The Truths in the clay target disciplines are not always accepted or met with approval. Myths die hard…especially older ones that have been handed down for generations. A classic example of this is choosing a choke for the target being presented. During the Paragon CIS classes, Instructor Candidates and their students are introduced to some revealing facts. David Taylor was a shooter in the box with Instructor Candidate Kate Ahnstrom. When asked to shoot the longer crossing target at slightly over 40 yards, David asked Kate if he could change his Skeet choke to something tighter. Kate correctly asked David to trust his Skeet choke, which he did, albeit with a little reluctance. ...
Trust in the Shooting BoxLike yourselves, I too have climbed that long hill to improvement, consistency and higher clay target (sporting clays, skeet, trap) scores. While that journey is one I’d gladly do again for the sweet victories and accomplishments, it’s sure had its rough moments as well. No doubt, you can relate to both. Here are 2 very important considerations that revealed themselves to me many years ago during my journey, which, thankfully, is still ongoing. First, the shooting/scoring skills we seek and aspire to have to be built. While some do progress faster than others, that sometimes-obstinate learning curve applies to everyone, no exceptions. ...