What's the best foot position for game shooting?

A solid and consistent stance is essential to good game and clay shooting.

By Rob Eaton

Thursday, 26 January 2012

I always seem to end up off-balance when game shooting. How should I go about correcting my foot position?

So many shooters, both game and clay, miss targets simply because they have the wrong foot position.

You should always, always, always point your leading foot in the direction that you’re going to kill the target.

Or if you like, where you’re going to pull the trigger.

In fact the perfect kill point is just up the inside of the leading foot.

The other foot should only ever be placed behind the leading foot if shooting driven birds overhead, using the Stanbury or Churchill methods.

Once your leading foot is pointing to the kill point, place your trailing foot so the first half of it (the bit with the toes on) is alongside the arch of the leading foot.

You should have your feet no more than 8-10 inches apart and the trailing foot should be pointing over to 2 o'clock or 10 o'clock if shooting from the left shoulder.

If done properly this will help place the gun squarely into the cheek bone and shoulder, lining the rib up with the eye central above it.

It will also help you to put the stock into the correct position in the shoulder and not out on the arm or shoulder joint.

Your balance when starting your mount and swing, should be 60% on the front foot and 40% on the back foot.

Then and only then do you place your gun in the hold position and look back to your pick-up point – shout PULL! - and hard focus on the target only.

This of course should also be done on game but will take a little practice to instantly turn onto the bird and fire when on a crosser.

Try it at home regularly.

It can't be said enough that every shooter should practice their dry mounting and swing at home, at least twice a week for 10 minutes, if you want to be any good.