New To Trap Shooting

[bhaubold]

I'm new to trap shooting. I've only shot about 8 rounds. I enjoy it very much. Problem is, I'm only hitting about 10-12 clays and am not improving much. I can't tell where I'm missing.

Wonder if someone can give me any tips to help me improve? Is there a way to tell where your missing? it seems it would help if I knew I was missing low, high, left or right. I don't expect to become an expert overnight. But, I would like to get in the 15-20 range. It's much more fun when you hit the clays.

Thanks for your help,

Bob

[mtenenhaus]

some fundamentals that really helped me:
you want to bring the gun up to you...not bringing the head down and over to the gun

you want to focus sharply only the front edge of the bird and not look at the sights on the shotgun (very different than rifle shooting)

keep looking at the bird after you pull the trigger to make sure you're not stopping the gun after shooting but rather ensuring that you are following through with the shot

[cannon]

Have a buddy stand behind you when you shoot. They'll be able to tell you where you shot.

I've never been to a trap range that didn't have some old guys sitting around. These guys usually shoot very well and know their beans.

When I was a new shooter I'd ask them for help and got nothing but very good advice and assistance.

[the donald]

also, what are you shooting? i have a 28in full choke 12g and get between 18-22 consistently. with my 18in modified i get 10-15.

[Thefeeder]

Have a buddy stand behind you when you shoot. They'll be able to tell you where you shot.

I've never been to a trap range that didn't have some old guys sitting around. These guys usually shoot very well and know their beans.

When I was a new shooter I'd ask them for help and got nothing but very good advice and assistance.

+1 Except for the buddy, unless they are good at it......Even if you know, would you know how to fix it? Or start a never ending cycle of doing some other thing worng the next time.

Focusing on what you did right when you break a clay is much more helpful then knowing what you did wrong when you miss.

[RayPDA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHxXZj9fPJk

[BigDogatPlay]

Full disclosure, I am an instructor and teach trap at my local club just about every week.

some fundamentals that really helped me:
you want to bring the gun up to you...not bringing the head down and over to the gun

Yes.... this is rule #1, IMO. The top line of the stock needs to be at or just above the top line of your shoulder. You want your head to be as vertical as possible. Bring the gun up and, if you are mounting out on the shoulder joint or the arm, bring the gun in closer to your sternum.

you want to focus sharply only the front edge of the bird and not look at the sights on the shotgun (very different than rifle shooting)

Yes.... and as you improve you will definitely want to do this. The bead should hover on the receiver groove as shown below. If you are seeing barrel or rib, then you either don't have a good mount or the gun does not fit you well. Having the gun too low on your shoulder will also give you the sight picture on the left in the illustration.



The bead is only a visual reference of where the muzzle is, it is not for aiming, as noted above. You should achieve decent results fairly quickly if set up with the bead just below the front edge of the trap house roof, and focus you vision out into the field beyond the house. I counsel new shooters to divide the house into three sections... on stations one and two set up with the bead in the left hand third, station three set up in the center, stations four and five set up on the right hand third. As you progress you'll likely evolve into dividing the house into five sections, one for each station, and you'll also likely want to take a bit higher hold over the house, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of inches.

Set up with that visual reference at the start and the bird will be in your vision immediately. Do not anticipate which direction the bird will take. It's completely random unless the machine has been set for one specific pattern.

Avoid jerking the gun to get on the bird. And be sure to keep your cheek firmly planted on the stock all the way through the shot and follow through. If you lift your head your gun will fall behind the bird and you will miss every time, and lifting the head is the most common error that even experienced shooters make.

keep looking at the bird after you pull the trigger to make sure you're not stopping the gun after shooting but rather ensuring that you are following through with the shot

The drill I use for instilling follow through is when you miss keep the gun mounted properly and continue to follow the target to the ground. You want to shoot the bird while it's still on the rise.

By all means see if there is an experienced shooter or instructor who can watch your set up and how you are moving, where you are missing when you do (my money is on behind / under most of the time) and following through. Asking just any old guy might get you some help. Asking someone who's earned some belt buckles is better.

[ysr_racer]

Take the beads off, and look at the target.

[bhaubold]

Just wanted to thank everyone for the tips. Now, I feel like I actually have something to practice on.

BTW, I using my neighbors Beretta over/under with 30" barrels. I hope to find a nice used BT-99 to buy for my own.

Thank you all again. You've been very helpful,

Bob

P.S. Big Dog At Play, Where do you teach? Perhaps I could hook up with you for a lesson?