Knimrod
12-27-2005, 02:05 PM
You can become a better shooter
By Ed Godfrey, The Oklahoman
December 25, 2005
Filling the sky with lead with nothing to show for it? If you are like me, you are sky bustin' way too often.
So I asked Ed Cunnius, who administers the Shotgun Training and Education Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildife Conservation, to provide me with some wingshooting tips.
Here are a few things Cunnius said to consider before loading up your retriever this duck and goose season. Chances are the dog is a lot better prepared than we are.
Practice: Local shooting clubs or ranges have several shooting skill levels and target presentations to tune up on. Try to practice a target scenario that comes closest to mimic the flight of your quarry.
"A sporting clays course is the best place to start for me, which offers a variety of speeds and target angles I expect to encounter during just about any wingshooting opportunity I may encounter," Cunnius said.
Pattern-test your gun: Whether hunting or target shooting, you must pattern-test your gun to see how it performs at the anticipated point of impact.
"Your shooting ability may be above average, but your gun has to perform with accuracy and deliver a lethal shot pattern consistently," Cuninius said.
To tune up your gun, first determine the anticipated distance you will be shooting. Refer to the Oklahoma Waterfowl Guide for a comprehensive guide to pattern testing and shot size requirements recommended for a variety of game.
"This information has been proven effective," Cunnius said. "I highly recommend its use."
Different loads will shoot differently: An exact load of the same shot size and velocity will pattern differently from manufacturer to manufacturer.
"Always use the very same ammunition, including the brand, when testing and especially while hunting," Cunnius said. "Shot shells are not the same, and you can't expect the same performance by varying or changing ammunition."
Find the proper choke: You may have to try several before you find that special one. Just as ammunition varies by manufacturer, so do chokes.
Find one that delivers the expected pattern and stay with it. Always be sure the choke is made of compatible material according to the type of shot you are using.
Learn to estimate distance accurately: Out- of-range shooting is often to blame for poor shooting skills and poor shot performance.
Ammunition: Cunnius says he's often asked about which nontoxic ammunition is best to use.
Pattern testing, shooting practice and improving distance estimation skills will make even the less expensive shot effective, he said.
"It all comes down to lethal range, proper shot pattern and proper shot placement," he said.
Wear appropriate clothing: Proper gun mount and proper gun fit is very important to shooters if they expect to hit targets with consistency. When hunting, dress in layers and pack extra clothing for the unexpected.
"If you're not comfortable, your shooting skills will suffer," Cunnius said.
Adding or removing clothing also will change how your gun fits your body. An experienced hunter or shooter is familiar with "length of pull" and how that affects proper gun mount.
"Adding or removing layers greatly affects the length of pull of your gun and how well the gun fits to the shooter," he said.
Use an adjustable recoil pad: An adjustable recoil pad for the buttstock of shotguns allows shooters to make stock length adjustments to compensate for clothing variations,
"Make sure the recoil pad doesn't snag or grab clothing when mounting the gun," Cunnius said. "Select clothing that has a smooth texture that's tightly woven such as Cordura or other similar cloth."
Also, select a recoil pad that isn't gummy to touch or has a tendency to grab or hang up on clothing as the gun is being mounted on your shoulder, he said.
Simply place a couple of strips of electrical tape lengthwise on the pad. This will create a slick pad surface and helps prevent snagging or hanging up.
"Improper gun fit, no matter what the cause, is one of the most overlooked problems hunters and shooters have to deal with," Cunnius said.
"It causes poor or improper gun mounting, improper sight alignment and ultimately missed or even worse, wounded and lost wildlife resources."
Use synthetic lubricants: If any part of the gun needs lubrication, a synthetic lubricant is less likely to stiffen in cold weather.
"Synthetics at this time of the year usually works a little better than some of the other options," Cunnius said.
Link to article (http://www.newsok.com/article/1715026/)
By Ed Godfrey, The Oklahoman
December 25, 2005
Filling the sky with lead with nothing to show for it? If you are like me, you are sky bustin' way too often.
So I asked Ed Cunnius, who administers the Shotgun Training and Education Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildife Conservation, to provide me with some wingshooting tips.
Here are a few things Cunnius said to consider before loading up your retriever this duck and goose season. Chances are the dog is a lot better prepared than we are.
Practice: Local shooting clubs or ranges have several shooting skill levels and target presentations to tune up on. Try to practice a target scenario that comes closest to mimic the flight of your quarry.
"A sporting clays course is the best place to start for me, which offers a variety of speeds and target angles I expect to encounter during just about any wingshooting opportunity I may encounter," Cunnius said.
Pattern-test your gun: Whether hunting or target shooting, you must pattern-test your gun to see how it performs at the anticipated point of impact.
"Your shooting ability may be above average, but your gun has to perform with accuracy and deliver a lethal shot pattern consistently," Cuninius said.
To tune up your gun, first determine the anticipated distance you will be shooting. Refer to the Oklahoma Waterfowl Guide for a comprehensive guide to pattern testing and shot size requirements recommended for a variety of game.
"This information has been proven effective," Cunnius said. "I highly recommend its use."
Different loads will shoot differently: An exact load of the same shot size and velocity will pattern differently from manufacturer to manufacturer.
"Always use the very same ammunition, including the brand, when testing and especially while hunting," Cunnius said. "Shot shells are not the same, and you can't expect the same performance by varying or changing ammunition."
Find the proper choke: You may have to try several before you find that special one. Just as ammunition varies by manufacturer, so do chokes.
Find one that delivers the expected pattern and stay with it. Always be sure the choke is made of compatible material according to the type of shot you are using.
Learn to estimate distance accurately: Out- of-range shooting is often to blame for poor shooting skills and poor shot performance.
Ammunition: Cunnius says he's often asked about which nontoxic ammunition is best to use.
Pattern testing, shooting practice and improving distance estimation skills will make even the less expensive shot effective, he said.
"It all comes down to lethal range, proper shot pattern and proper shot placement," he said.
Wear appropriate clothing: Proper gun mount and proper gun fit is very important to shooters if they expect to hit targets with consistency. When hunting, dress in layers and pack extra clothing for the unexpected.
"If you're not comfortable, your shooting skills will suffer," Cunnius said.
Adding or removing clothing also will change how your gun fits your body. An experienced hunter or shooter is familiar with "length of pull" and how that affects proper gun mount.
"Adding or removing layers greatly affects the length of pull of your gun and how well the gun fits to the shooter," he said.
Use an adjustable recoil pad: An adjustable recoil pad for the buttstock of shotguns allows shooters to make stock length adjustments to compensate for clothing variations,
"Make sure the recoil pad doesn't snag or grab clothing when mounting the gun," Cunnius said. "Select clothing that has a smooth texture that's tightly woven such as Cordura or other similar cloth."
Also, select a recoil pad that isn't gummy to touch or has a tendency to grab or hang up on clothing as the gun is being mounted on your shoulder, he said.
Simply place a couple of strips of electrical tape lengthwise on the pad. This will create a slick pad surface and helps prevent snagging or hanging up.
"Improper gun fit, no matter what the cause, is one of the most overlooked problems hunters and shooters have to deal with," Cunnius said.
"It causes poor or improper gun mounting, improper sight alignment and ultimately missed or even worse, wounded and lost wildlife resources."
Use synthetic lubricants: If any part of the gun needs lubrication, a synthetic lubricant is less likely to stiffen in cold weather.
"Synthetics at this time of the year usually works a little better than some of the other options," Cunnius said.
Link to article (http://www.newsok.com/article/1715026/)