FairImogen Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Had a great shoot today, not least because of the Gentleman who became our de facto tutor: Him: You seem confused as to when to shoot gun up/down ( Im not aware of this) Me: Do you use any specific criterion? Him: Of course; if I can only maintain hard focus for 1 second or less, gun up - otherwise, gun down. Fabulous fellow, even if he kept calling me Lass. Never saw him miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebarrels Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 (edited) Gun down for me(as in not shouldered).See/call target, mount and shoot,if I have the gun mounted I seem to think more about what I'm doing,and the target is still moving,but that's just me lol Edited October 30, 2017 by Bluebarrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samboy Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Gun down for me(as in not shouldered).See/call target, mount and shoot,if I have the gun mounted I seem to think more about what I'm doing,and the target is still moving,but that's just me lol Same for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoozer Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 I've tried both and still miss ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBettin Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 I've tried both and still miss ! Same for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Gun down for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Gun up but I shoot a lot of clays and I think its a bad habit I got into. Although as I shoot a lot of rifle so I had an annoying habit of overthinking targets and letting stuff get away from me so I tend to get on stuff a bit quicker gun up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonepark Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Gun down for me, will even drop gun down and remount for spaced pairs or 'on report' clays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPhantom Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Gun down for me on most targets, except for fast going away pairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehb102 Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Depends on the target. I delayed going gun down because it took ages to get a gun that fitted correctly. Once I had a correctly fitted gun, gun down was easy. I don't often use it on clays even sporting clays though, unless I'm practicing for game. I'm not that good anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Gun down shoot more clays than vermin game or wildfowl. Only time I use gun up is on close fast screamers that don’t give you time to see it and mount. The type that flit between two bushes type clay. You become used to shooting gun down quite quickly, you don’t premount in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingo15 Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Can't shoot gun down on clays. Can shoot gun down on game and pigeon shooting thou. What I have started to do more on clays thou is soft mount on most targets. This has helped loads more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 Can't shoot gun down on clays. Can shoot gun down on game and pigeon shooting thou. What I have started to do more on clays thou is soft mount on most targets. This has helped loads more More practice required! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBettin Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) I think what gun down gives me is perceived time. When I'm gun up, I'm focused, and I'm ready to act fast, and it's all very tense. Perfect for a fast/going away bird/clay that I need to get onto fast. But for a big crosser or something else I should take my time on, having the gun down kind of convinces me that I must have time on my side if I've got the luxury of having it gun down. Next step is to learn to not rush the mount and blend it all into one big smooth motion. That, as well as the fact gun up just ain't feasible on a 'day out' all day, means I'm gun down (most of the time). Edited October 31, 2017 by DanBettin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) guns down for me. Edited October 31, 2017 by mossy835 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 guns down for me. One in each shoulder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnykiller Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 Mix of both, you need as many shots in your armoury as possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
das Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 Tried both ways, can miss with full confidence eitherway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted November 1, 2017 Report Share Posted November 1, 2017 Getting as close to a clay as you can without breaking that’s the hardest thing to achieve, at times I seem to be world class at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted November 1, 2017 Report Share Posted November 1, 2017 Gun down ALWAYS. The gun mounting for me is part of the process of bringing the muzzles to target and (for me and the way I was taught to shoot) essential to the shooting process Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsbob Posted November 2, 2017 Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 Gun Down and I often drop out of the shoulder and remount on pairs (clays). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breastman Posted November 2, 2017 Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 (edited) Whatever works for you! I always shoot clays gun up, you remove the biggest (physical) way to mess up the shot. If I shot more live birds (I rarely if ever get in the field these days) I would shoot gun down to practice mounting the gun. The only reason people don't shoot gun up for live quarry is because the birds don't magically appear whenever you shout 'pull' and it gets a bit tiring after a while! EDIT: With reference to Norfolk Dumplings post below; I thought we we talking about whether people have the gun mounted/unmounted in the shoulder when people were saying 'gun up/down', rather than where the barrels are pointing. Edited November 3, 2017 by Breastman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 For live game I tend to be gun up if only out of courtesy to beaters walking towards me. As a beater I hate to come out of cover or a wood and see a half dozen guns pointing towards the line. If I'm out of the way of the beating line it's gun down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 Gun down ALWAYS. The gun mounting for me is part of the process of bringing the muzzles to target and (for me and the way I was taught to shoot) essential to the shooting process Yep, agree wholeheartedly. Rough shooting you don't walk around with the gun to shoulder pointing ahead ..do you??? Personally I believe that mounting the gun prior and 'aiming' tends to make you stop the swing/poke. The only situation would be DTL/Ball Trap/Olympic Trap. The gun down position can be anything from resting the butt on the thigh, to having it floating just below armpit level according to situation. BUT whatever floats your boat if you keep hitting'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 The gun down position can be anything from resting the butt on the thigh, to having it floating just below armpit level according to situation. BUT whatever floats your boat if you keep hitting'em Sounds like we are completely agreed; I was taught to shoot by keeping my eyes focussed on the target (game, vermin or clay) bringing the gun to the shoulder in a way that the gun swings up the 'smoke trail' from the target and overtakes. It does need a gun that fits OK and if you do this - you really don't 'see' the gun, rib, or fore sight'. When the fore sight fell of one of my guns, the first I knew was when cleaning the gun after shooting. All I know is that it was there last time I cleaned the gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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