manthing Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 I've been told that the proper way is to bring the stock up to the barrels, presumably to keep the barrels pointed at the floor. So why does almost every vid on tubeyou of various semi-pro or championship shooter have them closing the gun like I and I think most others do, by lifting the barrel. It just doesn't feel natural if I try doing it the "proper" way and I end up all a kerfuffle lol. Come on, fess up, who does what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Stock up for me always have done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 wood to the metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Cant the gun over towards you then lift/swing the stock to the barrels - the more angle the less effort to close the gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPP Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Stick to barrels and safety off only once barrels pointing to sky, your Gamekeeper will thank you, Beaters are hard to come by.. The other way round is sloppy but a habit some clay shooters have got into because it’s less of a dr,a shooting clays, the problem is when they so shoot game and can’t get put of the habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenergp Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Stock to the metal, i had both barrels go off on me years ago when closing the gun, me and the people around me were very glad i had closed the gun properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 As above BUT ALWAYS ensure the barrels are pointing somewhere safely anyway as feet are very useful parts of peoples anatomy. Ask me why I know this ???? Late 50s, Young Farmers Jamboree near Nuneaton and a clay shoot. One lad turned and closed his gun the correct way but the gun went off and blew the side off his mates foot who was loading for him. The chap had to live with a serious limp the rest of his life. I have also had it happen to me but fortunately the gun was pointing at the ground and clear of anyone else. It does make you shudder for while. Stay safe!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 10 hours ago, manthing said: I've been told that the proper way is to bring the stock up to the barrels, presumably to keep the barrels pointed at the floor. So why does almost every vid on tubeyou of various semi-pro or championship shooter have them closing the gun like I and I think most others do, by lifting the barrel. It just doesn't feel natural if I try doing it the "proper" way and I end up all a kerfuffle lol. Come on, fess up, who does what? Wood to meta,l being right is never reserved for the majority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 11 hours ago, manthing said: I've been told that the proper way is to bring the stock up to the barrels, presumably to keep the barrels pointed at the floor. So why does almost every vid on tubeyou of various semi-pro or championship shooter have them closing the gun like I and I think most others do, by lifting the barrel. It just doesn't feel natural if I try doing it the "proper" way and I end up all a kerfuffle lol. Come on, fess up, who does what? Shooting folklore is full of old wives tales, myths, mythology and mere opinions which have often been ingrained and passed onto people and become accepted "facts". Stock to wood is one of those, let me firstly make it clear that I have nothing against this at all but using logic and evidence will demonstrate why it's little more than pomp. It is arguably a rather elegant way of going about closing a gun and it has much to commend it in terms of sympathy towards more fragile old school guns which were not made for high volume shooting, the stock area of a graceful side by side for example can be quite frail if treated with the kind of abuse a typical clay specific OU has to endure. If you Youtube the greatest clay shooter of all time it will quickly become apparent that like every other volume shooter he invariably brings the barrels onto the stock, this is the same when you observe him shooting in a line or in a hide, bear in mind that he describes himself as a countryman and game shooter first, clay shooter second. The erroneous argument made in favour of "stock to gun" is usually that of safety but as is often the case when you apply thought and logic to the process it simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The absolute unbreakable rule of shooting is that we must first ensure the direction to which the gun is pointed is one that is safe, no ifs or buts, it has to be free from any potential danger, this means that when you walk onto a stand in a clay shooting environment that it's more than reasonable to assume that the organisers have deemed the stand and its direction of fire to be safe. Therefore in the unfortunate situation whereby the gun may discharge accidentally it is neither here or there whether the charge strikes the ground one foot away from your foot, away at waist height or near vertically upwards, in fact you are FAR more likely to receive a smattering of debris from a ground shot, it is also much more plausible that such a shot onto an immaculately prepared purpose built platform (such as we have for certain disciplines) would result in rather expensive damage, all of which would have been avoided had the gun been pointed downrange towards the sky. The example of a fool turning towards those behind him is just that, an idiot TURNING with a loaded gun. So you see, there is no rational "safety" issue here. The reason as to why people invariably learn to shut their guns in ways that are either at opposite end of the "stock to gun" or at best a half way variation is that of balance and repeatability without fatigue. The human mind soon works out a comfortable and safe routine and it is rarely as the old boys liked to preach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Agree Hammy .. what makes one way a 'proper' way ..????? Safety is paramount, the rest is BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manthing Posted August 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Thanks for the replies peeps. ? As stated safety first. When on a stand I always look where I'm pointed before closing the gun and safety stays on till its up in the right place. Veering off slightly, when loading for a gun do you pass them the gun closed and barrels skyward, tricksy situation as the gun is probably shooting 180 deg to where you're loading. Where's safe then? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Heaven forbid. Still, I suppose it's OK as we're only talking clay pigeon ranges. Just one point from several that is worth mentioning and that is the fact that it is never reasonable to assume anything when safety is the topic. I mean to say, the 'keeper wasn't assuming anything when he remarked, "Good morning, Colonel, I see you're using 6s today". But that's just more folklore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 O/K A standing gun facing a covert awaiting driven birds cannot see into the cover but pellets discharged at waist level would find their way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 5 minutes ago, guzzicat said: O/K A standing gun facing a covert awaiting driven birds cannot see into the cover but pellets discharged at waist level would find their way through. That'll be the Colonel's 6 shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Horses for courses On a clay ground where you can be fairly certain there is no safety issue Block to stock is acceptable (I once got a B******* from an instructor when using a concrete floored stand for loading stock to block) Elsewhere where you cannot be so sure there is no one in front it is stock to block every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewluke Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 everyone can tell you how a gun should be closed but i've yet to see it be done in the field? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Whichever way you close the gun, never have the muzzles pointing at the ground as the gun closes. Even on grass or dirt there could be something solid enough just below ground level to cause a deflection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Shoot enough and long enough and I guarantee the proverbial happens. Just go out there and think SAFE!!!! Had a Sergeant Instructor once who had his S&W Model 10 in a holster but in the front of his belt and pointing at you know where !!! We all told him about it. One day on the range an ambulance came racing in down to the pistol range. You have guessed, he went to draw and the revolver went off putting a round very close to family treasures, even closer to his femoral artery, with the bullet travelling down his thigh bone to lodge on top of his knee cap. IT...shortened ...happens and can happen to us all. Regardless of how high and mighty safe you believe you are, think on it every time you handle a gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 5 hours ago, andrewluke said: everyone can tell you how a gun should be closed but i've yet to see it be done in the field? This. I’ve never seen anyone close a gun ‘butt to barrels’ , either on a clay ground or in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB1 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) https://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=313253 Stackman's comment near the bottom of the page sums it up quite well Edited August 23, 2018 by KB1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 16 minutes ago, KB1 said: https://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=313253 Stackman's comment near the bottom of the page sums it up quite well ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 in norfoik we do it as quick as possible.......so to prevent yer cartridges from being nicked.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 11 minutes ago, ditchman said: in norfoik we do it as quick as possible.......so to prevent yer cartridges from being nicked.. Surely that's only when close to the border with Suffolk ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 It seems that both sides of this argument will stick to their cases. Let me make just this one point. How, in the field, can you close a gun barrels to stock without having the barrels at waste height level with beaters in front pickers up behind and fellow guns each side. Is that safe, no of course not so for me it is wood to metal every time (and I do). When I ran a shoot anyone with barrels pointing thus would at least expect a polite word and all were warned in my briefing at the start of each day about this practice. I might add that included the reverse process when unloading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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