Question for small bore shooters.

[Craig Larter]

Being a life long waterfowl hunter I have always shot big guns. When I shoot a light small bore gun my muscle memory developed over 50 years pushes a light weight small bore gun way to fast. My swing with a light gun seems to degrade into a herky jerky movement which causes me to lose focus on the bird (clay) which results in a miss. If I slow down my move to the bird (clay) it seems to help smooth out my swing. Does anyone else find moving from a heavy gun to a light gun challenging or am I the only one? Any suggestions to help moving from a heavy gun to a light small bore or is just a matter of shooting the light gun for a while until you develop a feel for the gun? Thanks Craig

[Mark Callanan]

I would shoot some trap to get used to both guns..
i think that would help you get used to both

[Double Lab]

It's a learning curve Craig. I tend to shoot my smallbores better than my 12's but you have to "attack" the target somewhat like shooting live birds. A 30 or 32" smallbore will help somewhat but here is my approach.

With a heavier 12 or 10 you have a built in follow through with the weight of the gun. With a smallbore it helps (at least for me) to place my leading hand at the end of the forend and force that hand to control the barrels. Don't mount the gun until you have locked on to the target then make your move to the target using more of a swing through method which will generate enough momentum to keep those light barrels where you need them. You really have to concentrate to swing through the target to keep those lovely, light barrels moving.

If you think about it, that's really how you would shoot let's say a big rooster in S. Dakota. The bird flushes, you locate it and lock your focus on his head then butt, beak, bang. Lucy... dead bird. Fetch it up!

The best game you could practice at is shooting some skeet with a low gun. Don't worry you'll figure it out. If not I'm always in the market for another smallbore.

[Paul Harm]

I even have trouble with my light 12bores. You're not alone.

[Bill Murphy]

Everyone I know who shoots well with light guns shoots a lot at clay targets, all kinds of clay targets. I make sure the gun has some sticky on the butt so it doesn't slide off after the first shot. Some of the best under six pound shooting I have done was with my Model 42 with a sticky pad. There is nothing inherently bad about a light gun, only that we are not used to it and the heavy gun helps us along.

[Harold Pickens]

I shoot my worse sporting clays scores with my 12 ga's, but I have never ever been duck/goose hunting. I grew up hunting grouse. I tend to prefer 16 and 20 ga's, never been much for 28 ga's.

[6pt-Sika]

You wanna shoot the two little guns well , get yourself a decent shape VH 12 gauge on a #1 or #2 frame then send it to Kolar or Briley for a set of full length 20,28 and 410 tubes .

[Dean Romig]

Not that I am an especially good shot at all, I tend to do some of my best shooting when I don't have time to think about the mechanics of what I'm doing - call it 'instinctive' shooting or 'snap' shooting... although I really don't think I am a snap shooter. I come from behind and as the barrels pass the bird's head, or the clay target, I touch the trigger while I force the barrels to keep swinging through. But as Daryl says, placing your lead hand (forend hand) significantly farther out on the barrels - even beyond the end of the forend - will give you much greater control on swinging your barrels through your target without the jerky thing you describe. And shooting a lot of skeet would help tremendously, especially the long crossing shots provided by stations 3, 4, and 5.

Good Luck Craig - we know you can do it!






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[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

But as Daryl says, placing your lead hand (forend hand) significantly farther out on the barrels - even beyond the end of the forend - will give you much greater control on swinging your barrels through your target without the jerky thing you describe.

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The further out you put it the more it slows your swing . And you'll bind up quicker .

To each his own but my hand is generally back right in front of the receiver with a SxS or O/U, shooting skeet or trap and that other PITA game as well .
In years gone by a tubed Krieghoff K-32 i'd stay around 98.5% with the 28 and about 97% with the 410 . That was a 9 1/2 pound gun with the tubes . Now with my little Browning Superposed 410 I shoot about 90-92% and with the little Iver Johnson 410 Skeeter I do the same . The Browning weighs I think 7 1/2 pounds and the IJ weighs maybe 5 1/2 . With my little Superposed 28 as of late I've been breaking around 94-95% . I have no doubt that my averages would improve if I tubed the K-32 I have now , but the inclination to do so isn't that great anymore .

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

The further out you put it the more it slows your swing . And you'll bind up quicker . To each his own.

Indeed - To each his own. Your experience has not been my experience - I was merely suggesting to Craig what has worked very well for me.






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