The Game

Skeet shooting is easy, but breaking all 100 targets is not. These are the most important things in skeet.

Focus only on the target. When getting ready to shoot, do not look at the gun unless necessary. You may have to for loading, but get out of the habit of looking at the beads for mounting -- learn to do it by feel. Once you call for the target, strive to make your focus on the target clear, while letting the gun remain fuzzy.

Keep your head on the stock. Head on the stock is defined as the pressure on your face when the gun is properly mounted, and keeping that pressure there during trigger pull and until the gun stops moving.

Rotate with your lower body only. Follow through, continuing gun motion after trigger pull, is essential. It is almost impossible for the muzzle to slow down while pulling the trigger if all of your rotation is coming from your legs and ankles. A couple of maxims: a) Once the gun is mounted, everything is granite from the waist up, and b) When your belt stops moving, the gun should also stop.

Eye dominance. Shotgun shooting is best done using both eyes for a couple reasons -- the target is moving and the need for depth perception. The shooter's master eye should be behind the barrel; i.e., a right eye dominate shooter should shoot right handed. When hand and eye dominance are opposed, the best solution is to switch hands.

Shooting stance. With your body erect and square, place your feet under your shoulders (and they're wider than you think). Your feet should be parallel (like you're wearing a pair of skis). Lean a little forward from the waist. Now bend your left knee (or both) and put most of your weight your left leg (you're going to pivot around this leg). Turn your head about 20 degrees to the left and stick your chin out slightly. At this point the front of your face should be vertical, your eyes horizontal and your shoulders and hips still square with your feet.

Gun mount. When in the proper stance (above), grab the pistol grip and fore-end (near the middle) comfortably (should produce about a 45 degree angle to your shoulders), and with the comb under your cheekbone, slide it back along your face until it strikes your shoulder.

Gun fit. The shotgun has two sights - the front bead and your eye. Hence, it is important that your eye be in the same, proper place every time you mount the gun. When you are in the proper stance with the gun properly mounted (above & above), the pupil of your master eye should be centered and at least a quarter inch above the shotgun rib (as viewed looking straight into a mirror) in order to have an unobstructed view of targets.

Break points. Opinions differ as to what are the optimum locations; they may even be a function of shooting style and/or technique. However, these are recommended; they work and are a natural lead-in to doubles in the middle. Outgoers. Stations 1 through 7 all have outgoers. They should be broken two-thirds of the distance from the house to the center stake. This is not easy at first; (a lot of) practice helps. Incomers. Incomers at stations 1, 2, 6 and 7 should be broken 2-3 yards after they pass the center stake; those at stations 3 and 5, 1-2 yards before they reach the stake; and those at station 8, one-third to halfway from the house to the stake.

Foot position. Good foot position allows you to complete a shot using lower body rotation only; with bad foot position, you'll run out of swing requiring you to finish the shot with your arms. Good foot position varies between shooters.

Position on pad. Where you stand on the shooting pad is generally not critical; some stand in one place for the high house, another for the low and a third for doubles.

Hold points. The short stroke method is recommended; as such, the hold point is 7 yards back from the break point on the flight path, and to assure a clear view of the emerging target, 1-2 feet below it. For the outgoers, 7 yards back is the one-third point. For the incomers, on stations 1 and 7, 7 yards back is 1-2 feet inside the center stake; on stations 2 and 6, it is over the corner of station 8 closest to the stake; and on stations 3 and 5, it is halfway from the house to the stake.

Focus point. Where you look before calling for an outgoing target is critical. You need to be totally focused on the target before it reaches the break point, and the sooner you can do it, the better. It is better to be looking at a spot some distance from the window and right on the flight path when you call.

Leads. To hit a moving clay target you must shoot in front of it. The distance between the target at the instant the gun goes off and the point of impact is called lead. There are 5 methods recognized for establishing proper lead. Although you need not be proficient in all of these methods, it is best you add themto your bag of tools as time and experience permits.
In sustained lead shooting, the gun is started and kept in front of the target; after establishing the correct lead, gun and target speeds are matched and maintained; the trigger can then be pulled at any time.

Timing. Timing can be defined as your ability to consistently hit a target at a desired break point. If you can't, your timing needs work. On incomers, you may be starting your gun movement too soon. On outgoers, you may not be looking in the right place for, or hard enough at, the target, or you're not as ready as you need to be when you call