Shotgun Optic vs Extremely Close Clay Flyers

[partyboy424]

So, I've shot a couple 2 and 3 gun matches and always used a pump shotgun.  Texas stars, plate racks, steel poppers that toss a clay in the air.  Always went well enough.   This year I got a VR80.  And it's a cool setup,  came stock with a magwell, big mags, Vortex Strikefire 2 optic.  Been using it all year with new shooters doing little mock three gun drills.  But yesterday,   was the first day that I used it in a match and actually had to shoot a popper that tossed a clay in the air.  And I swear I was shooting with both eyes open.  But, as soon as that clay went flying I just could not find it. 

 

Now, I signed up for this match yesterday to test out some ammo, mag pouches, etc because we have a really fun shotgun only match coming up.  But now I'm worried about flying clays.  And I thought that maybe I just need to swap to more of a pistol style optic that is smaller in all dimensions.  But literally the second I finished the stage, the RO running it went "Ha, yeah that same s#!t happens with me and my Romeo".   So for you three gunners that deal with really close flying clays.  Do you run an optic for long shots and then an offset bead,  just get better at making sure both eyes are open (which I swear mine were... but maybe the strikefire is just too much of a tank in front of my face),  do you shoot open with a mag fed gun and not do optic?   Kind of at a loss of what to try.  This gun also doesn't come with any stock bead or irons,  so not sure what would be a good bead Mlok sight if I decide to do something offset.

[DavidSeavey]

sounds like you might be going dot focused without realizing.  tape up the front of the optic and see what you see with close aerials.

[partyboy424]

22 hours ago, DavidSeavey said:

sounds like you might be going dot focused without realizing.  tape up the front of the optic and see what you see with close aerials.

Yeah it was hard to tell during the match.  I've shot about 50 clays up out of the air in my entire life.  Shoot Pistols with both eyes open for sure, iron, optic target focus no issue. Shotgun and Rifle I just don't shoot that much.  I'll try covering it up and trying it out this weekend and see if I can work on it.

[JDalton203]

My buddy runs a VR at our local matches and he was runing into the same thing so he picked up a holosun with a big viewing window and the big circle around the center dot. He says as long as the big circle is touching the clay he's been golden and is much quicker/easier to find.

[DavidSeavey]

On 8/30/2023 at 7:27 PM, partyboy424 said:

Yeah it was hard to tell during the match.  I've shot about 50 clays up out of the air in my entire life.  Shoot Pistols with both eyes open for sure, iron, optic target focus no issue. Shotgun and Rifle I just don't shoot that much.  I'll try covering it up and trying it out this weekend and see if I can work on it.

well that's very possibly part of it.  i find my brain working a bit more shooting aerials with a red dot gun, i sort of picture a circular 'radar' on the fly calculation of vectors and lead, at least when i am actively assessing my shooting. especially thrown clays where you've gotta track it compared to tossed ones like a toaster does vertically.

 

maybe you simply need to shoot more aerial shots in general for experience.  try find a trap range that isn't run by a bunch of total fudds (good luck) and will let you shoot a mag fed optic shotgun at their range.  highly recommend sporting clays too, lots to learn and really fun, but same fudd problems. 

[mmc45414]

10 hours ago, DavidSeavey said:

try find a trap range that isn't run by a bunch of total fudds (good luck) and will let you shoot a mag fed optic shotgun at their range.  highly recommend sporting clays too, lots to learn and really fun, but same fudd problems. 

 I do a lotta skeet shooting, and the skeet shooters might not be quite as fuddy, and there are more varied presentations that might more mimic what you want to practice.  If you can get a field to yourself you can repeat the stations that are most applicable.  Plus, I think skeet is good practice for tracking moving targets in general, and a lot of fun.

[Bw3375]

I went and shot a few rounds of sporting clays with my open shotgun with a red dot to get used to it. I went during the week in the mid morning to avoid the fudds, and it worked out perfectly. It was great practice shooting clays with a dot