So how do I pick who to copy? How do I know their technique is sound and valuable?
That's always the hard part. For my first few years here at THR, I would often blithely suggest to shotgun newbies that they talk to family members, friends and co-workers and find someone they knew to offer them some basic instruction on the scattergun.
And people kept telling me that they didn't know a single person who owned a shotgun, went hunting or shot clays. No one.
At first I was amazed and saddened at that idea. With time I have come to understand and accept that the America I grew up in has changed more than I realized. So it may take reaching out more, beyond your immediate circle of family and friends, to find someone to help you. You might need to try a local gun club, if you have one. The late moderator here, Dave McCracken, was always willing to teach a round of Shotgun 101 at his local club in Maryland to anyone from THR in his area. There are others in Geezer Squads all over the country who want to pass our art along and are willing to help anyone who can put up with a crusty oldphart in order to learn. They just have to be looked for.
A Hunter Safety Class might be enough to get you introduced to someone who can help - I often suggest that class as an introductory level training experience to folks over at the Strategies, Tactics And Training forum here.
And so on. There may well be a THR member in your area who can help you if they know you are looking for help. Start a thread to that effect here in the Shotgun forum, or at
http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=41. You will likely get more responses here, however. I usually suggest that prospective students provide their own ammo and be prepared to offer lunch at a local watering hole
.
Any truly professional firearms instructor is going to tell you that, beyond safety and the essential fundamentals, there is no "one true way" to follow with any defensive firearm. There are a variety of approaches to any problem or task- some will work well for a given person, and others not so well. It's an individual thing, but you will need exposure to the possibilities in order to decide what works for you. Don't expect to get it all sorted out in one easy lesson - but you CAN get started.
Some people like to begin with DVDs from noted instructors, so they get some idea what to expect. I usually suggest Clint Smith or Tom Gives as starting points. My own favorite shotgun trainer, Louis Awerbuck, had not updated his video in several years before his passing but it is still worthwhile IMHO. Be aware all these folks are going to assume that a student knows 'the basics' of safe gun handling, stance, gun mount, gun fit, and basic manipulation of the shotgun before coming to their class - and if I understand properly, these are the things you are looking to learn.
Best wishes, and anyone in NW NC, SW VA or NE TN who wants to get bored by this oldphart on the topic has an open invitation to PM me.
http://www.amazon.com/Defensive-Shotgun-Clint-Smith/dp/B003TEB4MC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhgwHQCJwWw
http://www.paladin-press.com/product/Combat-Shotgun/DVDs
http://www.rangemaster.com/publications/training-dvds/