Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

In my readings I found a simple test to determine which eye is your dominant eye.

I just found out that I am cross-eye dominant. Damn, no wonder I’m always struggling with my eyes when I shoot skeet or sporting clays. I’m left handed and right eye dominant. Now that I know this I can take steps to correct the problem.

Take the test yourself and maybe you will be surprised like I was.

From Field & Stream:

Today we have a test with no wrong answer.

Most introductions to shotgunning begin with the “master eye” test. You hold your arms straight out at eye level, fingers up, palms out, hands overlapping, leaving a small hole between the hands  through which you sight a faraway object. Then you pull your hands back, keeping the object in sight, until they wind up over one eye or the other. That’s your master eye. If you pull your hands back over the other eye, the object you were looking at disappears. You can also keep you arms extended, sight the target with both eyes, then close one eye then the other.  The object will seem to jump sideways out of sight when you close your dominant eye. Try it.

With luck, you will turn out to be right-eyed and right-handed or left-eyed and left-handed. However, you may be cross-dominant — right-handed and left-eyed, for example. The best thing to do is learn to shoot from the dominant eye side. My older son, Gordon,  is left-eyed and right handed. I taught him to shoot left handed from the beginning.

If you don’t want to switch sides, you can shoot with one eye shut, or use a small piece of tape on your shooting glasses positioned so it blocks just enough of your master eye’s vision that the other eye takes over.

I’ve given the master eye test to a lot of new shooters, and I’m learning there is not just right and left eyed dominance. Some people are both-eye dominant or “center dominant.”  My younger son John is center dominant – when he does the eye test his hands wind up over the bridge of his nose, not over one his eyes, but it doesn’t affect his shooting. His friend Nicky, who just joined our high school trap club, is extremely center-dominant. If she puts the gun to her right shoulder, the gun blocks enough of her right eye’s vision that the left eye takes over, vice versa if she tries shooting left handed. The first time she shot I hadn’t figured this out yet, and she broke four targets out of about 100 (she liked shooting and wouldn’t  stop). Next time, I tried making her shoot left handed, but that didn’t work any better than right handed. Then I put a small piece of masking tape over her glasses to block the left eye’s vision,  and she started  pounding targets. Last weekend, her third time shooting a shotgun, she broke a 20×25.

So, how did you all do? “Normal” dominant, cross-dominant or center dominant?

• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......
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• A bad mount can ruin your day Mounting your shotgun is vital to successful shooting. It is also vital to being able to shoot numerous rounds. I've found myself with bruises on my shoulder and cheek bone from not placing the gun in the shoulder pocket correctly, or not holding the shotgun tight enough. My article on shooting......

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Whether you are wingshooting or clay shooting, establishing which type of lead shooter you are will improve your consistency and accuracy.

There are three methods of obtaining lead on a moving target. The “swing through” method, the “pull ahead” method, and the “sustained lead” method. All of which have there advantages and disadvantages. Let’s examine the three.

A “swing through” shooter allows the target to pass the barrel of the shotgun and follows the target until just before pulling the trigger accelerates the barrel past the target, generating the lead. When you hear people coaching “follow through” when shooting, this is the method they are teaching. Much like a golfer or a bowler, even after pulling the trigger, the shooter continues his swing until the target breaks(or not).

I am a “swing through” shooter. I do not see lead, as most “swing through” shooters don’t. Of course this is only perceived, as there is a lead on any moving target, especially crossing shots. By following behind the target and then firing as the barrel moves past the target it gives the shooter the perception of shooting directly at the target. I like this fact because trying to maintain a lead for me seems unnatural.

Critics of “swing through” state that this method puts the shooter behind from the beginning and forces the shooter to wait until the last minute to obtain the proper lead. I find it can cause for “riding” a target too long which makes the shot more difficult and puts me out of position for the next shot.

Next, we have the “pull ahead” method. In my opinion, this is very similar to the “swing through” method. The main difference being that with the “pull ahead” method the shooter points the barrel directly at the target and moves with the target until time to shoot, the shooter then “pulls ahead” of the target to obtain lead and fires. Where in the “swing through” method the shooter trails the target.

Many experts believe this helps to solve the most difficult aspects of shotgunning, target speed and direction. By pointing at the target your brain automatically calculates these variables, enabling you to accurately decide the proper lead.

The third method is the “sustained lead” method. Preferred by many target shooters, “sustained lead” matches gun speed with target speed but instead of pointing at the target, the shooter stays in front of the target at all times.

The idea here is the shooter always stays ahead of the target and is in the right positiion longer, giving the shooter a better chance of hitting the target earlier and more consistently. I’ve also heard this type of shotgunnng referred to as “window shooting”. Basically the shooter leads the target to a particular “window” or predetermined spot and fires.

If I had a recommendation for a beginner it would be the “sustained lead” method. This method teaches to obtain the proper lead early and gives the shooter the most control over each shot. Also, when shooting doubles, it allows for early breaks on the first target , leaving ample time to locate and break the second target.

As for me, I’ve been “swinging through” for years and trying to change that would be like trying to make myself right handed, just not going to happen.

Which ever method you prefer, stick to it and be consistent

I’d love to hear from you which method you prefer, leave a comment and I’ll post the results in a later post.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Shooting Fundamentals Shooting Fundamentals        The fundamentals of shooting a shotgun are vital to becoming a successful dove hunter. There are many things that contribute to actually hitting the target. In our previous article about avoiding mental breakdowns we talked about how to keep your mind from getting in the way of......
• How to Find Your Dominant Eye In my readings I found a simple test to determine which eye is your dominant eye. I just found out that I am cross-eye dominant. Damn, no wonder I'm always struggling with my eyes when I shoot skeet or sporting clays. I'm left handed and right eye dominant. Now that......
• Shooting, mind over matter        Shooting a shotgun is as much mental warfare  as it is fundamentals. This past Saturday my brother, my dad, my two oldest sons, andI went to the skeet range. We decided to shoot a round of trap since the skeet range was packed. All of us ,except Dad, had......

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According to Phil Bourjaily of Field & Stream. Phil is a well known writer/gun expert and has some really good points on improving your kill ratio.

I’ve always felt that skeet was a great warm up for dove season. I always start with my shotgun a little lower than most shooters to give the effect of preparing for an incoming dove, bur Phil recommends to start with your shotgun completely dismounted in order to “work on mounting it in synchronization with the speed of the target.”

One point omitted by Phil was that skeet shooting not only improves your fundamentals, but prepares you mentally also. For those of you that have not suffered through a bad round of skeet or an off opening day, there is not much difference. They both suck, tremendously. Learning to put together a complete round of 25 (especially after some early misses) can really toughen your mind up for those misses in the field. Unfortunately, we all can’t be like Kobe Bryant, able to shoot without a conscious. For most of us, developing mental toughness when shotgunning is an acquired skill. Skeet shooting can help you avoid pressing in the field and make for a much more fun and productive hunt.

Phil has some more tips for wingshooters here.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Shotgunning Tips I was looking through some past articles on Field & Stream's website site and came across an article with some very good tips on five tough shots for dove hunters. It covers: The Incomer You See Forever The Dove With Its Jets On The Long Crosser The Dove That Comes......
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• Yet again I succumb to the power of the Apple marketing machine Arrgh damn that Steve Jobs and its esthetically pleasing design company aka Apple Computer. I certainly didn’t plan to buy a new toy from Apple today but I went from accidentally clicking on one of those iTunes emails that tell you about all that music just begging to be downloaded......
• How to Load Your Own Shotgun Shell Hunters and sportsmen alike that would like to save money should look into reloading their own shotgun shells. Not only can shell loading be a hobby within a hobby, it will also give the hunter or sportsman a chance to make their own custom shells to match whatever game or......
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Starting a youngster out with a shotgun can be a great experience for both of you. If you follow a few guidelines, you can help ensure that you pour a solid foundation. A foundation that will be the basis of a lifetime of hunting and shooting.

I’m not going to try to tell you what age to start kids out hunting or shotgunning. I feel that every kid is unique and only you can decide when your son or daughter is ready. Things like maturity, size, and desire are all things to consider before making the investment. My ten year old wanted to go hunting so bad this year, he was willing to do anything to get a shotgun.

Gun safety is the most important thing you can teach your kids. Kids see a lot of killing on TV and on the video games they play, yet they just don’t realize how dangerous a gun really is. We must instill in them safe practices until it becomes habit. Start with how to carry the shotgun with much focus on where the barrel is pointed at all times. Next move to how to work the safety on the shotgun. The only time the gun is taken off of safety is when the shotgun is mounted and ready to fire. After some practice with handling the shotgun, move on to loading instructions and firing. The key here is to let them know gun safety is no joke, and if they are unsafe, they will lose their privilege to have a gun. Remember, we as experienced hunters, must set the example when it comes to safety. For some more tips on safety, click here.

Also critical to success is the gauge of shotgun you buy your child. Specifically, how much recoil they can handle. Let’s face it, a kid is not going to want to do something if it hurts every time they do it. So buying a ten year old a cheap 12 gauge is probably a mistake.  I bought my 13 year old a youth model 20 gauge, and my 10 year old a youth model .410. Both of my sons are average height and weight and I have had no complaints from either one about recoil. My oldest is a couple of years away from moving up to a 12 gauge in my estimation, and then I’ll hand down his 20 ga. and the .410 to my now 6 year old. The idea here is to build confidence with a shotgun they can handle that won’t make them flinch every time they pull the trigger.

Next is practice, practice, practice. Unless you have acreage, you’ll need a place for them to shoot. I recommend starting them out shooting skeet. The controlled environment allows you to help them every step of the way their first round. Try to plan their first shoot for a time when the range isn’t too busy to help relieve some of their anxiety. Keep all of your instructions and pointers positive, making every effort to keep their confidence level high. I always reflect on how bad I was when I first started, to let my boys know that it’s okay to miss and  that’s why we practice. I encourage the two of them to only compete with themselves, trying to better their own scores each time, for now. Later we can get into the sport of competing against everyone. Fundamentals is what your are after here. Properly mounting the shotgun, following through the shot and seeing the target. Of course, on the very first round, you’ll be dealing with every aspect from handling the gun, to loading and unloading, and shooting. Not to mention, all of their nerves that come along with the first shoot.

After I took my ten year old out for his first round, in which he only hit a few, he told me that was one of the funnest things he had ever done. I made a big deal of the targets he hit and it inspired him to do better. Now just a few rounds later he consistently hits 10-13 clays with his single shot .410. Not too shabby.

Confidence is the key to any shotgunner, but especially with kids. If your kids are like mine and they have to be good at everything, keeping their dobber up is sometimes tough starting out. Concentrate on the good things they do, and reinforce, positively, the areas they need improvement in.

The average age of hunters in the US is 49 years old. We need all the young hunters we can get, so  they can pass the traditions on for generations to come. 

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

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I was doing some research on gun fit and came across this article at shotgunworld.com. It contains an excert from an article in The Caller, from Corpus Christi. I’m positive I couldn’t explain it any better, so here it is…

Anybody who thinks a new shotgun might be the answer for shooting woes is … absolutely right.
It’s a fitting answer to a fitting subject based on the fact that some shotguns naturally fit some shooters better than others.

What every wingshooter needs is a shotgun that comes naturally and comfortably to the shooter’s shoulder so that the shooter’s eyes are looking straight down the top of the barrel, picture perfect every time.

The problem is that many standard, off-the-shelf shotguns are designed to the dimensions of an “average” right-handed shooter who is 5-foot-9, weighs 165 pounds, has a 33-inch arm length and wears a size 40-regular suit.

That leaves out most men over 40, many women and children and all lefties.

Everyone, of course, would love to have a custom-fitted, custom-made Purdy from old England. Getting one, however, would require a two-year wait and the cost of a couple Corvettes.

A custom-fitted Beretta by Orvis would get the price down to four digits, but that was still too expensive for my budget.

Then I talked to Col. Tom Hanzel, former coach of national champion skeet teams at Trinity University in San Antonio and an expert shooting instructor.

“Every now and then I run into an individual who can handle a standard shotgun, but it’s about one out of 100,” Hanzel said, noting that proper fit was a “necessity” for maximizing shooting skill.

But the coach also said getting a fitted shotgun was not expensive. In many cases, a gunsmith could adjust a standard shotgun to fit a shooter for as little as $50 to $60 (such as at the Texas Gun Shop in Corpus Christi).

I remembered Hanzel’s words when I met gunsmith John Smyrl, who did fitting work for South Texas shooters before departing this earthly plane a couple of years ago.

For his work, the gunsmith used what is called a “try gun” with a special butt stock that can be adjusted in numerous ways to fit any shooter. Once the try gun fits, the measurements are duplicated on the shooter’s own shotgun, often at minimal costs.

Often, a skilled gunsmith can spot the most common problems of shotgun fit by simply eyeballing a shooter holding a shotgun in a shooting position.
My suggestion to Smyrl was a before-and-after test, using my own shotgun, to see if there was enough difference in fit to make a difference.

I produced an older model but standard Remington 870 pump gun in 12 gauge.

As a simple eyeball test, Smyrl had me repeatedly mount the shotgun to my shoulder while he stood at the barrel end and checked the position of my eyes in relation to the top of the barrel.

“I can tell you right now that this gun doesn’t fit you worth a darn, but let’s take it out to the range and see how you shoot it,” he said.

We did.

Since my focus was on dove hunting, we set up on a skeet range to try shooting clay birds on various crossing angles. To better judge the fit of my shotgun, Smryl suggested I not shoulder it until a “bird” suddenly appeared.

I broke 13 of the first 25 birds and 15 of the next 25, for a total of 28 out of 50. That was better than I expected, but nothing to brag about.

Smyrl made little comment until the final shot was fired, then he got down to the basics of shotgun fit.

The measurements that count most, he said, are “cast,” “length of pull” and “drop of comb.” Cast is the measurement of how the centerline of the stock fits to the centerline of the receiver. As the stock varies off the centerline to the left or to the right, it is said to be either “cast on” or “cast off.”

Many standard shotguns have a slight cast off for right-handed shooters, which can be a disadvantage for southpaws. Smyrl said many shooters could benefit from a cast that centers their eyes on a shotgun’s sighting rib.
Length of pull is the measurement of distance between the butt of the shotgun’s stock and the trigger.

For a simple test of length of pull, Smyrl said a shooter can bend his or her shooting arm into a right angle at the elbow with the palm open and flat. Then, place the butt of the shotgun against the crook of the elbow, with the receiver flat against the palm. If the shotgun trigger falls about the first joint of the index finger, the length of pull is about right.

Drop of comb is the distance which the comb section of the stock just behind the grip drops below the top of the receiver. Since the shooter anchors his or her cheek to the stock behind the comb, the drop determines the level of the eye to the top of the receiver.

“The problem with your shotgun,” Smyrl said, “is that there’s too much drop in the stock. It’s too low for you, but that’s common for a lot of shooters.

“When you get your cheekbone down on the stock, you’re seeing too much of the back of the receiver. So when you shoot, you are lifting your cheek off the stock to see the target better, and you’re shooting high,” he explained.

So custom fitting my shotgun amounted mostly to adjusting drop of comb, a simple task of slightly bending metal at the back of the receiver.
Back at the skeet range, I shot worse than ever, breaking only 9 of 25 birds, while eliciting a few chuckles from the gunsmith.

“Look,” he said, “you’re shotgun fits right, but you haven’t changed your old habit of lifting up your head when you shoot, which puts you way off target now. I want you to plant your cheekbone on that stock and concentrate on keeping it there.”

I broke 38 of the next 50 birds.

Some misses came when I lifted my head, but I wasn’t complaining.

The difference between my “before” score of 28 out of 50 and the “after” score of 38 out of 50 represented an improvement of about 35 percent.

It was a fitting exercise.

————————————————————————————

After reading that, I’m thinking about having my 1187 fit.

Check out www.gunfitter.com.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Only in Texas .... Apparently some of the people moving out to the country are surprised during dove season. I came across this article from WFAA, and couldn't help but see some humor in it. Lori Castoldi awoke last week to the sound of gunshots near her Prosper home.      "It was all around......
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• Shotgun Ammo & Chokes Choosing shotgun shells and choke tubes can be confusing to say the least. Just go to Academy and look at the variety, 1oz., 1 1/8oz., 7 shot, 7.5 shot, 2 3/4", 3", lead, tungsten etc, etc, etc. If your not careful you could spend a fortune on the wrong stuff. Let's......

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Mounting your shotgun is vital to successful shooting. It is also vital to being able to shoot numerous rounds. I’ve found myself with bruises on my shoulder and cheek bone from not placing the gun in the shoulder pocket correctly, or not holding the shotgun tight enough. My article on shooting fundamentals goes over this in detail.

In an article in Field & Stream I came across a picture worth a thousand words about properly mounting your shotgun. The guy was shooting sporting clays with a cheap over/under shotgun. He noticed something was seriously wrong about half way through……..

I’d say something went wrong, many times. Although we don’t know what kind of shells he was shooting, we do know that he wasn’t mounting the gun correctly. For a list of his injuries go to Field & Stream’s article about this

The bottom line is, unless you want this to be you,  mount your gun correctly, everytime. This guy won’t be shooting anything for a long time.

• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......
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• Shotgun Ammo & Chokes Choosing shotgun shells and choke tubes can be confusing to say the least. Just go to Academy and look at the variety, 1oz., 1 1/8oz., 7 shot, 7.5 shot, 2 3/4", 3", lead, tungsten etc, etc, etc. If your not careful you could spend a fortune on the wrong stuff. Let's......

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Do you miss a lot? Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Modified cylinder and an Improved Cylinder is? What about the difference between a 7.5 or 8 shot load? All these questions can be answered with a couple of boxes of shells, some paper, and time. Patterning a shotgun can be very valuable to any bird hunter. Let’s look at how.

First off let’s be clear, I’m not trying to show you how to pattern for gun fit, I’m trying to help you identify how to make your gun, as it is, the most effective when dove hunting.

1. Get set up: Find a place that you can shoot without being pressed for time. Acquire some 4′x4′ poster board or sheets of paper (no less than 40″ squares) and put one on a sheet of plywood for a backstop. Make sure to bring the chokes and shells for the type of game you will be patterning for. Set yourself up at a distance that you normally shoot from. For dove, probably 20-25 yards will be your best bet.
2. Start Shooting: Unfortunately, you can’t do this by shooting one time with each variation and think you are done. You can shoot the same choke and same load five times and each will be different, but there will be significant patterns to pay attention to. Label each shot and mark the area where the pellets are most concentrated and then draw a large circle around the rest of the pattern (12-15 inch radius depending on how tight a pattern you are shooting). Shoot at least four to five times for each variation you wish to evaluate, i.e. four shots with modified 8 shot , modified 7.5 shot etc. etc. After you’ve wore out the plywood, it’s time to study the results.
3. Evaluate: As you begin to look at these pieces of paper look for consistency. Everyone will be a little different but there wiil be patterns in each variation. Imagine or make an outline of a dove a put it inside the circle in various places to see if you have places that would have only landed one or two pellets or  missed completely. If so, use smaller shot, or a heavier load. When looking at the difference between chokes, pay attention to how deadly the pattern is on outer quadrants. Chokes can go bad. If you notice a significant void in the same area of the shot, shoot a few more times to be sure. If it’s still there, replace the choke. Better to replace the choke than miss the dove and start the mental war that comes with missing. For more on shooting, click here

I know. this sounds like loads of fun, yeah right. However, you might thank me on the next hunt if you find a problem before you go. Knowing how your gun shoots is vital to being consistent in field.

 Time to RELOAD!

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• Do Dove Decoys Work Every year I see hunters placing decoys around the dove fields. I've always wondered if they were worth their salt. Let's find out... Ducks, Geese, Turkeys are all susceptible to decoys. With ducks being the most social of the game birds. These flock oriented birds find safety when they spot......

• How to Load Your Own Shotgun Shell Hunters and sportsmen alike that would like to save money should look into reloading their own shotgun shells. Not only can shell loading be a hobby within a hobby, it will also give the hunter or sportsman a chance to make their own custom shells to match whatever game or......
• Understanding what Birdshot Is Birdshot can be described as a type of metal shot that was designed to be packed into shotgun shells. Birdshot consists of a number of metal spheres that are milled so that they are all the same size, and so that they can be easily packed together into a shotgun......
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Choosing shotgun shells and choke tubes can be confusing to say the least. Just go to Academy and look at the variety, 1oz., 1 1/8oz., 7 shot, 7.5 shot, 2 3/4″, 3″, lead, tungsten etc, etc, etc. If your not careful you could spend a fortune on the wrong stuff. Let’s examine what the numbers mean.

Let’s use, say 8 shot, 1 oz, 2 3/4 in lead heavy dove load for an example.

• #8 shot is size of the shot, the bigger the #, the smaller the shot. Remember though, the bigger the number the more BB’s there are in the shell. If you subtract the number of the shot from 17 that gives you the actual size of the BB, i.e 17-8=9, meaning 8 shot = 9/100 or .090″. Every BB is .090″ in 8 shot. Got it, good.
• 1 oz is how many ounces of BB’s there are. So it makes since now the smaller the BB’s, the more that fit into the shell. For instance, in 7.5 shot there are 350 BB’s, and in 8 shot there are 410 (in a 1oz load).
• 2 3/4″ is simply how long the shell is. Some shotguns shoot up to 3.5″, but were shooting dove, not 747’s (the airplanes).
• Lead is what the shot is made of. Lead is the best for inflicting the most damage for the money, steel is more environmentally friendly but sucks in the killing department, and tungsten is too damn expensive.

For more technical data on shotgun shells click here.

Okay, now that you have an idea what all the numbers mean, let’s drill down into the dove loads. You most likely will want 7.5 to 8 shot when dove hunting. If you are new to shooting go with the eight shot / 1 1/8 oz and up load, 2 3/4″ shell(exactly the shell I shoot). This load will give you a very dense pattern (lots of BB’s) and increase the odds of  shooting the dove. If you are a little further along you might go with a 7.5 because the larger shot inflicts more damage. Personally, I shoot an 8 shot still because it’s what I’m used to. The more ounces, the more money the shell costs. If you’ve got the budget you can shoot the heavier loads to add more firepower.  Don’t spend too much time on this because it is much more important to have good fundamental shooting than to rely on a good bullet to make up for what you lack in.

You’ve made your selection on the shells you want to shoot on your dove hunting trip, now it’s time to decide which choke to use. Most modern shotguns have screw in, interchangeable choke tubes. The three most common are full choke, modified choke, and improved cylinder. Contrary to popular belief these have nothing to do with how far shotgun shoots. A Lot of dove hunters will put a full choke in thinking it will allow them to shoot farther, this is really not true. A full choke holds the pattern of shot in a tighter pattern (for a longer distance), for a more concentrated amount of shot entering the target. Great for geese, pheasant and other large birds, but you try to hit a dove coming across you from 25 yards out at MACH 2 with a full choke and you had better do everything right and still get a little bit lucky. Bottom line, unless you are an expert shot-gunner a full choke will cause you a lot of frustration (and misses, especially in the closer ranges). Next is modified choke, this is a common choke used when dove hunting. It opens up better in the closer ranges than a full choke will, but holds a little tighter pattern than improved. Considering most shots on dove should be 35 yards and under my vote is improved cylinder. Improved gives you the widest pattern that is still deadly at 35 yards. I shot modified for years and was fairly successful, but when I made the switch to improved my accuracy improved dramatically. My philosophy is put a heavy 8 shot in the air with an improved cylinder and you’ll spend less time cussing and more time looking for dove and bragging about how great of a shot you are.

Time to RELOAD!

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-14 Here is a good public land spot for hunting dove in south Texas http://bit.ly/OHTTY # It's almost time to start dove hunting, stock up on shells now! http://bit.ly/162Bx9 # A good place to buy guns online http://bit.ly/9bQBm # RT @DoveHunting101: New blog post: Man Fined Over Migratory Bird Treaty......
• New Texas Dove Lease The Solana Ranch out of Austin has listed a very reasonable season lease. Feel free to leave a review if you've hunted there. Thanks for the listing. Below are the details:  NAME_OF_LEASE: Solana Ranch EMAIL: solanaranch@aol.com CONTACT_NAME: Peanut Campbell CONTACT_PHONE_NUMBER: 254-947-8331 PREFERRED_METHOD_OF_CONTACT: Phone LOCATION_INCLUDING_CLOSEST_CITY_OR_TOWN: Salado, TX TYPE_OF_LEASE: Season PRICE: $275.00......
• A bad mount can ruin your day Mounting your shotgun is vital to successful shooting. It is also vital to being able to shoot numerous rounds. I've found myself with bruises on my shoulder and cheek bone from not placing the gun in the shoulder pocket correctly, or not holding the shotgun tight enough. My article on shooting......

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I was looking through some past articles on Field & Stream’s website site and came across an article with some very good tips on five tough shots for dove hunters. It covers:

1. The Incomer You See Forever
2. The Dove With Its Jets On
3. The Long Crosser
4. The Dove That Comes Over Your Head From Behind
5. The High Overhead Dove

The full article  gives some detailed advice on each of the above types of shots.

Time to RELOAD!

• Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report North Zone Dove: Dove hunters saw fair to good shoots around the Panhandle over cut corn and milo. The region has received rain during the summer so there are plenty of watering holes and playa lakes. Lubbock and fields north of Abilene were good for morning shoots of mourning doves.......
• Shooting Fundamentals Shooting Fundamentals        The fundamentals of shooting a shotgun are vital to becoming a successful dove hunter. There are many things that contribute to actually hitting the target. In our previous article about avoiding mental breakdowns we talked about how to keep your mind from getting in the way of......
• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......

Shooting Fundamentals

       The fundamentals of shooting a shotgun are vital to becoming a successful dove hunter. There are many things that contribute to actually hitting the target. In our previous article about avoiding mental breakdowns we talked about how to keep your mind from getting in the way of your fundamentals. In this article we will look in depth at what those fundamentals are.

1. Stance. Your stance when shooting a shotgun is different from shooting other guns. The placement of your feet is critical in having a smooth motion when taking a shot. For right handed shooters, stand with your left foot in front of your right, about shoulder width apart or just under. Shift your weight slightly toward your lead foot to help brace yourself for the recoil of the shotgun.  If the bird is coming directly at you, or going away, this is the perfect stance. Unfortunately, in the real world birds come from every angle possible. Remember to shift your feet and open your shoulders in the direction the bird is coming from. By doing this you will gain a greater kill zone and have a more fluid swing. For left handed shooters the stance is exactly opposite. Remember, if you pull the trigger with your right hand, the right foot goes back and if you pull the trigger left handed, the left foot goes back. A good stance and good footwork are the first steps to shooting a shotgun accurately. It is inevitable that during a dove hunt there will times when your stance is off because of dove surprising you. They will come from all angles and sometimes you won’t see them until you are already behind the eight ball, it’s okay. If you have the time to get your feet right, do it. In the times you don’t, your other mechanics will be more critical in making the shot.
2. Mount. This is simply how you place the shotgun against you shoulder and prepare to shoot the bird. The stance and the mount go hand in hand and are done almost simultaneously.,especially when dove hunting.  The stock of the shotgun goes in the pocket of your shoulder slightly on the pectoral muscle. Keep it very tight as this will limit the amount of bruising from the recoil. Tilt your head slightly so that your eyes are looking down the barrel of the shotgun. The top of the stock should be touching the side of your jaw bone. Your off hand ( the one not pulling the trigger) supports the forend of the gun. Again, it easy to get a good mount when target shooting, but when dove hunting it’s real easy to have a bad mount when you are hurrying to get a shot off. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ended up with a bruised cheeked bone or shoulder because of a bad mount. By doing this it increases the difficulty of the shot dramatically. When you begin to take a shot getting your mount right ensures you are seeing the bird from the right perspective and the barrel is at the correct angle, which in turn increases accuracy and consistency. The bottom line is it’s worth the extra split second to get it right.
3. Eyes. Pretty self explanatory, you would think anyway. Most shotgunners say to shoot with both eyes open. Unlike rifles and pistols where you are seldomly shooting a moving target, all of your shots on dove will be moving. I’m going to give you what some would call bad advice, but it works for me. I close one eye on shots that are straight on, either going away or coming at me. These shots require little barrel movement and usually require a straight shot at the bird, so basically aim and shoot, that’s why I close one eye. I’ll admit though, these type of shots are very rare when hunting dove. When shooting crossing shots (and all others), I leave both eyes open. I find with one eye closed on a crossing shot I’m almost always behind the bird. A good way to find out what works best for you is shooting skeet. Shoot a round leaving both eyes open on all the stations, then closing one eye on all stations and evalute your successes and failures. Whatever you decide works best, don’t change it. Consistency is key, do the same thing everytime.
4. Swing. Imagine, you’ve spotted a bird, you’ve got your feet right, shouldered the gun and have your eyes right, now all you have to do is shoot right, wrong. What you have to do is get your swing right. Here muzzle speed and finding the right line is vital and is different on virtually every shot. If a dove is crossing but going away your muzzle speed will be slower than a dove just crossing. Finding the right line simply means following the line the dove is on. The last thing in your swing is your follow through. Just like a good golfer, basketball player, or bowler you must follow through your shot. Do not stop on the target, keep the swing and line even after you shoot. Doing this will keep you from stopping on the target and shooting behind it. The mechanics of your swing is something that must be practiced, once again shooting skeet is a great way to practice your mechanics.

There seems to be alot to shooting a shotgun, but all these things happen in a blink of an eye. Practice, practice, practice. There are tons of articles on the different types of shotgunners, find out what works for you and stay consistent. The last thing you want to do is try to change your form in the middle of a hunt. Don’t let negativity set in. It can destroy everything you’ve practiced and turn a fun time into an aggravating experience. Stick to your fundamentals, be consistent, and always have fun.

Here are a few links to articles on shooting a shotgun

• wikihow
• helium
• skeet shooting tips

 Time to RELOAD!

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