Shooting is a skill. While some people are born with a certain amount of ability, it takes the right technique to increase accuracy and become more consistent with your shooting. Knowing how to improve can be a hard road to take, however.
Whether you have already started out as a wing and clay shooter or if you are looking for guns for sale to start soon, it is good to know how to improve your technique to avoid disappointment when you are in the field.
Let's look at some specific tips and tricks that you can use to improve your wing & clay shooting technique.
Be Consistent With Your Gun Mount
Without a consistent gun mount, you will always be leaving too much to chance when it comes to wing and clay shooting. Taking the time to practice mounting your gun until you can get it to the same point each time is hugely important. Especially for newbie shooters who are working with a firearm for the first time, this will save you from a lot of frustration. It is a good habit to get into and it is even worthwhile for experienced hunters to check their consistency from time to time.
Focus On One Target At A Time
It is easy to become disoriented and confused when too many targets are flying through your field of vision. Target overload is a real thing and it can lead to many missed shots. While focus can come with experience, it is best to start practising this right from the start.
Be sure to focus only on one target at a time. Whether you are firing at clay pigeons or live game, keep your eye on one disk or bird before moving to another target. The temptation to fire aimlessly into a flock or at multiple targets will often get you nowhere.
Take Your Time
While it might seem counterintuitive when you are faced with a fast-moving target, it helps to take some time before taking the shot. You might be tempted to fire quickly to match the speed of the bird; however, you have more time than you think. Being patient when you are lining things up and then quickly pulling the trigger when the moment is right is the best bet.
Consider Your Lead
There are three general ways to lead that are used by wing and clay shooters. There is a good chance that you are familiar with the swing-through method. In this style, you line up the gun behind the target to start and then track through the target and fire. While this may work some of the time, it can have limited effectiveness at farther distances.
To mix things up and hit more targets, try a lead-style where you line up with the target and then track forward. You can also start in front of the target and move your rifle in line with the speed of the target. Having all three of these shooting techniques in your muscle memory will help you to match up the best method with the right shot.
Get Lots Of Practice
As with most things in life, skill comes with experience. The more you practice, the better you will be at wing and clay shooting. Practice gives you the time to test out new techniques and to familiarise yourself with the rifle that you are using. There are a lot of small decisions that need to be made while lining up your shot and most of these are based firmly in intuition.
