No.343 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I'm doing some work near Boston, and since I don't have access to pistols I figured I would do a little shotgunning. I found a local club and asked about a skeet instructor. I met a gentleman named Angelo Troisi, who has an impressive record. He was very patient with me. He is convinced that I am a pistol shooter. He says that when I miss it is because I am checking my front sight before pulling the trigger. He keeps saying that I have to trust myself to focus on the bird and pull the trigger. Now, I don't have any concious memory of checking my front sight before pulling the trigger, but I do notice that I feel like I stopped swinging when I miss. Anyway, I think that the shotgun thing will be a fun challenge while I am away from my pistols. At the very least I had a chance to smell some burnt gunpowder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaShooter Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I hear ya on that!!! I was a competitive skeet shooter (NSSA) from 1987 until 2005. I was not any good but I loved the sport (A/B shooter). I switched over to USPSA pistol and 3G last year and I love it just as much (maybe even a little more). Only wish I had started a long time ago and also wish that more of my fellow LEO's would come out and shoot this sport. Heck I just completed my taxes and it amazed me how much of the shooting costs I could deduct (ammo, match fees, reloader, guns, gun safe, etc etc etc). Its almost like my shooting is paying for itself!!! 6" gun and new Benelli M-2 will be deducted in 2008!!!!!!!!!! Jayson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBeck77 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Get a copy of Todd Bender's tapes on skeet, I shot skeet competitively for about 4 years before I got addicted to sporting clays. Todd's tapes helped me a great deal. I wish we had a local skeet or trap range, I loved shooting clay birds. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 "Miss in front" - best skeet advice ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishlad Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 but I do notice that I feel like I stopped swinging when I miss. Don't worry, that's one of the most common "cardinal sins" for beginners learning to shoot moving targets IMO. And, a common "sin" for advanced/experienced shooters when things just don't "feel right". Repeated practice will take care of that, which is the fun part. Very smart of you to start with an instructor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 If you are totally new to shotguns, shoot a while on the trap field first. Skeet can be tough for a beginner. Shooting all eight stations and missing most of them is not the way to start. Doing that turns many away from skeet. Try shooting Low-1, Low-2, High-7, and Low-7, until you gain some confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Angelo is an excellent instructor as well as an excellent shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Freeman Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 You can miss 3 feet in front of the bird and still break it. If you miss 3 inches behind it, you will never break it. Keep swinging the gun and follow the biggest piece all the way to the ground. Wanna get good? Shot low gun with a delay a-la international style. More fun than drowning kittens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.E. Kelley Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 My experience with those who are trained to use and trust sights, often perform better starting low gun. Reasoning is "less time to align" Shoot all the clay games and then get hooked on Sporting Clays! Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No.343 Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Had my second lesson last Saturday. Shot six boxes of shells. I was really surprised at how well I did on boxes 3 and 4. Box number 6 was a waste. I don't understand the principles behind some of the things I've been taught yet, but Angelo hasn't steered me wrong. Case in point: Soft focus. Angelo teaches that I should not focus on the opening of the house. Instead he taught me to focus at infinity to the side of the house. He gave me a good explanation of this works, but I know I would get it wrong if I tried to repeat it. I give this concept the credit for the difference in scores between my first two boxes of shells and boxes 3 and 4. I imagine this is old hat to you guys, but since it's new to me I find it very interesting. I hope that this makes me a well rounded shotgun shooter. I'll be ready if they ever put a round of skeet in a 3gun match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EkuJustice Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Checking the front sight and stopping the guns are common things for people new to the game. The Fiber optic hi viz sights can help with that if you like to know its there without having to actually look at it since it is bright enough to see out of the corner of your eye and still get a good sight picture. SHooting a heavy gun and using the lower body can help with the stopping of the gun as the weight makes it harder to stop and the lower body makes starting it and keeping it smooth alot easier. Shot some skeet competitions and stopped in 06 due to work schedules and not having the time to travel around for 12 weekends a summer 3 days minimum a week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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