Imagine spending your hard-earned money on shotguns and shells, clothing, shelter, and a retriever with champion bloodlines. Then, not being able to kill wild birds because you didn’t practice enough. After all that financial investment, you didn’t have the time to shoot clays at the range during the summer. This is a common mistake made by hunters, and I know that I did. It stops us from enjoying our hunt to its fullest. Reading on how to make your shotgun accurate will make everything looks prefect during shooting.
Take the Bead off Your Barrel
Every new shotgun you purchase will come with a fiber-optic sight. You can remove the sight with pliers if you don’t already have one. You can keep it and use it for other purposes, such as turkey season. This station will give you a bare shot and tell you if your gun is firing where it should. You won’t see much if you go to the pattern board from shorter distances unless the clay is missing. For wing shooting, a front bead does not need to be present.
Pattern Your Shotgun
Shotgun experts recommend that you draw your shotgun at 20-30, 30, and 40 yards to determine if it is shooting accurately. I agree with this practice. This can give you a lot of information about the location of your pellets striking. It’s not the only thing I use to improve accuracy for birds within 40 yards. However, it is an excellent tool for long-distance shooting. The field pattern will look different because you are shooting at a moving target and not holding the barrel steady.
When I’m shooting a new shotgun, I bring it to the skeet range, and I stand under Station 1 to allow the clay to be thrown directly at me. This can be done with an electronic trap or hand thrower. Shooting within 40 yards is more accessible than shooting at greater distances. Birds are very close and you don’t have the time to think about how to hold the barrel or how many pellets to put in.
Pull the Trigger
You can improve your accuracy by breaking clay targets as soon you reach the “bird.” Shooters can fall prey to a dangerous habit called “riding the target.” This is when you continue moving the barrel with clay even though you should have pulled the trigger. Clays follow a straight path, so you can predict where they are going. This is unlike birds which can fly in any direction at any time. You may miss the target if you ride it too long. Shoot fast to get the target. Do not wait. You will miss it.
Shoot Live Hunting Scenarios
To mimic the shooting situations, I will be taking. I have started shooting at the range with either an electric or hand-release operated trap. My brother and I have four presentations for waterfowl. If you don’t have water, you can still practice this drill. First, we will go away. Next, we will take a left-to-right crossing shot and then a right-to-left crosser. The clays are directed at us like ducks entering the decoys.
We intentionally try to make each other miss by throwing clays while reloading or throwing doubles without notifying the other. This helps us make our relationship better. I use a foot-operated trap to present upland presentations. It is set up in a field with little cover. One of my attempts to shoot in tall grass with it has failed. It limits the area where the thrower can be placed depending on how high the grass is.