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How does everybody aim with their shotgun?


evilstoat
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Chatting to my local RFD today, and the subject changed from the carts he sold me which turned out to be very good (cycling), the subject changed to how i was aquiring the target and aiming, as i told him i managed to shoot FA when i went out yesterday, and told him i was thinking of getting one of those fibre optic aiming aids, he is pretty good when it comes to selling stuff, if he thinks you don't need it he'll say, and is not just in it for the sale, obviously he needs to make a living but he's pretty good like that.

 

He asked was i aiming with the bead lined up with the rib bit like open sights on a rifle, and i said i was...he told me not to do that but to bring the gun up, but just look at the target, and the shot should hit the pigeon...i used to do the same thing playing pool but when i looked at what ball i was hitting with the cue ball, instead of looking at both cue ball and the other ball, it would be easier...how do you all shoot ?

 

just a bit curious as my friend also shoots with lining the bead up with the rib...i will try this next time out, seems to make sense, i suppose if you're bothered with lining the bead up, like shooting with a rifle your target will be out of range if you mess about.

 

please give me a bit of advice, as i knew something was wrong when i was out yesterday, just couldn't work out what it was, and this seems to make the most sense.

Edited by evilstoat
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Yeah he's right.

 

You should do all that 'lining the beads up' business at home, dry mounting the gun as practice, and not in the field or on the clay ground (unless your shooting DTL) as it'll distract you.

 

If the gun fits you correctly you should have enough confidence in the gun to not notice or get concerned about the beads or the barrel. You should be looking at the bird, swing through it and bang.

 

Regarding the placement and position of the sight beads. Some shooters like to see a figure of 8 with the two sight beads when the gun comes up to the cheek. I prefer to see straight down the rib so that the end sight bead is just visible above the middle bead. That's how my gun comes up, even with my eyes closed.

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When i had a couple of lessosn i was told very firmly not to look at the gun and to keep my eye on the clay - It works, but is hard to remember to do when you got 30 inches of metal swinging in front of you. As Chris says above - If you're looking at the target (and give it enough lead) you'll hit it. Keep the gun moving too - I tend to acquire the target, swing through and stop at the last minute, missing behind.....Again!

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I've ripped the bead off mine. You're not supposed to be looking at it, so I can't see the point of having it there, it's just a distraction, you should be looking at the clay (or bird). If your mount is right, it'll all take care of itself. I can't see the point of these Christmas trees on the end of shotguns :good:

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borrow a laser bore sight, mount the gun turn on the light and see where you are pointing, then adjust your mount to correct your aim, practise it a few times and you be fine.

look athe arrow laser shot website, the pictures they show give you the idea of what you should see when mounting the gun.

 

M.

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Never look at the bead - the moment you do you slow the gun swing just as you pull the trigger, and miss behind as a result. Your eye should be 1/8"" high on the back of the rib so that you sight over the bead, not through it. Keep you eye on the target at all times. Beads are there to help you with your gun fit / dry mounting - NOT for aiming through in a dynamic swing on a moving target.

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I'm going to stand up for the fibre optic thingies... I put one on my gun the other week and I now have a small glowy indication of where the end of the gun is when I swing through a clay. I don't focus on it, but I know it's there and it gives me a good indication of where I am aiming.

 

Whether it does any good or not is another matter, but I did improve when it went on, although some other modifications were made to the gun and how I hold it at the same time.

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I'm still working on gun mount (better now that I can practice at home), but I get comfy with the gun lined up, bead and barrel in nice alignment, and then ignore it and concentrate on the point I am aiming at - clay and lead. I am going to buy an Easy Hit though, as I think it may help with some of the crossers if I can shoot with both eyes open and still be aware of where the gun is pointing via peripheral vision. What I won't be doing is looking directly at the bead.

 

Before I settled on my gun I had a lesson with a gun with no bead and I did pretty good, so the 'need for bead' may just be a comfort thing.

 

Rhiannon

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Like the wookie, I know its in my sight picture, and it lets me know that I have the gun mounted straight (vertically) in my shoulder. Also make sure both eyes are open! I now even shoot rifles with both eyes open on the scope or iron sights, I think my right eye is so dominant now it doesn't seem to matter.

 

For rifle shooting I think it makes a nice safety aid aswell, as anything moving into the target picture from the left (right shoulder / right eyed) gets picked up early. For shotgun shooting, I find it a necessity for tracking movement correctly in 3D!

 

YMMV, of course.

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If you ever see a John Bidwell shooting display he tells you no need to aim it's about eye to hand co-ordination...............apparently. :lol:

 

 

That is true,

 

If you guns fits you and you are concentrating on the target, your eye/hand coordination will naturally bring the gun into the right position. It really is all about "MOVE - MOUNT - SHOOT"

 

His shotgun magic DVD makes perfect sense, I recomend that everyone watches it.

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If you ever see a John Bidwell shooting display he tells you no need to aim it's about eye to hand co-ordination...............apparently. :lol:

 

 

i live quite johns ground and have shot with and been coached by him a few times over the years, i have always shot maintained lead but after john watched me shoot he recommended getting my gun re-fitted, this and changing how i held the gun improved my scores from FITASC B class to A class, your gun must point where you are looking without aiming and keep both eyes open, mount the gun in a parallel movement onto the line of the target dont see saw the gun, and you should shoot as soon as the gun is securely mounted in the shoulder the momentum of the gun swinging and your brain will automatically give the correct lead if done correctly, john calls his style "move, mount , shoot" but go to any clay ground and ask the instructor to give you a few pointers on maintained lead as it is more commonly known, its a bit more tricky to learn on pigeons as they come from all directions so get down the clay ground and try it out

 

mikee

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the subject changed to how i was aquiring the target and aiming, as i told him i managed to shoot FA when i went out yesterday

 

Im having the same problem mate. I shot a bunny with my first shot after getting my gun (it was sitting still!)and so thought it was going to be easy. But when it comes to moving targets like birds im hopeless. Im going to go and do some clays hopefully this weekend and see if i can get my eye in.

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a lot of new shooters lift their head of the stock to see the target break, as soon as you lift your head the muzzle lifts and you go over the top, also the swing slows down and you go behind aswell, next time youre at the clay ground try to actually miss in front of a target with realistic leads is not very easy,

 

mikee

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Never look at the bead - the moment you do you slow the gun swing just as you pull the trigger, and miss behind as a result. Your eye should be 1/8"" high on the back of the rib so that you sight over the bead, not through it. Keep you eye on the target at all times. Beads are there to help you with your gun fit / dry mounting - NOT for aiming through in a dynamic swing on a moving target.

 

 

Hmm. My teacher told me to look at the 'pip' not the target, close one eye and then shoot.

 

I may try your way, see if it improves things for me :lol:

 

J

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That is true,

 

If you guns fits you and you are concentrating on the target, your eye/hand coordination will naturally bring the gun into the right position. It really is all about "MOVE - MOUNT - SHOOT"

 

His shotgun magic DVD makes perfect sense, I recomend that everyone watches it.

 

 

I've just ordered this DVD, so I expect I'll be averaging in the high 90's by this time next week :good:

 

If not I'll sulk severely and hold you personally responsible :yes:

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