Make sure your dominant eye hasn't changed on you. Make a pie shape by holding your thumbs and index fingers together. With both eyes open, put something far away in the middle of the pie. Close one eye at a time and determine which one is "winning".
Can't hit s---.
- Thread starter vega
- Start date
A little off topic here... but I'm right handed and left eye dominant. I am too lazy to change stance as I think eye dominancy is not that important.
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I am willing to bet depth perception on your eyes has changed enough to throw everything off. Same reason we loose our ability to catch flyballs timing is off simply due to sight and response time, between seeing, registering, commanding muscle to fire, and muscle firing, not rocket science, just life
It's very kind of all of you to offer your dx's. I am pretty much aware of all this stuff, I worked in the business for 15 years and bought and sold one hell of a lot of shotguns and got lotso guys into it. I understand the mechanics of fit, the various shooting methods, all of that stuff, I also have 4 really nice doubles with lops from 13.5 to 15 inches, I think I understand fit pretty well, I was tutored by some very knowledgeable old fellows as I was coming up. I have tested all of them for regulation and patterning and they are all good in that department.
I've just developed some unknown bad habit from rifles, and I will just have to keep shooting till I can dx it. I remember that down on the Coast in the old days, after a goodly time of shooting pistols and rifles it would take me a good while to get back on to skatterguns and vice versa. I think this may well just be more of the same but in an exponentially more extreme way give the number of years gone past and the long time away from shotguns. It's weird though because about three years ago we were out hunting and busted a covey of grouse along a skidder trail. My partner bailed out with this hideous clunky old 20 gauge and missed three in a row. He then let me have a go and I knocked down two no problem. Why I could do it that day and not now is what is driving me a bit nuts.
Just one of those weird things that happens in shooting, I'm sure I'll get it in time. Thanks again.
I've just developed some unknown bad habit from rifles, and I will just have to keep shooting till I can dx it. I remember that down on the Coast in the old days, after a goodly time of shooting pistols and rifles it would take me a good while to get back on to skatterguns and vice versa. I think this may well just be more of the same but in an exponentially more extreme way give the number of years gone past and the long time away from shotguns. It's weird though because about three years ago we were out hunting and busted a covey of grouse along a skidder trail. My partner bailed out with this hideous clunky old 20 gauge and missed three in a row. He then let me have a go and I knocked down two no problem. Why I could do it that day and not now is what is driving me a bit nuts.
Just one of those weird things that happens in shooting, I'm sure I'll get it in time. Thanks again.
You need to go back to basics for shooting clays. Proper stance, gun position, eye on the target and lead. I suggest checking out Todd Bender's DVDs. "Todd Bender’s Winning with the Fundamentals in Skeet". He will show the basics and 3 different views of a single clay shot from every station including a really cool "eye cam" which looks directly down the barrel for the shot. it helped me a ton with improving my game and I watch it every couple of months. http://bendershima.com
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I'd venture to guess that the reason you nailed those two birds a couple years back was due to the shot being instinctive, and reactionary, no thinking just point and shoot. My wife got a new 20 gauge Rem 1100 from a good board member here about 8 months back, very first shot with a shotgun, ever, on her first clay she smoked it. Probably had floated to about 40 yards by this point too, and was sinking fast. I figured it was a gonner, but then she snapped it and nailed it with zero instruction except how to hold the gun. All I was hoping for was to show her what to expect.
After that first one, my instructions increased, and she began over thinking it, it became much harder to break clays with all the directions running through her head. Next time I take her out, I won't say a word, I'll just start sending clays up and let her figure it out, intuitively. Over thinking anything, especially with such a small window of opportunity can cloud things up pretty well.
Now, just to throw in some advice and more to think about...
The second most typical miss scenario behind stopping the swing I've noticed with shotguns on clays or birds from people who know how shoot is over-leading. Get to thinking more lead is necessary than actually is, due to over thinking.
After that first one, my instructions increased, and she began over thinking it, it became much harder to break clays with all the directions running through her head. Next time I take her out, I won't say a word, I'll just start sending clays up and let her figure it out, intuitively. Over thinking anything, especially with such a small window of opportunity can cloud things up pretty well.
Now, just to throw in some advice and more to think about...
The second most typical miss scenario behind stopping the swing I've noticed with shotguns on clays or birds from people who know how shoot is over-leading. Get to thinking more lead is necessary than actually is, due to over thinking.trapandhunt
Regular
- Location
- the rock (nl)
Try to patern the gun on a sheet cardboard.Then make sure you are not closing ur eye if u shoot both ees open. and try and make sure u follow through after shot
Well, I wuz out again today and did real good. Two hits out of 75 hand thrown birds.
I also think I might have figured out some of the problem. I am lifting my head, flinching like a school girl behind a howitzer, stopping my swing at the shot, shooting consistently high and having my master eye obscured by my glasses. That shouldn't be too hard to fix in another shoot or two eh?
I also think I might have figured out some of the problem. I am lifting my head, flinching like a school girl behind a howitzer, stopping my swing at the shot, shooting consistently high and having my master eye obscured by my glasses. That shouldn't be too hard to fix in another shoot or two eh?
For every problem - and you have them all - there is a solution. You need training from a qualified instructor. AND a 20 ga. gas gun.
99% of good shotgunning is gun fit. If the gun doesn't fit you properly, you will never hit anything with it. There are several good videos on you-tube describing how the gun should fit. One simple way is to close your eyes and snap the gun up a few times. When the gun is up, open your eyes. Are you looking down the barrel ? Is your eye above the shooting plane? This is a simpel way to check gun fit.
If there are no instructors locally, then make a trip into 'the big city' sometime with your gun and go to the local trap/skeet range and make the appointment for lessons. Spend the whole day. Take notes. Learn what YOU are doing wrong and how YOU can fix it. Then you can go home and practise.
Keep your cheek down HARD on the stock.
Shoot lighter shells, get a better recoil pad, or change guns entirely to eliminate the flinch.
Put a piece of clear scotch tape on your glasses over your LEFT eye to reinforce the dominant eye picture.
Practise swinging through the target - left arm extended on the forearm and elbow of the trigger arm straight out from the shoulder, not tucked down by your ribs.
Shoot the gun at large sheets of paper to determine where it hits compared to where you are aiming.
Keep your cheek down HARD on the stock.
Shoot lighter shells, get a better recoil pad, or change guns entirely to eliminate the flinch.
Put a piece of clear scotch tape on your glasses over your LEFT eye to reinforce the dominant eye picture.
Practise swinging through the target - left arm extended on the forearm and elbow of the trigger arm straight out from the shoulder, not tucked down by your ribs.
Shoot the gun at large sheets of paper to determine where it hits compared to where you are aiming.
sir_springer
Regular
- Location
- East Kootenays
I'm the same.
I close my left eye when shooting, shotgun or rifle, and all things being equal, I'm not a bad shot with either. For the life of me I can't figure out how anyone can shoot anything with both eyes open! But then that's probably because I'm not aiming with my dominant eye...
Well boys, I'm finally back on the trail. Went out today again after much thinking, and was hitting good.
What I had been doing was to hold my head TOO MUCH down on the stock so that I was getting an oblique angle on the target rather than looking at it from a more front-on perspective. Definitely got that from the rifle shooting. Man, feels good to get this worked out. I was dusting them. Ahhhh.
What I had been doing was to hold my head TOO MUCH down on the stock so that I was getting an oblique angle on the target rather than looking at it from a more front-on perspective. Definitely got that from the rifle shooting. Man, feels good to get this worked out. I was dusting them. Ahhhh.
To shoot a shotgunh well there are two basic potential problems that have to solved. One is lenghth of pull and the other is where does the gun shoot relative to where you look.
The length of pull is important because a poor fit will lead to al sorts of recoil problems. Such as lifting your head and flinching when you pull the trigger. If you've shot lots of heavy rifles over the years this could be a problem.
Pattern the gun!! It may not shoot where you look. A host of stock problems may be the culprit. Finally go to a gun club and shoot some clays. It will help with gun handeling, familiarity and help you read target speed and distance.
If yopu are able find a local pro shooter and take some lessons. It is always the shortest route to solving many problems.
Cheers NSCA 507622
The length of pull is important because a poor fit will lead to al sorts of recoil problems. Such as lifting your head and flinching when you pull the trigger. If you've shot lots of heavy rifles over the years this could be a problem.
Pattern the gun!! It may not shoot where you look. A host of stock problems may be the culprit. Finally go to a gun club and shoot some clays. It will help with gun handeling, familiarity and help you read target speed and distance.
If yopu are able find a local pro shooter and take some lessons. It is always the shortest route to solving many problems.
Cheers NSCA 507622
