walk213
Active member
They're coming to Colorado. $600 a day. I might have to consider attending.
Shooting Woes - Help Needed
- Thread starter walk213
- Start date
walk213
Active member
I gained weight. Not ideal. Same jacket, pants vest etc. Nothing changed. I noticed my mounts were horrible. I worked to fix that during the season. As my confidence went down, I started to rush everything. I do feel a sense of guilt when my dogs do their job and I continously fail. Patterning will happen in February or March. Thank you.
Red Ryder
Member
Learn to shoot with both eyes open and pointing the gun, not aiming. You should join a gun club and shoot clay pigeons once a week. You will be surprized how much better you shoot.
remy3424
Well-known member
Walk, this was a great thread that many can relate to and add their opinions. A ton of ideas throw out, had to seem a bit overwhelming. Maybe try a couple, whatever you choose, you will be fine next season, after you forget about this one. Need these type of threads on the off-season to keep the traffic.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
Sounds like LOP to me.
Brickhouse
New member
It looks like you have some really good drive and know where to look for some birds. The biggest thing that I see in your videos is that you are chasing your dogs too much and don’t get set up to shoot when the birds get up. The biggest problem I see with most shooters is they don’t get their feet set right and try to shoot three shots off balanced as quickly as they can. I agree with some of the other posters maybe to run one dog and keep ‘em in close. Maybe slow down your shots a little bit and make them count. I was fortunate to have my dad see these same scenarios and he’d take three shells out of my shotgun and put in one and told me to make it count. That definitely made a difference. I appreciate seeing your videos though looks like you have some up and coming dogs.
Ditchmaster
Well-known member
For sure it’s all helped, I think I’ve had enough help to be able to recognize how to correct shots if I miss. If you can get consistent on the clays, the pheasants are flying way slower most of the time.
Uplandhunter67
Well-known member
Sporting clays game for wing shooters
Get into station. You cannot look at the sheet that tells you how clays are thrown.
Load two shells. Trapper throws only one A bird. No call, trapper releases whenever they like. You have two shots to break it. Record score. Continue this at each station.
At the end of the course return in reverse order and only throw one B bird. Do this at each station until you’re back to where you started. Record score.
This I think simulates real action. You don’t have the chance to correct your mistake when you’re in the field. A real bird only gives you one chance. You have to get it right.
Works best with a non shooting trapper. Sometimes wives are the best trappers as they tend to be a bit vindictive about when they release birds. You can always go back and shoot the course just as you would normally and maybe figure out what you did wrong.
Get into station. You cannot look at the sheet that tells you how clays are thrown.
Load two shells. Trapper throws only one A bird. No call, trapper releases whenever they like. You have two shots to break it. Record score. Continue this at each station.
At the end of the course return in reverse order and only throw one B bird. Do this at each station until you’re back to where you started. Record score.
This I think simulates real action. You don’t have the chance to correct your mistake when you’re in the field. A real bird only gives you one chance. You have to get it right.
Works best with a non shooting trapper. Sometimes wives are the best trappers as they tend to be a bit vindictive about when they release birds. You can always go back and shoot the course just as you would normally and maybe figure out what you did wrong.
I disagree. Clays slow down as soon as they leave the machine. Sporting clays and 5 stand run around 50 miles an hour. A pheasant is just the opposite get faster as they leave. They can hit 60 mph in a short period.
Clays are predictable, watch one they all do the same. Pheasants not so much. I have shot in the low 90s on a sportng clay course. I can only wish I hit 9 pheasants in 10 shots.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
Trigger time on clays helps and will improve your game shooting. But they definitely have differences. I find it easier to hit a clay than a live bird.
Wind River
Well-known member
The only trait a rooster has is the element of surprise and they use it well. Our recourse is anticipation and watching the dog.
Experience is a wonderful teacher, but can be cruel. No reason to make the same mistake, take your own advice.
Practice and practice some more. Clays can produce a positive attitude. Swing on every bird, but only shoot roosters.
Experience is a wonderful teacher, but can be cruel. No reason to make the same mistake, take your own advice.
Practice and practice some more. Clays can produce a positive attitude. Swing on every bird, but only shoot roosters.
old 20 super 90
Member
ImO. Look to be rushing that first one... then nature kicks in and naturally rush follow ups ... I've learned told my self when you think your good. Pull ahead another half bird. .... let it fly. Now a days the shells are pretty damn good weather shooting lead or new non toxic. Patterns typically hold tighter longer.... long story short. Don't rush
Red Ryder
Member
Pheasants are bigger though. I use imp cyl first and modified second and seldom miss a pheasant....I should have said to gun at hunt tests for hunting dogs, you get better and usually consentrate on one bird. Correct me if Im wrong but it seemed like your first shots were very long, you might want to keep your goldens closer.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
Where the dog is depends on a litany of variables. Thickness of cover, wildness of birds, which dog specifically you're talking about and their energy level at that point in time. Also I didn't make this post or the video here so not sure what you're referring to. That being said, standing on a concrete pad knowing more or less where the clay will be going, or shooting a pen raised bird in a hunt test is bush league compared to chasing wild birds on public land, to me. YMMV.
Limitless
Well-known member
The type of camera used makes things look much farther away than they really are. I am guessing most of the birds, if not all, were less than 20 yards away when shot at. @walk213 would know best though.
Not that it matters regarding how close the dogs are working, but I'm pretty sure those are yellow labs.
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carptom1
Well-known member
No kidding…. I have a guy that I have taken north a few times. He has hunted but not a ton. He always acts totally surprised at the flush and often has his gun on his shoulder. Many times he hasn’t shot at all and when he does it is out a way and much smaller percentage. I have tried to coach him and let him have first shot if we are close, but it seems to stay the same.
remy3424
Well-known member
#76 reply....what choke are you using? Try IC if you are typically within 5 or 10 yards at the flush. If further away, use the sky buster loads with 1 and three eighths ounce of shot or 1 and a half ounce to really make it easy.
Walk, bet you never thought that this thread would get this much attention! We all just like to throw out what we think helps us connect or could help a fella struggling. You will be fine, like a basketball player, shoot your way out of the slump.
Carp...I used to hunt a lot with that guy...I would look at him and he would be looking at the ground or hold the gun at his side or over his shoulder. I would say " are you ready?....it doesn't look like you are"...I thought he would get tired of hearing it and start watchin the dog.
Walk, bet you never thought that this thread would get this much attention! We all just like to throw out what we think helps us connect or could help a fella struggling. You will be fine, like a basketball player, shoot your way out of the slump.
Carp...I used to hunt a lot with that guy...I would look at him and he would be looking at the ground or hold the gun at his side or over his shoulder. I would say " are you ready?....it doesn't look like you are"...I thought he would get tired of hearing it and start watchin the dog.
Uplandhunter67
Well-known member
I used to hunt with a guy who would never pay attention. Tried numerous times to get him on track. Never seemed to get the point. Just stopped inviting him. Wonder if he figured it out.
Red Ryder
Member
What I know is that shooting clay pigeons made ME a better shot, I shoot over vizsla s which are pointers and if they bust a bird, there is no shot, and they wait to be sent on a retrieve. Pheasants are nasty birds for holding, I like cattails because they are limited in the ability to run and move. The more you shoot, the better you get except for shooting target that are still. Using the right choke will make you a better shot for wild birds.
Limitless
Well-known member
I agree. It is easier to adjust, and see the results of your changes, on a bunch of consistent clay pigeons than on variable and infrequent wild bird flushes.
I think it is easier to hit clay pigeons, on average, than wild pheasants though. They are smaller and start faster, but quickly level out (at least with trap) and aren't accelerating. Some of the things I find challenging about wild pheasants are them flushing from an unknown starting point, many flight angles, acceleration, using the wind, flushing farther away, non-straight flight paths, and the fact they are so darn durable. The will to live on some old roosters is as amazing as it is frustrating.