As our Fall wingshooting season approaches all too slowly, I thought you might enjoy a true story.  My good friend’s name was Dave Miller. It was October in PA and Dave’s client wanted to go pheasant hunting. Dave set it up. Knowing I was very experienced in this, Dave called me and asked if I would please join them to back up the client’s shooting. Of course Dave, and thanks.  Saturday morning found us overlooking the Fall countryside in glorious splendor. Dancing with anticipation, Dave’s older Lab Sally was showing us her impatience, her anticipation contagious. I loaded 2 shells and placed the open Model 21 over my shoulder. Glancing ...

Some advice sounds helpful—until it costs you targetsFor those of you on a path to improve your consistency and scores, consider what can help you avoid two rough, time-consuming detours.Way back, in my US instructor certification classes, I was taught to visually “focus hard,” to see ONLY the target’s rim, shoulder, dome or bottom. Nothing else. Then, trust the swing to break it. It worked in our cert class because our targets back then were indeed a lot closer and easier. Certified, I began to teach this around the US. Successfully? Yes. Sometimes. The more important question being, were my students improving? No, time showed they weren’t and I promptly ...

“Explaining good shooting mathematically is hard.Demonstrating the math’s effectiveness on a Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap target is not.” How to score well in Sporting Clays, for some, is no longer a mystery. I say “some” because, unfortunately, most are still using, still being taught methods that have been outdated for decades. Will those methods work? Of course, yes, sometimes. All the time, dependably? Look around you. Watch.Which asks the question: when executed correctly, are there shooting methods that can guarantee an X?A while back, I was competing at the Seminole Cup in Florida with a good friend, one of my students. As the second day ended, he ...

Methods will take you further.In the early days of sporting clays, natural ability and point-and-shoot instincts were enough to break targets and win bragging rights. But times—and targets—have changed. If you’re serious about more Xs on the scoresheet, instinct alone won’t get you there.Today’s shooters need a proven method—one that works with your instincts, not against them—to build consistency, accuracy, and confidence, shot after shot. In this article, I lay out the two choices every shooter faces… and the one that leads to real, lasting improvement.Serious about improving your shooting? Consider two choices, one recommended.I was there ...