how do I make my target when I shot a shotgun?

Question

I really do not know what I should see. Is it only the little ball at the end of the shotgun. What can I about the hard kick!! Can you please

Answer 1

Does anyone here actually know how to properly shoot a shotgun? Take a class

YOU DO NOT AIM A SHOTGUN. You point it. Two different concepts. You're not supposed to focus on the bead. You focus on the target. There is no time to "aim" at a moving target. That's rifle shooting. Not wingshooting. With wingshooting you should already have the gun properly lined up with your eye so when you move the gun it will point where you look. The gun is already "aimed" so to speak. When you shoulder your shotgun you need to get the shotgun in the correct place in your shoulder. That takes lots of practice bringing the gun up to the same place every time. And bring the gun up to your head. Don't drop your head on the gun. Pull the gun into your shoulder pocket tight with your trigger hand and just support the weight of the gun with your forward hand. Lean into the gun a little bit to take up the recoil. Also, make sure you are shouldering the weapon on the same side as your dominant eye. You don't necessarily have to but it helps.

To determine your dominant eye, hold both hands straight out and make a small opening to look through with them. Focus on a distant object through that openeing and slowly bring your hands back to your face while still focusing on that distant object. Which ever eye the opening in your hand that you were looking through comes back to is your dominant eye. If you are using your dominant eye then great. If not, either shoot with the other eye or put a dot over your glasses to cover up the dominant eye.

You should look stright down the rib without seeing the top of it. Then line the bead up with the rib. Smoothly swing the gun with the target until you have led it enough. It depends on the shot as to how far you lead and how high you shoot. Focus on the target, not the bead. The shotgun should be lined up with your eye already.

For the most part, if the target is making a hard left or right, imagine the length of a 2 3/4" shotshell in between your bead and the target. You should be about that far ahead. It will take your own experience to see what I'm talking about. If it is a straight-away then aim directly on it. Do not lead it. You should place the bead at the bottom of the target. Do not cover the target up with the barrel unless the target is rising (trap for instance). Then you should place the bead almost to the top of the target. Again, you need to get experience with that and "feel" it. If you aim a shotgun you will miss every time.

Practice, practice, practice.

You may have to get the gun fitted by a gunsmith if it doesn't fit you right. You should close your eyes and be able to bring the gun up properly and when you open your eyes you should look right down the rib like you're supposed to. If not you may need to get the gun fitted.

The importance of patterning your gun should not be looked over. You need to pattern your gun at the distances you plan to shoot with the loads and chokes you plan to use. Let the patterning show you how your gun shoots and how to adjust from there. Go to a range to do this or just draw a 30" circle on a piece of cardboard and place it 30 yards or so away from you.

If the kick is too much for you then use lighter loads or put an extra recoil pad on. Or drop down to a smaller guage all together. Don't listen when people tell you not to do something about the recoil. The people who tell you to just suck it up are just too ignorant to listen to. If it is uncomfortable for you to shoot then that is no good. I don't think my 12 gauge kicks a whole lot but the recoil pad I put on sure does help after 100+ rounds on the trap range.

Answer 2

I absolutely second what Renderman has said! Reading through the posts here I was thinking I'd have to do it myself, but he said it all.

You DON'T aim a shotgun. You point it, therefore fit is most important.

The beads on the shotgun are ONLY for lining it up when you mount the gun - once that is accomplished you should focus down range. When the target appears you should naturally point the shotgun where you are looking.

Point-of-impact is another issue. Trap guns typically have a straight stock or a Monte Carlo "hump" so you have a higher point of view over the gun and therefore a higher point of impact. This is perfect for trap and the rising targets. What this means is a higher POI will allow you to see the target over the end of the barrel and hit it.

A field, sporting or skeet stock drops, and the POI will be lower, meaning you have to point pretty much directly "at" the target.

Answer 3

unlike what many people seem to think, you are actually supposed to look down the top of the barrel at what you want to shoot. the front aimer is some help, but mostly you are suposed to hold your eye level with the top of the barrel, and point it at the target. Alot of guns do not have any sights or aimers because it is not needed. It helps somewhat, but once you learn how to shoot, you wont even notice its there. go do some shooting, and it will start to be very easy to hit the target.

As far as the recoil, you can get a recoil pad. I wouldn't though. unless it is a 10 or 8 gauge(or 12 with 3 1/2" shells), it doesnt kick that hard. just go out and shoot it for a while at clays and eventually you will get use to it. hold the gun tightly into your shoulder, and keep your body loose. I wouldnt suggest standing against a tree like someone else said, that might hurt since your body will not move, and the force will all be absorbed by your shoulder.

Answer 4

Just look down the barrel at the little red sight for close up shots.
It you are shooting horizontally (across, in front) and is more that 20 or 30 yards you should put the dot just in front. If it an overhead shot you might have to put it slightly above the target. It will not take much time to get a feel for it.

You can buy clay pigeons for $5 at Walmart for about 100 of them. The hand thrower is about the same cost. You can also pick up a pad for the stock for about $10.

Have fun!

Answer 5

I use a piece of cardboard for a target and make a circle about 5 inches wide on it with a magic marker to aim at. If you aren't sure where the gun hits, shoot first from about 15 yards. As you look straight down the top of the the barrel put the front sight over the target, hold the gun tight against your shoulder and pull the trigger. Don't stand with your back against a tree because if you do the kick will hurt more. You can also use low power shells for practice. They don't kick much and are ok for practice, and they are also cheaper than high power shells too so you can afford to shoot more of them.
After a few shots turn the cardboard target around and make a circle on the other side. You will be able to tell the new holes you shoot from the ones you shot from the other side.

Answer 6

Line up the gun by putting the bead (ball) on the lowest point of the top of the gun - when you can't see it anymore is too low.

For a target sitting still, line up the bead as above, and put the bead in the middle of what you want to hit. For a moving target, you have to lead the target, allowing time for the shot to travel out to meet what's moving. That takes practice.

Most gun ranges have patterning ranges - you can hang up a big piece of paper and see where your gun is hitting. That gets you used to it real quick.

For softening the heavy kick, go to low-brass field loads, like the cheapest shells you can get at WalMart. These are light even in 12 gauge.

Best wishes.

Answer 7

nicely at first everyone that asserts they kick greater stable does not be attentive to what they're speaking approximately. they do no longer kick to any extent further stable than a pump shotgun. the only subject that ought to make a distinction in the FELT balk is that if considered one of them had a balk pad, or in the event that they have been semi vehicle. i does no longer decide for a single shot for my first shotgun. Loading a shell after each and every time you shoot gets very previous, and isn't any longer super for looking. while you're rather sturdy at capturing clays and you only want to have one shell to shoot at a time, only load one shell in a pump, or only shoot one. the only benefit that a single shot shotgun has over the others is they're very inexpensive and each so often greater sturdy.

Answer 8

A shotgun is not a direct hit ... the shot scatters. If you are hunting bird or shooting clay you lead a little based on distance and speed. The hard kick hold the gun firmly to the shoulder.

Answer 9

The only time you should worry about being dead on is if you are shooting slugs just put the little ball on the end of the gun close to the place you want to hit .

Answer 10

put your cheek on the stock, look down the top of the bridge, line the balll up with the target, and bam! (in a safe direction)
Make sure you are holding the gun tight to your shoulder.
You can also get a pad for your gun or to wear