead by four feet." Those are helpful to a degree, but to master crossing shots we need lots of repetitions so our eyes tell our hands where the muzzle should be. Misses on crossers are almost always behind.
How to turn misses into hits: Follow the 4 Bs: Butt, Belly, Beak, Bang. Acquire your target, and start swinging your muzzle from behind. Swing until your muzzle catches up with the bird's butt. Move on through the belly and then to the beak. When you have daylight between the beak and your muzzle, pull the trigger and follow through. Remember what you see when the clay breaks because that is your visual on how much to lead your bird. Repetitions commit that view to muscle memory.
Where to practice: A skeet range is ideal. Instead of shooting a round, practice on stations 3, 4 and 5. Skeet fields pace out at 21 yards, and you'll get a variety of right-to-lefts and left-to-rights. Afterwards, move on to a round of Five Stand and work on the crossing shots, which usually are at a farther distance. Finish off with crossing shots on a clays course, for those distances will be different, too. Shooting crossers at different distances requires different amounts of lead. Come hunting season, you'll be ready for whatever comes your way. Vests and shooting shirts provide uplanders with a greater range of movement.
Summer homework is rarely fun, but when it involves a shotgun and clays it's always a blast. Dust off some clays, and come Opening Day you'll be locked, cocked and ready to rock.
But truth be told, I've missed those gimmes before, too. There's always a reason, and those misses came from the element of surprise. These days we're all shy on time, so if you have to pick just three shots to master before hunting season, make them going-aways, incomers, and crossers. Grab your gloves, clays vests and eye and ear protection and focus on the bread-and-butter shots that will put more birds in your bag.
Rising, Going-Away Shots: Upland
What's the Shot: Straight going away.
Why We Miss: Flushed birds are rising targets, and most misses come from shooting under the bird. Sometimes we lift our heads off the stock so we can see the bird fall, while at other times we stop our swing and don't follow through the bird. Some of my best misses have come from a cocky attitude. "A going-away? That's the easiest shot in the book." Those misses are because my focus is soft. Another reason is a rushed gun mount that comes from the perceived need to kill the bird before it gets away.
How to turn misses into hits: Sharpen your target acquisition. When the bird flushes, concentrate on its flight path. Sometimes it's straight away, other times it's at an angle. Raise your muzzle from underneath the bird until you catch up with it, and get a mount so rock solid that your cheek skin folds over the comb. Keep swinging, blot out the target, pull the trigger and follow through. You'll know if you hit the bird because you'll see it fall from the corner of your eye. If it doesn't, then readjust for your next shot or two.
Where to practice: The trap field is far and away the best place to practice going-aways, mostly because the target presentations vary in trajectory. Some clays pitch slightly to the left, others slightly to the right, and some straight ahead. Rather than pre-mounting your shotgun, you'll improve hand-eye coordination as well as mechanics by using a low gun/instinctive technique. Another option is "low house 7" in skeet. Those are rising shots that are straight going away. A third option is a Wobble Trap, which adds a lot of variety for hitting the easiest shot in the books.
Descending, Incoming Shots: Waterfowl
Why We Miss: Ducks dropping into your spread seem so ridiculously easy. The birds get closer with every wingbeat, their cupped wings slow down their speed, and with spread wings and dropped landing gear they present bigger targets. Misses usually come because we point and shoot right at 'em. But those mallards are descending, and after we blot out the target we typically stop our swing. We miss these targets by shooting over the birds.
How to turn misses into hits: With a flock of ducks, target acquisition is important. Pick out the bird you want to kill, and commit to it. Concentrate on its flight path, mount your shotgun, and swing along the line of descent. When you catch up with the bird, keep swinging your muzzle until you block out the target and continue swinging through the bird. The duck is dropping, so follow through with your shot.
Where to practice: Most clays courses have high incoming targets that drop in front of the shooters. The Springing Teal station is equally good if you use a twist. Instead of breaking the clay when it's suspended in the air (neither rising nor falling), wait until it starts to drop. You'll need to shoot below the target for sure, and its excellent practice for decoying ducks. It also makes sense to wear the same jackets, vests, shooting shirts, glovesgloves and other gear that you'll wear during waterfowl season.
Crossing Shots: Upland and Waterfowl
Why We Miss: Crossing shots involve lead, and sometimes our eyes play tricks on us. Buddies share comments like "one inch in front of the bird" or "lead by four feet." Those are helpful to a degree, but to master crossing shots we need lots of repetitions so our eyes tell our hands where the muzzle should be. Misses on crossers are almost always behind.
How to turn misses into hits: Follow the 4 Bs: Butt, Belly, Beak, Bang. Acquire your target, and start swinging your muzzle from behind. Swing until your muzzle catches up with the bird's butt. Move on through the belly and then to the beak. When you have daylight between the beak and your muzzle, pull the trigger and follow through. Remember what you see when the clay breaks because that is your visual on how much to lead your bird. Repetitions commit that view to muscle memory.
Where to practice: A skeet range is ideal. Instead of shooting a round, practice on stations 3, 4 and 5. Skeet fields pace out at 21 yards, and you'll get a variety of right-to-lefts and left-to-rights. Afterwards, move on to a round of Five Stand and work on the crossing shots, which usually are at a farther distance. Finish off with crossing shots on a clays course, for those distances will be different, too. Shooting crossers at different distances requires different amounts of lead. Come hunting season, you'll be ready for whatever comes your way. Vests and shooting shirts provide uplanders with a greater range of movement.
Summer homework is rarely fun, but when it involves a shotgun and clays it's always a blast. Dust off some clays, and come Opening Day you'll be locked, cocked and ready to rock.
About the Author : Tom Keer
Visit authors website | View more articlesTom Keer owns The Keer Group, an outdoor marketing company which works perfectly with his freelance writing career. He casts his four English setters in Northeast upland coverts and Southern quail fields with fortunate regularity. Hes been lucky to be surrounded by people and dogs that are much smarter than him. Visit him at www.thekeergroup.com or at www.tomkeer.com
