Pass Along RJ
September 09

They say you’ll go to the Baseball Hall of Fame by making a career of going three for 10 at the plate. And that would suit me just fine… if I were shooting baseballs.

is the time for getting the gear ready for the coming season, and, judging by the number of empty shells I dumped out of my vest, coat, and blind bag from last year versus how much meat I put in the freezer, it looks like, once again, last year I hit my average. Yes, I’ve come to grips with the fact that I’m a lifelong 41 percent shooter. Doesn’t matter if it’s woodcock, pheasants, geese, ducks, or coots – and yes, I shoot coots.

Some days – and some years – are, of course, better than others; while some I might as well have tried to throw the shells at the bird. Case in point: I’ve strung together equally impressive streaks of 27 ducks in a row – both hit and missed.

You might not think that a hack such as myself should grace these pages where, over the years, sound, expert advice has been doled out for, let’s face it, a pretty cheap investment of a subscription. But I’m willing to bet that no matter what you try, many of you, like me, just cannot get over the hump and into the category of “fine wingshot” – or even “dependable wingshot.” Many of us fall into the category of either “look up to see the bottom” or “scratch down just enough to keep it interesting.”

It doesn’t change the fact that we expect to hit every bird: We’ve got a gun, maybe two; we don’t get out hunting as much as we like, we definitely don’t get out practicing as much as we should… yet we still expect to stand up and make a 40-yard, downwind crosser fall stone dead just outside the decoys.

But it ain’t gonna happen.

So what can my 41-percent-edness bring to the table? Just a few little tips to maybe help get that extra bird or two during the year. And you know the ones I’m talking about: It’s that bird or two or four during the season – be it a pheasant or a duck or a woodcock – that seemingly offers itself up to you, only to have you brick the layup. Maybe some of these tricks can help you make the easy conversions. After all, I used to be a 34-percenter.

(Before we begin, don’t worry: I’m not going to go into detail about the two most important – and obvious – ways to improve your shooting: instruction and proper gun fit. Those are pretty much no-brainers, but they can be tough for a hunter’s time and financial budget. Just realize that if and when you want to really get into the science of wingshooting, there are some hardcore ways to get your average up. And most of those have been – and will be – written about in these pages.)

Practice, practice, practice. Yeah, I’m tired of hearing about it, too. Sure, busting clays in the off-season is fun, but outside of working on serious mechanical flaws or testing out a new gun, that’s really about all it seems to be: fun. Admit it: There’s something in the excitement of wings before you that just cannot be duplicated in a clay target. Sure, you can get all dressed up so you’re shooting in your heavy duck coat on a 92-degree summer day, but there’s a bit of a difference between an orange disc hopping out in front and a four-pound drake mallard cupping in on your fifth and final duck hunt of the year. The only way to really become a good wingshot is to shoot at a lot of wings. And, barring circumstances that allow you take the autumn off, you just might have to admit that without a wealth of experience, you’re going to reach a certain – lower – plateau in your ability.

When hunting in bulkier clothes, slide your forward hand (gripping the forend of a double or auto; sorry, you’re pretty restricted with a pump) a little closer to the breech. It makes the mount much easier in heavy clothes. It might not make you hit any more birds, but at least you can get your gun to your shoulder and you won’t bruise your cheek or nose.

Conversely, if you can help it, wear less bulkier clothing. You’ll be colder, but every layer you put on makes it harder to swing. And nothing warms you up like hitting more birds.

Don’t think about it. I used to keep careful track of birds-per-shots in a shooting log, but hunting became much more fun when I came to grips with the kind of shooter I am – and the kind of shooter I didn’t need to be to have a good time. Sure, there are birds that I would really, really like to bag and get pretty depressed about if I don’t (I still have nightmares about the straightaway grouse flushed by a puppy Labrador… both barrels, no idea…). But if I head out the marsh thinking that I need to hit four straight in order to get my season average back up to 60 percent, guess what: First, I’m lying, because the only things I’ve shot above 60 percent were tin cans with a scoped .22; and I’ll be guaranteed to miss. And then lie about it later. When you mount, you need to be trying to hit the bird instead of trying not to miss.

Go a little bit bigger on the gauge and ammo if you can help it. Most hacks, like myself, fringe a lot of birds, being just a bit behind. If you can throw out a little more knockdown power, you’ll have, well, more knockdown power – there’s a reason they call a .410 an “expert’s gun.” As a follow-up to that, one of the best things to come along to help average shots is the development of faster loads. Take a look at the “fps” (feet per second) of some of the loads you’re shooting, and maybe try a faster one.

Likewise, if you use a little less choke, you can make the pattern more dense by using more shot. An ounce of shot through a modified choke is about as dense as 11⁄8 ounces through an IC. But the IC is easier to hit with.

Point, don’t aim. And what can help with this, especially on crossing shots, is if you wait to mount the gun until you’re ready to pull the trigger. Instead of mounting, swinging, and following – ala the skeet range – keep the gun at port-arms, tucked under your arm, swing with your body, eyes locked on target, and then mount and shoot as soon as the butt touches your shoulder. When we mount and swing, we aim… and we think about it (see above).

Get your eyes checked. Seriously. When I was starting out, I had an awful time hitting clays and birds, and I didn’t have a lot of enthusiasm for shooting. Then, one day in the orchard out in back of the house shooting blue rocks, Dad said, “I don’t think you’re seeing the target.” We had my eyes checked, found I needed glasses, and my average – and my grades – went up. So did my enthusiasm.

Don’t just try different guns, try different actions. Some people just can’t get the hang of a side-by-side, while for others, the single-sighting plane of an over/under or repeating gun is just too “whippy.” Maybe it has something to do with your eyes, too. I didn’t get my glasses until I was 15, and before that, I shot a hand-me-down side-by-side in such a way that the broad side of every barn on the county was pretty safe. While I was getting used to the glasses, I switched to a pump, and birds started to fall… until they started to keep flying. At that point, I tried the side-by-side again – now that my eyes had finally settled down into a comfortable nearsightedness – and the plane of the two barrels looked much more natural. I know, you’re not supposed to be seeing the barrels, but c’mon, they’re right in front of you!

Get up and move around a little bit. I don’t know why I think I can sit in a cold duck boat, stiffening up, and then expect to stand and drop a fast crosser. My feet are usually all pins and needles. Get the blood flowing and stay limbered.

Chances are, if you’re in the 30 to 40 percent range, you’re always looking for an excuse as to why the bird didn’t fall. As a member of the aforementioned group, here’s one to consider: If you’re a blue-collar shooter, you very well could also be a blue-collar dog trainer. So are you a bad shot, or is your half-trained dog making you into a bad shot by rocking the boat, slamming into the side of you, and howling like a fool when you stand to shoot? Take a tie-out stake or chain the miscreant to the boat. I guarantee you, you won’t be the first.

No matter how easy it is, though, to come to grips with the fact that I’m just not a very good wingshot and to find enjoyment in simply pulling up on a bird, the hardest part about being a so-so shot is seeing my dog go fetchless. That is the number one reason that, despite everything else heretofore, I still try my darndest to hit a bird. To me, as a dog-man, it still matters when I miss and have to look at the ever-clouding eyes and ever-whitening face.

But then I remember trying to shoot with 70-pounds of canine slamming into my knee, and I tell Josie that we’re even.

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