Left Barrel syndrome

[Dan Hatton]

I don’t know if there is such a thing, but I hit more often and harder with the left barrel than I do the right barrel. I can hit most of the targets at skeet with the let barrel even without the spreaders.

I noticed the other day that if I took 2 shots at a target, I always hit it with the second shot. I started focusing on keeping my eye in the center of the receiver, but I’ve noticed that I tend to tilt the gun slightly to the right, so the left barrel is higher than the right. This happens on my Parker and with my CZ Upland .410 (dual trigger, English stock IC/Mod)

I’ve noticed that if I do low gun, I seem to hit about 50/50.

Am I over thinking this, or am I shooting a SXS wrong?

[Rick Losey]

you are probably over thinking the right barrel :whistle:

and letting instinct take over on the left

[Dan Hatton]

I'm a bit concerned that my left eye is asking over. I got new glasses this winter, and my eye doctor pointed out that my right eye is so week that he didn't think I could shoot right handed without a scope.

My new glasses are so distracting. For the first time I can see the front bead and the target. It's really odd.

I took a skeet shooting clinic with John Shima, and he told me that my left eye was "helping" my right and that was throwing me off. Now that I can see out of my right eye, it seems odd, but I shoot pretty good with my 1100. I can shoot as good as I can with my 1100, using the left barrel.

[Rick Losey]

http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-Your-Dominant-Eye

if you left eye is taking over - you can try frosted tape over it to let your right eye take charge

[Dave Suponski]

Dan, Put a piece of scotch tape over the left lens of your glasses when shooting. That is of course if you are shooting right handed.

[Dean Romig]

Tell us about your new glasses.... Are the lenses "progressive"?

I don't know anybody who can shoot well at all with progressive lenses.





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[Dan Hatton]

Tell us about your new glasses.... Are the lenses "progressive"?

I don't know anybody who can shoot well at all with progressive lenses.
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Yup. Progressive. I only look through the tops.

[Dean Romig]

Yup. Progressive. I only look through the tops.


So, you look through the top inner edge of the lens.... the area where distortion is the greatest - and after you miss with the right barrel your left eye takes over instinctively where it is looking out through a more centralized area of the lens and POW... you smash the bird.

I returned my progressive lenses years ago and got bifocals with the horizontal line through the lower third of the lens. I didn't care much about looking like an old man with bifocal spectacles.... heck I am one!
Not that I shoot much better with bifocals these days, but at least I can see the target clearly now. :rolleyes:






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[Dan Hatton]

Humm... I've been wanting to get dedicated shooting glasses. I bought some of the Browning shooting glasses with all the replaceable lenses, but they had a heavy solid frame above the lenses that got in the way, and now I know that without my prescription my left eye takes over

I'm not used to having colored lenses, but my optometrist recommends I wear sun glasses in the bright sun. Can anyone recommend prescription shooting glasses that I can shoot clear, and I can try colored lenses that don't cost a fortune?

[Dean Romig]

PGCA Member and frequent contributor to this forum, Harold Lee Pickens is an optomotrist and may be able to suggest something.





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[Dave Purnell]

There is another thread in the "Off Topic" forum, titled "Corrective Shooting Glasses". Some good ideas there.

[Pete Lester]

I don’t know if there is such a thing, but I hit more often and harder with the left barrel than I do the right barrel. I can hit most of the targets at skeet with the let barrel even without the spreaders.

I noticed the other day that if I took 2 shots at a target, I always hit it with the second shot. I started focusing on keeping my eye in the center of the receiver, but I’ve noticed that I tend to tilt the gun slightly to the right, so the left barrel is higher than the right. This happens on my Parker and with my CZ Upland .410 (dual trigger, English stock IC/Mod)

I’ve noticed that if I do low gun, I seem to hit about 50/50.

Am I over thinking this, or am I shooting a SXS wrong?

There is about a 1 inch difference in the length of pull between the front and back triggers. Perhaps the LOP of the back trigger is a better fit for you. When I shoot trap I always use the back trigger and most of my trap configured Parker's are full and full. I do it because it feels like a more natural hand position when I am shooting with a mounted gun.

[Garth Gustafson]

Dan,
Although you have this issue with both guns, I still think it would be helpful to pattern both barrels and compare the center of your patterns to your point of aim. I recently did this with my VH and also found that the left barrel (full choke) consistently patterns closer to the POA than my right barrel (modified). The difference between the centers of the patterns was about 4" which surprised me. I also saw a noticeable difference in pattern spread and accuracy between different manufacturers, particularly their spreader loads.

[Bill Murphy]

If you require a prescription, you should have shooting glasses with a prescription, and not a progressive prescription. Proper shooting glasses do no allow you to see the top of the frame. That is part of the design. The Brownings you tried are obviously not designed well, or your nose pieces are not adjusted right. Shooting glasses should sit high on your face. Look up Randolph Ranger shooting glasses. They are just as good and less expensive than the Decot frames and like the Decots, they allow you to remove the lenses. Have the lenses made to your distance prescription in a conservative color, like very light target sun, a purple color that is just a tad darker than white. Don't spend a lot of money on more than one set of lenses. You are not making your living at this, after all. Good luck.

[Dean Romig]

Excellent advice from Mr. Murphy. He should know - he's been a registered shooter for many decades.





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[Michael Moffa]

I had bifocal shooting glasses made. What the hell for was the question from the eye doctor. I said so it was I could see what type of shell I was putting in the gun and not pee on my feet in the club bathroom. By the way don't put tape on your glass lenses getting it off later is gonna suck big time. Use a piece of cardboard affixed to the front.

[Dan Hatton]

This is the patterning I did with the gun. Each target was shot with two 1oz shots. These are the normal load I use for trap without spreaders.
This is the right barrel
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1CEhGqC3aUk/VqbYGHEDEEI/AAAAAAAAKDI/j7ah60yJ6R0/s800-Ic42/Parker-right.jpg
This is the left
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cCGfBZE5IZw/VqbY8He6YFI/AAAAAAAAKDg/TnnHfNhTHiY/s800-Ic42/Parker-left.jpg

[William Davis]

Hitting on the 2nd shot after a miss is pretty common. Generally due to gun speed increasing and increasing lead.

Eyesight another issue and reason I miss many targets probably the number one reason for misses older shooters. Many different solutions . I don't know of any way to figure it out except trial and error.

My latest answer is single vision prescription glasses. Look at the target with my gun low out of sight. Lock on it bring the gun up and shoot soon as possible. Before my left eye takes over. Trap type shot straight out lot of barrel visible I have to squint left eye. Full round of trap I use tape on the left lens. Clays it's a disavantage to block the left eye so I go for the squint instead

But everybody's solution is different and my scores don't justify giving advice.

William

[Pete Lester]

This is the patterning I did with the gun. Each target was shot with two 1oz shots. These are the normal load I use for trap without spreaders.
This is the right barrel
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1CEhGqC3aUk/VqbYGHEDEEI/AAAAAAAAKDI/j7ah60yJ6R0/s800-Ic42/Parker-right.jpg
This is the left
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cCGfBZE5IZw/VqbY8He6YFI/AAAAAAAAKDg/TnnHfNhTHiY/s800-Ic42/Parker-left.jpg

Are those patterns at 40 yards? If so that gun is very tight and pretty much dead on. There is no flaw in the right barrel that would allow a centered target to escape.

[Tom Pellegrini]

I have had progressive lens for the last ten years. I have no problem shooting with them. I have always, since I started way back when, shot with my left eye closed. Go figure.
tom

[Dan Hatton]

Are those patterns at 40 yards? If so that gun is very tight and pretty much dead on. There is no flaw in the right barrel that would allow a centered target to escape.

It was 38 of my paces which is about 40 yards. The patterning board is set up at the place where I shoot trap, and it's roughly the distance where I break the targets.

I counted up the holes in the picture on both targets, and they are pretty even. 51 holes from the right barrel, and 53 holes from the left. No matter how you slice it, those are two very broken targets.

That's why I'm thinking I'm doing something wrong with the gun. I shoot consistent 23's and 24's with my 1100. I have been getting 22's and 23's with the Parker left barrell, but in the teens with the right barrel. I prefer the location of the right trigger, I feel somewhat cramped with my finger on the rear trigger.

It may just be that I'm focusing more on what I'm doing when things don't feel natural.

[Pete Lester]

It was 38 of my paces which is about 40 yards. The patterning board is set up at the place where I shoot trap, and it's roughly the distance where I break the targets.

I counted up the holes in the picture on both targets, and they are pretty even. 51 holes from the right barrel, and 53 holes from the left. No matter how you slice it, those are two very broken targets.

That's why I'm thinking I'm doing something wrong with the gun. I shoot consistent 23's and 24's with my 1100. I have been getting 22's and 23's with the Parker left barrell, but in the teens with the right barrel. I prefer the location of the right trigger, I feel somewhat cramped with my finger on the rear trigger.

It may just be that I'm focusing more on what I'm doing when things don't feel natural.

Well I will go out on a limb, trap shooting is not a thinking man's game. Lose focus, have a stray thought just before you call pull or worse yet a negative or doubtful thought and odds are you'll hear the referee call "loss". The brain is a marvelous computer, it can do amazing things for us, BUT, when we feed it thoughts like "something is wrong with my right barrel, I don't shoot as good with it", things go bad on the trap field quickly and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. If you believe the left barrel will bring a better score, it will. The right barrel is shooting a nice pattern, just a tad high which is what you want on the trap field. But if you continue to believe the left barrel brings a better score on the trap field then use it and get used to the feel of the back trigger, because those thoughts will bring a better score.

PS. I have always said the perfect trap shooter needs only two qualities, no neck and a frontal lobotomy. can't lift his head off the stock and nothing on his mind. :rotf:

[Daniel Carter]

Your comment is on solid ground.I think your PS applies to all of the shotgun sports.Doubt is the destroyer of scores.I am living proof of it.

[William Davis]

I was thinking about sporting Clays were you are allowed "full use of the gun" other words it's OK to use two shells on one target. And very common to hit a missed clay on the 2nd shot. In fact average shooter better to re-shoot a missed bird and let the 2nd of a pair go.

Trap, little bit I have shot with SxS's, better to use one barrel and forget about everything else. Focus on the target not the gun. Your patterns no practical difference in barrels, if the mind says left is best use it.

William

[Daniel Carter]

Dan: Have you patterned the spreader loads yet:)