How important is gun mount in shooting?

When shooting, use both hands to achieve the perfect gun mount.

By John Bidwell

Monday, 16 August 2010

How important is gun mount in shooting? I've heard some people say it should be practiced on a regular basis?

Clay shooting
JOHN BIDWELL
I remember Ken Davies, a former chief coach at Holland and Holland once saying that in the case of experienced shots poor gun mount caused the most misses of all – so just think what the miss rate is like among novices: it doesn’t bear thinking about!

I have to agree with Ken because I come across gun mounting inconsistencies here at High Lodge just about every day of the working week.

A good gun mount is one of the keys to consistently accurate shooting so its strikes me as odd why so many people happily ignore its importance.

Gun mount is not just about getting the stock to the face and shoulder but also keeping the barrels on the line of the target at the same time.

And the only way to do that is to use both hands together – the hand gripping the stock needs to lift at the same time as the forward hand ‘pushes’ the muzzles towards the target.

This pushing action also helps ensure the butt of the gun doesn’t snag under the armpit or come to rest too low on the shoulder.