Some good Practice on the Skeet range.

[Snarlingiron]

A friend and I took Mike McAlpine's one day clinic Friday before last. Mike suggested some good practice routines for the Skeet range.

Here's what we did. First, we shot a round of skeet starting on Station 1 as usual. However, whenever we missed, we had to shoot until we broke the missed target 5 times in succession. We each shot about 75 rounds on that round, but man, will that tune you up. I got the idea from a tip on the Gil and Vickey Ash website. They were saying that if you are going to get good on sporting clays, you have to get used to shooting 10 of the same targets in a row.

Next round we shot only doubles. Stations 1, 2, 6 and 7 were no big deal, but 3, 4 and 5 are a real challenge. We shot low house first as we rotated from 1 to 7, and then we rotated from 7 to 1 shooting high house first.

Man what a workout. I learned a lot. I CAN adjust my break point and hit the target about 2/3rds of the way to the center stake using the Diminishing Sustained Lead technique that Mike taught us. I can move fast enough to shoot the second target.

The sporting clays league was being shot this evening, so we stuck to the skeet range, but next week, we will hit the sporting clays range and shoot our most challenging targets until we hit 10 in a row.

This kind of challenging practice should get me up to my goal of mid to upper 70's. I am shooting mid 60's now.

What do you guys do to challenge yourselves?

 

[UKShooter]

What you have described sounds really really good. I wish we could do that here.

In the UK there is a lot of Sporting clays available and a decent amount of skeet. Normally you can find some clays to shoot within 20 miles of just about any town. However, normally you just pay for one round, either 50 or 100 bird sporting or a round of skeet at a time. This means you can't really linger on one stand and practice like that as you are normally going round in a 'squad'. I'd love to stick on one stand on the skeet making sure i nail all the birds before moving on. I bet that would improve me massively. My best score on skeet so far is only about 18 but I'm getting there. Just need more practice.

 

[oneounceload]

Something similar, except on the 5-stand layout when no one else is around. A springing teal has been giving me fits lately. I keep thinking I am right where I need to be, but it isn't working - so I move close enough to where I can break it 5 times, then back a few yards and repeat until I am back at the cage.

Other times I'll get the club owner (and target setter) and have him show me how to read a particular target and where my hold, insertion and break points should be.

YOU might want to join that fun sporting league as well - that should help and be a ton of fun to boot!

 

[chas08]

What do you guys do to challenge yourselves?

The nearest skeet range to where I live is about 70 miles away. So to stay in practice for the fall. I shoot Bumble Bees, Honey Bees, and Yellowjackets on the fly with a Red Ryder BB gun. I know it sounds "redneckish", but its fun and great hand eye coordination practice.

 

[Kingcreek]

We've done similar things and it can really sharpen the skills. I have also shot after everyone else is gone with the RO who is also one hell of a shotgunner and a darn good one-on-one coach. He launches targets with the manual trigger switch on his whim with no warning and no idea wether you're getting high or low singles, split pairs, or doubles. He has also called "bird!" and launched a target when he knew my gun was empty (its a good feeling to load, mount, and smash a bird under those circumstances). We have also shot rounds together with pairs only- no singles. so far, the cost of this specialized training has been limited to range clean-up, tacos and beer on me at the local joint after. Its nice to have the flexibility and the luxury of shooting non regulation.

 

[UKShooter]

Springing teals are hard work but if you are only getting them from closer in, are you sure you don't need a tighter choke? Maybe even drop back to a bigger shot like if you are using 8 or 9 drop back to 7 1/2

 

[oneounceload]

My problem is they do not go straight up but have a slight curl to the right, and I'm being told I'm shooting just to the left (or vice versa when they switch the teal direction). I've also been shooting over a lot, so I float the bird and still miss. I used to NEVER miss these types, now it's all I can do just wait till it hits the ground and go over and stomp on it!!!

But that's half the fun of sporting - working through your troublesome targets until you get them nailed down, then going out next time and running the station.