njc110381 Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I really hope I get my cert passed now. I went down the local club last night to take up the offer of using one of the members guns. It's a beretta 682, felt really nice. They were shooting english skeet I think, but let me have all my birds one at a time because I'm new. The chaps say I've got the basics right, and just need practice. My only fault is that I sometimes try to aim the gun (10 years shooting air rifles!). If I can get out of that, I should be fine. I'm happy with 10/25, is that a reasonable first time score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Sure it is well done that man! You will get out of the habbit of "rifling" at clays, just takes time and practice! Good luck with the app! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the pelt man Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I don't shoot shot gun, how do you aim them then ? PELTMAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08shooter Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 keep on at it one day all will click into place i still only hit 23s and 24s at dtl and skeet i keep trying good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I don't shoot shot gun, how do you aim them then ? PELTMAN Depends on the target you are trying to hit. You do have a "sight" on there, a bead of some sort usually. There is no rear sight, only the rib of the gun which you should line up so you are looking directly down the barrel. If the target is slow enough, or at such an angle that a shot aimed directly at it would hit it, you aim at it. If it is a target which is moving quickly, dropping or rising fast or crossing or quatering at a rate of knots, you estimate where the clay will be when the shot reaches it and point the gun there. The term "rifling" is generally used to describe the behaviour of automatically lining up the middle of the clay with the bead on the gun, and possibly stopping the gun "swing" when you pull the trigger - just as a rifle shooter would do with a static target. The distance in front, above or below the clay (depending on what its doing) that you allow in order to hit it, is called lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the pelt man Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 SO MOST OF THE TIME YOU GUYS SHOOT AT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT THERE Makes sence, sounds like practice makes almost perfect. PELTMAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 NJC - 10 isn't bad. My first attempt was 7/25. I've had a fair number of straights, but never enough. Took someone shooting for the first time 15 years ago. We shot Skeet. With more than his share of coaching , he got 19/25. I just likened it to his golf "follow through". I shot a miserable 21/25. Johnny said"Just think how good I would be if I shot all the time like you". I nearly wrapped the gun round his ears. I went home, thinking about quitting. Didn't last. Now all I think is about hitting more next time. If you get one 25/25 - you can get another and another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 I'm not going to be too hopeful on the 25s for a while, but 20 sounds good. I think once I've fired a few more rounds I should be ok, I just need to get the hang of not aiming. The experienced blokes said my hand/eye coordination is very good and fast, as I took a couple very near to the trap tower when I got it right. On the other hand, I had a few rifle type shots where I followed the clay too far trying to line up the gun (I was told to ignore the gun and look at the target!). This shooting lark is great fun though isn't it. Some people are said to be put off by the bang and recoil, and flinch. I quite like it. As soon as I'm allowed, I'm letting off some big magnums down the farm to see what they are like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicW Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Many years ago an old game shooter who was a bit handy with a shotgun described shotgun shooting to me as, 'Shoot where it's going boy,not where it's been!'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Many years an old game shooter who was a bit handy with a shotgun described shotgun shooting to me as, 'Shoot where it's going boy,not where it's been!'. Or as in Mike Batley's book....'forget about the tail and body of the bird and concentrate solely on the beak...find it and get in front of it'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 That's exactly it, you have to give the shot string time to get there. At 1400 feet per second, you wouldn't think it matters, but it does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Yeah, without getting heavy on the maths here (roughly). Average clay carts shoot shot out at about 850mph (roughly 415yards per second). So a target that is 30 yards away will take roughly 1/14th of a second to be reached by the pattern. At 30mph (14yards per second), assuming the clay was crossing your path left to right, if you pulled the trigger pointing directly at it as you saw it, by the time the shot got there it will be nearly a yard further across you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Yeah, without getting heavy on the maths here (roughly). Average clay carts shoot shot out at about 850mph (roughly 415yards per second). So a target that is 30 yards away will take roughly 1/14th of a second to be reached by the pattern. At 30mph (14yards per second), assuming the clay was crossing your path left to right, if you pulled the trigger pointing directly at it as you saw it, by the time the shot got there it will be nearly a yard further across you! :blink: :blink: :blink: you ruined it pin, i thought it was all about going out ands shooting and having fun whilst shooting the things your shooting at with your shooter or your mates shooter or anyones shooter that you can use to shoot the thing with, did i mention have fun shooting leave the science out, you bring in polotics next ,,,,no im not going there njc110381, just go out abd have fun point the thing in the right direction and things will fall apart , you will improove with time and practice, dont over cook you mind. i've seen many guys come out shoot a 15 less,the next time a 18 or so now they think the straight is there for the picking, trust me many shooters have waited a long time for the first straight, mine was with the wife pulling targets for me and a friend, i questioned it over and over,now its a little easier, many thousand rounds will do that for you, enjoy the time my friend, dont analize everything. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Doh, I can't help it, I'm an engineer Martin is bang on though, just go shoot and have fun. I don't think about anything like this when I am shooting, far from it. In fact when people are behind me on a stand just practising they often ask where I am shooting to break the clay, in complete honesty I usually can't say because I don't really consciously think about it :blink: If I start thinking about it I miss :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 If it helps i have been clay shooting for about 2 years and when I miss the target its normaly down to me engaging the brain to much and thinking about it. I am better at fast tartgets or targets which catch me out as i then just react and swing the gun through and hit the clay. My biggest fault is crossers, i tend to track them and then Miss, Overheads i love shooting, Bunnies are good as I tend where possible to stay in front of these if crossing low and aim for the front legs. Going away I poke the gun at them and fire, which is good fun.... Also I find it helps that when a target is moving on a upwards angle from the trap, I point the gun at the trap and then swing in upwards towards the target, as i pass the clay i fire , seems to work better, then just trying to catch the clay up in mid flight so to speak. All good fun Spaniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 Cheers for all the replys guys. I'm very interested in the speed figures being mentioned, but I understand they have no place on the range. If I had to go through all that before a shot, with my brain power I'd still be standing there to hit the same target at the next shoot day! When I did forget everything and just fire the gun, I hit most of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 BE, BE, BE, THE SHELL , BE, BE, BE, THE GUN , MOVE THE GUN, BE THE GUN, BE THE SHELL , BREAK THE TARGET ,,,,,,DONT BE THE TARGET, DONT BE BROKEN if all else fail ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,take up cribbage,,,, or try out for the Irish team solitare card team, or become an Engineer,,,,last year i couldnt spell enginear now i are one,,,,,,,,,,,, Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Had my second try yesterday. I was completely useless! Hit 4/25! I was shooting gun down this time though, which felt more comfortable. I had a day of pushing wheelbarrows of concrete up a hill on saturday, so my swing was quite stiff. Maybe that didn't help my score? That's the best honest excuse I can dream up, so I'm sticking with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Had my second try yesterday. I was completely useless! Hit 4/25! I was shooting gun down this time though, which felt more comfortable. I had a day of pushing wheelbarrows of concrete up a hill on saturday, so my swing was quite stiff. Maybe that didn't help my score? That's the best honest excuse I can dream up, so I'm sticking with it It is nice to see that you have started with the excuses already. You must have been out shooting with Mungler. I have found that with most beginners they shoot well for the first session and then they start thinking what they are doing wrong. That is when it goes downhill. Just stick at it and enjoy it and your scores will improve, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I don't shoot shot gun, how do you aim them then ? PELTMAN You point it Yeah i know it's RUDE to point People who shoot rifles tend to aim directly at the clay and squeeze the shot off. Obv they miss as by then the clay is another 10 feet past the point of "intended" impact. You need to be more (fluid) If you like then sight it up like a rifle till you get the barrel lined up BUT when ready (try) to open and use BOTH eyes. If you have the gun locked to your cheek and shoulder and keep your eyes open for the clay when your upper torso moves to follow the clay so does the gun. Basically where ever your eyes follow the clay the gun goes too. Hard to explain but watch other shooters! even after you squeeze the trigger keep the gun mounted and moving following the clay (follow through) till you see it break! OFTEN if you pull the trigger and stop (rifle the shot) the clay escapes. It takes time to practice i have been at it now for 8 month from Air Rifles and came 6th in a club comp I only get to practice generally once or twice a week and even then it's 2 rounds a day. Keep it up and in no time you will be another George Digweed (god help us all) LG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 That's pretty much what the guy who is teaching me said. He's annoying to watch, hardly ever misses! He keeps showing me how to do it, hits the clay every time too. Gives the gun back to me so I can try to copy him, and I miss! The club only opens every other sunday in the winter, so maybe I should join some more if I get my own gun? I'm sure things will improve with practice. I won't give up anything until I'm so good it gets boring, so I'll probably be using shotguns for the rest of my life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Keep practising and you will get there. Dont try to plan distances etc, for now just see the clay, push through and fire, but keep the gun moving. Keep the Clay just above the pips on your gun, follow it then just push passed the clay and fire...keep the swing going, and try not to take the gun away from your face, otherwise you will not be ready for the next target coming your way. When you have your own gun you can stand in front of the mirror at home and look where the pips on the gun are aligning with your eye. Keep the gun to your face and move the barrels along the ceiling line, its all good practise. Or just point at something with your finger and move it onto the target pretend you have a gun, it wont hurt honest Im still learning after 2 years and only just getting to grips with it, hitting a PB 33 out 50 yesterday. Now im starting to practise the gun mount . Good luck Spaniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Had my second try yesterday. I was completely useless! Hit 4/25! I was shooting gun down this time though, which felt more comfortable. I had a day of pushing wheelbarrows of concrete up a hill on saturday, so my swing was quite stiff. Maybe that didn't help my score? That's the best honest excuse I can dream up, so I'm sticking with it It is nice to see that you have started with the excuses already. You must have been out shooting with Mungler. I have found that with most beginners they shoot well for the first session and then they start thinking what they are doing wrong. That is when it goes downhill. Just stick at it and enjoy it and your scores will improve, So what's your excuse with that Battue over at the Fens then Martin, how many shots have you fired at it!?!?!?!?!?! Even I tried 3 with the Semi and couldn't get near it. But hey, if it was that easy and we hit everything, we'd all get bored and take up knitting. Oh god I dropped a stitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Spaniel, njc110381, i hope you guys are going to be around when i get back for a few days, hopefuly hook up with you for a day at the clays, i will have my sons with me as well, let me know if this is possible, would love to get together with you and a few others, Mossy isnt faraway and gibby's around there somewhere too. what a great xmas that would be Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I should have heard about my license by then. If I have a gun, there shouldn't be a problem. If not, I'll have to talk nicely to one of the other lads and maybe borrow one! Either way, it'd be good to meet up somewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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