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Why should a gun be moved by the whole body?

For most targets, body movement is important.

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Friday, 22 June 2007

Why do you and other instructors make a point of stressing the gun should be moved by the whole body, particularly when shooting crossers and quartering birds?

Tuition
JOHN BIDWELL says: In actual fact there are very few, with the possible exception of a gentle straight driven target, or one going directly away from the shooting position, that don't require much movement.

For all others, body movement plays an important role.

The most important thing is - provided our foot position is correct - it enables us to move and swing the gun smoothly before, during and after the target has been killed. Anyone who uses just their arms to bring the gun muzzles to the address point, not their bodies, is making things unnecessarily hard for themselves.

Take a right-handed shooter tackling a left to right crosser. Laying the gun across his chest in this fashion will close down his shoulder pocket and result in the gun butt being mounted either on his upper arm or ball of the shoulder. Needless to say this makes it difficult - if not impossible - for the head and master eye to assume the correct position on the comb of the stock. This inconsistency alone will lead to missed targets.

Now try addressing a target from the right by moving your arms, not the body. The shoulder pocket might remain open but in practice the only arm you can move to put the muzzles on the address point is your left.

And another thing, your head is also forced out of position.

Compared to that cramped and uncomfortable approach, how much easier it is to now move and lock on to the target by pivoting from the knees, waist, chest and shoulders.

Rest assured, if arm movement alone was sufficient to break targets consistently, instructors everywhere would be putting pupils in straight jackets right from the start!


Got a question? Contact: sportinggun@ipcmedia.com or Sporting Gun, PO Box 157, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 9FU