Didn’t know where to start with this target

[The Mighty Prawn]

Hi all

 

shot at Park Farm today and encountered a target I didn’t know where to start and consequently missed all 4 birds. I’ll try to describe it as best I can and appreciate its hard to give advice without seeing it but any tips welcome.

bird was a left to right looping chondelle about 35 - 40 yards out and quick, like travelling about 50 yards quick.

i tried taking it at the apex, on the way up and on the way down but just couldn’t formulate the lead or approach

any clues?

[kenholland]

what choke and cartridge were you using , also you were not giving more lead they are faster than what you think , by the sound of it.

[figgy]

As above more lead than you think. Because you see its face it looks bigger and slower then if it was on edge. At the distance and speed you say it would need a fair amount.

[Ultrastu]

Wait till its on the ground and shoot it there its more humane  .

[Scully]

I was given the advice ‘always shoot loopers on the outside of their arc’ .  It works. A mate hates loopers and as often as I tell him he can’t seem to get into the habit of shooting them outside the arc of travel. Even on descent they’re not dropping vertically. 

[bornfree]

I find on the way up is easiest it will need a bigger gap but the line is much easier to read.

[The Mighty Prawn]

2 hours ago, kenholland said:

what choke and cartridge were you using , also you were not giving more lead they are faster than what you think , by the sound of it.

24g 7.5’s through 1/2

1 hour ago, Scully said:

I was given the advice ‘always shoot loopers on the outside of their arc’ .  It works. A mate hates loopers and as often as I tell him he can’t seem to get into the habit of shooting them outside the arc of travel. Even on descent they’re not dropping vertically. 

Sorry Scully but I’m being dense and don’t quite follow what you mean? Are you saying, and very simply, if the clay is following the inner edge of a rainbow then aim at the outer edge of a rainbow? Btw there were no rainbows there but best way I could explain what I think you mean?

[Centrepin]

9 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

 

Sorry Scully but I’m being dense and don’t quite follow what you mean? Are you saying, and very simply, if the clay is following the inner edge of a rainbow then aim at the outer edge of a rainbow? Btw there were no rainbows there but best way I could explain what I think you mean?

Yup, I wondered too. Maybe we're both dense😉

[wymberley]

Wouldn't that be inside on the way up and the outside as said on the way down?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Much better to get someone to watch your shooting and coach you actually on the ground!

[Scully]

13 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

24g 7.5’s through 1/2

Sorry Scully but I’m being dense and don’t quite follow what you mean? Are you saying, and very simply, if the clay is following the inner edge of a rainbow then aim at the outer edge of a rainbow? Btw there were no rainbows there but best way I could explain what I think you mean?

If the outside of the rainbow ( top edge of clay ) is red and the inside of the rainbow ( bottom edge of clay ) is violet, then shoot at the red edge of the clay. Simples! 🙂

[grrclark]

The mistake most make with loopers is to follow the arc and tend to miss over the top, assuming that you area shooting at it when it is beyond it’s apex.

The other common mistake is to miss behind as the full face of the clay, as Figgy suggests, makes it look slower.

If shooting it beyond it’s apex then make sure you are always below the bird and give it the same lead as though it were a flatter crosser.

[wymberley]

45 minutes ago, Scully said:

If the outside of the rainbow ( top edge of clay ) is red and the inside of the rainbow ( bottom edge of clay ) is violet, then shoot at the red edge of the clay. Simples! 🙂

That's cheating

And why on earth not? The rainbow was a clever analogy. Ever been beating and watched one Gun dropping fast curling pheasant one after the other? It's odds on that he was also cheating in exactly the same manner. It's hard enough and requires much practice to be able to mount and swing a gun in a straight line let alone swing it in two planes at once. Eventually, you'll be able to do the two if you're on the target but as soon as you attempt to give it lead the tendency is to revert to a straight line swing which means that you'll probably miss. On an average day where there is some wind and the birds are curling somewhat our pheasant shooter has accessed his memory bank and simply pulled through the relevant wing tip plus or minus as he thinks and drops the bird. To be able to do this does take somewhat more than just four shots at any one target though. The pheasant shooter's wing is Scully's rainbow

[Cosmicblue]

Those kinds of target presentations are tricky because the normal technique of adding lead, gun speed/swing tend to fail so you need another technique.

For myself drawing a mental arc in the form of a clock-face  around the target - target gets to 12 o'clock move to 3 o'clock and pull the trigger.   The brain says 'no-way' and the target breaks.  All you have to decide is how big the clock face is....works for me.

[Fatcatsplat]

5 hours ago, Scully said:

If the outside of the rainbow ( top edge of clay ) is red and the inside of the rainbow ( bottom edge of clay ) is violet, then shoot at the red edge of the clay. Simples! 🙂

What if they're Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Orange and Purple and Blue?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

4 minutes ago, Fatcatsplat said:

What if they're Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Orange and Purple and Blue?

Just sing along too!

[JDog]

How anyone can guide you without seeing the target or you shooting is beyond me.

[Westley]

If I encounter a target that I struggle with, I try to return to it and shoot at it until I have worked out my mistakes.

[The Mighty Prawn]

Annoyingly I didn't have my Shotkam on as usually that's good for figuring out what went on, it was on my mates gun and she also missed all 4 - other mate hit one but couldn't advise how

[Scully]

46 minutes ago, Fatcatsplat said:

What if they're Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Orange and Purple and Blue?

You’ve left out indigo and violet! 🙂

 

[Scully]

5 hours ago, wymberley said:

That's cheating

And why on earth not? The rainbow was a clever analogy. Ever been beating and watched one Gun dropping fast curling pheasant one after the other? It's odds on that he was also cheating in exactly the same manner. It's hard enough and requires much practice to be able to mount and swing a gun in a straight line let alone swing it in two planes at once. Eventually, you'll be able to do the two if you're on the target but as soon as you attempt to give it lead the tendency is to revert to a straight line swing which means that you'll probably miss. On an average day where there is some wind and the birds are curling somewhat our pheasant shooter has accessed his memory bank and simply pulled through the relevant wing tip plus or minus as he thinks and drops the bird. To be able to do this does take somewhat more than just four shots at any one target though. The pheasant shooter's wing is Scully's rainbow

🙂 It isn’t necessary to create an arc with your muzzle ( it’s always best to take a looper as early as possible in my opinion, otherwise it’s dropping fast ) if you take it early enough, or chop it off by meeting it’s trajectory at a point which suits. The thing is to ensure you shoot outside the arc. 

[grrclark]

1 hour ago, JDog said:

How anyone can guide you without seeing the target or you shooting is beyond me.

They can’t and it’s that simple, no one can tell TMP why or where he missed, but highlighting common mistakes and advising ways to approach that sort of target is valid.

[Stonepark]

If I shoot it at the top, i aim to hit it as it crests and treat it as a crosser.

 

If on the way up or down, i form a box with the clay in 1 corner and the point of aim/ lead being the diagonal opposite corner with the size of box dependant on distance to clay and clays horizontal and vertical estimated speeds.

 

[shaun4860]

Bit controversial but I shoot loopers the same as If it were a crosser...😳

Dont ask I can’t describe it only that it works for me, clay> 🌑 shot >💥

                              🌑    🌑    🌑

Pick up     X🌑 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>💥 

            🌑                                                  🌑

    🌑                                                                  🌑 

Best I can do I’m afraid ☺️

 

[Will Poon]

10 minutes ago, shaun4860 said:

Bit controversial but I shoot loopers the same as If it were a crosser...😳

Dont ask I can’t describe it only that it works for me, clay> 🌑 shot >💥

                              🌑    🌑    🌑

Pick up     X🌑 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>💥 

            🌑                                                  🌑

    🌑                                                                  🌑 

Best I can do I’m afraid ☺️

 

Very artistic Shaun 🤣🤣