Blazing Barrels & Random Gun Movement
Seriously. Slow. Way. Down.
I like to ask my students a question that was once posed to me, “Can a bowler knock down the pins?”. Usually the student’s response is a very quick and adamant, “Absolutely!”, and then, they notice that my expression denotes otherwise. The correct answer is no, the bowler can not knock down the pins. That is left up to the bowling ball itself AND, the bowler’s set up routine. Herein lies the major, number one takeaway for today’s blog. The set up routine or for shooters, the pre-shot set up, is crucial to putting the shot in front of the target at that precise moment to create an “X” on the score card or add another bird to the bag. Make no mistake, it is the shot pummeling the target that actually crushes it, not you. You are finished with the scenario when the trigger is pulled and the shot is released. Once the shot leaves the barrel, there is nothing else that you can do that will alter the outcome. This is why the pre-shot set up is so important to the successful shooter.
Standing behind a student, I can see the flow of the pre-shot set up or, lack thereof and I am able to pull out very important information to use during that student’s lesson. Have you ever been in the box and felt like the bird was just totally screaming across the field and running away from your barrels? Did you feel that you had better fire up those barrels and go screaming behind the bird in order to have any hope of catching it and killing it? This action is called “blazing barrels” and it NEVER ever turns out well. As a Paragon instructor, creating consistency and confidence are my main goals with each and every student. This requires a smooth, slow and steady swing. By controlling your pre-shot set up, you will be allowed to create a smooth and slow swing to the bird and crush it each and every time. This is all part of gun management and keeping the random gun movement to an absolute minimum, if not zero.
How do you control random gun movement? Simple, have a plan and make sure it is a solid plan that allows you to clearly see the bird at the hold point, during the flight path and finally, at the break point. Calmly and slowly put shells into your gun. Allow yourself to become totally enveloped in the moment of that shot plan. Now, if you are hunting birds, the action of loading will be a tad more high strung as the excitement of the birds pulls your attention. Practicing before the season begins will serve you quite well through your hunts. If you can build on your shot plan inventory and practice those shots sufficiently, your time in the field will be much more enjoyable and your comfort behind the gun will come naturally.
Remember, you can’t shoot it if you can’t see it! Make sure you are correctly reading your shot presentations and wisely selecting the best work space for you and your abilities.