New Gun, Now Missing Certain Targets

Maritime Storm

Maritime Storm

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Decided to upgrade from my Benelli Nova to an O/U, spent some time finding one that fit me and my needs. The pattern board tells me the fit is right, the patterns from both barrels at 25yrds are almost exactly where the Benelli printed, with patterns from the Cyl & I/C chokes consistent size wise. So here's the question, why is it all of sudden I can't touch a target on High 2 & High 8? Is it just that I'm not use to the new gun and need more practise or is there another cause. The pattern size and POI are very close to the old gun so in theory I should be hitting the same place with the O/U that I was with the slide action. Thoughts?
 
Give it some time. You may be looking at the new barrels, as the picture is now different. Try closing your eyes and mount the gun in front of a mirror. Open your eyes and the gun should be exactly right. If not it may need some adjustments. Also you may want to try the same with the old gun, if you still have it, and see if the picture is the same for both guns. My two cents anyway!!!
 
Surprised L6 isn't giving you difficulties as well. You don't say so, but are likely shooting behind.

I would hazard a guess the O/U may be a little more barrel heavy and balances differently than your Benelli pump.
Have an experienced shooter watch closely to see if you are consistently behind, over, under or ahead of the targets you have trouble with.
If behind, as I suspect, try moving your hold point out a little more for H2 & H8 and see if that helps.

If I have troubles with a particular target, I wait till a field is vacant, enlist the aid of a helper, and shoot nothing but a box or two at that
particular station until I'm getting consistent hits again. If something is out of kilter ( foot position, hold point, break point, apparent lead,
whatever ... change it up. Remember the old saying " Insanity is doing the same thing, the same way, and expecting a different result ! "

Try a little good coaching and some focused practice before making any gun changes.
 
I could write pages upon pages of reasons you may be missing, but they would be of little use without more information.

Get someone you trust to watch what you are doing.

Are you shooting over? behind? etc......

Without a lot more specific knowledge it is nearly impossible to point you in the right direction.

An O/U is probably more front heavy than a single bbl shotgun. Maybe you aren't reacting quick enough with the extra weight (both of the targets you mention are quick reaction type targets).

Find out where you are missing, and if possible why you are missing and go from there.

Switching guns takes some time...

Brad.
 
How many rounds have you put through the new gun? I was once told that it can take up to a thousand rounds before you are equally comfortable with as new gun as you were with its predecessor.

Stick with it. Eventually you will make the adjustments to the new gun. It might be a different swing, eye hold, foot position or gun hold. Try different things. Don't let it get into your head in the meantime.
 
Claybuster said:
How many rounds have you put through the new gun? I was once told that it can take up to a thousand rounds before you are equally comfortable with as new gun as you were with its predecessor.

Stick with it. Eventually you will make the adjustments to the new gun. It might be a different swing, eye hold, foot position or gun hold. Try different things. Don't let it get into your head in the meantime.
Click to expand...

If not 10,000.

One thing I've seen a lot is when a guy has a gun for a long time that "fits" him well and goes and buys another gun that "fits" well, but his face is mounted on the stock in a totally different fashion to make it "fit"

This could be your problem. Just because a gun feels like it fits doesn't mean it actually does.

I think your sight picture has been altered from one gun to the next and you are having difficulty picking up the target, if you aren't getting any recoil in the face, I'd say don't change the stock yet, just shoot it for a while.
 
6 boxes through so far. Beretta; I was thinking of doing just that, putting a box through it just on those 2 stations. So far Low 6 hasn't been an issue. BMcRae; According the coach that I shoot with with on High 2 he tells me I'm over in front. Hard to tell on High8 but that one surprises me I usually have no issues on Station 8. If I close my eyes and shoulder the gun my sight picture looks correct, this is also how I patterned the gun, at 25yrds the pattern is barely above the centerline of the pattern board. I figured my issue is not being used to a stack barrel, as I've never owned one before.
 
High 8 should be fairly easy to fix. Just spend a box there trying different leads / sight pictures on the shot. Once you figure out what the picture is that smokes them you'll know what your move needs to be and where you miss when you do miss. The other ones, now that's an issue I'll never figure out.
 
I got out yesterday, started off with a regular round, when I got to Station 2 I moved back to the right rear of the pad, moved my hold point out 3' towards the center peg from normal and proceeded to break all 4 targets with authority to finish with a 21. Shot 2 more rounds, did not miss a target on 2, missed one low 8, I did miss targets on different stations throughout the afternoon, but nothing consistent. The weather wasn't exactly co-operating with us either, moderate winds in intermittent heavy rain. I think I just needed to get used to the new gun in the end.
 
Glad to hear it's working out for you !

I don't know that position on the pad makes much difference ... whether on the corners or in the middle. At every station, I just
plunk myself square in the middle of the pad. Particular foot placement and how one faces the target however does certainly make a difference for me.
Most important you don't "bind yourself up" i.e., constrict your swing, from target sighting - to acquisition - to break point ... it should be smooth
and natural ... with your shoulders square all the way through. Rolling a shoulder down can be a hard habit to break !

Keep up with your new hold point, it seems to be working for you. As to Low 8 ... can't remember the last time I missed one, but have ! Helped me
a lot to get it through my thick head to swing smoothly, more originating from the waist and not so much using the arms. I tell myself to swing
"upwards" more than horizontally. More than anything, finding the right hold point for Low 8 and visualizing the target path to the break point seems
key for me. Another lesson learned from long ago ... don't rush calling for your option at Low 8 .. the Referee or target puller may not realize you're
straight and have another target to shoot ... sure can upset your timing !!!

Good luck with the new O/U ... hope it treats you well !
 
The movement to the back right corner of the pad is something Chris Batha has commented on, so I figured I'd try it. According to him, it gives one an extra yard of visual pick-up on the target. Take it with a grain of salt.
 
Who am I to disagree with Chris ... a very well-respected fitter, coach & shooter. I just don't find it makes any difference in my shooting.

If "one more yard" of extra visual pick up on a skeet target is crucial ... my eye-sight and reflexes are shot ... probably time to retire !

Many times in coaching I've heard the complaint that High 8 or Low 8 is "so difficult to hit because it's so close & so fast ! "
My response has often been to walk half way back to say, Low 8, call for the Low House Bird and break it befor it gets to me, just to
demonstrate that "it ain't that fast or unhittable" from it's proper station ( an I always stand in the middle of that station too ! )

I've watched a great many shooters taking pains to get their feet positioned "just so" on a station then go into some kind of contorted
"crap crouch" and mis the bird anyway. To simplify things for myself years ago, I adopted a pretty comfortable stance and only took
the time to make sure I had an easily replicated foot position, for each station, for my hold point - through swing - to break point.
I don't change (as many do) my foot position from High house to Low house to Doubles on any station. Just clutters things up.

While I'm no Batha or Bender, or even an "AA" competitor like Brad McRae, I still manage a respectable average in the mid-to-high
90's, can and often do shoot 2 or 3 straight rounds most days and have "run them" in competition.

Just saying what works for me ... and might for you too. Another grain of salt. Cheers ! :)

Oh yeah, and what Braid said. " It takes time " a lot of shells & a lot of targets !
 
Again grain of salt, I shoot with one trained coach and 4 AA shooters regularly, all have helped get me this far. I thing I have learned is to take what they are telling me and try to mould it to what works for me. Watching these shooters, each has they're own style, posture and habits that help them achieve they're goal on a given round, and what works for them, may or may not work for me or someone else as each of us have our own physical attributes that can change what we can physically do. Some of us can bend or twist our bodies further than others, some have back or shoulder issues that influence our swing causing us to correct in ways others may not. Station 8 is a great example of this one, some of the older shooters can get turned as far around on high 8 as I can, so they've adapted to turning their body closer to the house and shooting that target faster than I can do. Some targets I break them faster than I should, others I break later than I should. It's all a learning game that takes many flats to obtain.
 
Yup ! Each to his own at his own speed. And good to have an experianced shooter help every now and then to overcome
any current struggles.

Over the years, High 2 and Low 5 have bitten me on occasion, but those difficulties have been pretty much cured.

I do fine in most weather, including the cold, and even seem to excel when it's windy. Really hot, humid weather gives me trouble. especially
when the sweat starts running into your eyes (and everywhere else !) Shooting in Saskatoon or Edmonton when it's +28 or so is a breeze
compared to the Lower Great Lakes area when the humidity is up in the 80's or beyond !

My approach is pretty much K.I.S.S. ... coupled with not overthinking the game. That and consistancy have been very positive influences.
Learning to turn the concentration and focus on & off has been a big help too.

Good luck with your new gun. I'm sure you'll get more comfortable with it after you've run a few flats through it.
 
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