How to shoot clay /k/?
I started yesterday and it s hellafun but i was aiming with the bead (i shoot rifles) the instructor told me to stop doing that, alligne the bead with the barel and then look up and "go with instinct" i went from 80% accuracy to 20%...
There Is someting i don t understant about the "not aiming" thing . How am i supposee to make sure the barrel is on target ?
(Post e this yesterday but it 404d too fast, did check some youtube videos but didn t find any about the basics)
>>30165433
Your instructor sounds retarded
Aim with the bead, just make sure you cant see the top of the rib
>>30165433
A lot of instructors tell you not to aim with the bead, at least in the UK. I think its so you have two eyes on the clay or something, but I don't really know why.
Use the bead and point it slightly under the pigeon (shot pattern varies by gun so you will have to practice). Depending on the angle of flight you have to lead it too. Also have you patterned the gun?
t. Missouri ATA champion
>>30165433
I think he's just putting it the wrong way.
With shotguns, you aim with both eyes open (I know a lot of people shoot rifles the same way but yeah). If your cheek weld is good, the aiming part will happen pretty much on its own. It's a different feeling and he's not completely wrong about everything, but you do aim with the bead.
Start with bladed stance, bring stock to face, align eye down rib with bead, pull shotgun to shoulder, chicken wing it, say pull, pick up bird with eye, when you move your head move your whole upper body, don't try to pull the shotgun across your face, lead bird, don't stop to aim, slap the trigger don't pull it, don't stop the shotgun when slapping the trigger.
It's literally the opposite of shooting rifle, and it works.
>>30165635
Forgot to add, after you align your eye on the rib/bead don't look at them again. It also helps to say pull as soon as you get set.
1. Keep both eyes open when shooting
2. Never stop moving the gun
3. Keep your eyes on the clay
4. Don't "aim" so much as "point" the shotgun.
Something else to consider (at leat in my experience) is that when you change anything major like that your scores drop like a rock for a little but then you build up so that your scores are better than what you had originally
>>30165433
Let me explain why in a bit more detail.
Aiming is alright but youll reach a skill plateau where you cant get any better until you start shooting on instinct.
When I shoot I do not look down the barrel. My eyes track the bird and the bead swings through my field of view, shooting when my aim matches speed and position with the bird.
Remember: as long as Im perfect, I literally cant miss.
Your stance, your shouldering, and most importantly YOUR CHEEK WELD need to be precise.
Keep your head on the gun. The most common mistake when learning to shoot by focusing on the target is to allow your head to shift on the stock or picking it up off the stock because youre too busy tracking the target to remember your form.
I usually angle the barrel up slightly and then aim with the barrel, I can normally have a perfect round if I do that
>>30165635
>slap the trigger don't pull it
?
can you elaborate on this
>>30165817
It's not like shooting a rifle, you're not trying to break the trigger cleanly/perfectly. You're trying to get the shot off at exactly the right time. Clay shooting isn't an "accuracy" thing, it's a timing and movement thing.
I had a clay instructor tell me this:
>both eyes open
>'lock' the gun in with your cheek and shoulder
>look at the clay, don't use the sight
>>30165433
point is that you need to have the appropriate lead when you break your shot. it's a target focus with the bead as a reference for the right amount of lead. it's difficult to describe over the internet, but as >>30165635 put it it's pretty much the opposite of shooting a rifle well offhand.
as i'm more of a sporting clays shooter, i tend to mount my shotgun as i pick up the clay since they're not coming from fixed positions.
>>30165837
>>30165817
when you pull the trigger, you start with your finger on the trigger and smoothly add pressure to not disturb your sight alignment as you break the shot. when you slap the trigger you start off with your finger off the trigger and quickly bring it back, accepting any sight misalignment as a result.
Awesome info guys. Wiould you recommend me start by shooting from the same stations and angles, or mixing it up is a good thing ?
>>30166453
Well honestly it depends. If you've only been shooting for a couple days try the same angle with the same path until you get it down pat. It also can depend on what clay spirt you're shooting: trap, skeet, bunker, sporting clays, crazy clays
>>30166453
perfect your mount and pattern your gun before you worry about that stuff. although, a lot of people find american trap to be the easiest since the birds are launched away from you, so there is less movement across your field of vision; the birds appear to move slower. whereas in skeet, those suckers come rocketing sideways across the field and you need to be quick. sporting clays is usually the most challenging due to the variability of flight patterns.
pre-mounting like some people do in american trap is pleb tier; if you ever want to hunt birds you need to be able to mount your gun while the target is in mid flight
being able to mount your gun so that you have a bead as soon as the gun is up is key, because you want to be following the bird and let finding bead be second nature. a proper fitting shotgun will make this process easier, but tallfags and shortfags will have to work on getting familiar with their gun unless they get a custom job.
as far as tapping vs squeezing the trigger goes, you'll definitely tap the trigger if you use a passing shot technique, because you're not holding your lead for a long period of time and need to shoot quickly. in fact, I find when i'm shooting clays the trigger is the last thing i notice. as long as your trigger isn't too heavy for you to shoot comfortably, you probably won't notice it that much. when we're deer hunting with shotguns we're using them more like rifles, so there's plenty of careful aiming down the sight and smooth trigger work going on.
for clarification, a passing shot is when you mount your gun behind the bird and swing across it, and then fire once you get the correct lead/point of aim. whereas, other people will mount their gun ahead of the bird and slow their swing until they have the right lead and then fire. I suppose it's a matter of speeding up vs slowing down to find the lead and match the speed of the bird. there are definitely more techniques than i care to name, but you get the idea.
