Shooting practice on the river
 

Couldn't help myself. Had to get out and try my new battery powered Champion clay thrower on a sand bar on the Tanana River 13miles downstream of my house. This is the first time I've used it and it worked well. I may actually burn up all the 5-gal buckets of target reloads I have after all. I sure need the practice at this left-handed thing. I picked a spot where I could fetch the clays that I missed, which was more than I'll admit in print, and reuse them. I took my 26" 1-frame damascus GHE12 along for a gun. Life could be worse, I can tell you!

Wow! I am envious for sure. That looks like my grandfather's life

I love to shoot clays but your twist on the game adds a whole new dimension. Thanks for posting.

I'm probably missing something, why you going southpaw?. I did it as kid since dad recognized I had an eye dominance issue and made me shoot lefty. Me tryng to shoot righty now is about as graceful looking as swinging a football bat.

Right eye doesn't work any more.

richard that is some shooting field you have there...what happened to the neighbors....thanks for the photos...charlie

A minor inconvenience. Shooters, shoot. You will adapt and overcome. You do it enough and focus on the footwork and gun mount references, I'll bet you will be tearing it up in no time.

I knew a fella that lost an eye to cancer and had a prosthetic glass eye. You could not tell unless you really looked close and even then it was near impossible to notice unless you had a staring contest and noticed one eye did not move. He had to switch to lefty and he said it made him actually a better shot because it broke old habits. He was now more technically sound focusing on proper footwork and gun mount for every shot plus now he focused more on one bird.

Btw welcome to world of disenfranchised lefty shooters. Go buy yourself some lefty shooting shirts or a jacket, though it is a lot better now than it used to be. Thankfully most Parker's are neutral stocks and not cast on or off, so that is a benefit.

My right eye gave up several years ago. I was shooting NSSA skeet at the time. I switched to lefty, and, by the end of my first lefty season, I had a 98 in 12 gauge and a 95 in .410. It took a lot of practice and a lot of competition to get there. The next year, I tried a different solution.

Shooting lefty for two months now and I find it easier to take instruction because I know I'm not shooting well. All of a sudden it's the Indian and not the arrows. I had one of the moments where you imagine you had a shotgun in your hands and followed an actual bird in flight. Well I brought it up lefty and had to smile because 'By George, I think he's got it."

Terrific photos by the way.

Sounds like you hit the tipping point of function and muscle memory.

I have learned a few things offhanded but not forced to try shooting yet. Son is a pretty good lacrosse player so throwing the ball around with him learned to throw and catch on both sides. I have not and probably never will play a game but I am dang good at slinging and catching that ball no matter which side. It still feels unnatural on offside but I can throw it just as hard and accurate as onside.

Went back out to the same sand bar this afternoon, same spot, different gun: #1-1/2 frame 26" VH12. Results were worse than the first trip. Some of my clays came home with yet a 3d lease on life!.... Am going to try a 20ga with a feather pillow taped to the butt next time. My clumsy gun mount is killing my poor shoulder. Maybe I should just get more serious about fishing...

Hang in there Richard, just takes time and practice. The gun mount for me would be the hardest part so every night throw the gun up just ten times at a corner where the ceiling and the wall meet and swing and point. I know easier said then done (I may have to learn this too). Keep practicing, that's about all of the advice I can give you and then next year you can teach me the tricks. Eric

It's amazing how the same gun can be a blessing some days and a curse on other days. First time shooting lefty the cheek slap was hurtful. The second trip out the same shotgun did the same thing. Nothing that 3 Advil didn't cure. After a fast trip to the pro shop and asking for an instructor the mount was quickly addressed. I have shot cheek slap free for a short while now. It's the best money I've spent for on self induced headaches.

I imagine by looking at your setup, a fishing rod would be an excellent addition although I've had fish I think sniggled at my meager attempts to best them. Much like three time clays, the fish don't always cooperate.

You might want to bring a stool next go round. Why? Just to sit and take in all that magnificent beauty you have surrounded yourself with. I think any of your pics would make an outstanding lithograph.

" Broken clays, I don't need no stinking' broken clays."

Stool?... Richard don't need no stinking stool - he's got 'first seat' in a little red aeroplane. :bowdown:





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Did anyone notice my first class folding chair under the wing? It lives in my plane all summer. I never ever ever go anywhere without it and do a lot of just sitting and taking it all in.

Actually I did pick up the chair in the photo. Like it. That is definitely gawking country.

Stick with it, though I also love fishing as well. But shooting and hunting are to en-grained, probably with you as well. You'll figure it out. Keep an unloaded gun handy and every time you walk by pick it, focus on footwork and that gun mount and keep that stock on the cheek, but do not look at the barrel, focus on the target. The hard part is learning to point the gun with our right hand as lead hand now. Things you took for granted on strong side just have to be learned on left side, even swinging the gun.

When shooting keep that cheek on the stock until the clay hits the ground broken or unbroken. I'm sure you can do it.

BTW here is a lefty shooter from Field and Stream. Refresher course for you. Btw I don't totally agree with him on first part, but stuff further on maybe helpful and stuff you probably already knew and forgot. He also takes a nice Parker out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifD1...E21917967D2B96

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDGL...E21917967D2B96

I did miss the chair, darn details.