Flash light practice

C

Celine

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Please accept my apology for the dumb question.
While stuck at home, I start practicing my gun mount with a flashlight in the lower barrel.
I used the figure 8 beads as reference to follow along the edge of the ceiling.
I noticed that the light shined approx 4-6" below where I pt at (edge of the ceiling). I was standing approx. 20ft away from the wall.
My question:
1. Is it normal to shine under where I aim/pt at?
2. Should it shine above the barrel if my trap gun supposes to shoot 70/30? (Couple months ago, someone offered to adjust my comb. After that, it never feel right anymore.)
3. If not normal, should I adjust the comb to higher or lower?
Thank you in advance.
 
I think all that really tells you is how crooked your flashlight might be. Not sure if you're putting it in the muzzle or if it's small enough to fit in an empty case and then get chambered but either way it's not a reliable indicator of actual POI.

Have you patterned your gun yet with the loads you shoot regularly?
 
exactly, if the flashlight is below the barrel, i would assume it point low. find a flashlight that fits in the bottom or top barrel. it would be more accurate for an idea, but pattern board for sure before to play with comb and stock modifications.
 
The Gil Ash flashlight drill has nothing to do with point of impact - hi / low or otherwise. The mini mag fit's the barrel way too loose to be of any value in that regard. The drill is to develop a smooth and consistent mount. Ignore the barrel and the beads - focusing only on the flashlight focus spot. Start with the gun low (butt at your ribs or so) with the muzzle (flashlight beam) pointing at the edge of the ceiling. As you mount the gun to your cheek and start tracking horizontally, the gun should not see-saw up and down and the light should stay on the line from start of the mount and throughout the move. Start very slow and deliberate and do enough reps that the muscle memory becomes ingrained.

Also look up and practice the three bullet drill. It teaches you to focus somewhere other than where the gun is pointing (which you need to do to lead a target). Both of these can been seen described on video at ospschool.com or by searching Gil Ash on youtube.

The other thing these drills do is keep you limbered up. When this isolation is over, there are going to be a lot of old coots badly seized up for a while.
 
Thanks everyone's advise.
I thought something wrong of my gun. Thank God I asked all the experts in here.
The flashlight was snug fitted into the lower barrel.
I patterned my gun last Summer. It shot 70/30.
I will continue to practice my gun mount as usual. I'm definitely interested in any methods to improve the consistency of my gun mounting.
 
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I got a 12 GA laser bore sighter off Amazon and use it for mounting and pointing practice. I found it's been helpful for me to keep my eye on the target (dots on the wall) and fight the tendency to look at the beads. My gun shoots 60/40, so just a little higher than where the laser indicates, but probably not enough to make a difference. The biggest difference for me is learning to point naturally and feeling the gun. Keep in mind, I'm a new shooter and this drill may not benefit someone more experienced.

The bore sighter fits nicely in the barrel and doesn't add any unnatural weight. The only issue is there isn't an on/off switch so you have to remove the batteries every time.
 
ezsqueezy said:
I got a 12 GA laser bore sighter off Amazon and use it for mounting and pointing practice. I found it's been helpful for me to keep my eye on the target (dots on the wall) and fight the tendency to look at the beads. My gun shoots 60/40, so just a little higher than where the laser indicates, but probably not enough to make a difference. The biggest difference for me is learning to point naturally and feeling the gun. Keep in mind, I'm a new shooter and this drill may not benefit someone more experienced.

The bore sighter fits nicely in the barrel and doesn't add any unnatural weight. The only issue is there isn't an on/off switch so you have to remove the batteries every time.
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Thanks for your advice. I'm also in a learning stage. I may explore this option. It has been so boring sitting at home w out shooting.
 
That’s too bad. The local club here has remained open. Hopefully we all get out of this mess soon!

The bore sighter coupled orange dot stickers on the wall has been good practice for me at home. Good luck!
 
I had never heard of Gil Ash, or his flashlight drill before Rob! mentioned it earlier in the thread.
Someone just brought it up on trapshooters.com and it was interesting to see what the general opinion of his teaching was on that site...
 
Gil and Vicky Ash are US instructors of mostly sporting clays, they do coach in trap and skeet as well, they also monthly column in Clay Target Nation. They have some videos on Youtube.
 
stripperclipper said:
I had never heard of Gil Ash, or his flashlight drill before Rob! mentioned it earlier in the thread.
Someone just brought it up on trapshooters.com and it was interesting to see what the general opinion of his teaching was on that site...
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Yes, interesting, not surprising.
 
ezsqueezy said:
So it sounds like people on that forum were not fans.

Was it the content of what he teaches or the style of teaching?
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Beware people who think they have nothing left to learn. Decide for yourself.

I've spent two full day clinics with Gil Ash, and two private lessons with his son Brian. Now that's not enough time for huge improvements, but I consider time spent as least as well as any other instruction I've had. Also the website at ospschool.com is full of information - a lot of it free. The optional membership can be pricey, but half price every year Black Friday. Even the free stuff is well worth your time to check out.

I raised his name here because - if he didn't invent the flashlight and three bullet drill - he certainly was the one who popularized them and his videos of them would be a great resource for the OP trying to understand off season drills.
 
Thanks Rob. Good to get other opinions. I imagine two full-day clinics would be game-changing for many people, myself especially. Great that you had the opportunity to do that!
 
Video 4 of Gil Ash's series takes you through the flashlight drill using a mini maglite in your top barrel.

It is used in conjunction with the gun mounting technique.

Some neat little at home practice drills are shown.
 
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