Just out of courosity, I'd like to read some opinions about a common problem described not only in posts on this forum, but personally experienced by either I or one or more of my hunting partners every year. In mid November after a long duck season, I spent a 3day weekend chasing pheasants. On Friday, although my partner missed a few, I limited out in 3shots throughout the day. Wow..feeling pretty good about myself going into the next morning. Sat am comes...excited about new day First rise two shots both missed.... Blame that on rising sun... Second time same result... Must of been fumbling with safety due to gloves.... 3rd flush....4th flush were "tough shots".... Yikes truth was all those misses were shots I made the day before. I finally filled after a long day (no problem with that part) with a couple more misses, only one clean kill and two winged birds that were close enough that I should of hit them squarely. Thankfully my lab scooped them up on the run. Also, thankfully I had all those opportunities, I've had many days when if I don't hit the one or two shots I'm awarded then I'm skunked. This happens often enough that it doesn't surprise, just extremely frustrated. Maybe its due to that the first day "blood lust" is worn off and the second day I'm much more relaxed, leading to me watching how awesome the bird (rising sun, dog, scenery... Thinking?... etc) looks in its rise and I'm not puting my cheek on the stock, getting lackadaisical. However, it's not until I get the intensity back due to all the frustration with missing that I starting shooting worth a darn again and then not as well as the day before. With the 100s of years of collective bird hunting experience here on this forum, I think that it would be interesting and informative to hear about What's your opinion on why this happens to you?
Your take on a common shooting problem
- Thread starter tomt
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Crossing shot
New member
Did you celebrate that first day with some cannabis? That stuff stays in your system for a long time.
COWAN
Active member
You were into your gun the first day, concentrating subconsciously on the bird, bringing the gun into position and following thru the shot keeping your head on the stock the entire time.
Next day , you recall the day before, you're hopped up and ready for more action. The bird goes up, you swing your gun, find the bird and just as you pull the trigger you lift your head just a fraction of an inch because you want to see the bird fall. You miss. Maybe even 2-3 times. Why? Because when you lift your head to see the kill, you stop your swing and for follow up shots it just gets worse, you try to play catch up.
Try to keep your head on the gun and follow the hit bird (or missed) all the way to the ground. Same goes with shooting clay targets. Keep your head down and follow thru. Hope this helps.
Next day , you recall the day before, you're hopped up and ready for more action. The bird goes up, you swing your gun, find the bird and just as you pull the trigger you lift your head just a fraction of an inch because you want to see the bird fall. You miss. Maybe even 2-3 times. Why? Because when you lift your head to see the kill, you stop your swing and for follow up shots it just gets worse, you try to play catch up.
Try to keep your head on the gun and follow the hit bird (or missed) all the way to the ground. Same goes with shooting clay targets. Keep your head down and follow thru. Hope this helps.
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Shorthair Hunters
Member
For me it is slowing down and aiming, I was always quick to mount the gun and pull the trigger that I would forget to put my head down and aim. I had my guns fitted to me this year shortening them helped the mounting with heavy cloths but taking my time and aiming was my key.
My cousin always says "Bead on the head swing till their dead".
My cousin always says "Bead on the head swing till their dead".
This make perfect sense. After a day of not missing, you just assume the bird is going to fall and lift your head a split second early in anticipation.... It's amazing that I can remember many of the misses clearer then the successful shots and that's what I'm doing...
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
I think it's a Colorado thing! 
My buddy from Colorado was just here and we hunted 3 days. We didn't do great as we ended up with 11 birds for the 3 days. I shot 9 and he got 2. He has to be one of the worst shots with a shotgun I've ever seen. But put a 30-06 in his hands and he can take down a deer or elk at 400 yds. with no problem.
My buddy from Colorado was just here and we hunted 3 days. We didn't do great as we ended up with 11 birds for the 3 days. I shot 9 and he got 2. He has to be one of the worst shots with a shotgun I've ever seen. But put a 30-06 in his hands and he can take down a deer or elk at 400 yds. with no problem.Here are my thoughts...
Been there, done that...it happens to all of us.
Cold morning gun stock? Natural reaction is to not have cheek where it needs to be. This causes shot to go high...
I agree on the lack of follow-through comments...shot goes behind...
So, my solution to bad pheasant shooting by anyone is...
ERROR LOW AND IN FRONT...but why?
1. Pheasants are long birds but the vitals are in the first 1/3 of the bird
2. Your shot pattern is a 3D "string"...pheasant may take one BB in the cranium at the back of your shot string as it flys into your pattern
3. The aforementioned items about cold stock and follow through result in high and behind...so focus low and in front.
4. Last but not least, check your dominant eye. Not so much for you but for others who might read this. I am right-handed and was right eye dominant but as I got older (+50) and needed glasses, I am now left eye dominant. This had a dramatic and negative impact on my shooting until I realized it. Now I compensate by closing my left eye like I am shooting a rifle. It is not perfect but it solved my problem and with the other things I mentioned, I am pretty happy with my shooting...although I can still whiff on an easy one each season! :cheers: To check you dominant eye, make a circle with your thumb and fore finger...pick something across the room and put it in the circle you just made with your finger and thumb...slowly move your hand toward your face without letting the object leave the circle, all the way till it touches your face...that's your dominant eye
5. How many of you just did that?...hahahaha Good Luck
Been there, done that...it happens to all of us.
Cold morning gun stock? Natural reaction is to not have cheek where it needs to be. This causes shot to go high...
I agree on the lack of follow-through comments...shot goes behind...
So, my solution to bad pheasant shooting by anyone is...
ERROR LOW AND IN FRONT...but why?
1. Pheasants are long birds but the vitals are in the first 1/3 of the bird
2. Your shot pattern is a 3D "string"...pheasant may take one BB in the cranium at the back of your shot string as it flys into your pattern
3. The aforementioned items about cold stock and follow through result in high and behind...so focus low and in front.
4. Last but not least, check your dominant eye. Not so much for you but for others who might read this. I am right-handed and was right eye dominant but as I got older (+50) and needed glasses, I am now left eye dominant. This had a dramatic and negative impact on my shooting until I realized it. Now I compensate by closing my left eye like I am shooting a rifle. It is not perfect but it solved my problem and with the other things I mentioned, I am pretty happy with my shooting...although I can still whiff on an easy one each season! :cheers: To check you dominant eye, make a circle with your thumb and fore finger...pick something across the room and put it in the circle you just made with your finger and thumb...slowly move your hand toward your face without letting the object leave the circle, all the way till it touches your face...that's your dominant eye
5. How many of you just did that?...hahahaha
Good Luck
birdshooter
Well-known member
Hard to really say what actually happened. Yes... we all have those days when we are a little lackadaisical and are not looking hard enough at the bird . Wing shooting is mostly instinctual, at least compared to clay shooting. One of the common pitfalls I see when instructing youth shooters is looking back at the barrel to make the sight picture perfect or even alternating your focus between barrel and bird back and forth. Soon as that happens your barrel slows and you miss behind. This is not rifle shooting, you don't have to be perfect. All we need to do is put that swarm of pellets in a spot where the bird will run into it.
How's the gun fit you. I've seen stocks that were set too low and the shooter would have a tendency to want to lift his head to see down the rib.
Any number of reasons why we have bad days. Sometimes we think too much instead of just letting the subconscious mind take over instinctively. :cheers:
dead pheasants forever
Member
You don't "put your head down" on the stock. You bring the stock to your face (not vice versa), then bring the butt into your shoulder. In that order! The butt should never touch your shoulder until the stock is firmly planted on your cheek. The occasional failure to have your cheek on the stock is a common mechanics error caused by mounting the gun to your shoulder, then bringing your face down to the stock. I suspect the OP is making the same mistake because people who properly mount their guns never have this problem.
birdshooter
Well-known member
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Shorthair Hunters
Member
Aiming or Pointing its the same thing in my opinion you look down the barrel putting the site on your target, or is "site" the wrong terminology? I never claimed to be a shotgun shooting master I was just giving some positive feedback to a question instead of picking it apart with negative comments, but hey I live in Colorado so with all the smoke maybe I am confused.
Merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas,
Monticelli
New member
don't mind my spelling/grammar.... being my first post here I'm Tony.
allot of variables to be more consistent. the given is shot size, choke, practice right..
GUN, if your in the woods tuff shots fast shot you need a lighter faster gun POP shot. in the fields more open more swing you need heavier, will add momentum to the swing and you'll follow threw more naturally. remember don't shoulder in front of the bird to have to wait for it to catch up and then start swinging Stop n Go no good, don't shoulder the muzzle above or right on, you'll loose the groove and swing a S.. turns your swings up and down back then forward etc. shoulder for behind the ass swing and pull threw the beak.
90% of misses is behind the bird 10% above and below, if your miss was in front it was on purpose.
sounds like the first day you were slower on getting on the bird had a better swing from behind to in front and the bird was a little further giving you a little more open of a pattern, that would make a perfect score.
allot of variables to be more consistent. the given is shot size, choke, practice right..
GUN, if your in the woods tuff shots fast shot you need a lighter faster gun POP shot. in the fields more open more swing you need heavier, will add momentum to the swing and you'll follow threw more naturally. remember don't shoulder in front of the bird to have to wait for it to catch up and then start swinging Stop n Go no good, don't shoulder the muzzle above or right on, you'll loose the groove and swing a S.. turns your swings up and down back then forward etc. shoulder for behind the ass swing and pull threw the beak.
90% of misses is behind the bird 10% above and below, if your miss was in front it was on purpose.
sounds like the first day you were slower on getting on the bird had a better swing from behind to in front and the bird was a little further giving you a little more open of a pattern, that would make a perfect score.
Crossing shot
New member
It is difficult for someone to analyze your shooting without seeing you shoot. My long term problem was shooting with one eye closed. To hit something with one eye closed, the bead must cover the bird which means you should not see the bird if the gun is right,
I placed a decoy in the yard and practiced two eyed shooting. With both eyes open you can see what you are shooting at when you pull the trigger. Whatever you stare at is where the gun is pointing. Only about 20% of my shots require a lead.
If I stop using the decoy, my shooting suffers. Placing a bird feeder near the decoy makes it easy to practice your swing.
I placed a decoy in the yard and practiced two eyed shooting. With both eyes open you can see what you are shooting at when you pull the trigger. Whatever you stare at is where the gun is pointing. Only about 20% of my shots require a lead.
If I stop using the decoy, my shooting suffers. Placing a bird feeder near the decoy makes it easy to practice your swing.
I do my best shooting when I point the gun at the bird, bring the stock to my shoulder, swing the barrel until I catch up with the bird and fire as I swing thru. It all happens fast and practice with clays helps. With clays; point, stock to shoulder, swing, fire and then do the same on the biggest piece of the clay you just busted :thumbsup: The guy that mentioned cutting down the stock has a good point. I have a Citori that kept getting hung up as I brought it to my shoulder. The gunsmith said " as you get older, your grow tits". He cut down the stock and put a recoil pad on with a negative rake on the leading edge as it comes up and a slick vs stickey surface so it slides over your clothing. I compared my upgraded Citori to my Remington 1100 and the stock length is about the same on both guns now and both have smooth vs sticky butt surfaces. If I've got my 1100 in the field, birds don't stand a chance. I'll let you know how the Citori works out once the bird population picks up again around here. Merry Christmas brother.
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birdshooter
Well-known member
Shorthair, chill buddy.. didn't mean to get you all riled up.
Just asking for some clarification. That being said, there is a distinct difference between aiming and pointing. e.g. you aim a rifle and point a shotgun. I'll just leave it at that. No hard feelings... merry Xmas:cheers:
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Wow Tom you really woke up the bird hunters with this post. You don't sound like a beginner especially if you got a limit of pheasant in December in Colorado!
That being said, I think everyone on here has had a day like you just described. Can't hit the side of a barn 30 yards in front of you...It seems like when things start off bad they just keep snowballing. My brother in-law had a day just like that opening week-end and it followed through for half the next day until I bet him $20 he couldn't hit the next bird. Well, I lost $20 and he got 2 birds so at least he was happy!
You can analyze your shooting or you can go out again and hunt, if this persists just tell your hunting buddies you have taken up shoot and release!
Merry Christmas
:cheers:
I just shot SC last Saturday and felt good with 75-80%. Sunday rolled around and went out to meet a group of buddies for some trap...10/50!!!! I'm far from an expert, but come on! I'm good for a couple of those days a year and haven't figured it out yet. I could probably use a spring/summer of consistent practice and a lesson or two.
On another note, I'm excited to return to CO for my first Colorado pheasant hunt at the end of December. I've heard good things from a few friends who hunt the NE part of the state and look forward to getting my new pup on some birds.
Take care and straight shooting!
On another note, I'm excited to return to CO for my first Colorado pheasant hunt at the end of December. I've heard good things from a few friends who hunt the NE part of the state and look forward to getting my new pup on some birds.
Take care and straight shooting!
COWAN
Active member
Everyone wants to see the target break or the bird fold. For me I can usually tell when I start down this path due to hitting the back side of targets or winging and hitting birds more in the body rather than the head. I anticipate the kill (hit) before it happens so I lift my head (it just takes a fraction of an inch) to watch the hit, thus slowing, changing speed, and at times direction of the barrel and resulting in a poor or missed shot.
The best advise I can give you is keep your head on the stock, bring the gun to your head, don't push your head down to the gun, and follow thru what ever you are shooting at, even if you miss. Good luck to you, I hope this helps.