Why am I missing skeet?

cornered rat · April 25, 1999, 11:49 PM

Is there any way to figure out where my shot is going (hihg/low/side)? I must be the worst skeet shooter with both a Remingotn 11 autoloader and a nice Browning double.

------------------
Cornered Rat
ddb.com/RKBA Updated March 20
"Turn in your guns, get a a free tattoo on your arm"

Rob Pincus · April 26, 1999, 01:22 PM

Rat,\

Without being there to see how/where you are shooting, it is kinda hard to guess what the problem is..but:

Start at the first station and just keep shooting until you are breaking them consistently. The leads there are minimal and you should be able to get a feel for the targets pretty quickly..

Then move to the next station and follow the same procedure.

Byt the time you get near the middle the problem most peoplehave is a lack of lead.. you need to lead about twice as much as you would think. And don't try "meet" the bird or rifle it out of the air.. you have to move the gun, pick up the bird, pull through it, get in front of it and then, pull the trigger.

Remember that the shot cloud not only expands outward, but in length also.. the cloud may be 4-6 feet long by at the bird's range.. imagine throwing the cloud in front of the bird.. you want the bird to run into your cloud of shot.. the best broken birds break front end first, that gives you the biggest margin of error.

Trying to learn Skeet by shooting a regular round is tough.. the leads change every 4 or 5 shots, so there is no pattern to learn by.. you have to go station by station to really learn properly.

good Luck.

NJW · April 26, 1999, 05:46 PM

I would try and find someone who is an experienced skeet shooter to help you. Not only could they help with where your are shooting, they could probably also help with getting you to break more of them. Being able to se where your shot went takes some pratice. I worked at a trap & skeet club when I was in high school and got real good a seeing where the shot was when there was a miss.

NJW

NJW · April 26, 1999, 05:52 PM

I just thought of another point. I would also guess by looking at what you type of SG's you are using, you don't have the correct choke. Skeet requires almost no choke so the shot pattern can open up quickly.
I would guess that the Rem 11 has a full or mod choke and the Browning double has a mod choke in one barrel and a full in the other. These choke constrictions are too tight for shooting skeet. It can be done but you have to be very precise. I would reccomend making sure you have the proper choke before you go out and shoot any more shells.

NJW

fal308 · April 27, 1999, 10:21 AM

Also don't try to aim a shotgun like a rifle. A popular slogan is; rifles are aimed - shotguns are pointed. Shotguns require a lead as described above.

Rob Pincus · April 27, 1999, 07:30 PM

While it is true that you should have "Cylinder" chokes for skeet, there is no way to tell what chokes are in your gun with the information you have given us.

If you have interchangeable chokes, take them out and read what is said on them, if it is a fixed choke, the barrel should be marked.

April 25, 1999, 11:49 PM	#1
cornered rat Junior member Join Date: November 30, 1998 Location: Minnesota Posts: 920	Is there any way to figure out where my shot is going (hihg/low/side)? I must be the worst skeet shooter with both a Remingotn 11 autoloader and a nice Browning double. ------------------ Cornered Rat ddb.com/RKBA Updated March 20 "Turn in your guns, get a a free tattoo on your arm"

April 26, 1999, 01:22 PM	#2
Rob Pincus Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Hotels Posts: 3,668	Rat,\ Without being there to see how/where you are shooting, it is kinda hard to guess what the problem is..but: Start at the first station and just keep shooting until you are breaking them consistently. The leads there are minimal and you should be able to get a feel for the targets pretty quickly.. Then move to the next station and follow the same procedure. Byt the time you get near the middle the problem most peoplehave is a lack of lead.. you need to lead about twice as much as you would think. And don't try "meet" the bird or rifle it out of the air.. you have to move the gun, pick up the bird, pull through it, get in front of it and then, pull the trigger. Remember that the shot cloud not only expands outward, but in length also.. the cloud may be 4-6 feet long by at the bird's range.. imagine throwing the cloud in front of the bird.. you want the bird to run into your cloud of shot.. the best broken birds break front end first, that gives you the biggest margin of error. Trying to learn Skeet by shooting a regular round is tough.. the leads change every 4 or 5 shots, so there is no pattern to learn by.. you have to go station by station to really learn properly. good Luck.

April 26, 1999, 05:46 PM	#3
NJW Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 1998 Location: SouthWest Posts: 204	I would try and find someone who is an experienced skeet shooter to help you. Not only could they help with where your are shooting, they could probably also help with getting you to break more of them. Being able to se where your shot went takes some pratice. I worked at a trap & skeet club when I was in high school and got real good a seeing where the shot was when there was a miss. NJW

April 26, 1999, 05:52 PM	#4
NJW Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 1998 Location: SouthWest Posts: 204	I just thought of another point. I would also guess by looking at what you type of SG's you are using, you don't have the correct choke. Skeet requires almost no choke so the shot pattern can open up quickly. I would guess that the Rem 11 has a full or mod choke and the Browning double has a mod choke in one barrel and a full in the other. These choke constrictions are too tight for shooting skeet. It can be done but you have to be very precise. I would reccomend making sure you have the proper choke before you go out and shoot any more shells. NJW

April 27, 1999, 10:21 AM	#5
fal308 Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 12, 1998 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,992	Also don't try to aim a shotgun like a rifle. A popular slogan is; rifles are aimed - shotguns are pointed. Shotguns require a lead as described above.

April 27, 1999, 07:30 PM	#6
Rob Pincus Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Hotels Posts: 3,668	While it is true that you should have "Cylinder" chokes for skeet, there is no way to tell what chokes are in your gun with the information you have given us. If you have interchangeable chokes, take them out and read what is said on them, if it is a fixed choke, the barrel should be marked.