When Xs and scores come first, fancy wood and engraving take a back seat to what actually creates more broken targets. Allow me to preface what follows with some background.

Common beliefs and advertising may very well differ from hands-on experience. What follows comes from decades of experience in the shooting box, in intense competition and behind my thousands of students. Those hard-earned experiences have been a tough teacher, all too often overturning long-held beliefs about what works and why. That is IF viewed with an open mind and a willingness to accept what those experiences show us. Emphasis on the word “show.” Gun in hand…if we know what to look for…it’s hard to dispute what we are seeing. What actually works…what doesn’t and why. And not just once but over and over again, countless times. 

Offered respectfully, the following are my strong, personal recommendations based on experience.

It’s one thing to trust our equipment, which we should be doing. However, it’s another to count on a piece of our equipment to break the target for us. As said many times before, the very best equipment in the world can’t make up for unintentional swing errors. Hand HOA the cheapest, poorest fitting, too-short-a-barrel, over-choked shotgun and ask him/her to break this challenging target. X. X. X. X. X. X. X. Each of those Xs came from a skilled swing, assembled, and executed correctly.

On shotgun weight. Lighter gives us highly enjoyable “agility.” Nice to have in the field when hunting Quail, Chukar, Grouse and Pheasant. Be careful, though. I say that because younger…and older inexperienced folks at the time of purchase in the big Box Store are all too often seduced by the super light shotgun. Felt good in the hands? You betch’a. It won’t be long, though, and the consequences of that decision will surface when the first shots are fired. That sharp recoil can be abusive. Hopefully, it will be remedied quickly before we lose a new shooter.

Adding a bit more weight, a heavier shotgun, gives us “stability.” Especially in the clay target sports…where swing “precision” is King…shotgun stability truly earns its keep. Additionally, that extra weight can help reduce recoil. To say that’s important is a huge understatement. Lighter shotguns do have their place, as do the heavier guns. The former we shoot sometimes, the latter more often. A lot more. Choose wisely.

Let’s spend another quick moment on recoil. Ammunition. Target loads, of course. Unfortunately, and very regrettably, too many good folks still believe heavier and faster loads (1,300+/- fps) are always better. The truth is…it’s the exact opposite. Lighter, 1,150 to 1,200 fps loads can dependably break every fair target ever thrown on a clays course. Close, far, fast and slow targets, pick the right shot size and load up with total confidence. Folks,…long, long overdue…it’s way past time for we clay shooters to end the myth that “heavier and faster ammunition is better.” It isn’t.

Still not sure? Yeah…OK…we’re all tough. Recoil doesn’t bother us. Right? Come with me, please. Don’t just take my word for it. Stand and watch this shooter. The instant before the trigger is pulled, watch him/her snap their head back. Flinching. Anticipating the recoil…which they know is coming. Why does this matter? Swing precision has now been officially compromised. OXOXXOOX. And it gets worse from there. More and faster isn’t better. It’s the opposite.  XXXXXX comes from a smooth, controlled swing with less recoil, not faster ammunition. Always. Proven daily.

Let’s talk about chokes. Two things. First, a sometimes hard-to-believe truth. A more open, more forgiving choke can dependably break both close and long-distance targets. Proven? As of this afternoon, confirmed 5,565,493 times. IC, Light Modified and Modified can be counted on to break every fair target out there. Count on it. You do your part…XXXXXX. A uniform pattern from a lighter load…more shot actually hitting the target…is what matters most. The chokes I recommend do that. I mention that because tighter chokes are notorious for blowing patterns at longer ranges. Fewer pellets actually hit the target. Fact.

Second, changing chokes on every Station? While understandable, all that attention on trying to decide which choke to use is a score-debilitating distraction. Putting more of our attention on evaluating target strategies, choosing the best shooting method, and mentally rehearsing sight pictures for each target will put more Xs on the scorecard. Notice how few times (if any) HOA changes chokes. A little Loctite and any one of those three chokes mentioned above will serve you well. If we miss, blame a swing error, not our choke.  

None of the above infers that we don’t need good equipment. We do. I know I do. Long experience has shown quality equipment will indeed justify every penny spent. That said…X or O…that outcome will 100% depend on whether or not we set up and executed the shooting method correctly. Consistently. Because every movement of the gun…every swing…the required swing precision is in our good hands. It always has been…always will be. When the X matters most, shooting skill must come first. The all-important, step-by-step shooting “process.” The basics. Fundamentals. Required for dependability and consistency.

Sure do like beautiful wood, though.

As we explore breaking more targets and shooting consistently, Dan Schindler's trilogy—Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target—offer invaluable insights, serving as a roadmap for shooters of all levels. Available on the Paragon School of Sporting website, along with a wealth of blog posts, these 3 books greatly simplify and uncomplicate shooting, providing a foundation for consistently higher scores.

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!

Thanks for visiting. See you again soon.

Sign up for the Paragon Newsletter  Click Here

Please share the link with your fellow shooters. Thank you!

XXXX

About Dan Schindler

Tired of being frustrated over missing targets or birds?

Ready to move your shooting forward and shoot consistently higher scores?

Shoot better than you ever imagined.

Schedule a lesson with the esteemed Dan Schindler. As one of the exclusive 44 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK), Dan stands as a beacon of expertise in Sporting Clays Skeet, Trap and Wingshooting Instruction in the US.

Embark on a transformative journey with Dan, an NSCA Level III Instructor since 1995 and the visionary founder of the Paragon School of Sporting. His singular goal is to provide ultra simple, step-by-step, Premier  Instruction, Coaching, and Mental Training for enthusiasts of Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap, and Wingshooting of all skill levels.

Dan Schindler is a maestro at alleviating the frustrations that haunt shooters. By unraveling the mysteries of breaking targets, enabling self-awareness in calling misses, and empowering individuals to make their corrections, Dan ensures that lessons are not only enlightening but also immensely enjoyable. Clients at Paragon School of Sporting witness significant improvements in their shooting skills within minutes.

Bid farewell to the vexation of missed targets and soar towards consistent excellence in shooting. Whether you're an advanced competitor or an entry-level enthusiast, Dan Schindler's wealth of experience spanning over three decades has empowered thousands of shooters to propel their game forward.

Having certified over 274 instructors, authored three exceptional books, and contributed to numerous articles and blog posts, Dan Schindler is a luminary in the field. In your very FIRST lesson with Dan, you will unlock the secrets of the Paragon System, ensuring that you break targets consistently, confidently call your misses, and adeptly make corrections, setting the stage for a remarkable journey of shooting mastery. Contact Dan Schindler now and witness the transformative power of his expertise in action.

In your very FIRST lesson with Dan Schindler, you'll learn the Paragon System so YOU can break targets consistently, call your misses & make corrections so your next target breaks!

"Folks fly from around the world to take lessons with Schindler at River Bend Sportsman’s Resort, his home course in Inman, South Carolina. Clients have included Bush staffers to NASCAR drivers to the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. The approachable teacher has spent 25 years on “gentleman’s coaching” (with social and corporate shooters) and formal instruction (with individuals, groups, and competitors). Schindler has even certified more than 230 instructors using his handcrafted curriculum—a system that signaled his qualification as the first American admitted to the British Guild of Shooting Instructors... “Shooting, like golf, or anything like that, is a mental sport, and he has the mental game down so well.” To find out how he calibrated mind with metal, we head to Japan."

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

THE TRUSTED PRIMER

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)