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I can’t mount with both hands when decoying pigeons

My muzzles are pointing vertically while I'm in the hide, so when I do stand up, I've got to drop my left hand at the same time as I raise the stock with my right.

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Tuition
JOHN BIDWELL says: The only person who can answer that is yourself. Do you feel happy with your performance when decoying, and do you feel comfortable?

If the reply to either of those is no, then you must try and do something about it.

My view is we can only shoot to our best when both hands are working together to bring the gun to the shoulder smoothly and ensure the gun muzzles come sweetly to the line of the target or bird.

Of course, there’s a world of difference between shooting a clay or driven pheasant while we’re standing on level ground, rather than being scrunched up in a pigeon hide with little room to move.

That said, it should still be possible to arrange things so gun mounting becomes easier.

The way to do it is to build the hide in such a way you have more room to move when a pigeon appears. Sit as far back in the hide as possible to allow you to raise the gun steadily. If you can, lower the height of the net so, when sitting, only your eyes and hat are showing.

As long as you don’t bob your head up and down as a bird approaches you only have to raise your backside off the seat to accomplish a proper mount. If you move slowly you should be able to take the shot nice and sweetly without the pigeon even seeing you.

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