slow is smooth, smooth is fast

Thanks for the reminder. Mindfully slowing down I took two woodcock with two shots this past Sunday (contacts instead of bifocals also helped). But the real test will be maintaining my composure on a grouse flushing at light speed through dense aspens and pines.

It's always a treat working with the kids and seeing their delight when they take their first birds.

Right'on Bourjaily!

Another problem in relation to shotguns is rifle shooting. In High Power competition the same holds true, I always taught you always place the butt into your shoulder and sometimes by using your right hand or left if your a South Paw! Sure makes a difference it does especially when shooting a magnum when hunting!

Sound Advise...I remember in my early days being a "fast shooter" at birds and missing alot of them!
Move slow--hit more...works for me.

Bourjaily Sir

You and I have something very in common here, how many times have you been ask to assist in instructing a Hunter Safety or Firearms coarse and winding up teaching it because the Chief Instructor had to leave on a emergency. Had a dollar for every time this happened, we just might be able to buy a good rifle or scope what you think? LOL!

GOOD JOB DAVE! mentoring our kids is one of the best thing any of us can do. reguardless of what the subject is, except for maybe how to be like charles manson or jeffery dahlmer. we, are who we are. nothing is going to change that. but, the kids, ahhhhh, they are a blank canvas (or at least have a lot of space left on them), just waiting to be painted. that, is where we all can do the most good. if we teach them right, the world will be a much better place. if not in our lifetime, hopefully in theirs.

Nice advice. I'll keep that in mind in a few weeks when my buddy's dad has the annual trap shoot at the end of rifle season. Maybe this time I can break more than my usual of about 10-13 out of 25 in a round.

Where were you when I was a youngster, flinging lead all over the skies and hitting darned little? It took me decades to overcome my bad habits to where I now hit slightly more than I miss (on live birds). Now you tell me something that could have made a big difference 50 years ago. Life isn't fair! :-(

Zermoid:
You train yourself mentally to visualize the alarm and teach your mind by use of your will to ignore the surprise. Eventually you will react positively and your shooting will become more effective. Example, about 3 years ago I bought a .50 caliber flintlock and the first six rounds at the range went high over the target when the pan ignited. Shooters next to me said that I flinched and pulled the barrel up when ignition occurred. I mentally trained the flinch out of me and now I don't even notice it. Try it.

great advice thanks, and thanks for being a great person, we need more people helping our youth, the more we help them now the better they will be then and it will be easier for them to do the same for the youth then than it will be if we leave them on their own.