GUN FIT
I thought I should put on one of my old physicist's plaid bow ties to address this. Field of view is measured in units of steradians. Big word but simple concept. Imagine that you were looking at a bird in a tree through an opening in the woods. The bird is 100 feet away. If you have a clear view that is 50 feet each side of the bird and 50 feet above and below the bird your field of view is one steradian; that is the 100 foot sides of the field are equal to the distance.
At 16 yard trap you watch for the bird in about a 6 foot box 48 feet away - 1/8 of a steradian ; its a cinch to find the bird over the rib of a mounted gun.
At skeet you can watch a box about 12 feet long at 60 to 120 feet; 1/5 to 1/10 of a steradian; the incomer in doubles is in a 10 x 10 foot box at about 50 feet.
Live birds came from many traps in the beginning and fewer as time went on. However a longer handicap reduced the size of the field to be watched. for the bird's release.
At five stand or sporting clays you may see the trap that launches the first bird but you must recover and find the second in most cases. Target acquisition is a big factor in hitting the second bird.
Take a walk through the grouse woods; wing noise may give you a strereo phonic direction to look in but it is necessary to examine more than a full steradian to find the bird; a mounted gun obscures fully one half of that field.
Two years ago at Hausmann's JD and I shot a round together. One station was an outgoing crosser visible only through a small clear patch. I broke the bird twice , before the gun reached my shoulder; JD's comment; "I know you learned to shoot in partridge country". I think I have 12 PGCA witnesses that will verify that I broke simo pairs from station 8 on both rounds at our New Year shoot. I got both incomers before the butt touched my shoulder. I would like to add that the gun I used on both occassions was choked M & F
This is long enough; more on dimensions later.
Best Austin
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