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Haqndicap shooting "drills"

4K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  JBrooks 
#1 ·
Haqndicap shooting

What are some shooting "drills" that you can do to improve your handicap shooting?
 
#2 ·
Haqndicap shooting

I shoot 10 targets off Post 1, then 5 targets off Post 3, then 10 targets off Post 5. I have tried the Daro Handy drill of paying for a round of 25 but only tracking the targets with the gun and not shooting at them, seems to help stay in the gun. I can flinch with only a snap cap in the gun.
 
#4 ·
Haqndicap shooting

A lot of people say to practice a yard further back from where you are.

Will it help? Darned if I know.
 
#5 ·
Haqndicap shooting

Drills I use are:

Set the trap for hard lefts. Shoot 25 from Post 1 then 5 from each post and then 2 and move from each post for another 25.

Repeat set for straight aways but split first 25 between 1 & 5 or from any posts that you have problem with.

Repeat agian setting for hard rights shooting the first 25 from post 5.

If you are not already on the 27, finish by shooting a round or two from the 27. If you can consistantly hit +20 from the 27 and you are shorter than the 25, send your letter in to move back to the 25 otherwise you will waste a ton of money working your way back through the goofy handicap yardage system.
 
#7 ·
Haqndicap shooting

One of the fundamental challeges in trapshooting is to quickly determine the target angle; a true straight-away is unusual. Doing that precisely and repeatedly is what makes handicap trapshooting especially challenging. Because of that, I'm not an advocate of locking the trap. When you lock the trap, you aren't learning to quickly judge the target angle.

About the only drill that I've heard of that I think would be useful is one that Kim Rhode once mentioned that she uses. Her drill was to not change posts until she had broken 6 targets straight.

Also, take very seriously Frank Little's advice that was offered above. If you are not centering, and smoking, your 16-yard targets, it's doubtful that you'll center your handicap targets. When you practice singles, you are practicing handicap.

As a corollary to this, put in your full or extra-full choke, and leave it in.


YCTML
 
#8 ·
Haqndicap shooting

The purpose of locking the trap is to groove your move. It doesn't do to much good to recognise the target path if you can't move your gun to where it needs to be. It is called repetition and it works in all sports. I see guys out "practicing" during the week by shooting a few rounds with their buddies. They are the ones I beat on Saturday and Sunday.

Practice is repetitious, boring, lonely and crawling in and out of the trap house resetting the trap is no fun. But it works.

The gun movement between the 16 and the 27 is an arithmetic reduction that requires totally different practice, Frank Little's advise notwithstanding. We have a lot of really good SCTP shooters in our area who can run 100 straights at 16 but move them back even 5 yards and it is hello low 80s.

You can thank me now.
 
#9 ·
Haqndicap shooting

I have scored handicap shooters my way by watching the breaks after they shoot 25 targets I will put a C for center, B for behind, F for front, L for low, H for high, a score of LB is low behind, LF low front Etc. That will tell me if the gun fits, a fairly frequent B means stock os too long and short shooting the target. Frequent Ls Stock too low, or gun does not shoot high enough for the shooter with his sight picture. Believe it or not it works.

I know where I am at when I miss a target every time. My gun fits me perfectly and it took some adjusting to get it there, this takes time and effort, I fine tune my sight picture so that it is the same every time I mount the gun.


Dr.longshot
 
#13 ·
Haqndicap shooting

You can send a letter to the ATA or even email your State's Delegate and request a move back to the 25 yard line. No reductions for 2 years. If you are really interested competing from the 27, you should do this just as soon as you are confident that you can consistantly post respectable scores from there like anything in the high 80s.

If you have the talent and dedication to get to the 27, you are just wasting time, money and ammo shooting at the shorter yardages and no, you will not make any net money "on the way back".

You still have to endure the nonsense of the current earned yardage system to get from the 25 to the 27, but at least you will have avoided some of it. It took me about 15 months to go from the 20 to the 27 yet from practicing I knew I could shoot from the 27 by the time I was on the 22. Knowing what I know now, I would have sent in the letter and been a much better 27 yard shooter now than I am because I would have 6+ months more experience at the longer yardages.

Once on the 25, just practice from the 27 and you will pick up the last 2 yards quicker.
 
#16 ·
Haqndicap shooting

MIA,

First box of shells 25 all from post 1. Next box, 5 on each post. Next box, start on 1, shoot 2 shots and then move shooting just 2 shots on each post until you shoot all 25 shells. Shoot the extra shells on any post where you have a hard target for you and you need extra practice on, or if I miss one of the two I'll shoot a third so I get to breaks on each post. The last one really is the best one I think.

Another great drill that I seldom see people do is to put in a snap cap and shoot with a friend that can break most of them. Track each bird he shoots and dry fire on it. You will be surprised at how much smoother you will be when you don't have to actually fire the gun. Unless your friend is real fast or real slow, you will be able to see the target relationship where you "fire" your gun when the bird breaks. And, the round doesn't cost a thing!
 
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