A good day with the Nova...

[Torquemada]

3rd time trapshooting this year, the first two trips resulted in an average of 12/25 and a high of 14. Last year, averaged 14 with a high of 16 (usually four rounds per outing).

THIS TIME, I rocked (for me). 20/25, 20/25, too hot for everyone and the trap house was acting up so only got those two rounds in. In 95+ degree heat/humidity. With sweat filling my left eye socket on every shot. Was consistent station-to-station for once, normally I'm bad at 1 and/or 5 and pretty solid at 2-3-4.

Lessons learned (probably):
1. I should shoot shotguns one-eyed instead of two.
2. I concentrate more when it's blazingly hot.
3. I need to keep my cheek glued to (rammed into) the stock more.

Last year I got 20/25 and 22/25 from a borrowed Remington 870 (my friend got 12/25, 14/25 from the Nova) because I'm pretty sure I was doing all of the above instead of getting lazy. So, I'm feeling pretty good again and will have to schedule another outing soon. I'm finally getting confident with it, ran some slugs through it at the rifle range with good results. Too bad barrels cost almost as much as a complete shotgun (or at least as much as a complete 870)!

 

[Dave McC]

Good for ya,Torque. A couple things....

Headlifting is probably the most common form fault. It's pernacious, keeps coming back, and is a guaranteed miss.

One eyed shooting can be superb, but it takes more work to get there than two eyed shooting does, all else equal.

Enjoy the Nova....

 

[Torquemada]

Head lifting? Not quite that simple...I do something really strange, where my head/eye is moving opposite the barrel's rotational direction (I'm finding it hard to explain). Maybe like trying to point-shoot from a mounted position? Try imagining former Ranger/Cub/Phillie pitcher Mitch Williams pitching...to paraphrase him, I "shoot like my hair's on fire." Sometimes it works, around 1/2 the time I miss.

When I keep my cheek rammed into the stock, barely seeing the front bead I tend to miss low, never behind the bird any more. So I'm improving...

I learned the hard way that what I thought was a Mauser 7.92 in the proper position wasn't when it kicked the heck out of my shoulder...the Nova (and the borrowed 870) have add-on recoil pads (+the stock pad built in) so I was "cheating" there too. With a true proper shouldering I don't feel any recoil worth mentioning in the shotguns and the Mauser is more comfortable. The add-on is for length, not for recoil absorption.

I also stopped thinking too much between shots, seems to help too. I'll be picking up some grip tape and try to get fitted by the "old guys" next time.

 

[Dave McC]

Shotgunning is like sex, if it hurts, we're doing it wrong.

Shotguns,and military Mausers with steel buttplates, let us know when they're shouldered incorrectly. That's an easy fix.

Gotta hunch that headlifting(vs not having it in the right place) is part of the flinch pkg.

See if you can borrow a slip on recoil pad. A little more length may ease problems, tho you may start impacting lower.

Cheek Eez has a self adhesive cheek pad that can be used to raise POI a bit. For about $10, you can try one and see if that's what you need.

HTH...