Munzy Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 So, have my SGC, have my gun, found a great clay shoot... I'm keen on getting a thousand or so cartridges through the gun and become comfortable with shooting before embarking on lessons (which I definitely will do... and need!). I'm not really bothered about whether I hit 10% in this period. Do you think I'll be making it harder for myself? My thought is I won't be at it long enough to develop a bad habit but just enough to loosen up and get fully comfortable. What do you guys think? Particularly interested if anyone who teaches students has any thoughts on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delburt0 Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Don't do. 1000 I've shot clays for 25 yrs , most I've done in a day was 500 for a charity event, I wasn't shooting any better at the end (worse if anything) I'd have 25 just to get used to recoil and gun then have a lesson. If you want more I would do 50 then have a day off and have a think about it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 I don't think he meant 1000 in a day ! Personally I'd say 1k is the minimum you should put through the gun before having proper lessons. Don't get me wrong as I'm not suggesting total beginners should just fire off shots and learn by themselves but safety routine aside basic fundamentals such as holding the gun properly so as to not suffer unduly from recoil can be gleaned from friends to help you get started. You will learn a lot more from a paid for lesson once your focus is able to be diverted away from the very basics and that means a bit of shooting before hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 I don't think he meant 1000 in a day ! Personally I'd say 1k is the minimum you should put through the gun before having proper lessons. Don't get me wrong as I'm not suggesting total beginners should just fire off shots and learn by themselves but safety routine aside basic fundamentals such as holding the gun properly so as to not suffer unduly from recoil can be gleaned from friends to help you get started. You will learn a lot more from a paid for lesson once your focus is able to be diverted away from the very basics and that means a bit of shooting before hand. Yeah... bloody hell, not 1000 in a day!!! No was thinking 10 or so outings for exactly the reasons above, getting comfortable with every element to allow my focus in lessons to be completely on technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 do both, some lessons and shooting fun. what you dont want to be doing is learning mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Yep, good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 do both, some lessons and shooting fun. what you dont want to be doing is learning mistakes. Nail head hit!!! It's the way to improve fastest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikk Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 I'd go with lessons as much as you can, its quality rather than quantity and getting a good mount and avoiding bad habits is what you will develop with an instructor. I started lessons before I had my shotgun licence so it was the only way I could shoot and it paid off in my opinion. I did something like 7 or 8 lessons, then got a shotgun, then started having intermittent lessons and regular shoots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 I'd go with lessons as much as you can, its quality rather than quantity and getting a good mount and avoiding bad habits is what you will develop with an instructor. I started lessons before I had my shotgun licence so it was the only way I could shoot and it paid off in my opinion. I did something like 7 or 8 lessons, then got a shotgun, then started having intermittent lessons and regular shoots. Thats the ideal way to do it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Great advice, thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Get lessons first ! If you start off right you`ll always be right. Trying to sort people out who have got into the wrong habits can be very difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehb102 Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 It depends on what learning style you have. Personally, I find that I like one hour of tuition to three hours of practice. That's worked for me for all my sports. I'm a very reflective learner, I like to repeat back to my coach what has been told to me, or demonstrate I know what is expected of me before trying. If you are a pragmatist or activitist you might prefer finding out for yourself by trial and error. I hate that. I find discovered knowledge to be expensive and an inefficient way of learning, and although I admit what I've discovered stays with me it's quite often because of the pain it caused me. I don't like hard lessons. I like easy lessons. It keeps it fun. http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/gradschool/training/eresources/teaching/theories/honey-mumford I'd say an initial lesson about mounting and basic safety would stand you in good stead. The more you learn the more you change things, but at least you won't shoot your foot off or come home with horrible bruises if you do the Shotgun Skills course or similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordripon Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 I would suggest you have your gun fitted to you first, then lessons before you pick up bad habits shooting on your own, this way your lessons will be about teaching you to shoot rather than correcting your self taught habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) You won't pick up bad (ingrained) habits in a thousand shots, two years maybe, also fitting a gun to a beginner is nocando. Edited October 24, 2013 by Hamster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Fitting a gun to a beginner is nocando. Interesting, how come? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Interesting, how come? inconsistency of mount mostly..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 That's a great link, really interesting. It confirms my gut feeling on getting a bit of practice in as that is very much my learning style. In light of the great advice from everyone I will intersperse this with lessons though, probably 1 hour teaching to 3 hours practice would work for me. Thanks again everyone, great help. Interested in why the gun fit for beginner is no-no though. Ah, yep, that sounds logical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) as you cant mount the gun consistently you will waste the effort in fitting that said you need a gun that "fits" well enough to learn to mount it properly (very chicken and egg) 1 hour lesson 3 hour practise...... make sur eyou have a good recoil pad.... Edited October 24, 2013 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikk Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 That's a great link, really interesting. It confirms my gut feeling on getting a bit of practice in as that is very much my learning style. In light of the great advice from everyone I will intersperse this with lessons though, probably 1 hour teaching to 3 hours practice would work for me. Thanks again everyone, great help. Interested in why the gun fit for beginner is no-no though. Ah, yep, that sounds logical. The gun has to fit so it is important but proffesional fittings isn't really needed. Basically first you have to have the lessons first and I really suggest learning to shoot gun down. At some point the instructor will the ask you to mount the gun to his eye, if your gun doesnt fit then you might need the stock shortened or lengthened and in some cases you might need to adjust the comb but...if you get lessons and learn to shoot gun down you get to try different guns and then your instructor will help you find one that fits rather than buying something you like the look of and having to have it fitted. I found browning/miroku fitted me better and then I had 1/2 and inch taken off the stock after a while but this just helped my mount, without it I still could have mounted the gun properly providing I had the instruction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 1 hour lesson 3 hour practise...... make sur eyou have a good recoil pad.... Not all I'm the same session! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remmyman Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 So, have my SGC, have my gun, found a great clay shoot... I'm keen on getting a thousand or so cartridges through the gun and become comfortable with shooting before embarking on lessons (which I definitely will do... and need!). I'm not really bothered about whether I hit 10% in this period. Do you think I'll be making it harder for myself? My thought is I won't be at it long enough to develop a bad habit but just enough to loosen up and get fully comfortable. What do you guys think? Particularly interested if anyone who teaches students has any thoughts on this. Hi For what it's worth here's my opinion. Go with lessons in the first instance. Why? Well, firstly you will be taught safety, a thorough 'ABC' of a shotgun and it's various parts/names, and basic principles of hitting a moving target woth a shotgun. Most if not all instructors will start you gun up in order to remove the biggest variable of the 'early learning stage' IE the 'mount'. Once the fundermentals of stance,correct hold,method of obtaining/sustaining lead, target/gun relationship etc. are well and truly ingrained then you can decide on your chosen method/style and finetune it by way of 'dry/live firing practice'. As to gunfit, even a 'gunup' shooter needs a gun that is a good fit regarding cast,comb height,pitch and length, though admittedly these needn't be '100%' at this stage. Remember the old adage 'It has to fit to hit'. You will also have your eye dominance diagnosed, so all in all money and time spent on lessons from the outset is never wasted. Regards Remmyman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Thanks Remmyman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) As above my preference is for a client to 3-5 lessons depending on their learning speed then go and shoot abit with regular top ups 1 lesson to 3 or 4 shoots sounds about right. Before I recommend they practise without me they will have a good understanding of gun safety and handling. Stance and the ability to hit basic crossers driven and going away birds and shot quartering decoys teal etc. we will have discussed cartridges and loads safety equipment and general clay ground does and don'ts. I will also be fairly confident they won't embarrass themselves. I assume as you have a gun you've had the basic lessons and intros. Edited October 25, 2013 by welshwarrior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munzy Posted October 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Yep, all the basic "getting to know shooting" is out of the way, it's now progression I seek as I'd like to become a very capable shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 it's now progression I seek as I'd like to become a very capable shot. I think we all would... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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