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Bob Schultz of Target Shotguns
7 1/2's or 8's As we sell ammo in the shop, a lot of my customers, particularly newer shooters, ask me a lot of questions about ammo and shot size. What brands are better than others? What is "dram equivalent"? What speed shell should I use? And of course the ubiquitous question ..... 7 1/2's or 8's? There is a difference in ammo quality...but not so much between brands, more so within each brand name the type or quality of the ammo varies greatly. Premium target loads like STS, AA and Federal Premium or Papers are all superior performers. We have our personal preferences but on any given day they will all outperform us! They all contain hard shot, good wads, clean burning consistent powder and very reliable primers. You can't go wrong with any of the above brands...however you can spend some serious cash shooting it! I watch for the rebate programs and either reload or sell my Remington Nitro empties. The next level of target ammo will deliver premium ammo performance. However, using a Reifenhouser or ribbed disposable plastic hull, they have reduced cost significantly and though still more than reloads they perform very well. Kemen, Rio Premium, Estate, Super Target, B&P fall into this category. Most are priced in the $60 per flat range. These shells use steel for the metal base on the shell, this has a tendency to stick in Ljutic, Alfermann and Seitz type guns as they don't push the shell out a bit prior to ejection. The hulls are reloadable however you must use caution as the base wads can become dislodged and cause some problems. Promotional loads like the "Field and Target" loads found at discount stores are OK just not the most consistent or reliable. They are designed for the once-in-a-while shooter to have some fun with. I have used them for 16 yard and doubles practice but am not impressed with the results. The soft shot and lack of one piece wads makes for some interesting patterns. Shoot them if you must but be aware of the axiom...you get what you pay for. Even serious shooters seldom can tell the difference between shells of less than 30 feet per second velocity difference. 2 3/4 dram shells will break any target you shoot at(And hit!). 3 dram shells are nice for handicap or long crossing shots in sporting clays. Super Handicap, Nitro 27 and Federal Premium Handicap loads are the Ferrari's of the shotgun shell world. They are assembled from the best components money can buy and if you shoot long yardage handicap trap or FITASC sporting clays you might want a few of these to reach out and touch a target! Last but not least...7 1/2's or 8's? Personally I think #8 shot will do for any target inside 30 yards. After that you might consider 7 1/2's for their retained energy. I think the most important factor is your shotgun. Some just like 8's more and others throw better patterns with 7 1/2s. You can do some pattern work on paper to find if there is a difference. RECOIL...YOUR ENEMY #1 After two weeks of sitting in our display trailer just off the shooting line at the Southern Grand and the Florida state shoot, I was amazed at how many shooters were getting pounded by their shotguns. Their shoulders and heads were snapping back due to recoil....ouch! Individual shots don't matter much, however like a boxer getting hit with little jab punches, the cumulative effect can be devastating to the shooter over a 100 or 200 target event. Sooner or later a gun that hurts you will begin to negatively effect your scores. OK, how do you solve the problem? There are a couple of interesting solutions that I'll list here: 1. Gun fit. As we discussed in an earlier blog, having a good fit on your shotgun will reduce felt recoil significantly. There are a number of qualified folks around the country who offer this service and it's normally well worth the price paid. 2. Recoil reducers in the stock. There are a number of these on the market (ie: Dead Mule and Edwards...) and they do work reasonably well. They add weight and have either a mercury or spring mechanism inside which dampens recoil. The combination of weight and dampening can be highly effective and if your gun tends to be a bit muzzle heavy it will help to balance the gun. 3. Recoil Reducing Stocks. There are several options in the recoil reducing stocks that are available. The Precision Fit stock is a bolt on arrangement which is amazing in its capacity to reduce recoil and allow for perfect gun fit. Not cheap at $1295.00 but well worth the price. Others like Pro-Soft and Stock-Lock are considerably more, however they look great and work even better than they look. Porting, back boring and long forcing cones. Porting a shotgun barrel will keep the muzzle under control and reduce the upward motion of the barrel. This can have a dramatic effect on recoil to the face and also allows for a quicker recovery for a second shot in a doubles presentation. About $100 a barrel and there are several companies that do it well, Top Line porting and Pro-Port being two of them I use. Back boring a barrel can have a positive effect on recoil, especially in combination with a long forcing cone job if the gun has short ones. Patterns generally improve and the recoil sensation is softer. In conclusion, get rid of recoil and your scores will improve.
Dumbo's Magic Feather and other fairy tales... As a gun dealer I get to listen to a lot of interesting reasons to purchase a new target gun. Some,few, are willing to admit they just want a new toy. Others have had the old gun for so long its starting to have some reliability issues so rather than spend a ton of money on a rebuild they buy new. I try and change guns when I'm shooting really well...the logic is I can determine if the new gun will perform equal to or better than the old one. Unfortunately, many shooters look for a new gun when they are in a significant slump. Although it might make you feel better psychologically, it probably won't cure your shooting ills! More often than not you'll have more obstacles to overcome learning the quirks of the new gun and trying to improve your shooting skills. Remember that you only can acquire good shooting skills with knowledge (coaching), practice and application. Mental preparation and a positive attitude don't hurt either. If buying a new gun was the only answer, rich people would be the best shooters. Dumbo's magic feather and the money cure for shooting good scores are both fairy tales! Shoot well and often! Target Management...really! Most shooters associate the words "target management" with sandbagging. Trust me on this...we are not going there! By "target mangement" I'm talking about how you manage your shooting game plan. (Game plan? Now what's he talking about?) You would not expect a football team to show up to play an important game without the coaches and team captains having a game plan would you? Then why on earth would you go to a major shooting competition without doing the same thing? Most shooters I know practice a few times prior to the big shoots then simply show up pay the money and "hope" to shoot well. If there is no plan to win, the results are fairly predictable, you won't win. Take the time to plan the events you will shoot and what options you will play. Make a checklist of all the equipment you need for the day or days of the shooting. Include things like rain gear and dry clothing. Then actually use the list! /Clearing your mind of worry about stuff you should have brought is a great stress reliever and will allow you to concentrate on the task at hand...breaking targets. I also recommend a journal of your shooting. Keep accurate records of your practice sessions and competition targets in a notebook or on your computer. Note things like weather conditions, temperature, lighting conditions, shells used, background and how you shot. Note particularly good aspects of the session and also areas which you need to work on. Over time you can develop a great insight into your shooting and what conditions work best for you. Also patterns will develop and give you the information you need to practice and improve the areas where you need help. Keep your game under control with "Targt Management"!
The Magic Triangle... A lot of years ago I was studying some of the fundamental aspects of shotgun shooting. One of the observations I made, while watching numerous great shooters, was the relationship between their cheek and stock comb, their shoulder and the butt pad and their right hand and the pistol grip. (Left for left hand shooters...) During the setup of the shot they all locked in these three points of reference and maintained them throughout the gun swing until after the shot was made. It seemed that regardless of personal style or the motion each of the individuals made, if they kept the three parts mentioned above in the same relationship motionless during the shot, they broke the target. What I discovered when imitating them in my own shooting was the relationship my eyes had with the gun and subsequently with the target remained constant. I literally could just "watch the target" and break it with an ease I never thought possible. Leads became consistant and repeatable and "memorizing" a particular target seemed so much easier. Of course it required some experimentation on my part to determine the amount of pressure I wanted on my cheek, shoulder and grip. In my case the cheek pressure was about enough to squash a grape. (Don't ask how I know this...) My shoulder pressure was moderately firm...if you put your fingers between the recoil pad and my shoulder it would not hurt but it would not be comfortable either, My grip pressure was similar to a good firm handshake, not enough to bother another person, but firm enough to keep their hand from breaking loose. I practiced mounting the gun and establishing these pressures and maintaining them throughout the shot, My scores rose and the consistency of my scores was impressive. That's the "Magic Triangle" .... cheek, shoulder and hand pressure, practiced and maintained during your shot making move. Once you try it I'm sure it will help your clay target shooting. It's something you can practice at home while doing "dry fire" exercises. 10 - 15 minutes every other day and you will see results in a couple weeks!
The Eyes Have It! One of the basic tenets of good shooting is "If you can't see it you can't hit it.". A truer statement, although somewhat simplistic, has never been said. So many times I see new, and even some experienced shooters, having a hard time picking up clays early enough to break them effectively. Whether it's trap, skeet or sporting clays the sooner you accurately pick up the target the easier it is to make a smooth move with the shotgun. How are we supposed to do this? Good news and bad news... the bad news is as we get older our ability to continually focus on a moving object diminishes. The cornea or lens of the eye gradually gets harder and less elastic so focusing quickly on a moving target becomes more difficult. Notice I said "more difficult" not impossible! The good news is you can learn where to look on any target presentation to maximize your chances of seeing the target clearly and shooting it quickly. How? (Sporting or 5 stand.) Study the target and pick a place along the flight path where you can easily see the target. If you like a swing through move, place your shotgun muzzle a short distance behind your look point and bring your eyes to the spot you chose to acquire the target and call for the target. When you see the target at your look point move the gun through the now clear and in focus target and shoot when you are in front keeping the gun moving. Sounds simple, but it works! If you are a trap shooter, focus your eyes beyond the trap house so the target "flies into focus". This is very effective for shooters over the age of 50. Younger shooters can focus closer to the house but never let your eyes go into a "search" mode while calling for the target. Keep them very still and let the motion of the target engage your eye muscles! Experiment and test. There is no absolute solution to target acquisition. Try the methods above and invent some of your own. If they work, see if they are reliable under pressure, if not discard and try something else! The fun is in the journey! Thank you for reading my Blog. If you have any questions or comments please email me a bob.schultz@targetshotguns.com
Foot Position
Foot position can improve your scores! Last time I talked a bit about gun fit and Length of Pull. We'll get back to some finer points of gun fit in future blogs however now I'm writing about the major flaws I see on the shooting line on a day to day basis... So many times I see shooters set up facing the wrong direction! They manage to put themselves in a position where they are fighting their body in order to get to the target. This is where foot position comes into play. There is a term called "natural point of aim" or NPA. This is where you would point the gun if you were totally relaxed. Now, using this information, set up your natural point of aim approximately where you are going to break the target, or, in the case of trapshooting, where the most difficult angle will present itself. By doing this you will predispose yourself to swing the gun naturally through the target and maintain gun speed throughout the shot! Make a note of where your feet are at each shooting station so you set up the same way each time you shoot. Learning where your NPI is and where to position your feet will help you improve your shooting on every post in trap and skeet shooting. Using your NPI and foot position is really critical in sporting clays as well. Understanding where your most natural movement to the target begins and ends will help you break more targets and make your shooting easier and fun.
Length Of Pull Length is important...!
One of the most glaring gun fit errors I see at the shooting range are stocks that are too long or too short. Length of Pull or LOP is critical for accurate shot placement and consistency in hitting angle targets. Let's start with the gun swing part.
I hear a lot of my customers and fellow shooters tell me they need a shorter barrel because they can't seem to catch hard angles. Whether it be Trap, Skeet or Sporting Clays most of the time, when we get down to the actual gun fit for the person, the stock is too long. Now I'm not talking inches here... 1/4 inch can make a huge difference in one's ability to move the barrel through and ahead of the angle targets. All American, Steve Carmichael and I did some experiments with shooters in New Zealand in 2003 showing that as little as 1/8" of incorrect length can make a difference on hard angles!
How do you determine what's best for you? You can start by accurately measuring your LOP on the gun in question. Write it down. If you feel you are behind the angle targets (particularly right to left for righties and left to right for lefties), reduce the length of your stock in1/8" increments until you start hitting the targets in the center. Now measure the stock and record your findings and shorten the stock to that length. If, however, you feel you are swinging in front of the targets and having to wait for them...do the reverse by adding 1/8 inch spacers under your recoil pad until you start hitting the centers and feel the gun is movng correctly.
Again, lady and junior shooters are really hampered with a stock that's too long. They look...and are uncomfortable with the gun. I know its painful to cut off a nice stock...but if you want them to shoot well getting the LOP correct is critical! Hope this helps...stay tuned for more tips and tricks on the blog. Does Your Gun Fit? A question that comes up often when I talk with customers is "How do I know this gun fits me?". I only wish I had a simple answer for everyone, unfortunately, depending on the age, gender and experience of the shooter, the answer will vary. Young shooters bodies are growing up to the time they are 18 or so, this means that what fits today may not fit next month. The best you can hope for with a young shooter is get the basic measurements of LOP (length of pull), drop at the comb and drop at the heel correct. Then adjust the comb so they are looking down the middle of the rib. Most often by doing this you'll accomplish 90%+ of good gun fit. As their bodies change with growth the adjustments to the comb and LOP will change so keep an eye on them as they get bigger! Lady shooters can be difficult to fit properly as well. Proportionally the distance from the top of their shoulder to the bottom of the cheek bone is about 20% greater than a man's. Men have squarer shoulders and shorter necks as a general rule, and shotguns were designed for men,(sorry ladies...), so some special considerations have to be made when setting up a gun for a lady shooter. An adjustable comb and adjustable butt pad can do wonders for fitting a lady. Also, more often than not, a lady shooter will need 4 -5 degrees of down-pitch put into the butt pad. This will keep the gun from hitting her in the face! (Very important!) For the average guy who can buy his clothes off the middle of the rack, most modern shotguns will fit pretty close right out of the box! Generally speaking, making simple adjustments to length of pull, offset and drop of the comb and possibly down-pitch with a spacer under the recoil pad will get the job done for a newer shooter. The long time competition shooter may best be served by either electing to get a custom stock made or using one of the Precision Fit Stocks. Theise can be adjusted to fit virtually anyone however at $1295.00 its as serious of an investment as a custom wood stock. If you have fitting issues or questions please feel free to call or email. I'll be happy to assist you or make recommendations as to whom you should see.
-Bob Schultz http://www.targetshotguns.com
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