Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
It was brush hunting at its nastiest. Bill and I were following Bill's middleaged and portly German Shorthair, Dolf, through a creek bottom stuffed with blackberry vines, poison ivy, and greenbriars.Saplings cut overhead view to zilch. Only the fact that we took an incredible mixed bag of birds from it over the years kept us going. Besides,we were young, tough and used to this. Still, we never hunted it without leaving a blood sacrifice on the thorns.
Dolf got birdy in some stuff that made me long for a machete, and when Bill said Dolf was on point, I could see him but not the dog. As I fought through the stickers, I heard the whir a woodcock gives when it vacates the premises.
Bill genuflected,dropping his right knee to the ground. He twisted his upper body almost 90 degrees and mounted his old A-5 with the barrel pointing straight up. It spoke as the butt touched his shoulder and the timberdoodle crumpled. Dolf never retrieved birds, but would find them and stand over them until one of us picked them up.Since this one landed maybe 10 feet from his owner, Dolf just sat down and waited while Bill picked the bird up.
I gaped in amazement. Then we both grinned, and I asked what made him do that.
Billy answered it was the only way to get the shot off.
That's snap shooting, though folks will disagree on what else is. Snap shooting is a close range, very fast method that either works well or VERY badly. Called Poke and Hope by its detractors, it's a specialized technique that should be learned by newer shotgunners.
See bird, shoot same,now.
Conscious thought is not involved. It's all down in the synapses and learned reflexes. Any lead is dealt with by pattern spread, or by the swing,which all takes place as the shotgun is mounted.
Quail hunters do it. So do grouse and woodcock hunters. Most good shotgunners do it sometimes.
It's a good skill to have, coupled with the experience and judgement to know when to use it.That's the tough part.
When snap shooting works for me, it's within 20 yards or so. Angles are not extreme,the target isn't moving at warp speed and the shot MUST be taken quickly. Snap shooting done slowly is Oxymoronic and not the best system.
Here's how I do it, though I make no claim to fame at it.
First, the hardware.
This is a case of fit being paramount, the thing HAS to shoot where you're looking. While Bill's Polychoked A-5 was as noseheavy as a pig on a snow shovel, usually best results come from a neutral balance or even a little muzzle lightness. I've done good work here with a couple doubles, shorter barreled than most, and naturally riot barreled 870s. This is Open Choke Land, so even Cylinder will work. Chokes Modified or tighter mean misses or mincemeat.
Now, and more importantly, the software.
The standard carry of Port Arms creates some problems here. Lots of waving in several directions happens during the mount. While P/A is an effective, safe carry for the field,when action is expected far better to have the shotgun pointed more to the front. If the situation or your preference is to have the muzzle elevated, one has to more or less pivot the shotgun around the forward hand during the mount. Some do well at this.
Having the muzzle BELOW the line of flight is immensely helpful.
I prefer to have the shotgun parallel to the ground and my strong side forearm as I move in on a point.Once the bird is spotted, the mount starts as I focus on a small part of the bird like the eye, or when the shot's a straightaway, where the sun never shines. The shot goes as soon as the mount's complete and one readies for a second shot. Usually, if there's time for a second shot, snap shooting wasn't the best method.
Why as soon as the butt meets the shoulder? Because your synapses and reflexes do this better than your forebrain. If we hesitate then, we try to aim, and you can guess how well that works. A well grooved in mount's essential for success here.
Of course, mindset plays a big part. Be ready to shoot as soon as a target is recognized.
The best way to get good at this would be shooting a few hundred birds with it. Of course, that's hard to do, since what you're trying to get better at is the skill needed to do that. Irony is pandemic.
Low gun clay games will speed your development. Try some snap shots from Skeet's Low 7 position, or lock a trap machine for straightaways and turn the speed down. Shoot from Post 3, moving back and forth to vary the distance and vertical angle.
Wobble trap, shot low gun, may be best for practice. The variety of angles will keep the challenge level up, and it's as much fun as anyone can have fully dressed.
This bears repeating again. Work on consistency and smoothness, speed will turn up on its own.
Dolf got birdy in some stuff that made me long for a machete, and when Bill said Dolf was on point, I could see him but not the dog. As I fought through the stickers, I heard the whir a woodcock gives when it vacates the premises.
Bill genuflected,dropping his right knee to the ground. He twisted his upper body almost 90 degrees and mounted his old A-5 with the barrel pointing straight up. It spoke as the butt touched his shoulder and the timberdoodle crumpled. Dolf never retrieved birds, but would find them and stand over them until one of us picked them up.Since this one landed maybe 10 feet from his owner, Dolf just sat down and waited while Bill picked the bird up.
I gaped in amazement. Then we both grinned, and I asked what made him do that.
Billy answered it was the only way to get the shot off.
That's snap shooting, though folks will disagree on what else is. Snap shooting is a close range, very fast method that either works well or VERY badly. Called Poke and Hope by its detractors, it's a specialized technique that should be learned by newer shotgunners.
See bird, shoot same,now.
Conscious thought is not involved. It's all down in the synapses and learned reflexes. Any lead is dealt with by pattern spread, or by the swing,which all takes place as the shotgun is mounted.
Quail hunters do it. So do grouse and woodcock hunters. Most good shotgunners do it sometimes.
It's a good skill to have, coupled with the experience and judgement to know when to use it.That's the tough part.
When snap shooting works for me, it's within 20 yards or so. Angles are not extreme,the target isn't moving at warp speed and the shot MUST be taken quickly. Snap shooting done slowly is Oxymoronic and not the best system.
Here's how I do it, though I make no claim to fame at it.
First, the hardware.
This is a case of fit being paramount, the thing HAS to shoot where you're looking. While Bill's Polychoked A-5 was as noseheavy as a pig on a snow shovel, usually best results come from a neutral balance or even a little muzzle lightness. I've done good work here with a couple doubles, shorter barreled than most, and naturally riot barreled 870s. This is Open Choke Land, so even Cylinder will work. Chokes Modified or tighter mean misses or mincemeat.
Now, and more importantly, the software.
The standard carry of Port Arms creates some problems here. Lots of waving in several directions happens during the mount. While P/A is an effective, safe carry for the field,when action is expected far better to have the shotgun pointed more to the front. If the situation or your preference is to have the muzzle elevated, one has to more or less pivot the shotgun around the forward hand during the mount. Some do well at this.
Having the muzzle BELOW the line of flight is immensely helpful.
I prefer to have the shotgun parallel to the ground and my strong side forearm as I move in on a point.Once the bird is spotted, the mount starts as I focus on a small part of the bird like the eye, or when the shot's a straightaway, where the sun never shines. The shot goes as soon as the mount's complete and one readies for a second shot. Usually, if there's time for a second shot, snap shooting wasn't the best method.
Why as soon as the butt meets the shoulder? Because your synapses and reflexes do this better than your forebrain. If we hesitate then, we try to aim, and you can guess how well that works. A well grooved in mount's essential for success here.
Of course, mindset plays a big part. Be ready to shoot as soon as a target is recognized.
The best way to get good at this would be shooting a few hundred birds with it. Of course, that's hard to do, since what you're trying to get better at is the skill needed to do that. Irony is pandemic.
Low gun clay games will speed your development. Try some snap shots from Skeet's Low 7 position, or lock a trap machine for straightaways and turn the speed down. Shoot from Post 3, moving back and forth to vary the distance and vertical angle.
Wobble trap, shot low gun, may be best for practice. The variety of angles will keep the challenge level up, and it's as much fun as anyone can have fully dressed.
This bears repeating again. Work on consistency and smoothness, speed will turn up on its own.
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