Pass Along RJ
October 08

Mystery Misses
by Steve Smith

How many times have you heard or read it, about a hit being history and a miss being a mystery? Maybe a thousand? The problem with it, is it isn't always right. Some misses are, some aren't. Beginning shooters usually don't have too clear a grasp on why they hit or miss. As their experience grows, they get used to a sight picture -- a "feel," really -- that produces success on the shots they get the most often in the field. Then, when they -- we -- miss, it's unusual for us to feel like everything looked right but we missed. It happens, of course, but a lot of the time we know what we did wrong.

For example, it took a lot of misses for me to understand and get proficient (I hesitate to use the word "good") at the high incoming shot. We get this on ducks, geese, doves, and sometimes we see it on pheasants if we're blocking a field. If you have the pleasure of taking part in a driven shoot, it's all you'll see. This is actually now one of my favorite shots because I know why I miss it when I do. If the bird is a straight incomer, I have to come from behind and cover it and shoot when I can't see the bird anymore. If I see the bird, either above the barrels or to the side of them, I miss every time.

I think most of us know when we dwell on a bird too long and miss -- we slow our swing and/or throw off our normal tempo. We call it "riding" the bird, and it comes from trying to be too precise. I know I'm doing it right when I'm doing it, and most of the time I can't stop myself. But at least I know what I did wrong. Doesn't mean I won't do it again next shot, though.

Here's another one -- talk about Conventional Wisdom. It is an article of faith, and has been written and spoken about so often that no one dares question it: "You'll never miss a bird by shooting too far ahead of it." This is a nice old chestnut intended to encourage us to lead the target and don't worry about over-leading because under-leading is the culprit to be feared, so, swing that gun, boy!

Well, not only can you obviously shoot too far in front of something if you try, you can also, at a practical level, over-lead when you aren't trying. I was at my old gun club not too long ago, and I was having trouble with crossing targets on the clays range; didn't matter which direction they were crossing, either -- they kept crossing, and I kept missing. Finally, one of the fellows I was shooting with, one of those who can see a shot charge in the air like the British coaches can, stepped up and said, "You've missed every one of those in front. Shoot right at them." I did, and they broke.

It's a miss you don't see often, because for the most part, the conventional wisdom is true. On long-range targets, say clays or birds at 40 yards, I like to "feel" a little daylight ahead of the bird and keep swinging. But close in, that little bit of daylight can be enough to make me miss in front.

The full article "Mystery Misses " by Steve Smith appears in the upcoming December/January issue of Retriever Journal . If you are a subscriber, stay tuned! That issue will soon mail!

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