News Shooting

Is the shooting technique I’ve read about correct?

Shooting advice: I've read a book on skeet clay shooting written by an American coach who says the knee on our front leg needs to be bent and the gun should be mounted with the elbow held high - almost at right angles to the shoulder pouch.

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CLAY SHOOTING
John Bidwell
The majority of American skeet shooters shoot with the gun mounted into the shoulder before the target is called for. And very effective it is too, as evidenced by the huge scores they achieve at this discipline.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t adopt a similar approach with English Skeet ‘on this side of the pond’ if the fancy takes you because it’s a style that easily accommodates the flat, fixed and horizontal trajectory of the targets.

What’s more, the ‘broken knee’ stance ensures your head stays low on the comb, even when you change the direction of swing for the second target of a pair.

Pre-mounting the gun with a high elbow position (in much the same manner as carving a Sunday roast) is not to be encouraged however if you shoot Sporting clays or game in the field.

Such a style might work on close range crossers and going-away targets – as in trap shooting – but it too easily restricts swing on more steeply angled birds and birds travelling at different speeds and in different directions.

For instance, try shooting a high, fast, quartering away tower bird from behind followed by a high driven bird on report and you’ll soon discover the limitations of a bent knee, pre-mounted gun and high elbow position!

For completely relaxed gun movement and maximum body flexibility the gun butt needs to be held out of, and slightly below, the shoulder with both elbows comfortably placed at about 45 degrees to the body.

It’s a style that’s equally effective at Skeet… so I know which one I would be cultivating if I were you!