Preaching Vs Practice.....

D

Dave McC

Staff In Memoriam
You've heard me say it or seen it here a hundred times. Something like....

"If you're learning to shoot, stick to one gun that fits you well and stay with it"...

Good advice, and I'm still learning.

I do like my Beretta O/U and it's getting very good at finding the right line. After maybe 25K rounds it's become a reliable tool.

But darn it, I like playing with my other toys, too.

And after doing a couple good rounds of wobble yesterday and a decent round of Sporting Clays, I felt like a little variety would do me good.

So, back to PGC today went I, with both the little 870 and the SKB O/U. Both are 20s so I brought 3 boxes in AA hulls for the SKB and 2 boxes of 3/4 oz loads in Gun Clubs. I didn't mind the once reloaded Gun Clubs hitting the ground since they were throwaways.

So, two fast rounds of wobble with the pump gun happened. At 6 lbs, 2 oz, it runs just 2 lbs lighter than the B gun. So, I shot over a few and other wise missed. Still 20 or 21 per round were hits. Even had a little smoke on a couple.

Low gun, Mod choke where IC would be better, ultra light loads.

I think I did OK.

Then, into the woods for some SC with the SKB. I worked on Simo Pairs more than not,some singles to scope the presentations. Still Low Gun, still reaching for something more.

That "Something More" is tenuous. I don't know if I want just to Hit Them All or find some Cosmic Truth.

A bit of both, I guess. Maybe the work and dedication to getting good at this constitutes Cosmic Truth. Or not. I'm not sure it matters anywhere but in my head.

That's enough though, here and now. So it's gnarly crossers, rabbits and supersonic teal. It's simos and dropping bloopers, and somewhere in there I forgot about the things that worry me at other times.

And as usual, the ones I seemed to hit best were those I didn't think about, but just let the shot happen as I focused on that leading molecule....

Maybe that was the point.....
 
And as usual, the ones I seemed to hit best were those I didn't think about, but just let the shot happen as I focused on that leading molecule....
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree Dave - For some reason I tend to focus on the bird more from a low-gun mount than when I premount and check bead alignment, etc.

And 3/4oz 20 loads from my O/U or SxS work perfectly when I do MY part

It sure makes it more satisfying that way
 
I agree, too much thought will catch you riding the target and glancing between target and barrel. {Not good} Too much "thinking" always gets me in trouble...;)
I routinely shoot sporting clays and 5 stand with 7\8 oz loads in my 12ga.
IMO, it's always fun to switch up and shoot my 28ga. You got the guns, might as well use them. One of these days, I'd like to buy a nice 20ga.
 
Thanks, guys. Shotgunning seems to work best with the forebrain disengaged.

3/4 oz loads will not reset the trigger in the SKB all the time unless I bump the speed up, otherwise I'd use them more. So, in the 870 they go.

The 12 gauges have been fed 7/8 oz loads for a few years now. They work, as long as I stick to hard shot and 1200 FPS.

I must admit to a certain thrill when I run a round with 7/8 oz loads while someone else misses a few using 1 1/8 oz heavy loads, but I'm trying to rise above that, heh,heh.....

I may load up some 3/4 oz 12 gauge loads in Gun Club hulls just for fun. While I'll use the Beretta for most of my shooting, neither Frankenstein nor Number 6 have gotten much exercise recently......
 
For 3/4, I found taking a good 7/8 oz recipe and just dropping 3/4 worked well in my O/U. This is utilizing no wad pressure at all. Typically it means about 18.3 of Clays or similar, a CB clone 7/8 oz wad and NobelSport or equal primer.

For sporting I DID have to tighten my chokes by .005 from my 7/8 norm, bit it patterns great and leaves your shoulder undamaged, even after several hundred rounds
 
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What you say Dave - has some truth to it ...but I think its better described as you shoot your best when you're "focused" ...

Falling in love with a target ....or riding it into the sunset ...just means you might need a nap ...:rolleyes: ....and it means you're being too careful, measuring the lead instead of "feeling the lead" ...

Now I won't pretend to be a master class shooter or even a AA shooter ...but when I shoot my best, its because something is pushing me to shoot my best, on every shot ....not just slap at em ....or putting a side saddle on em and riding em accross the sky ...:rolleyes: I shoot better, because I need to, to stay up with a better shooter on the squad. I focus better on where I need my hold point, where to shift my eyes ....and when I miss...I analyze what I did ...so I don't miss 2 more the same way.

When I'm tired ....or not really paying attention ...I'm just sending lead downrange ...and the scores really reflect it.

But posting high scores isn't the only way to judge your day ...sometimes its the company, sometimes you're helping a new shooter (a kid or one of the grandkids) and you take pleasure in that as well ....sometimes its just being outside vs spending another 12 hrs at your job ...and having a few laughs...

But I shoot my best ...when I want it the most. Go back to those days when most of us were young athletes....and the other guy had more talent ...and you had to work really hard for it / or the last time you went into a business deal with no way to win the bid..and got it / or when we met a woman that we had no shot with ( and we married way above our pay grade ...) ......that's Focus !!
 
My 7/8 oz loads could be adapted to 3/4 oz, but they work so well as they are I hesitate to change anything.

I prefer to work with some choke anyway. For SC, I'm using LM and Mod now. IC and LM would also work, but I'd rather have too much than not enough.

You're right, Jim. Sometimes it has little to do with scores. However, sometimes is has to do with doing something as well as we can do it, and maybe even doing as well as it can be done. By anyone.
 
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