Wanted: Bit of help with clays

[SimpleSimon]

Hi all,
I've been going to the local clay club for a few weeks now, on and off due to work. It's a 50 bird sporting layout, and changes each week. People there say the layouts are hard by comparison to most. My problem is that I'm getting steadily worse. I peaked at 23 on my third week, the last few times I've scored 9, 5 and 8. Much as I'm enjoying it, I can't help thinking it's a bit pointless to keep going when I'm not getting any better and can't see why.
I've had a couple of lessons in the past and did ok, I think repeatedly missing these targets is knocking my confidence.
Is anyone, or can anyone recommend a decent, good value coach that I can reach reasonably easily from Kidderminster (Worcestershire)?
Or alternatively would anyone be willing to have me tag along for a round, so that I can try a different venue without having to go and be Billy no mates? (And see if I really can't hit a barn door!)

 

[243 Stalker]

SS,

I would suggest watching the lads at your local clay ground and seek the advice of the better shots for a bit of help, most are more than willing to help.
One piece of advice I was given many years ago by an old boy who was an impeccable shot was "If you keep doing the same thing you will keep getting the same result" He went on to say if you miss change something either give it more lead if it's a fast clay or shoot well under if it's dropping, but don't pull the trigger as you did on the last clay because you already know the outcome.

Remember if it was that easy we would all have given up years ago, enjoy the journey of discovery.

ATB 243 Stalker.

 

[enfieldspares]

Yes. Don't shoot "Sporting Clays". It's a competition and not a useful means of evaluating how your performance is improving over a period of weeks. Because, as you say, it changes from week to week and some birds (on a good layout) are deliberately "set" to be mentally difficult in that they are doing something else from what they appear to be doing.

Shoot English Skeet. It's boring, repetitive but as it is the same you can measure yourself against a fixed known unchanging course of fire. Just the same as the club golfer that plays his or her club course week in week out. He or she quickly works out their "bogey" hole just as you, with English Skeet will quickly work out your "bogey" bird. Be it left to right in-comer or right to left out-goer.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Thank you both for the advice.
Maybe I'll start shooting skeet instead until I can hit a few. I suppose having consistently the same targets will highlight where I'm being inconsistent.

 

[shakey jake]

does you gun fit you? if you havent checked this could be a reason for your scores. main thing i find my self doing after a summer of just rifle shooting is stoping the barrels then missing behind you have to keep the momentum up. good luck

 

[Tom270]

You never hit anything behind, is the best bit of advice I was ever given, always swing the gun right through and fire , never poke and shoot at the sky ahead. Relax and keep practicing, a mate with a trap is always good. If you ever get to Derbyshire we can have an hour out. Tom

 

[VSS]

Check gun fit.
I used to shoot clays as a student, and was fairly good at it. However, all my recent attempts have been worse than useless.
The only difference - I changed guns. My rickety old BSA fitted me really well, but the much better quality gun I inherited from my father doesn't fit me at all. I wasted a lot of cartridges before I fathomed this out.

Now I just leave my shotguns in the cupboard, take my rifle, and wait until the clays stop moving...

 

[Selous]

Worth checking master eye as well, if that is wrong then all sorts of odd things might happen.

 

[paul o']

Hmm lots of advise on what you need to do and gun fitting . my 2p worth is get your self along to a clay ground buy 50 bird's or more do as many as you need to understand why your missing them on each stand, do this on each type of bird they have , start with standard incoming birds easy yes but start as soon as you see them lift, you prob will be under so if you can see it your going to miss them if you get the drift , then leave it longer before you take the shot so each set will be harder or feel quicker so you eye and mount grip/hand control will gain muscle memory , 2nd always shoot with some one better than you it will teach you how they act mount and lead. old school bum belly beck bang will keep your swing going , keep at it time and the more trigger time you can put in will pull you out of your slump and the destruction of self confidence .

 

[Rasputin]

Get in touch with an instructor on cpsa. They will stand with you and tell you where you are. Don't practice on your own just like golf it ingrains bad habits. A lot of people will tell you to get in front and whilst true he amount of people you see missing birds because they give t way too much lead is equally frustrating and again shows the importance of having a proper coach to put your mind at rest and tell you where to point the barrels.

 

[devilishdave]

Some good advice above if you have never had a lesson then get one just to make sure your stance is correct and you are looking for the clay in the right place and setting your self up properly. It will be money well spent. The biggest tips I can give are make a point of focusing on every clay as hard as you can, imagine it has writing on it and you are staring hard at it to read the writing. If you try to check how much lead you are giving you will look at the bead, if you look at the bead you will stop the gun and miss behind. Most rifle shooters are guilty of this. You don't have to have a perfect sight picture you have a column of shot the size of a bin lid going through the air. Put the gun in front of the target trust you have it right and squeeze the trigger. The CPSA method is a really good technique to start. lock on to the target and move with it then pull off of the front and squeeze the trigger. Moving with the target takes out two variable speed and trajectory of the target you just need to decide how much to pull ahead by.

 

[Gunner223]

Get hold of Carl Bloxham, he's a cpsa coach from Stratford upon avon, if he cant sort you out nobody can.

 

[cantona]

Get hold of Carl Bloxham, he's a cpsa coach from Stratford upon avon, if he cant sort you out nobody can.

This

 

[Monkey Spanker]

Get your gun fit checked and also check your eye dominance! Once you have established that both are ok you can begin to improve.
Set up is paramount for each shot and you should work backwards. Firstly, think about where you want to actually shoot at the clay and position your feet, body and gun to that point. Then move the gun back to the point where you can realistically mount the gun and swing after the target. Then move your head/eyes back to the point where you can first see the clay.
Shout PULL!
You will see the clay at point 1 and your head and eyes will follow it. At point 2 the gun is mounted and the gun swings after the clay. Whether you shoot maintained lead or swing through is personal preference and may even be just a blur to begin with, but either will get you to point 3 where you are perfectly positioned and balanced to pull the trigger and dust the clay! Seemples!
Almost every clay ever missed was missed behind! If you do miss - double your lead and try again. You will invariably hit it. Good luck.
MS

 

[Woodsmoke]

If you managed a 23 then there's not much wrong with your shooting!!!

You'll need to get this checked, of course, but my bet is that you're stopping the gun. Nine times out of ten, if I miss it's because I've done this very thing, and I'd like to bet almost everyone is the same.

Best of luck

 

[welshwarrior]

SS go and see a decent coach it'll take a few lessons but it'll cost
less than keeping shooting until you find the solution or give up in the long run.

Being a good shot doesn't make you a good coach either.

 

[paul o']

Sorry to be back on again but spend your cash on getting the gun fitted then save more ! by just shooting with other guys who can shoot in the club at B or AA, It will pay off ? any coach will tell you trigger time on real clays will pay off don't run walk for a while enjoy it first before you get sucked into comp shooting, you will find out how best the standing and swinging is best for you ,not every clay shooter is the same or see's the clay the same but that's just me never had a lesson but shot as a AA then club coach for free for years until I got fed up driving around the Uk and the EU Bashing clays and re found stalking

 

[User00014]

I love shooting skeet, but my bank ballence does not!

I have been known to go through a whole slab of shells in one evening!

 

[243varmint]

If you fancy an afternoon or morning out pop over to Griifin Lioyd. I can meet you en route and we can have a session over there.
Thecadvantage there is they have loads of layouts. They have a beginners section where you can shoot as many as you like. They have 8 traps you can shoot from two stands. It's a confidence builder.
Shoot at the same target until you hit it all the time.
Its all about having a mental picture in your head and muscle memory.

Send us a PM if you want.

Cheers
Jon

 

[goathunter1]

The absolutely critical piece of advice is get a coach. It amuses me on this site, and others, people, with the best intentions, "coach", or even instruct, from hundreds of miles away, never even having seen the enquirer.
Save yourself a fortune by getting a properly constructed series of lessons from the best coach you can get a hold of.
Be aware, that on your first session, you may not even shoot at all if your gun does not fit. After that small(!) point has been taken care of - and yes, of course, master eye, - you can make some valid progress. Intend to take as many lessons as you can in the short time. After that, one or two a year will keep you in the groove.
Have fun.
Be good.