Shadowchaser Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 I've been shooting for 10 years but only been going regularly for the past couple. My shooting however has improved very little in that time. Today was an embarrassment with a score of just 18/50. Some easy targets were missed. Every now and then I can get mid 30's out of 50. I had one proper shooting lesson last year which was informative and some adjustments were made to my gun. My scores didn't really differ afterwards. I have since purchased a new gun and have had the same varied results. Ideally I'd like to be hitting a consistent minimum of 30/50 by the end of the year. I have access to a trap and land on which to shoot and wonder if it's simply a case of shooting at different targets over and over again (say 50 shots on one target). I suppose another lesson wouldn't go amiss either. Does anyone here have any thoughts, because shooting a sporting 50 every week is getting me nowhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Is your gun shooting where your looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowchaser Posted July 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 I'm never really sure where I'm going wrong, too much lead, not enough, above, below etc.. My usual method of shooting is to try and maintain lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Lessons with a good coach is the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 I have to shoot at least 100 every week if not iam useless. I have a sporting average just over 80% but if I didn't shoot every week it would be around 50% I have no natural ability so have to work hard at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 A singular lesson will not offer a massive improvement you'll need a stead course to almost double your scores. A single lesson can help with 1 maybe 2 bad habits most self taught shots have lots and these take time to over come and relearn, you may even see a dip before your required improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sian Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 I'm never really sure where I'm going wrong, too much lead, not enough, above, below etc.. My usual method of shooting is to try and maintain lead. Go and have a few lessons if you can and don't know about anyone else but I have always found maintained lead hard - you really should explore other methods as ML isn't the answer to lots of presentations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Go and see Beretta (on here) for lessons - best in NW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowchaser Posted July 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 There probably is something fundamentally wrong with my technique. Do people think ML is the better technique or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 It is for me. If the clay gets in front of my gun its a miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Do people think ML is the better technique or not? Never really tried it tbh. I prefer to start behind and pull through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Lessons with a good coach is the answer. ^^^ This is right. ....but i've never had a lesson in my life. Taken members of the family to a proper coach and they learned loads in a short time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 There probably is something fundamentally wrong with my technique. Do people think ML is the better technique or not? Depends on the target Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
100milesaway Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Go and see Beretta (on here) for lessons - best in NW +1 from Auntie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehb102 Posted July 17, 2016 Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 Do people think ML is the better technique or not? Depends on what you're doing. A really good sporting coach will work out what works for you. It has its place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowchaser Posted July 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2016 It looks like a steady number of lessons are in order then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 I am in a similar position to you as far as scores go , usually around 50%, but starting to improve gradually. I had a lesson a few weeks ago and it has helped me get into a routine at each stand by thinking about the basics, getting my feet right , visual pick up point, kill zone etc before calling for the bird. I needed to have a structured approach to start improving otherwise I would start shooting without thinking about what I was doing, miss the first few and then mentally I was already defeated. As people keep telling me the mental side is more than half of the battle. Now I just practice as much as possible to try and make the routine second nature , I think it is working and my confidence has improved . All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 I'm never really sure where I'm going wrong, too much lead, not enough, above, below etc.. My usual method of shooting is to try and maintain lead. You'll be looking at your gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 Check the BASC, APSI and CPSA for local Coaches and then ask for recommendation. We can all offer solutions on PW but without seeing what you are doing it is only guesswork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 Try buying, borrowing or downloading Breaking Clays by Chris Batha. That book gives some good pointers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 (edited) Maintained lead is fine for some targets. It won't work on springing teal for example - you can't lead what you can't see. On dropping clays - the clay may well be accelerating - making maintained lead a poor choice. However, it is good for skeet. The reality if that it takes many techniques to hit all clays. Pull through, maintained lead, track and pull ahead etc. As a few have said - if you genuinely want to get better - get a few lessons. Beretta on here - Brian Clegg - one of the very top clay shooters, great coach and thoroughly decent bloke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlAS8SWLd6M Well worth a look. Edited July 18, 2016 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 lesson time,and to start with eye check...18/50 after 10 years you may find your eye dominance has changed a tad...lots of good books out there if you are a book type...are you maintained lead for ALL targets?cos if so that is very strange/rare....and begs question why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowchaser Posted July 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 lesson time,and to start with eye check...18/50 after 10 years you may find your eye dominance has changed a tad...lots of good books out there if you are a book type...are you maintained lead for ALL targets?cos if so that is very strange/rare....and begs question why? No not ML for all. I guess I started using it as often as possible when I read an article about not letting the clay overtake the gun. My eye dominance was checked last year at the lesson and seemed fine. Looking back at last years scores I managed 35, 34 and 31 in a row and then back to normal. And those scores were before I took the lesson! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 You give your location as 'North West' whereabouts are you exactly and which shooting ground have you been going to ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 I shoot all targets with maintained lead including teals and driven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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