Sustained lead or swing through...?

TReX300

TReX300

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I got talking about this the other day at the club with a few guys. What do you guys prefer? A sustained where you swing through the target until you get the lead you want then keep following at that lead and pull the trigger OR a swing through lead where you are constantly pulling away from the target and when get to the correct amount pulled the trigger.
I have a hard time with a sustained lead. I'm always wanting to stop the gun when I pull the trigger. I shoot much better when I get out infront and just keep going.

Tim
 
I'm not sure if you've got things backwards....or it's just a misunderstanding on my part of your terminology.

"A sustained where you swing through the target until you get the lead you want "

In my definition of a sustained lead you never "swing through" the target. The barrel is ahead of the target all the time...maintaining the lead taking the target to your "kill zone".

I prefer sustained lead on all targets. However...one must be able to use a swing through method as well at times when a target beats you and gets ahead of the gun. Only target that beats me from time to time is 6 low in skeet. That's when I will use the swing through method.

Using the sustained lead all the time gives me a feeling of being in control of the target.....leading it to where I want to break it. If I get a late start and a target beats me...such as 6 low....I feel I've lost control and have to react...chase and swing through to shoot it. Not my favorite thing to do....but not the end of the world when I have to.
 
I am not sure what I do. I swing and follow through. If it is a hard right bird I sometimes "twist" in a downward motion to keep my head on the stock.

Jacky
 
Sustained lead for skeet. Swing through for trap. Both for sporting clays with the addition of pull away. Some targets are easier to hit with a specific shooting technique.

If I had to pick one it would be swing through. It works for just about any target although isn't always the best choice.
 
I use a sustained lead (skeet). It is harder to learn than swing through, but once you figure sustained out, it is a higher percentage shot. Competative skeet is all about making higher percentage shots. There are people who shoot excellent scores using swing through, but over time it costs them targets. FWIW, most of the top shooters in NSSA skeet use sustained lead.

Brad.
 
I use the swing through method for trap, and sustained lead for skeet. Sporting clays would depend on the particular target presentation. :)
 
Neera....to do it your way wouldnt you have to have your gun moving before you see the target if you want to have your gun always in front of it? Maybe I'm doing somethign wrong with that method which is why it doesn't seem to work for me.

Tim
 
Trex

Absolutely not. Rarely if ever will my gun move before I see the target. Moving one's gun before the target emerges can often be a recipe for disaster. Where you hold the gun and where you look for the target are extremely important. And having the discipline to keep that gun still until you see the target is a must but only comes with time and practice.

Please keep in mind I only shoot skeet....no other disciplines. So I won't speak about trap or sporting. At my club I see many who start the gun before the target emerges and more often than not, it gets them into trouble. Rarely will you see the more experienced, registered skeet shooters start their guns before seeing the target.

If you're not sure about using this method and want to learn to do it properly I suggest you:

a. hook up with an experienced shooter who uses sustained lead to help you

b. buy Bender's video

c. do both of the above...and practice, practice, practice.

Good luck.
 
I played around with that method today a bit. I could never keep my gun ahead of the target though unless I was holding almost over the center stake. Holding closer to the house I always ended up behind the target and then would swing past to the lead I though was correct keep it there and pull the trigger. Almost everytime I would stop the gun.
I ended up going back to my swing through....pass..... then keep going method and did much better. I'm not a real big skeet shooter. I mainly shoot trap and some sporting clays.
I also played around with some 5/8oz 12ga loads today that I've been developing. They worked great on the skeet field. But thats a whole other thread still to come.

Tim
 
TReX300 said:
..... I could never keep my gun ahead of the target though unless I was holding almost over the center stake.
Click to expand...

With sustained lead, you have to find the right hold point, mount your gun, look back to the house (without moving your head off of the stock) and then call for the bird.

The trick is looking back for the bird so that it doesn't 'beat' you out of the chute. Finding the correct hold point also has a lot to do with it.

In reality it is a lot of things going though your head at once, and it takes a bit of time to get proficient.


TReX300 said:
I ended up going back to my swing through....pass..... then keep going method and did much better. I'm not a real big skeet shooter. I mainly shoot trap and some sporting clays.
Click to expand...
You've got to pick a method that works for you. There is nothing wrong with using swing through. Sustained lead does take a lot of practice to figure out. Neera's advice is pretty solid. If you can, find an experienced shooter to help you on the field. Bender's video is excellent for learning sustained lead. It helped me a lot with my game. From there, as I've told many people, shoot several thousand targets.

TReX300 said:
I also played around with some 5/8oz 12ga loads today that I've been developing. They worked great on the skeet field. But thats a whole other thread still to come.
Click to expand...
That sounds pretty cool. 5/8oz puts it between 28ga and .410. Keep us up to date on this one.

Brad.
 
You've got to pick a method that works for you. There is nothing wrong with using swing through
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree. If anyone tries to convince you that method "a" is the only method you should use then I'd have to disagree with that. Maybe it is....maybe it isn't. Method "a" simply may not be for you for any number of reasons.

Of the different methods out there, sustained is likely the most popular and widely used by the more accomplished shooters. However.....it would be wise to learn to use all methods because on any given day...on any given target....sure as hell there's going to be a situation arise sooner or later when one will have to resort to something different than what they "normally" do. And having all the tools in your bag of tricks to fall back on when necessary is a must.

Plain and simple fact of the matter is not everyone can shoot using the sustained method. Proper mechanics/technique are a must to use it successfully, but....other things like one's reflexes, eyesight, hand/eye coordination all come into play as well.

I'm a firm believer in trying different things and giving them each a fair chance but by the same token...I'm also a firm believer in doing what works for YOU. Whether that's sustained, swing through, pull ahead, or any combination of all of the above......or standing on your head and pooping a golf ball while shooting :eek: If you can hit targets consistently using whatever method....then stick with it.

Good luck.
 
Spend some time and explore all the methods. Sustained generally works best for "gun-up" Skeet and a good majority of Sporting Clays and 5 Stand, however .... (there's always one of those, ain't there) a combination of styles is often used by the better shooters to achieve a certain result on specific types or presentatation of targets.
 
I tried the sustained lead today on the trap range. It actually worked quite well for me not really any better than my regular method but it worked better then when I was on the skeet field yesterday. Shot a 97 on singles and 94 from handicap (23 1/2 yrds). That around normal for me but I found that I seemd to be a bit smoother on my swing than normal. I'll have to give it some more time and see what happens.

Tim

Ps...the 5/8oz worked great on doubles. Shot a 49/50 with 5/8oz of #8 1/2 for my first shot.
 
Good advice from all !
Sustained lead seems to be the preferred method for "gun up" Skeet ( and the
method I use most) however, a number of Sporting & 5 Stand targets are much easier to hit consistantly with a Swing Through method ( most rabbit targets, especially those close-in, and springing teal immediately come to mind.) Never had much luck with the pull ahead method, though a buddy swears by it and scores well. ( Watching him closely from behind a number of times, I'd just as much swear he's using swing through, I never see his gun pointed right at the target, he's invariably ahead of it ... but he says otherwise )
HEADLINE: Use what works best for you ! ( and yes, experiment with them all, trying your best to adapt to certain targets when you need to ) and by all means, Shoot Lots ! Practice with a purpose ! It will pay off when it comes to Tournament Time.
 
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I don't know about you guys...

I usually swing through the target until I get ahead of it, then keep a sustained lead until my finger finally gets the message from my brain to pull the dam trigger! :redface:
 
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