ktm300 Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 They build a skeet, trap, 5 stand sporting clays club about 3 miles from where I work. So I decided to try to play some clay games for a year and see how I like them. Today was the first day I went out and took a 2 hour class from a good instructor. When I started to shoot pistol I got some very bad habits before I went and took a class. This time I figured I would take at least a novice class first. He was all about focus on the leading edge of the bird and shoot it. It worked for me when I did it. I have a lot to learn but at least the method seems pretty straight forward. At the end I was calling my shots on the birds, nice to be able to look at a target. Now I just have to find a gun I like. Darn nice shotguns are expensive. Too bad a friend let me borrow a nice one to start with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertl35 Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 That is how it all starts - then before you know it, you have a ton of stuff, $$ and time invested in your new found hobby. No different than USPSA though and just as fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 So far it is fun, a lot less adrenaline though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
practical_man Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Ktm Glad you enjoyed it. Clays are a fun sport. Don't sweat the gun. I started with my duck gun, bought a Citori when I got serious about it. Have had a bunch of shotguns over the years. Still have the Citori and enjoy it. Shoot my 870 a lot more often cause it's more fun to win with a cheap pump gun Whatever you do get a gun that fits well. Spend the time and money to get the stock fit to you. It pays off. -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idoktr Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I am also new and the addiction is strong.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 I found a gun that fits, Beretta SV10 Prevail I Sporting. Found one at a good price and bit the bullet. Now if I focus on the leading edge I smoke the clay. If the last thing I see is the barrel I miss. The gun I was shooting didn't fit and when I hit with it there were big chunks of the clay left. I have been playing with 5 stand and Skeet. Skeet to warm up and get myself looking at the birds then some 5 Stand for the harder targets. Going to try my first round of sporting clays tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Hello: You bought a great gun. It will last a lifetime. 5-stand is great fun I do it with my boys. Have fun and smoke them. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSpartans Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I have been taking my SLP to the skeet and trap area on the range to get some rounds through it. Shooting skeet with tactical Tupperware is a lot of fun. I had not broken clay in about thirty years prior to this year. Yesterday I rented a FN over under to try. Then I was baited into trying five stand........... I am in trouble. That was just too much fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idoktr Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 cant wait for this weekend.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BostonBullit Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 'Sup Idoktr. Clay games are a great diversion from USPSA, totally different mental game. No games, no shortcuts, just execute. It's also nice to be at the range for a couple hours and be shooting a high percentage of the time rather than an 8hr day with 3min of shooting ;-) Now if I could actually focus and hit some of those damn birds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZ Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 That's one big things that caused burnout for me after nearly 20 years of IPSC shooting...standing around for 5 hours to shoot for 2 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Thought I would update this topic. I have been shooting for about 7 months and 3k rounds downrange. I am getting better at it. On skeet I shoot 22 tp 24 most of the time. Still working on putting my first 25 together. When I miss it's lack of focus. I shoot skeet the same way I shoot 5 stand or sporting clays, I just find the leading edge of the bird, the gun goes off, the clay breaks. I think a lot of sporting clays shooters pass by the skeet range thinking it's too simple. I think it helps a lot on getting the ability to focus on every shot. When you should hit them all you better focus or it gets ugly. Station 8 helped me figure out how to take a really soft focus (big picture) waiting on the bird. In sporting clays I have worked up to the mid 70's but I see people shooting mid 80;s and low 90s on the course, so lots more work to do. I am just now starting to see the leading edge on long crossers and hitting them more consistently. I am also working on shooting sooner as some of the true pairs are very quick. If it takes you a little too long to hit the first one, the second is gone. The last part is the gun. The SV10 is a very good gun and fits me very well, the only issue I have is big hands and the grip is just not big enough. I tried gloves but that did not help. I made the mistake of taking a demo 692 out one day and it is going to cost me. The fit is very good and the grip is just enough bigger to make me comfortable with the grip. With the SV10 I have to hold on very hard so the gun doesn't slip in my hand. On the 692 I can relax my grip and the gun stays put. The fact that it shoots a little softer is nice as well. Found a buyer for my SV10 and I am picking up the 692 today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpl Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 692 is a great gun! I have 6000 rounds thru mine and love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Put a fer hundred through mine and I like it a lot. Shot my best sc score thursday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 The 692 and I are buddies. Solved the issue with my hand slipping and banging my knuckle. When I do my part the birds break every time. Now I just need to be more consistent at doing my part. Still working on that 25 at skeet. I watched a Gil Ash video the other day on shooting crossers and it helped a lot. The long and short of it was get out in front of the bird, get the gun and the bird going the same speed, switch to hard focus on bird, pull trigger. Shot a 78 yesterday and should have made 80+ easy. One bird on a station was just not visible where you needed to shoot it because of the setting sun. I dropped all 4 of them and I normally hit at least 3 out of the 4. The true pair on that station is hard as hell and I am no better than 50/50 on it. By the time you hit the first bird the 2nd one is 40 yards away and heading away at an angle and at a fast pace. This is just as addicting as USPSA pistol. It is nice to get to shoot a lot in a short period of time but the cost is pretty high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Shot a charity sporting clays match yesterday and had a blast. I am starting to figure out how to use visualization in this game. I shot poorly for the first 3 stations. I was down 12 birds out of 28 and just not doing well at all. Then I started getting a picture in my head of exactly what part of the clay I wanted to see when I pulled the trigger. It was so cool, I dropped a total of 14 more for the remaining 8 stations. It sure is a lot more fun hitting most of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supermoto Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I have started shooting sporting clays also...love it and so does my wife, We go shoot, then get beer and BBQ, makes for a fun day It still take me time a few stages for me to adjust to keeping the gun moving, especially if I have been doing a lot of pistol shooting. The last time I shot, I started on the advanced course. Way to hard for me, I had no idea what my lead should be, when went back to the intermediate course and it took a few more stages to get mentally back into it. The rabbit were killing me that day, I watched a video that said not to lead them, but the ones we were shooting needed lead. killed my score for the day. I usually shoot upper 70s to low mid 80s. I was high 60s that day. I can't shoot 2 eyes open. I just have no idea where the barrel is pointing when i do. I got a auto clay thrower to practice, but I just can't get 2 eyes open to work for me. I shoot a Benelli SuperSport, which has been awesome. I have tried a Beretta A400, didn't care for it, and a Beretta SP1, which I liked, but not enough to drop the Benelli..... I was looking at the SV10, haven't tried one yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Funny, I don't think of lead at all. On the crossers I get the gun out in front, get the gun going the same speed as the bird then focus on the leading edge of the bird and pull the trigger. What I started getting yesterday was to watch the bird on its flight path and find the exact spot I want to see when the gun goes off. Once that picture is in my head I don't think of anything else and just let it happen. On the course I shoot a lot I get in the high 70's low 80's. The course I shot yesterday was brand new to me and I shot 74 with over half the misses in the first 3 stations. I can't wait to go shoot my local course again and try to do the visualization thing on it. I shoot everything with both eyes open. I know where a nice used SV10 is in Asheville, NC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supermoto Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I tried the "just let it happen"...it never happened. I hired an instructor once that said, just focus on the bird and your brain will figure it the lead, it's like magic". It was like magic, because I couldn't figure out why it happened and couldn't repeat it. I think I need to call my shots. Send me some info on the sv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I can't shoot 2 eyes open. I just have no idea where the barrel is pointing when i do. I got a auto clay thrower to practice, but I just can't get 2 eyes open to work for me. Buy a sight blinder cross fire reducer from Meadow Industries. If the left eye can't see the front sight it won't try to take over the sight picture. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 I tried the "just let it happen"...it never happened. I hired an instructor once that said, just focus on the bird and your brain will figure it the lead, it's like magic". It was like magic, because I couldn't figure out why it happened and couldn't repeat it. I think I need to call my shots. Send me some info on the sv Its not magic, its is the same as tossing a football to someone running across the field. You look at the guy you want to toss the ball to and you mind figures out the lead. You have to learn to first figure out how to get yourself to focus on the leading edge of the bird then trust it and let it happen. One of the fun things they had at the shoot yesterday was shooting a clay with Judge / 410. Looked at the leading edge of the bird and pulled the trigger. It broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Try this the next time you are out shooting. Pick a crossing target, don't load your gun. All you want to do is try to match the speed of the bird with your barrel in front of the bird. Not a specific lead, just out in front. It takes a soft focus so you can see the bird and your barrel. Pick up the bird with the barrel in front, then just try and match the speed of the bird with your barrel. Do it a few times and you will see the bird seems like it slows down a lot once you match the speed. Make sure you have a good visualization of the leading edge of the bird in your head. Now load the gun and do the same thing, don't set a specific lead, just get out in front and match the speed. Once you match the speed switch to a hard focus on the leading edge of the bird, and pull the trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supermoto Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) I match the speed of the clay when I shoot now, but with 2 eyes open I really have no idea where my barrel is. I have the same issue with pistol. But I will try again Edited August 15, 2014 by Supermoto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supermoto Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I can't shoot 2 eyes open. I just have no idea where the barrel is pointing when i do. I got a auto clay thrower to practice, but I just can't get 2 eyes open to work for me. Buy a sight blinder cross fire reducer from Meadow Industries. If the left eye can't see the front sight it won't try to take over the sight picture. Pat Interesting, I'll take a look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Hello: The sight blinder that Pat suggested really works well. Your eyes may be so close to each other one is not the dominant one and they are switching from left to right. I think I get this when I get tired but it only happens when I shoot a shotgun. Pistol is no problem. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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