Better Wing-Shooting

Photo by: Kat Hutson of RubyMtnPhoto&Design

Body & Gun Placement with a Bit of Multitasking!

By necessity, professional athletes have access to the best equipment and facilities along with the time required to improve specific areas of their sport. The rest of us are left with squeezing in training sessions between family, employment, and the rest of life’s responsibilities. Like a lot of sporting activities, wingshooting requires the coordination (hand/eye) and muscle-memory that are developed by repetition. To a limited extent, clay shooting sports or practice should accomplish much of the familiarization between firearm and its user. Auh, but, is that enough?

Sporting Clays

Whether it’s formal shooting sports or launching clay targets in your field, target practice familiarizes the shooter with the gun while (hopefully) building confidence.

I say, “limited” because this type of gunning, as compared to upland game, falls just short. For starters, in practice, the shooter is settled (still) along with knowing the path and speed of the target prior to the launch. Even the timing of the launch is called by the shooter; allowing them to take the safety off and have the gun shouldered at the ready. Repetition, removing variables, is a key element in sporting endeavors; almost exactly the opposite of our experience with wild birds in the field or forest.

Clay Target Shooting: Repetitive shooting sports, such as skeet or trap, are very predictable and the amount of success should be higher - sometimes, much higher - than wingshooting. Some clay sports offer a varied array of angles, speeds, and targets but there is still a great deal of predictability and preparedess. To increase the practice’s effectiveness, try holding the gun with the stock beneath your shoulder - with the safety on - like you where waiting for a bird to flush. Then, allow a companion to decide when to launch the target. This combination should aid in the development of reflex and reaction timing.

Keep in mind, if you are starting with poor habits on these clay shooting venues, then you will only reinforce poor technique. Mistakes include; unbalanced stance, awkward mounting of the gun to cheek, shoulder, and so on. Add to this the rather artificial tactic of releasing the safety and mounting the gun before calling for the launch of the target and anyone’s progress toward becoming a better wingshooter can be somewhat hampered. Let’s face it, even when birds and dogs hold their positions in textbook fashion, there’s still no knowing when the bird will flush and in which direction.

Balance and Confidence: Balanced stance, gun fit and familiarity are critical elements in off-hand shooting. Balance uses the legs and hips as the base for the upper body and arms to act as a shooting platform or turret. The arms must effectively cantilever to over-come the weight and length of the gun. Inadequate arm strength (or length) to counter the weight of the gun will cause the upper torso to lean back. A balanced shooting stance is not achieved and, being punched backwards, the shooter dreads the recoil.

Proper balance will have the shooter leaning slightly into the direction the gun is pointing. At the gun’s report, this stance will effectively absorb the recoil and keep the shooter confidently on target. Clay targets will help develop confidence in handling the gun along with skills such as leading the target and follow through.

Balanced Stance

The shooter on the left’s lower body is solid, the upper body leans slightly into (toward) the direction of the shot and is prepared for the gun’s recoil. Though the shooter on the right may have the arm strength, the stance is unbalanced and the recoil will take him backwards.

Keep a Step Ahead: Wingshooting - upland game hunting - is distinctly separate from target sports in that it requires planning and multitasking. Remember, when it comes to missed shots (or no shot at all) on flushed birds, the steps leading up to pulling the trigger is where we go wrong. Planning your moves should get you comfortably and confidently settled before, or during, the process of shooting.

Far from a mindless walk through the countryside, hunting should involve strategies that keep us in the game, so to speak. For example, I don’t like a load of chatter while I’m hunting. The added distraction takes my focus away from details that could otherwise provide a split-second advantage. Listening for the flush of wings, recognizing typical holding cover for game, revising the direction of travel to avoid vision blocking obsticals - keeping yourself in good position - and observing the dog’s actions, should improve readiness if game flushes without warning.

When hunting wild upland game with trained dogs, a huge advantage is being able to read your dog’s actions. With some dogs, it’s very obvious when trailing bird scent has been detected. Rapid tail movement, nose scanning from side to side, a quick spin in direction, or, of course, the dog slams on point; are times to keep your gun and your head up in the ready position. Now we are entering the multitasking stage.

At the Flush…

Unlike clay target sports, flushing birds decide when and where to launch. The shooter visually picks a target and thumbs the safety forward as he raises the gun; responding in simultaneous action.

Prepare To Launch: Realize that you are not approaching the dog but the unseen quarry. Relax, enjoy the moment, that’s why you’re there. Have no concern as to whether you will hit or miss the bird, rather, sense the direction of the breeze, the position of the dog, and the immediate surroundings. (Don’t forget the sun!) Use this information to move toward where the bird may be hidden while avoiding objects that may obstruct your view or stance.

With dogs locked on point, some folks release the safety mechanism while moving to flush the bird; keep the gun and your head up while being mindful of your surroundings. Before the game launches into the scene, you should already have some idea as to the direction it may flush and your safe and reasonable shooting lanes. Using this approach will add confidence you can build upon as the process continues.

Move Toward Holding Cover - Not The Dog -

Gun and Head Up!

With a shooter on each side of the cover, at least one shooter will have an unobstructed view. A bit too relaxed perhaps, I might be better served by the use of two hands on the gun.

Low-Carry not only points the muzzel down toward the dog but may also be tangled in tall vegetation as the barrel swings upward to locate the target. The length of the firearm and the (increased) angle of movement combine to frustrate - not facilitate - smooth mounting and shot prep. So, keep your Gun Up!

Trusting our eyes more than other senses, it seems natural to look down in the cover around your feet when trying to flush a bird the dog is pointing. Keep in mind that the bird will flush upward and will be located quicker by listening for movement and, at least peripherally, seen by scanning with your Head Up!

Identify and Track

Here, my eyes have identified the rooster pheasant and have begun to guide my head it the direction of travel. Already aware of the tall sage in front of me, I took a slight step to my right prior to mounting the gun.

Lift-Off: Mounting a shotgun is an often overlooked stage of shooting flying objects. So many of us have learned to shoot air or other rifle-type arms that we are unaware of the difference in mounting techniques. Rifles are “aimed” methodically by first putting the butt to our shoulder, settling the muzzel in the target’s direction, bringing our cheek to the stock to take aim, releasing the safety, and slowly - steadily - easing the trigger back.

Shooting on the fly requires many actions to be done simultaneously. Since the eyes and head are tracking, I generally release the safety while my hands lift the stock to my cheek (first); this is where knowing your shotgun’s functionality is important to keep your focus on the target. The eyes identify the target while guiding the head and torso through the direction of travel. Using eyes and head as guidence, the hands will place the barrel(s) on target and into shooting position without actually “aiming”.

Tracking and Swinging Through

The gun stock is brought to my cheek - first - and the stock settles into the shoulder. I had decided beforehand to wait until the bird passes the tall sage. Then, guided by eyes and head, the hands trace the barrel(s) through the bird’s line of travel - from tail to beak.

On Target: In shotgunning, there are basically three styles of shooting that can be used to track and hit moving (flying) targets. They include: 1. Sustained-Lead - 2. Swing or Pass-Through and 3. Pace & Pass. Call them what you will, these methods are the most effective on moving (flying) targets.

Sustained lead tends to be a bit more tricky due to the target speed being paced and a (mentally) calculated distance off the front point (beak) of the target is maintained until the trigger is pulled. This method is generally used on targets of greater distance.

The swing or pass-through method is somewhat simpler since the gun muzzel is sped through the target - from tail to beak - and the trigger is pulled at the instant the muzzel reaches or passes the front-end of the target. This can happen so quickly that the shooter believes they are simply pointing and shooting in the same action. Closer targets require very little calculation for lead.

Contact!

A case-in-point, the rooster’s unpredictable (and unfortunate, for the bird) decision to flush high and to the right of the brush allowed me to track its progress. As the barrels pass through the rooster, I slap the trigger quickly.

In this short video, a sage grouse is pointed by the setter (off screen) as I make my way upwind from the dog’s position. The gun is up and, anticipating the flush, I make sure that each step is solidly placed - not rock hopping. Notice the gun remains on target after the shot is taken.

(Note: Shooting while smoking a pipe has taken years of experience and is not recommended!)

The third method is barely distinguishable from the pass-through method. The gunner starts by pacing the bird’s flight with the gun muzzel and, when that is achieved, quickly increases the barrel speed and hits the trigger as it passes the target. I may use this method without realizing when the target (rooster or hen pheasant, for example) must be identified while being tracked by the gun. As I said, for the sake of expedience, many actions or steps are done simultaneously.

Experience will develop the ability to use any of these techniques as needed and, often, without realizing. All three methods require continued motion (follow-through) to be adequately successful. Stopping the barrel movement just prior to the shot is a lingering habit developed by aiming firearms.

Follow-Through…

Following through prevents developing the bad habit of stopping the gun movement a nano-second prior to pulling the trigger and keeps you on target in case a second attempt is required.

Summary: Clay target practice has its place, but wingshooting’s unpredictable and, therefore, reflexive nature requires additional calculation and coordination. The steps prior to the trigger being pulled can be complicated by terrain, obsticles, footing, timing, target identification, and more. In the field, placing (and keeping) yourself and the gun in a better position to make the shot becomes paramount and how to succeed!

Shooting sequence taken by Bridget Hutson.

Addendum: A reader asked, “I have started trying to shoot with both eyes open and realized I have an eye dominance issue. I started using tape on my left eye lense and it has made a huge difference. Do you have any advice on how to fix this issue so I don’t have to put tape on there?”…

Good question! Actually, I have a ton of experience with left-eye dominance, from cousins to kids - now, grandkids! There are several "fixes" without (laser) surgery and it's up to the shooter to use one until it becomes natural.

1. The easiest is to NOT shoot with both eyes open. Get in a habit of squinting your dominant (left) eye which will cause your other (right) eye to take over. 

The cheapest way to get good at this is to use a BB gun - yup, a BB gun! Put up a target in the yard and practice mounting the gun quickly, squint the left eye just as the gun stock hits your cheek and fire. This tactic can be used for the next remedy.

2. Shooting left-handed is another "fix". That's what my older son has done and has become quite good. I tried to get our grandson with that issue to shoot leftie but he doesn't like it - so far. 

An issue can arise if your gun stock was "cast" (curved) for right hand shooting. It's a relatively easy fix, my son sent his Franci someplace(?) to have that altered for a very reasonable price.

3. Wear shooting glasses with a strip of tape, as it sounds like you're doing. Unfortunately, that's a solution used if you're standing and calling for clay pigeons to be launched but it's not a great idea if you're hunting and need both eyes to see running dogs, (wild) flushing birds, and badger holes!

4. It can take awhile but, wearing an eye-patch or covering over the dominate eye can make the other take over habitually.

Stick to it and thanks for the question!