by Matthew Fulton

Created on: April 18, 2010

Those who have not grown up using shotguns often have many problems firing them accurately and actually hitting anything. These problems can cause them to have some very unsatisfying hunts and ridicule from their friends. The problems that most people face can thankfully be boiled down to two things: aiming the shotgun like a rifle and failure to lead properly.

There is a huge difference between shooting a shotgun and shooting a rifle. The philosophy behind a shotgun is based on being able to hit a small target with a spread of pellets, whereas a rifle is about hitting a large target with a single bullet. Using a shotgun is like hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket, while using a rifle is like hitting a beach ball with a golf club. Some shotgun shooters do not understand this idea and therefore make themselves useless when it comes to hitting flying targets. They carefully take aim, making sure they take their time to line up a perfect shot. By the time they squeeze the trigger it is too late and the bird or clay pigeon is out of range. A good shotgun shooter will not take their time to shoot. They shoulder the weapon, point at the target, and fire. They have enough experience to know that they can trust the spread of the shotgun shell to do the work.

If you are taking too long to shoot, you have to break yourself of this habit. You will never be able to hit fast-moving targets like dove if you are aiming instead of pointing. Go to your local skeet and trap range or a field that you can legally shoot clays on. Go with a friend. Have your friend man the thrower, and after you say "pull", count to three in your head. (One Two Three, at that speed) Fire right after saying "three" in your head. You should have acquired the target by then. If you do not hit the target, do not worry. You are fundamentally transforming the way you shoot here. Keep trying this until you are consistently hitting the targets. Remember, quickness counts big here. Being able to point your shotgun at a bird quickly will mean the difference between a feast of wild game and being the laughing stock of your hunting buddies.

Leading the target is another concept that many shooters seem to have issues with. Remember, the contents of a shotgun shell travel fairly slowly compared to a rifle or pistol due to the ballistics of the shot. The goal here is to triangulate the shot to where the bird or clay will be by the time the shot reaches it. This takes practice, and lots of it. The best way to get used to leading your targets at different speeds is to get different throwers that throw the clays at different speeds. Practice with these different throwers and get the speed down before you move to the next one. Have a friend watch for where the wadding from your shotgun shell flies. If it flies noticeably behind the clay, you are not leading the target far enough. If it is in front of the target, you are leading too much. Once you have this down, you will be able to hit an object flying at almost any speed.

Remember these points and practice using them. Your accuracy and speed should improve significantly over time and your skills will begin to impress your friends. But always remember the two most important things when it comes to firearm sports, be safe and have fun.

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