We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I’ve stumbled across this quote by Aristotle several times over the years, and it certainly rings true when considering ‘excellence’ in the shooting field. As with many other sports, those who are serious about their shooting strive for excellence – not everybody is happy with being ‘average’, ‘okay’ or even plain ‘good’. How, then, can one go from being an intermediate Shot to an exceptional one?
We should first be quite clear that there is no quick and easy route to excellence; to shoot to a consistently high standard is not a given. Those regarded as the very best game Shots have one thing in common; they are hugely focused and driven. Their ‘excellence’ is the result of a long period of dedication. They have worked out early on in their shooting life the importance of a basic skill set, they have removed the variables which others might seek to blame when performance slips, they will not shy away from seeking advice or coaching to help them improve and, quite simply, they spend a lot more time than your average shooting man or woman with a gun in their hands.
Let’s break things down further. Imagine you are what is generally considered an okay-to-good Shot wishing to take your shooting to the next level... Where should you start?
Firstly, you need to get to a point where your gun is throwing the centre of an even pattern of pellets precisely where you are looking every single time you shoot, and to do this you must: a) ensure your gun fits you correctly; b) ensure you are mounting the gun into exactly the same part of your shoulder and cheek every time;and c) ensure you are using a choke and cartridge combination that delivers sound patterns.
Gun fit can be a bit of a minefield – everyone has their own ideas – but it needn’t be complicated. Stock length, cast and comb height are key. Too low a comb encourages lifting of the head to see what is going on, or leads to the shooter looking down the side of the gun as vision from his/her dominant eye is blocked, whilst cast on/cast off is crucial to achieve that central alignment of the eye over the breech. You don’t have to spend an absolute fortune to get your gun fitted to you, and it is possible to find something off the peg that is a pretty good fit to start with and can be tweaked. It is worth visiting a reputable gun fitter in order to arrive at sound measurements.
Of course, going to the effort of having your gun professionally fitted is a pointless exercise if you do not mount the gun properly and consistently, as your point of aim will change each time you put the gun in your shoulder. You will notice that the very best Shots are extremely consistent in how they approach each and every target or bird – not just with their gun mount, but their posture, balance, footwork, head position and the way they harmonise a moving gun with a moving object, whatever the angle may be.
Practice and repetition will build muscle memory once a sound mount has been established. Simple exercises such as mounting an empty gun onto a mark on the mirror – always ensuring the gun comes up to the shoulder and cheek simultaneously – can help the experienced Gun maintain their consistency. The process remains the same for every shot; the front hand does the pointing, and the grip hand raises the gun to the shoulder. Use of snap caps and the visualisation of a moving target, all the while practising pulling the trigger halfway through the movement and keep the gun moving are the kind of exercises that can really make a difference to ones shooting.
To tick ‘point c’ off the check-list above, it is worth spending time at a pattern plate, experimenting with different chokes, loads and brands of cartridge to find a combination that patterns well and is comfortable to shoot with. When that pattern is centred around a mark every time you mount and shoot – and providing you do not drastically change body shape, therefore affecting gun fit – you can be confident that if performance starts to slip, your gun/cartridge/choke combination is not to blame.
These variables removed, poor or inconsistent shooting performance almost always links back to technique – the basics. All serious sportsmen, no matter what level they are at, will seek some form of instruction in order to continuously improve and avoid any bad habits creeping into their technique. Blips in form are inevitable, and when they happen it is very useful if a trusted coach with a great eye for detail is on hand to diagnose the cause so it can be addressed without delay. This also helps the shooter to become familiar with his/ her own idiosyncrasies and better positions him/her to self diagnose any problems when they arise. It might be timing, starting to look at the gun rather than the bird, or being too deliberate. An ‘excellent’ Shot will be able reset themselves and refer back to the fundamentals of sound shooting.
A good coach will create a simple formula of practice and training so that when it comes to the day’s shooting, the shooter can just go along, enjoy it and not overthink their technique – their shooting will be much more fluent and natural as a result. If you put in the hours with a coach at the shooting ground, you can then focus on reading the situation on each drive, using a bit of fieldcraft and guile, and most importantly, enjoying it!
Of course, there are other ways to improve one’s shooting. High volume dove or pigeon shooting, for example, can really help you fast track your own shooting. The sheer variety of angles at which you will be shooting your quarry is hard to simulate with clay targets.
Then there is modern technology. Smartphones and such devices now enable us to take video footage which we can watch back and refer to, easily identifying bad habits or any inconsistencies in our technique, no matter how small. Indeed, many experienced Shots are quite surprised when they see footage of themselves shooting, the reality not matching how they imagined their ‘style’ of shooting to look.
Without a doubt, when it comes to shooting consistently well, psychology and mentality play a big part, too. How often have you seen a friend or fellow Gun come undone after a bad drive or a series of misses with both barrels? Remaining positive is important. Being too hard on yourself about missing a bird or a dip in performance is counterproductive. Nobody is perfect and there’s nothing to be gained from dwelling on what is in the past – you can’t rewind. What you can do is think about the next bird and how you will address it. There is always a reason why we have missed, and the very best Shots are those who can quickly establish where they went wrong. Their mindset will always be positive – ‘half full’, never ‘half empty’.
Ultimately, a day’s shooting is about much more than the shooting itself, and if you only ever think about the birds that you miss, rather than reflecting on the enjoyment of the day as a whole, you’re missing the point.
TOP SHOOTING GROUNDS
WEST LONDON SHOOTING SCHOOL
The home of shooting tuition, 12 miles from the centre of London. Unrivalled for their lessons, courses and corporate events.
Sharvel Lane, West End Road, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 6RA Contact reception@wlss1901.co.uk tel:0208 845 1377 / www.wlss1901.co.uk
LADY’S WOOD SHOOTING SCHOOL
One of the UK’s finest game shooting schools. Ideal for tuition, practice, corporate hospitality, recently upgraded 120ft high tower, grouse butt, gun sales, clothing and accessories.
Mapleridge Lane, Horton, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, BS37 6PW
01454 294546 / shoot@ladyswood.co.uk www.ladyswood.co.uk
IAN COLEY SHOOTING SCHOOL
Practice & Tuition Monday - Saturday. Specialist game and clay shooting tuition. 3 full-time APSI qualified gun fitters. Award winning Shooting Ground perfect for corporate hospitality.
Nr. Andoversford, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 4AX 01242 870391 / info@iancoley.co.uk www.iancoley.co.uk
WEST KENT SHOOTING SCHOOL
Open – Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Extensive English Sporting Layout with 8 trap 100ft High Tower.
Old Hay, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 7DG 01892 834306 / info@westkentshooting.co.uk www.westkentshooting.co.uk
BYWELL SHOOTING GROUND
The North East’s only CPSA Premier Plus rated shooting ground with a fully stocked gun room, lessons, practice and expert advice. Shop open hours: Tues – Sat 9:30 – 5:30
Bywell Farm, Felton, Northumberland NE65 9QQ 01670 787 827 / info@bywellshootingground.co.uk www.bywellshootingground.co.uk