Cant hit a bird

A

Axis II

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Jul 2, 2015
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So i cant shoot a shotgun to save my life. Trap ill break em all day long but any sort of wing shooting other than a pheasant and i cant hit it. I’m going to try my hand at duck and dove hunting next month so need some advice
 
Which is your dominant hand?
Which is your dominant eye?

If they are not the same, that is where your problem is.
 
Trap is an entirely different discipline than traditional skeet.
Only on the #1,2,6,7 skeet stations are the clay birds going away or towards you.
#3,4,5, and 8 are crossing and that’s where the lead is MUCH greater.
#3 and 5 require approximately 24” lead, and #4 a 36” lead.

Skeet much better prepared me for waterfowl hunting than trap did.
Lead on a crossing ring neck duck at 40yds is 6-9’, depending on what ammunition you’re using. And that’s if you’re not stopping your swing.
 
GooseGestapo said:
Trap is an entirely different discipline than traditional skeet.
Only on the #1,2,6,7 skeet stations are the clay birds going away or towards you.
#3,4,5, and 8 are crossing and that’s where the lead is MUCH greater.
#3 and 5 require approximately 24” lead, and #4 a 36” lead.

Skeet much better prepared me for waterfowl hunting than trap did.
Lead on a crossing ring neck duck at 40yds is 6-9’, depending on what ammunition you’re using. And that’s if you’re not stopping your swing.
Click to expand...
I think my issue is the swing part of it. It seems when the bead gets on the target I’m shooting.
 
You can’t learn to shoot a shotgun via the internet. With that being said, I went and took some lessons from a pro a while back and he increased my shotgun skills dramatically with two things.
1. The mount is everything, look at your target and bring the gun to your face, never bring your face to the gun.

2. I used to use the swing through method, now I use a much shorter and more effective swing. I now use the under and up swing, which is a modified version of pull away, look at the bird, match the speed with your gun under the bird then swing the gun up to the level of the bird and shoot. After a while your brain will automatically pull the correct amount of lead for the speed and distance.

good video of lead.

 
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I've been dove hunting since I was 9 years old. My miss-to-hit ratio is still very unacceptable. It doesn't seem to matter that I can get consistent head shots on moving sillouettes with a rifle at 300 yards.
 
Good advice for any wingshooter or trapshooter......
* Do not stop your swing, follow through the shot.
* Train yourself to shoot birds in the head, not the body. Clay targets in the leading rim.
* doves are a sporty target they're small. The kill zone is about the size of an egg, and they're about ⅓ tail feathers. Don't get discouraged too quickly.
* the sporting clays range is the place to practice wingshooting, not the trap range.
......now if I could just do these things....
 
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Axis II said:
I think my issue is the swing part of it. It seems when the bead gets on the target I’m shooting.
Click to expand...

It's easy to get into that mode of shooting in Trap. I did it for years when I was young, and did it well. But following through is important, which is why shooting some Skeet and or Sporting Clays once in a while is a good thing, even for a serious Trap competitor.

Armored farmer said:
Good advice for any wingshooter or trapshooter......
* Do not stop your swing, follow through the shot.
* Train yourself to shoot birds in the head, not the body. Clay targets in the leading rim.
* doves are a sporty target they're small. The kill zone is about the size of an egg, and they're about ⅓ tail feathers. Don't get discouraged too quickly.
* the sporting clays range is the place to practice wingshooting, not the trap range.
......now if I could just do these things....
Click to expand...


Armored Farmer covered the basics succinctly. I learned a quick and dirty method of wingshooting that combines most of what is covered here by everyone thus far.

Bird, beak (or bill) , boom.

Start with a round of Skeet with a good instructor who will take the time to explain the lead at each station. Maybe two rounds if you aren't able to establish your leads enough to hit a few.

Then hit the Trap range for a few rounds; this prepares you for flushing birds who may not fly the same way every time like Skeet clays do.

Then hit the Sporting Clays course; this will prepare you for birds better than any other clays course. The trick (especially for seasoned Trap & Skeet shooters who expect 90%+ averages) is to not be discouraged by a 50% score.

There are two methods of leading, and despite what some will tell you, both require followthrough. Both are necessary for a wingshooter to learn.
  • Swingthrough- This is where the gun comes from behind the bird, you pull the trigger as the barrel passes the beak or bill, then keep swinging the gun along the same trajectory the bird is on. The skill is in developing the right swing dynamics for the target's speed. Only practice will establish this.
  • Sustained lead- This one involves getting the barrel out in front of the bird at a distance you know to be correct for the speed, direction, and distance of the bird. This one is much tougher to master, and while is rarely needed on game, when needed and you aren't ready for it, you'll miss. An example of where sustained lead comes in handy is on a pheasant hunt or duck hunt when firing order is deemed, or when the shooter that the bird got in front of emptied their gun and missed. BTW, Annie Oakleys are good practice for this. :D
Here's a good primer on Trap, but it applies to the basics of wingshooting also:



I have all the people I coach watch this. Yes, it's old, but the fundamentals remain the same. It shows how a lead looks from the shooter's point of view, though leads on live birds may be longer. That's where the Skeet and Sporting Clays practice comes in.

If you really want a challenge, find a Gun Club that offers Hélice;



I just wish I'd have had the chance to shoot it before I started running into woodcock while grouse hunting.
 
FL-NC said:
I've been dove hunting since I was 9 years old. My miss-to-hit ratio is still very unacceptable. It doesn't seem to matter that I can get consistent head shots on moving sillouettes with a rifle at 300 yards.
Click to expand...
Actually I think you’re on to something here. The logical calculation it takes to shoot a rifle at range does not translate to shotguns AT ALL! If you’re aiming and trying to calculate lead with a shotgun you’re almost 100% going to miss. Shooting a shotgun is almost 100% instinct and “zen” body mechanics.

I am not bragging, well maybe I’m bragging a little bit. But once I fixed my mount and started doing what Armored Farmer describes, looking at the leading edge of my target. My shotgunning got exponentially better. I used to be a 50/50 shooter on doves, I’m closer to a 90% shot on doves now and it’s rare that a flushed bird won’t hit the ground. My main issue was an improper mount and over thinking lead.
look at the beak, look at the leading edge of the clay, mount properly and start killing birds.
 
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At age 63 after dove and duck hunting my whole adult life, I finally found a technique that works for me. I read an article in Field & Stream at the doctor's office. (I stole the issue .. after asking.)

As H&H pointed out, get a gun that fits you .. proper LOP etc. Next, don't mount the gun until you are ready to shoot then mount and shoot all in one motion. While this is happening, place all of your concentration looking at the eye of the bird as it approaches. Do not look at the barrel, sight or anything else. When it comes in range, bring the gun to your face and bring your shoulder forward. Then shoot, do not think about the proper lead or anything else .. just the bird's eye. Your brain will do the rest for you.

Sounds too simple doesn't it. Try it and it may make you a good to great shot on birds.
 
LoonWulf said:
Aim at the head.......... i focus on the head and let my body figure out where to point the stick thingy.....not really sure if thats helpful but ive gotten better since i started focused on the front if the bird.
Click to expand...


Hence my earlier post with "bird, beak (or bill), bang".
 
don't let your cheek come away from the stock when swinging the gun on crossing shots. mount the gun the same every time and pivot at the hips on those crossing shots. right-handers (me) have a tendency to push the gun away from the face when the bird is going left-to-right.

luck,

murf
 
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