Pointing vs. Aiming

[BTF/PTM]

Ok, so I got yelled at by a range worker at my local outdoor skeet/trap range. I used the word "aim" when describing my complete lack of ability to hit a pigeon, and he quickly scolded me saying "Ya don't aim a shotgun, son, you POINT a shotgun". Out of pure curiosity, does anyone else actually make that distinction?

[djleisure]

Well, considering the dictionary definition of aim is:

1: to direct a course ; specifically : to point a weapon at an object

I'd have to say the guy is a dooshbag with a superiority complex. Just my two cents though...

[Tho_Sun]

So when you use a shotgun, you have to lead a little bit when aiming. My guess is that guy didn't know about leading and points his shot gun at target and hopes it's pointing in the right direction.

[Fantasma]

Point, Predict, and Aim...... That's how Dad does it and that how i do it

[tziggs]

When I took the NRA Shotgun education/training course they used the same terminology..."point, don't aim".

[hitman_13]

Point like you would point at a bird.

[Tho_Sun]

if you just point at it, how do you know if your leading or trailing or high or low? do you use the sites or point from the hip? oh thats a good one, why not just shoot from the hip then? lol

[mister dize]

Ok, so I got yelled at by a range worker at my local outdoor skeet/trap range. I used the word "aim" when describing my complete lack of ability to hit a pigeon, and he quickly scolded me saying "Ya don't aim a shotgun, son, you POINT a shotgun". Out of pure curiosity, does anyone else actually make that distinction?

Yeah, sounds like a typical range worker. Always looking for an opportunity to be pedantic and correct someone.

Next time, ask him if they sell bullets for your shotgun.

[BamBam-31]

The man is correct. You don't focus on the front bead (which is a requirement of aiming). Instead, you focus on the clay as you "point" the shotgun using your peripheral vision to guide it through the clay, like you're gonna paint it out of the sky w/ a cloud of BB's. It's all about picking up the flight path and using the proper amount of lead. As one shotgunner explained it, "Pretend the clay is your front sight. Don't focus on the bead."

No one is more guilty of "aiming" a shotgun than me. I'm more of a pistol shooter, and it's nigh impossible for me to not focus on the bead.

[Tho_Sun]

Interesting, so whats the point of the bead, or ghost rings, or any other aiming device on a shotgun for? Not trying to sass you, just genuinely curious.

[sorensen440]

Point or aim it sounds like the guy has an attitude problem

[serkerone]

shotgun with birdshot you just gotta point ahead of it

[BamBam-31]

I still use the bead as a reference point. I just don't focus on it like I would a rifle sight. I use my peripheral vision to pick it up while I'm focusing on the clay. (That's probably why I still suck at it, btw. ) I believe the bead (or beads, if you have a mid-bead as well) are simply for verifying proper hold and alignment, not for aiming.

Actually, I read somewhere about an instructor that would remove the front bead to get noobs off of focusing on it. The point was for the shooter to get a sense of where the BB's were going by just pointing the shotgun. A training aid he used was a BB gun w/ the sights removed. You were supposed to hit a ping-pong ball w/ the BB gun by simply pointing, not aiming, it.

Also, it's not like rifles/pistols where there's no follow through. It's kind of like spraying water from a hose--you can actually manipulate the shape of the BB cloud if you keep the barrel moving through the shot. An elongated cloud of BB's (shot from a moving barrel) has a better chance of hitting the clay than a spherical one (shot from a stationary barrel). IOW, don't just point in front of it and jerk the trigger--follow through!

[sargenv]

I've always been instructed that you point and do not aim a shotgun so it's not neccesarily range officer attitude. You don't really have any way of making a proper aim on most shotguns anyway, just the bead, not a red dot sight, a scope, or a bridge sight (front blade, rear notch). I use the bead as a point of reference but for the most part I pick up the target (clay or game) raise the gun, cheek weld, point, swing through target, pull trigger and follow through. Hopefully I've put lead (or steel) on target and I either break the clay or send the dog to retrieve the game.

Different games have different terminology. Don't assume people have an attitude because you don't know the terminology. Though if he were "yelled at" in most people's terms then maybe there was some attitude.. I've certainly driven that point home to a few moving target noobs over the years.. Thankfully they pick up the idea and do very well "pointing" and not "aiming". It took me an awfully long time to get good at shotgun.. The good thing is that it is a skill not quite so volatile as shooting a handgun.

[Tho_Sun]

Good stuff~ Never heard about all those points. I guess I'm just weird then. I actually aim with the bead. I follow the clay, draw a line in front of it's trajectory slightly and pull the trigger. Must be natural talent I guess. Never did the pointing thing, but I usually shatter the clay to dust. I guess I might be doing something right~ Lol, I think the point of this tread though is not to be so up tight. Take a step back and try to understand what the guy is trying to communicate. Hence the purpose of talking. Everyone has a opinion, just gotta respect them like they would you~