Any shotgun experts?

Cookie2 · Dec 4, 2009

I just figured out my problem and now I need a little help in fixing it.
I have noticed that I can hit doves flying left to right with deadly results. Right to left go untouched. Two days ago I had a snow goose show me the problem. I was leading the second goose in the flock to the point of being on the tail of the first goose. The first one came down like he was hit with a sledge hammer! The gun is hitting left. If I AIM the gun it hits where I am holding but in normal shooting for some reason it goes left. I don't know if this is because of shooting stance or possibly the gun just doesn't fit me. Any advice on how I could go about fixing this problem?

RELH · Dec 4, 2009

Gee! what are you complaining about, you just cured your right to left problem. Just aim at their tail and you got them and change your handle to "backdoor shooter"!!!!

It could be several things, shotgun fit, shotgun shoots left due to barrel warp. Try patterning the gun at 25-30 yards and determine if it shoots to point of aim. If that shows no problem, find someone that has some knowledge on fitting a shotgun and have them check you and your shotgun out for proper fit. A friend that is good at shooting trap or clays may be able to help you on the fit and shooting at no cost to you.

RELH

440sixpack · Dec 4, 2009

I shoot competetive sporting clays, I wish I had a dime for evertime I've said my gun isn't shooting where I point it. there is a very slight chance you have a gun problem, or a poor fit though that's most often a cause to hit high or low.

Most shooters shoot better one direction than another on crossers, and almost for sure you're stopping your swing. I shoot the move, mount, shoot method and it eliminats a lot of that. just for grins try this, use your gun like you would your finger if you were going to show where to shoot, how do you do that? if a bird was flying across your sight you would just put your finger up and point the distance in front of the bird you think would be proper, you wouldn't track it or calculate while pointing at the bird you already know the place to shoot in your minds eye, why not do the same thing with your gun? when you mount the gun you should see the sight picture you want and instantly pull the trigger when the comb hits your cheek, you do of course still have to maintain a swing but it's much easier to follow through with the momentum you have in mounting the gun

It takes years of practice to become a good shooter but the right method and form for yourself is a starting point. watch some sporting clays instructional videos and shoot sporting clays a few times if you haven't tried it already and you'll become the best wing shooter you can be.

Cookie2 · Dec 4, 2009

Thanks for the input guys.
440, I think you could possibly be right but how do you explain hitting the bird I was aiming BEHIND if I'm stopping my swing? I believe that I do have the habit of stopping on occasion but that is not what's going on here.
I'm thinking about shimming one side of my recoil pad an eighth of an inch or so and going out for some dove shooting to see what results I get. Can't hurt, or can it?

REDDOG · Dec 4, 2009

aren't you buds with the greatest shooter in the world?

Cookie2 · Dec 5, 2009

Yeah, if you mean the great and never missing Stinkystomper. He ain't no help in matters such as these. He can only assist those wanting to launch into the next time zone!

440sixpack · Dec 5, 2009

Cookie I didn't catch your original question right, I'm so used to people shooting behind I didn't pay enough attention. in the case you mention there are only a few reasons really, do you shoot follow through style? if you do you probably have too much gun speed , or it could just be the most common answer to our misses and mystery hits, you didn't shoot where you think you did.

I'd pattern the gun before I jumped into altering it.

Califelkslayer · Dec 6, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Dec-07-09 AT 00:48AM (MST)[p]I'll weigh in. Are you left handed??? You didn't say but for me,(right handed shooter) a right to left shot is the easiest as thats the easiest way to pivot. Shooting left to right i have to force myself to pivot especially on extreme right shots. If thats the case, then my guess would be your footwork. Your forward leg should be pointed where you are firing the weapon, not where the target is when you mount the gun. Hope this makes sense, if you're right handed, disregard.

The "pattern your shotgun" idea will eliminate that variable. If it shoots left you have your answer.

440s suggestion is the way I shoot. Rarely swing on game. usually just point and shoot. Takes awhile to retrain yourself but your computer between your ears picks it up pretty quick.

Forgot to add, "GOOD LUCK!!!"

Cookie2 · Dec 7, 2009

Sorry, but right handed. I usually point and blast with the doves and any kind of flushing, but with the geese and cranes there's a little swinging involved as I feel like I have a little more time to get it right. Forgot to mention that I'm pass shooting these birds. I really don't think that I'm over swinging. If I am guilty of anything on the swing it would be stopping with the shot and that would not have caused this one. Anyways.....think I might just try and remember it and adjust the lead accordingly for a while and see if my hits increase any before making any adjustments to the gun.

Gator · Dec 7, 2009

Cookie shoot faster shells. But hell I don't crap about shotgunning I'm a point and shoot guy.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

284NM · Dec 28, 2009

Cookie I often have the same sort of problem for the first few days of duck season. I shoot quite a bit of skeet and clays for fun and tend to do really well on small fast targets. Same for doves and quail. Ducks and geese are a larger target presentation, SEEM to be moving slower and generally give you more time to anticipate the shot as they come into range. I find myself mounting the gun too early, looking down the barrel and trying to make calculations before the shot. The leads I calculate are almost always wrong or I stop my swing because I'm looking at the barrel (bead) instead of the bird. If you have been shooting for awhile, your imbedded targeting system is probably pretty sound, the hard part is learning to trust it. When I hit a target or bird I usually have no idea where the muzzle was pointed in relation to the target, just focus on the bird, mount the gun and my brain kills it, all I do is hold the gun and follow through. If your point and blast method works well on doves and such then I would try the same on bigger birds. I usually work through duck slumps by limiting the amount of time I have to shoot. If I wait to move the gun until the last minute I force myself to react to the target in an agressive auto pilot shoot straight or it's gone kind of way rather than trying to line everything up just right and missing. Practicing on targets will also help. There is probably something about that left to right swing that does not feel completely natural or automatic and it's causing you to hit the manual override button on your targeting system. If you are consistently missing a particular target presentation you need to figure out a different way to aproach it. Good luck, let us know how it goes