This weekend, for only hte second time in my life, I went trap shooting… it was a ton of fun, and my shoulder is a dull aching mass of painful flesh.
I was able to take down about 1 out of every 4 or 5 clay pigeons that got tossed.
I was using a Mossberg 12 ga, and I’m curious how one is supposed to aim those things… I want to get better!
Thanks in advance…
Does your shotgun have some kind of bead at the end of the barrel or any kind of sight at all, or is it just bare barrel/cooling rib?
The key to hitting clay pigeons is learning how to lead and (good for you) the only real way to learn is practice. Basically, you want to aim at where the clay pigeon will be and not where it is. My shotgun had a little bead for aiming on the end of the barrel and I figured out that I could put the pigeon just on top of or to the side of the bead and get pretty consistent kills.
But it’s really just a matter of practicing, trying things out, and learning your way around your shotgun.
Tristan - if your shoulder hurts you were holding the Mosssberg* 12 gauge wrong. You have to hold it tight to your shoulder, make sure there is little to no space between the stock end and your shoulder. And when you say PULL - bring the shotgun up to your cheek, press the stock tightly to your sholder and follow the skeet with your end of the muzzel sight. Aim right at it, at close ranges under 50 yards, and slightly ahead of it after that. And depending on the machine you are using to throw the skeet, it will get to 25-50 yards in about 2/3 seconds.
So:
Tight to shoulder
Your hand should be on the stock/trigger somewhere in the viscinity of your right cheek/lower jaw.
Unless of course you are shoot’in from the hip…
I have an older model Winchester 12 gauge and my wife and I can go shoot’in with no injuries. She’s only 115lbs and 5 foot 7…
Shotgun isn’t my specialty but here are a few things to start with.
Most critical thing in a shotgun is cheek weld. You need to put the stock to your face the same way every time you shoulder it This is why high end shotguns have adjustable or custom fitted stocks. When you are in the right position you should see only the bead at the muzzle over the rib - the top surface of the reciever in the case of pump gun. If you can actually see the top surface of the rib or barrel your eye is too high. If you can’t see the whole bead you are too low. If you aren’t in the correct position you might be able to adjust by adding a pad to the comb of the buttstock to raise your cheekbone. If you are too high, get out the rasp and remove some wood… as long as it’s your gun.
Learning to lead. I can’t tell you how to do it. That’s what separates real shotgun pros from wannabes. Try to visualize the spray of shot as it leaves the barrel and spreads out as it makes a shallow arcing trajectory. Remember you don’t want the shot to go where the target is but where the targer will be there when the shot gets there. You don’t have time to think about it so you have to develop what is called “unconscious competence” where your brain and body know what to do without you consciously thinking about it.
I haven’t shot trap but you can buy specialize sights to attach to it. However, it is my understanding that one of the points is that you really don’t have to aim, but rather point. At trap ranges, there should be enough spread to make a bead sight effective enough.
Tristan, glad you had a good time and welcome to the sport. Couple of things, if you’d like some basic instruction, feel free to email me. I’m at work now so I’ll keep this short. I just shot 300 targets(100 singles, 100 handicap, 50pr doubles) yesterday and have nary a twinge (and that’s shooting heavy target loads). Shoot light target loads in 1 ounce loads. Make sure that Mossberg has a good recoil pad. Many field guns don’t have much of one, which can increase perceived recoil. You aim a rifle, you point a shotgun. Keep both eyes open. Develop target lead, like Padeye wrote, you shoot where the targets going to be, not where it’s at.
Here’s a couple of links for you, Tristan.
Here’s Remington’s Trapshooting Fundamentals, which gives some very good basics.
The Amateur Trapshooting Association is always looking for new members, plus, this is a good source to find clubs in your area.
You don’t aim a shotgun, you point it. As advised above, cheek to stock, butt tight to shoulder, and both eyes open. You need both eyes for proper depth perception.
Hey, Tristan, hope ya didn’t forget about your thread. Just checkin’.
Sorry folks… work got busy there for a few days…
Some great advice here, I’m grateful for it. Thinking of going up into the hills again in about 2 months, so this should give me time to read up on this cool new sport.
I don’t own my own shotgun (yet) so I can’t get cheek pads, etc. But the fundamentals will help quite a bit.
When I was firing, I had the weapon at shoulder, but not snugly, and not with my cheek up against the stock. Even still, I was getting some compiments from the guys I was shooting with… my second time, ever, and something they do once a month, so I was pretty stoked.