I find that I have good days and bad days with regard to hit/miss ratios. The good days seem to just happen.(I'm shooting instinctively, and not thinking about it)The bad ones, well I may not have taken many birds home, but it was still an excellent hunt!

Have fun out there and you will take home some fine memories. Birds and hit/miss ratios are merely for bragging rights.

this is my first year dove hunting and i really enjoy it and these were some helpful tips

I am 59 and haven't dove hunted since I was 18. Highly confident walking into the field only to be humiliated by the birds. Three boxes of shells anf one bird. It's back to basics for me and I'm sure these tips will help to bring back my old shooting form. Thanks

A problem that occurs in dove hunting takes place when you can see the birds coming ahead of time. You mount the gun too soon, and then track the bird with the barrel now being susceptible to your eyes going to the barrel, and the barrel slowing, or stopping, and you shoot behind. Keep the gun down until you are ready to shoot then swing and mount keeping your eye on the bird as described in the article.

Kim, I find timing is everything. From the time you start to swing the gun on the birds flight line, mount your gun to your cheek, and pull the trigger..it should be a constant. Not one quick shot, and then another where you track the bird with your barrel for a lengthy time, or a fast mount one time, and then a slower mount. The mount can't be too fast, or too slow. you need to have the barrel where you will pull the trigger long enough that your mind can make the subconscious decision to fire
and not be moving to fast into the lead picture creating more margin for error, and it can not be so slow that you shoot behind as well. I watch lots of video on top gunners shooting doves, and their speed of mount, and routine is the same every time. When they make the decision to shoot, they mount and fire the same way they did on the lst number of shots and never taking their hard focus off of the target.

Dove are tough to hit because they sneak up on you and bob and weave. This is really good advice it should help you hit more dove.

In theory, Phil's article is spot-on, but, if one has to think about following each step, the result will be dismal failure. Wingshooting is unconscious reaction and can best be learned on a sporting clay course or skeet field by either trial and error or with the help of an accomplished instructor. Let me suffice it to say that there is no better way to become better than to burn gunpowder and practice. Following are few simple tenants will also speed your success, Eyes on target, mount the gun to your face, and shoot. Resist at all cost the urge to 'aim', and never look at the barrel, only the bird. Your on-board computer is a lot better at putting the point of impact where it needs to be, trust it.

Are you having a hard time getting the proper lead on those birds? Here is a simple trick to get you where you want to be. Get 3=12ft cane poles and tape clay targets on the small end. Sharpen the big end .Now take them out and put them up in a triangle at what you think you maximan distance that you will be shooting is.Now as the birds fly by your stakes shoot the clays and note the distance the bird has flown since the time your clay broke. Now you have the approximate lead. You can adjust for closer shots. An old man taught me this now maybe this old man taught somebody something.

another all bird tip is lean slightly forward when your aiming. a guy named Mackey Hawkins told me this last year and it improved my shooting like crazy-trust me it works

practice make perfect , well at least it make you better , on that may i suggest going to the range near your place and shoot a few rounds of skeet gun down , the american style skeet is usually shot gun mounted , but nothing says you must , call the bird with the but hips high , it is different but not realy more difficult (i always shoot gun down 20 or 12 gauge) you see the bird better , as is said in the article dont bother with the barrel when on your cheek everything as already line up , by the way at first your score will be lower , but what do you want impress friends with your score or kill more dove (it work for all birds by the way)