new skeet shooter

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bucketboy

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hi there

i am new to skeet shooting and im having trouble consistantly breaking targets. I have been able to break targets at every station just not all on the same day LOL wondered if there was any advice or things i should know . Have been working on my stance having my weight forward, having my middle facing the stake, got coloured glasses etc. short of operator error i m really not sure what i m doing wrong. on top of all of this i really do not understand what the game is about. is there something you can suggest avalable to read to understand the game. also is it better to shoot with better shooters or try to hang with amatures like myself until i learn / practice more.
 
I have a great video series at my place in Florida, that really goes through the fundamentals well. I will be there on Monday and will try to remember to post the title.

As for what the game is about. The history of skeet is all over the net. Basically it was a way to keep up your shooting skills when not hunting for fowl. They use to use live pigeons, but they became harder to find.

As well, now we use a half circle, it use to be a full circle at one point. :)
Just a FYI.
 
shooter inconsistency is usually synonymous with inconsistent form. We all been through it. and I continue to do so. Your score numbers generally plateau at some point and its tough to break into the next plateau.

Practice is the key to becoming consistent. If you have the availability, buy yourself a solo afternoon on a skeet range. Shoot 10 or 15 or? shots at each station. Dont rotate station. Just fire 10 from station 2, then move to 3 etc. I suspect that you are consistent enough with stn 1 and 7. Forget 8 for a while. Its a plateau you will have to overcome later. focus on 2 to 6. Repeated shooting at the same station will help you find your form and you will become consistent, in time.

If i shoot with newbies, i generally shoot ok and my confidence level goes up. If i shoot with experienced shooters, I shoot some of my highest numbers but I am usually at the bottom of the scoreboard, and my confidence level drops.

Poor confidence breaks my form. Competition increases my plateau. Everyone is different with the confidence and competition thing. You will feel your own way through that one.

shooting often is the key, and find your form and practice to keep it. tust me......... haha
 
bucketboy said:
hi there

i am new to skeet shooting and im having trouble consistantly breaking targets. I have been able to break targets at every station just not all on the same day LOL wondered if there was any advice or things i should know . Have been working on my stance having my weight forward, having my middle facing the stake, got coloured glasses etc. short of operator error i m really not sure what i m doing wrong. on top of all of this i really do not understand what the game is about. is there something you can suggest avalable to read to understand the game. also is it better to shoot with better shooters or try to hang with amatures like myself until i learn / practice more.
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The first 100,000 targets are the hardest ones. Seriously. The best way to get consistent is to shoot lots*.

*- If you are going to shoot lots, make sure you are practicing well, and not reinforcing mistakes. One thing you can do is focus on only a few stations at a time. It may help you concentrate on doing everything right, reinforce it, and start working on muscle memory.

Get someone knowledgeable to coach you. Be very careful in who you choose, because a lot of people claim to be experts.

I am concerned that you mention you are pointing your middle to the stake. Generally that would give you a stance that is too open, and not optimal. Generally (again), right hand shooters should be pointing their belly at the low house chute, left handers at the high house chute.

See if you can track down Todd Bender's instructional DVDs.

It is MUCH better to shoot with shooters who are better than you. It can be frustrating at times, but you will end up better for it.

There are some sites out there that have Skeet info on them, but it is typically better to talk to someone.

Feel free to ask any questions here. Let me know where you are, and I can try to put you into contact with someone who can give you first hand info.

Brad.
 
bmcrae said:
Generally (again), right hand shooters should be pointing their belly at the low house chute, left handers at the high house chute.
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You're the master, but are you sure about this? I am right handed, but if I did as you say, from 2,3,4,5,and 6, I would have no room to move on any low targets? I generally stand for my planned break point, but if I did not have a plan, belly towards the centre stake would be a good compromise.
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Covey Ridge said:
You're the master, but are you sure about this? I am right handed, but if I did as you say, from 2,3,4,5,and 6, I would have no room to move on any low targets? I generally stand for my planned break point, but if I did not have a plan, belly towards the centre stake would be a good compromise.
Click to expand...

That is the the general 'rule' to produce the most optimal results, but there are always exceptions. There are a few things that you also have to do (like pivot on your front food).

If swinging on a low house (right to left) and you point your belly at the centre stake, and you break the bird between 15ft either side of said stake, you may encounter some shoulder roll from being so 'early' in your natural swing.

It would be easier to show you in person.

As I mentioned though, there are always exceptions, and there are many different ways to do it.

Brad.
Click to expand...
 
Covey Ridge said:
You're the master, but are you sure about this? I am right handed, but if I did as you say, from 2,3,4,5,and 6, I would have no room to move on any low targets? I generally stand for my planned break point, but if I did not have a plan, belly towards the centre stake would be a good compromise.
Click to expand...
A right hander swings to his left easier than his right, that is why you point your belt buckle at the low house, and vice versa.
Same as trap, you need to be able to unwind to your off side, so, on station 5, your set up fro thre far right hand peg and swing back to the house, THEN call for the bird.
You are then swinging easier for the hard right handers, and a hard left on station 1 is actually almost straight away for you, so you can move to your strong side easier.
Cat
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Brad and Cat,
I know you are probably right on this in general. When I point my buckle to the low house, the left to right is certainly easier, but I seem to get bound up in my right to left. I am more than a little stiff in my lower back and do not pivot well, as Brad suggests. On post 5 trap I do stand for the extreme right break and am able to take the left or straigt without a pivot on my fore foot or is that food? Love post 5 trap.
 
Covey Ridge said:
Brad and Cat,
I know you are probably right on this in general. When I point my buckle to the low house, the left to right is certainly easier, but I seem to get bound up in my right to left. I am more than a little stiff in my lower back and do not pivot well, as Brad suggests. On post 5 trap I do stand for the extreme right break and am able to take the left or straigt without a pivot on my fore foot or is that food? Love post 5 trap.
Click to expand...
Ya gotta do what my father tought me
" start off where you want to end up"
So, say, you are on station five.
you are positioned so your belt buckle is pointed right at the low house.
You want to break the bird before it crosses halfway, so point your gun a little PAST half , and come back to the high house .
Call for the bird, and swing.

On the low house, same thing only a little past halfway on the high house side - swing back to the low house, call for the bird, and presto!:D
I think also that too many guys do way too many false swings and warm ups on the station.
Set your feet, swing your body to where you want to end up without the gun up, put the gun up, swing back to the house and call for the bird.
Too much messing around gets you thinking too much!!:D
I use a gun down position, mind you, because I use skeet as shotgun practise for bird hunting, not for the sport of skeet in itself.
Cat
 
Covey Ridge said:
Brad and Cat,
I know you are probably right on this in general. When I point my buckle to the low house, the left to right is certainly easier, but I seem to get bound up in my right to left. I am more than a little stiff in my lower back and do not pivot well, as Brad suggests. On post 5 trap I do stand for the extreme right break and am able to take the left or straigt without a pivot on my fore foot or is that food? Love post 5 trap.
Click to expand...

At the end of the day, you've got to do what works for you. The advice given is more directed at newer shooters. It based on optimal body positions for the location that you are supposed to break the bird. It is VERY difficult to get shooters who have already shot their first 100,000 targets to change (I've done it as a result of coaching and it's mentally exhausting).

Brad
 
Foot position, belly button to the hole, etc., etc., I've found to be important only in as much as it gives one a "bench mark" or place from which to work. Good technique in this respect will not hamper you in your efforts, but will help promote a smooth, unconstrained swing.

Making sure of your gun fit & balance and gun mounting technique ... the basic mechanics ... are paramount to finding improvement. Moreover, consitencies in your hold points, target acquisition and break-points go a long way to freeing-up your mind to actually concentrate on the target.

An experianced shooter can help you with whether or not you're rolling your shoulders, lifting your head, swinging with your arms, stopping the gun etc., but as Brad cautioned, watch who you pick ! Not all are particularly skilled in diagnosing fault/correction, even if they shoot well themselves. There are some reasonably good shooters who are excellent coaches ... and some really good shooters who are p-poor coaches !

As several have mentioned, lots of shooting will help, but try to correct poor technique early-on ... it will be easier to solve now than later.
 
catnthehatt said:
I use a gun down position, mind you, because I use skeet as shotgun practise for bird hunting, not for the sport of skeet in itself.
Cat
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I shoot gun down as well and I also do not shoot skeet for the sport itself. I do not always try for an optimum shot. I also practice hitting them before they get to the sweet spot and after they get past the sweet spot. In sporting one often has to get used to taking at least one target before or after it gets to the sweet spot to ensure the pair.

Cat, I will try you suggestions next time out. There can be no harm in doing it like the skeet shooters do as well:D
 
Covey Ridge said:
I shoot gun down as well and I also do not shoot skeet for the sport itself. I do not always try for an optimum shot. I also practice hitting them before they get to the sweet spot and after they get past the sweet spot. In sporting one often has to get used to taking at least one target before or after it gets to the sweet spot to ensure the pair.

Cat, I will try you suggestions next time out. There can be no harm in doing it like the skeet shooters do as well:D
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It works for most, but like BMcrae mentioned, ya gotta go with what works!!

I have a friend who is a VERY good clays and skeet shooter, but becausee of physical handicaps, he has to go through a whole series of contortions to get the gun up.
he concentrates WAY more on his hand psotion than his body, that's for sure!!
I sometimes start with the gun right down by my side, and when alone, or with a friend, sometimes even bring my layout blind with me!!:D
Cat
 
I see a lot of (Skeet & some Sporting) shooter's who like to shoot "gun down" ... and can apreciate "why" and "where they're coming from" ... but for the life of me - where they hold their gun in the "ready position" if you will - well, there's just no way they carry their gun like that in the field. Although a few shoot well enough, they really could use a little help.

By all means adopt a gun down position to help with your field shooting, but the butt placed flat against a hip or even tucked in under an armpit ... seriously, do you hunt that way ??? If you do, you'll catch me LMAO if I see you out thrashing about in a grouse covert ;)
 
I do most of my shooting from what I call gun down. My gun is not really down, but it is not premounted or on my shoulder. When I shoot targets I am in a very ready position. My gun off the shoulder has nothing to do with practice for hunting. Just me, but I think I can get a better view and read on most targets before I insert the gun. I no longer worry the way others choose to address the target.
 
beretta boy said:
I see a lot of (Skeet & some Sporting) shooter's who like to shoot "gun down" ... and can apreciate "why" and "where they're coming from" ... but for the life of me - where they hold their gun in the "ready position" if you will - well, there's just no way they carry their gun like that in the field. Although a few shoot well enough, they really could use a little help.

By all means adopt a gun down position to help with your field shooting, but the butt placed flat against a hip or even tucked in under an armpit ... seriously, do you hunt that way ??? If you do, you'll catch me LMAO if I see you out thrashing about in a grouse covert ;)
Click to expand...
Not me, mine's ALL THE WAY down, or at port arms like I'm moving in on a pointer.
When I did shoot NSSA I started with the gun up.
My father called for the bird with the gun slightly off his shoulder so he could acquire the bird quicker.
It worked for him very well, not so much for others, I think.
International skeet was a different matter all together!!:D
Cat
 
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