Leading the target

[JD45]

For people like me that are too cheap to get a good instructor, it sometimes takes years to fiqure out things.

You have probably heard that everyone sees lead differently. This is partially due to the fact that our reaction times and reflexes aren't the same. Do not take this lightly. It has cost me a lot of time and ammo.

Example: Station 3 and 4 on the skeet field. Common advice says you may see three to four feet of lead.

After a run of misses I went to work on fixing my problem. What I discovered is even though I shoot sustained lead, I see almost no lead with my gun( if I break it near the center stake like normal). At station 4 I see a good bit more (this is strange because the pros say that the leads on these two stations are about the same).

What I see has changed over the years. With my old shotgun I would see nearly three feet of lead on both.

A good instructor can be priceless, but if you don't have one, and you are missing, play with leads in practice.

At the same time I discovered that 35-40yds. crossers call for a smooth gun mount and gentle, consistent swing. Not speedy movement and miles of lead like I had been giving them.

[Irishlad]

Good post.

Perceived leads can be subjective, at least how one "see's them".

It's often the "angle" of the target, to the shooter, that alters the perceived lead. In skeet, stations 1-7, not 8, are all 21 yards to the center stake. If you break the targets at center stake, the "actual distance" is the same, but the perceived leads are different for many. Station 2 appears to be a "quicker" shot because of how close the target starts out, the angle allows "less" gun movement, but it still ends up at 21 yards at center stake. The same for station 4 which allows more "time" to hit, but only because you have a much wider swing potential, if you choose to use it.

Good stuff.

[Batman]

Just shot my first round of skeet this past weekend on Saturday and returned on Sunday and took my eleven year son along. He wanted to shoot a round so I let him he got more great advise then I can imagine and the one giving advise shot like he new want he was doing. He described it this way when your in the third box it is a three foot lead three fingers in front of the target and four fingers for station four giving you four foot lead. It seemed to work for he was hitting the birds. I'll keep taking him so I can keep getting the free pointers.

[GIO]

Just shot my first round of skeet this past weekend on Saturday and returned on Sunday and took my eleven year son along. He wanted to shoot a round so I let him he got more great advise then I can imagine and the one giving advise shot like he new want he was doing. He described it this way when your in the third box it is a three foot lead three fingers in front of the target and four fingers for station four giving you four foot lead. It seemed to work for he was hitting the birds. I'll keep taking him so I can keep getting the free pointers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have found; if your watching lead your eye is off the bird and if your off the bird you are going to miss. It is almost the opposite of pistol shooting, you shouldn't remember much about where the gun was or if your beads were lined up. My best shooting has been done when i acted as though there was no gun and i was blasting those birds with sheer instinct. Skeet is more controlled but it makes for a long day of Sporting clays if you think about the shots too much.

Just my two cents....

[JD45]

How correct you are! While shooting styles can vary, one thing remains constant: you must focus on the target every time.

People will say,"you stopped your gun" or "you slowed your swing", which is nearly always true. However, the reason is usually because you were bead-checking, or measuring lead. I have a bad habit of both.

At the range this weekend, some of us were discussing how large or small targets appear on any given day. We all agreed that if the targets look as huge as a football you will shoot well that day. One guy claimed that his heart medications cause wild swings in perception. I kind of believe that when targets look big we are properly focusing on the clay and nothing else.

[wide45]

We all agreed that if the targets look as huge as a football you will shoot well that day.

What does it mean when they look like bottle caps?

[Irishlad]

We all agreed that if the targets look as huge as a football you will shoot well that day.

What does it mean when they look like bottle caps?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That means your not going to have a great scoring day, but better than when they look like aspirins.

[Batman]

This is all very true went back to the skeet range again today my third time. I am having problems on the high tower. You are very true. I notice when I focus more on the bead and trying to lead I miss every time. I prefer the swing threw method and it works great on the low tower but it doesn't on the high tower the other shooters say am behind the target every time. I'm strictly shooting the high tower trying to get those shots down can anyone give any ponters with being there. Thanks

[JD45]

If you think that there is even a slight chance you'll compete at skeet on any level, forget swing-through. I began shooting Churchill style swing-through on everything years ago. There is a place for swing-through, but according to competitive shots, it is a loser on the skeet field.

Remember, not counting wind, skeet targets are always the same. Nothing changes. If you can master sustained-lead, all leads will also remain constant (if you shoot the exact same gun). Sustained-lead puts you on a road towards consistant scores. I think that it was Todd Bender that said, "Don't worry about your high scores. Control your low scores." As simple as that statement sounds, the meaning is huge.

Above all, keep having fun and try Trap too if you have the chance.

[JD45]

High house pointers:

St. 1- Beginners shoot over it. Bring your focus over your head a little closer to the house and break it over the center stake.

St. 2- You should not see much lead. Break it in the same place every time.

St. 3- Could you give me some pointers here?

St. 4- Same as above.

St. 5- If you shoot late, it is easy to shoot over.

St. 6- Remember, head down.

St. 7- Cream-puff incomer. Don't make it hard.

St. 8- Good stance, hold point, and a little practice is all it takes. And don't even think about looking at your gun.

[LPatterson]

I think the easiest/fastest way to learn to shoot skeet is to watch Todd Bender's Insight to championship skeet or Gabby Hulgan's Building a perfect game of skeet. Both are by Sunrise Productions and use an eyecam. Both talk about repetition in standing on the station and both talk about sustained leads on 3-4-5. However Gabby teachs a swing through on high 2 & low 6 because of the speed and angle. The prime point seems to mainly on stance though they go about it differenty. As explained by Todd Bender the placement of the head on the gun is most important as it is the rear sight. If the front & rear sights are aligned then the eye on the target controls everything else. If the eye leaves the target and goes back to the barrel to check lead then you are going to miss.

Head on the gun, eye on the target. Forget doubles and think of them as 2 shots close together. Shoot the first shot normally then shift the eyes to the next target, establish the lead and shoot.

Starts to sound a lot like what we hear here all the time, align the sights on the target and shoot, shift the eyes to the next target and shoot.

The only shot in skeet that is even close to trap is low 7 in that it is a raising shot that is very easy to shoot under/behind.

In trap if you can convince yourself to wait for the target to get out aways then it reaches its peak and lead is the factor. Shoot too early and you have to cover the target with the muzzle which causes you to stop the gun to see the target then when you see the target and pull the trigger it is too late because you are behind.

[Ross Carter]

I think it's a little more difficult for competitive pistol shooters to adapt to shotgun because of all the time we spend learning how to aim, especially focus on the front sight. The best advice I've been given shooting clay birds is to use the beads to confirm your gun mount only, then never look back at them. let the shot go as you " feel " yourself pass the bird. I just shot my first registered trap match this weekend and had a blast. I got asked to shoot doubles to fill out a squad. I hadn't even seen doubles shot so of course I said sure! Doubles trap is a whole nother thing, the good guys sound like they're shooting double taps. I managed to break 69 and can't wait to try them again.

Ross

[tightloop]

One at a time for doubles....

[Ross Carter]

I almost edited my post because of the double tap referal but I thought nah no ones gonna call me on that since it's just an analogy. I guess I should have said fast splits?

Ross