nicknsd1978 Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Just when I thought things were starting to go in the right direction it seems to have all gone to pot. Shot at the weekend and got 28 out of 50 in sporting and then shot a round of skeet and got 16?....after starting to get 20 or 21 at skeet it's all gone pear shaped. I can't help thinking that I'm drawn towards looking at the bead. On my first ever lesson though I remember been told not to take my eye off the bead. A bead isn't there just for show and should be looked at at all times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenlivet Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 I never see the barrels, bead or anything else except the clay. I also never see lead, just trust in the mount and swing and shoot at the target. When my active brain gets involved it all goes t**ts up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Never look at the Bead: ONLY the Clay, Your arm does the aiming, look at the bead or Barrel you MISS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Do you shoot one or two eyes open? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknsd1978 Posted November 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 I normally shoot one eye only (right eye and also right handed) just been mounting it in the bedroom though and it seems allot more comfortable with both eyes open but that obviously looking in the corners of the room at close distance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 barrel watching is a killer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 This is a bit of a minefield as a lot of people do see lead ..... so you'll have to work out what's best for you. Looking at the bead is a recipe for disaster in my opinion, you 100% need to focus on the target. But you should also have an awareness of where the gun is in relationship to the target. These successful sight pictures build over time and enable you to clearly focus on the target and squeeze the trigger at the right moment. If you have no reason to close your left eye, don't close it! You'll see more, and that's useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzashadow Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 as per title, I think I focus on the sky I hit enough of it :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknsd1978 Posted November 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 How do you know if you have a need to shut your eye?....I guess it's just a case of trying it. Should you not be looking ahead of the target to see where you are going to shoot OR fully focus on the clay and as you say have the barrel/bead in your perhipihal vision as a blur? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Read the threads on dominant eye to understand that more, and yes ..... peripheral vision for sight picture whilst staring at the clay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Focus on the target constantly see the barrels in the peripheral vision but Never look at the bead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 As above. Your concentration should be 110% on the target. Who ever told you to look at the bead was totally wrong. If it bothers you then remove the bead; you don't need it. Golfers concentrate on the ball, not their club, and dart throwers don't concentrate on their hand, but the board. Likewise with cricketers and baseball players; all concentrate on the target. Saying all that, if your gun doesn't fit and your mount isn't consistent it wont matter where you look. This is where your mounting in the bedroom will pay dividends, and you can check for consistency if you do it in front of a mirror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenlivet Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 "This is where your mounting in the bedroom will pay dividends, and you can check for consistency if you do it in front of a mirror." Taken out of context this could be misconstrued Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 "This is where your mounting in the bedroom will pay dividends, and you can check for consistency if you do it in front of a mirror." Taken out of context this could be misconstrued I knew someone would. I was explaining 'dry mounting' to the wife of a mate last weekend and it was she who started laughing before I did...but only just. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timps Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 There are two main schools of thought, the most prominent is to focus on the clay 100% and to either see the barrels in peripheral vision or just kind of feel where they are. The second is to focus on the front edge of the clay to get the line then look in front of the clay to where you want the shot pattern to go just as you pull the trigger to take the shot. The second method does seem to be less popular but Richard Faulds and John Kruger have gone on record in magazines and / or posted on Internet forums stating they use this technique so it obviously works very well for them. I have never heard of anyone focusing on the bead though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Oooooh this is a minefield really as everyone is different in how they see lead or the relationship between target and gun, but the universal truth is that if you are a barrel/bead watcher then you are going to struggle. The best analogy that I heard is comparing it to driving a car, if you are driving then you are aware of the bonnet of a car, but you certainly don't look at it as you drive. You trust that where you are pointing the steering wheel the car will follow. When you learn to drive this is unnatural, you are acutely aware of where the front of the car is and your driving is really pretty pants as a result, but as you start to trust your ability you look forward ahead of the bonnet and your driving improves as your confidence/trust in your ability improves. Clay shooting is very similar, when you are confident about hitting a particular target then you don't think or care about the barrels/bead, you just point the gun where you know it needs to be and break the target. On presentations that are a bit tougher and you are not sure then you tend to aim the gun, your confidence is not so high as on familiar targets so you try your absolute best not to miss and as a result generally make a right hash of things. You need to have a spatial relationship between the barrel/bead and the target, even if you are not aware that you do, but sure as anything as soon as you start thinking about the relationship then it has the potential to go pear shaped. If it is any consolation a huge amount of shooters go through the dip that you are experiencing and very often they go through that a few times. As you get more experienced then you know enough to think about things a little bit more which can set you back, then you move beyond that and the cycle repeats. Keep shooting and keep smiling and don't fret about the short term Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Oooooh this is a minefield really as everyone is different in how they see lead or the relationship between target and gun, but the universal truth is that if you are a barrel/bead watcher then you are going to struggle. The best analogy that I heard is comparing it to driving a car, if you are driving then you are aware of the bonnet of a car, but you certainly don't look at it as you drive. You trust that where you are pointing the steering wheel the car will follow. When you learn to drive this is unnatural, you are acutely aware of where the front of the car is and your driving is really pretty pants as a result, but as you start to trust your ability you look forward ahead of the bonnet and your driving improves as your confidence/trust in your ability improves. Clay shooting is very similar, when you are confident about hitting a particular target then you don't think or care about the barrels/bead, you just point the gun where you know it needs to be and break the target. On presentations that are a bit tougher and you are not sure then you tend to aim the gun, your confidence is not so high as on familiar targets so you try your absolute best not to miss and as a result generally make a right hash of things. You need to have a spatial relationship between the barrel/bead and the target, even if you are not aware that you do, but sure as anything as soon as you start thinking about the relationship then it has the potential to go pear shaped. If it is any consolation a huge amount of shooters go through the dip that you are experiencing and very often they go through that a few times. As you get more experienced then you know enough to think about things a little bit more which can set you back, then you move beyond that and the cycle repeats. Keep shooting and keep smiling and don't fret about the short term An excellent post and explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 +1 to above. if you look at bead you will stop the gun.stare at the bird and brush it out of the sky,fire when your brain says fire...if your brain is saying oh what a lovely bead the bird has gone....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenlivet Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 I knew someone would. I was explaining 'dry mounting' to the wife of a mate last weekend and it was she who started laughing before I did...but only just. Dry mounting can be risky. #practicesafemounting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STOTTO Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) Gr,s post about sums it up, but it is also about eye accommodation, i.e. the eye cannot focus on more than one point of distance at a time. So if your focal point is the bead the clay is out of focus. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/accom.html The bead through gun mounting practise will be at a known point in relationship to your dominant eye and should therefore require no further verification when the shot is taken and will then appear as a blurred image when you focus on the target through the blurred image of the bead/barrels. Try catching a ball with one eye closed to appreciate the disadvantages! Regards Edited November 25, 2015 by STOTTO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 On my first ever lesson though I remember been told not to take my eye off the bead. A bead isn't there just for show and should be looked at at all times Whoever told you that should not under any circumstances be instructing people to shoot clays. It is absolutely wrong and there is no grey area other than checking the mount. Once your mount is consistent you can remove the bead forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknsd1978 Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 I cant wait until the weekend to give it all a try. I think the main problem is, I'm over thinking things to try and do better. Thank you for all the posts and if anyone else has any thoughts then I'd love to hear them. I really need to get away from looking at that little white dot. Maybe try some black tape over it as I'm relatively happy with my mount I think after spending 10 mins dry mounting every other night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 I cant wait until the weekend to give it all a try. I think the main problem is, I'm over thinking things to try and do better. Thank you for all the posts and if anyone else has any thoughts then I'd love to hear them. I really need to get away from looking at that little white dot. Maybe try some black tape over it as I'm relatively happy with my mount I think after spending 10 mins dry mounting every other night Don't beat yourself up over it is the most important thing, it is so easy to get annoyed at yourself and that makes it worse. Do you shoot gun up or gun down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted November 26, 2015 Report Share Posted November 26, 2015 I cant wait until the weekend to give it all a try. I think the main problem is, I'm over thinking things to try and do better. Thank you for all the posts and if anyone else has any thoughts then I'd love to hear them. I really need to get away from looking at that little white dot. Maybe try some black tape over it as I'm relatively happy with my mount I think after spending 10 mins dry mounting every other night unscrew it..if it distracts you remove it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknsd1978 Posted November 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2015 I shoot gun up....never tried gun down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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