Sandro Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Shotgun fundamentals Aside from reloading which is very important to our game; what other fundamentals do you consider for practical shooting with a shotgun? I am trying to create a baseline for practice. I realize there is some crossover from Clays shooting of course, but maybe someone out there has a better idea of what would be valuable for practical shooting with a shotgun. Please list what you see as fundamentals for Practical Shooting with a shotgun. DVC, Sandro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbrowndog Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 don't miss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it means you have to reload sooner, and more often. learn to shoot moving, know what your gun and you can do, famous last words at a big PSG match, "only ten people in the world can make that shot", reply was, "yeah and 3 of them are here". put a rear sight on your shotgun!!!! and learn to use it with slugs. trapr oh yeah, reload faster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandro Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 don't miss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it means you have to reload sooner, and more often. you are right on that one, please keep it coming... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Shot Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I consider myself a continual student - not a master for sure - and I think the Burkett video on Shotgunning is well worth the money. Too many things to list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandro Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 I consider myself a continual student - not a master for sure - and I think the Burkett video on Shotgunning is well worth the money. Too many things to list. I will watch it again, but really wanted to get some feedback from the guys here too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLG8R Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 1. Reload and reload efficiently... different styles and strong/weak hand if possible 2. Know where your slugs will hit at distance... 3. Know your shot pattern with chokes... 4. Take the time to aim, misses and making up misses cost you more time my $0.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigCat88 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) As a new (this year) competative shooter, the biggest improvment to my game was weak hand reload. I started strong hand, but the switch to weak hand resulted in much more efficient runs. And don't look at your gun/hands while reloading. At a match like BRM3G where Andy like to hide the plates. If you are not watching the trees closely as you walk and reload, you may (will) miss a plate. Keep eyes looking for targets while reloading by feel and instinct. I have had the good fortune of being squaded with some great shooters. And have learned a TON from them. These couple things are the tops in my book. Oh, and go to Oklahoma for the HPSC next year. I went this year and had a blast! Trapr puts on a great match. Edited July 24, 2009 by CATman33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 +1 on know yer chokes and pattern. slugs trajectory also a must. also, mounting the damn gun is really important. you can shave 1.5 seconds a run once you figure that out. and out west, we like flippers, so start practicing the damn birds flying as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.E. Kelley Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 The shotgun is THE power tool of practical shooting. It demands a more aggressive weight forward approach. Two photos to illustrate. Travis can run the gun hard and fast with this stable platform. Notice his right foot is pushing toward the target. You can run a 223 carbine in this manner but you won't get more than two shots on target with a "power tool" without trouble. Notice his right foot lifted for counterbalance Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Payne Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) Make sure your shotgun runs. Nothing can screw a stage up faster than having a jam. The jam is easy enough to clear (normally) but the stage train of thought has now been derailed. Edited July 24, 2009 by Brian Payne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpeltier Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 In Practical shotgunning we have a mixture of stationary and moving (Flying) targets. These use very different techniques when engaging. You must pause on target for a moment on stationary targets and swing thru (think skeet shooting) and time your shot on flyers. sometimes one right after another. Ive watched many shooters (including myself) pause on flyers and swing thru stationary targets. Go actually shoot a few rounds of skeet and practice on stationary steel. You can also dryfire practice mixing these techniques at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Pat +100, You hit the nail on the head. Before we can have a discussion about misses, reloading, loading schemes, flippers, steel, etc. you need to have a platform. PLATFORM PLATFORM PLATFORM oh did I mention PLATFORM. If you are not able to get on the gun and manage recoil efffectively you will not be able to get hits, move efficiently, nor drive the gun from target to target. Points of a good shotgun platform include: Stance: Feet wider than shoulder width apart, shoulders squared up to the target array (no blading), toes pointed slightly out, 70/30ish weight bias on the balls of the feet, flexion in the knees, shoulders slightly forward of the hips. Mount/Grip: Buttstock firmly in the strong side shoulder pocket, head firmly on the stock (do not move your head down to the gun), strong side grip pulling the gun into the shoulder, offhand grip as forward as is comfortable (for most it will be helpful to point the offhand index finger along the plane of the barrel), elbows up...you don't need to be flying the elbows but if they are not away from your body there is no way to drive the gun. When you begin to drive the gun from target to target remember to use your hips and legs to do the driving. Very few people have the strength to move the gun and manage recoil with their upper body. For those that complain or worry about the recoil of a shotgun using slugs etc find some youtube video of Daniel Horner. His platform is damn near perfect and you can immediately see how even a person with relatively small stature can effectively run this weapon system using a solid platform. One of the best drills to check this platform is to fire bill drills with fairly stout loads (buckshot, slugs, etc) and work on maintaining the position of the head on the stock and creating/driving a consistent tracking of the gun. If you find you are having a hard time hitting your POA due to the gun being all over the place then start at the beginning with your platform and fix it until the gun begins tracking for you. Once you have built a solid platform shooting the gun at one POA then you can start to build in transitions,movement, reloading, off balance positions etc. However if you begint to deviate from a solid base platform you will notice an immediate drop in your effectiveness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Pat +100, You hit the nail on the head. Before we can have a discussion about misses, reloading, loading schemes, flippers, steel, etc. you need to have a platform. PLATFORM PLATFORM PLATFORM oh did I mention PLATFORM. If you are not able to get on the gun and manage recoil efffectively you will not be able to get hits, move efficiently, nor drive the gun from target to target. Points of a good shotgun platform include: Stance: Feet wider than shoulder width apart, shoulders squared up to the target array (no blading), toes pointed slightly out, 70/30ish weight bias on the balls of the feet, flexion in the knees, shoulders slightly forward of the hips. Mount/Grip: Buttstock firmly in the strong side shoulder pocket, head firmly on the stock (do not move your head down to the gun), strong side grip pulling the gun into the shoulder, offhand grip as forward as is comfortable (for most it will be helpful to point the offhand index finger along the plane of the barrel), elbows up...you don't need to be flying the elbows but if they are not away from your body there is no way to drive the gun. When you begin to drive the gun from target to target remember to use your hips and legs to do the driving. Very few people have the strength to move the gun and manage recoil with their upper body. For those that complain or worry about the recoil of a shotgun using slugs etc find some youtube video of Daniel Horner. His platform is damn near perfect and you can immediately see how even a person with relatively small stature can effectively run this weapon system using a solid platform. One of the best drills to check this platform is to fire bill drills with fairly stout loads (buckshot, slugs, etc) and work on maintaining the position of the head on the stock and creating/driving a consistent tracking of the gun. If you find you are having a hard time hitting your POA due to the gun being all over the place then start at the beginning with your platform and fix it until the gun begins tracking for you. Once you have built a solid platform shooting the gun at one POA then you can start to build in transitions,movement, reloading, off balance positions etc. However if you begint to deviate from a solid base platform you will notice an immediate drop in your effectiveness. So you mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) I wish you were doin it wrong...just watched your video on facebook... there's a pretty good reason why you kicked my ass at R&R ....definitely solid. Edited July 24, 2009 by smokshwn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sako92S Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 The very best basic # 1 rule of tube feed shotgun in competition is: If you don't shoot you reload! That was teached to me by our 3 shotgun champions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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