Shotgun Basics
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” –Lao Tzu
I aced a challenging station at my favorite sporting clays club. The following station was a disaster. I got out of my head and on the targets, and returned to breaking clays.
Later, I read some tips for beginners in the club house. I laughed when my buddy quipped that I should have read those earlier, or watched this:
Tips From the Clubhouse
See the clay target clearly before moving the gun.
Head down on the stock and eye in line with rib.
Look right at the target; never look “back” to the barrel or bead.
Follow through after the shot. Or, do not stop the gun when you fire.
My Check List
Shoot every shot with the same rhythm and timing: move, mount, shoot. (An in-depth post on that coming in two weeks.)
Don’t move anything until you see the target clearly.
Don’t “look away” from the target just before shooting, trying to “measure” the lead.
Stare right at the target until you see it break.
Looking away from the target in an attempt to measure the lead stops the gun. (After missing a target, we’d often say, “I looked away.”)
If you do not “look for the lead,” you won’t have to tell yourself to follow through.
You must pay close attention to what you are seeing to know if you are trying to measure the lead, or not.
“Watch what you say, and whatever you say, practice it.” –Soyen Shaku
We were shooting sporting clays with our coach Steve Middleditch. The station was particularly difficult and I hadn’t yet hit the second target. On the fourth round, I smashed the first clay… As I was moving to the second target—dropping hard and at quite a distance—Steve whispered, “stare at it!” On its own the barrel shifted noticeably forward and down to the left, the gun fired itself and I watched the clay explode like I’d never before seen. That was a pivotal moment. I’d never again doubt Steve’s often repeated: “There is no lead.”
Master this for consistent success: Keep a hard focus on the target until it breaks.
At the end of your training, all you have to do is stare at the target and watch it break.
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