Q&A: Pull Away on Long Crossers

Dear Gil & Vicki,

I have had your chokes and loads video as well as your first video for a long time now and love them both – particularly the emphasis on seeing the target and using your peripheral vision. My only really frustrating shot is a long crosser. I think I just discovered the problem and I am hoping you can help with the cure. 

I shoot pull away on long crossers. My head stays with the gun, it’s usually a good solid mount and the gun keeps moving but for some reason as I pull away to the lead, my eyes start looking way ahead of the gun for the lead. I am seeing the lead but my head and the gun are still way behind. 

Can you help?

A Frustrated Fan

Dear Frustrated,

What you are describing is visual confusion as you are pulling away from a long crosser which is the main risk of the method.  Try two things:

1.) Do not insert the gun on the target. Make the insertion just under or just in front off the target. This keeps the muzzle in the peripheral circle and does not disturb your primary focus on the target.

2.) After the insertion, move the muzzle with the target for a split second, establishing a muzzle bird speed relationship being the same. Then ease away from the target. The softer and smoother the pull away, the easier it will be for you to maintain focus on the target. As the lead window begins to open—pull the trigger.

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Good morning Gil & Vicki,

I’m 40 and really struggling seeing the white targets our trap club throws at night. I can break a 97 at a registered shoot on Sunday, and on Wednesday night struggle to even break a 20.

Got any advice? I’ve tried chalking my rib, various lenses…

Scott

Scott,

Preliminary diagnosis is too much muzzle awareness on Sunday during the day. When you shoot at night, you can’t see the muzzle as well. This leads to moving prior to obtaining sharp focus on the target. When you anticipate a target, you’re guessing where it is and where it is going. 

Moving without focus is like herding cats. Wait a tenth of a second or so longer to see the target more clearly, before you move to it.

Trap is a game of target line. Skeet is a game of leads. Sporting is a game of both. Regardless of the game you shoot, any movement given the gun prior to laser focus on the target increases risk by the power of 3.

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Gil & Vicki,

I’ve been shooting sporting clays for a couple of months and will start shooting registered tournaments in January. I am having a difficult time making a decision on whether to invest in an over and under or stick with an autoloader. I’ve fired a little over a thousand shells in the past two months and was told that I would wear out my Remington 1100 by year’s end. 

I had decided to buy an over and under because of the durability and the advantage of choke and barrel selection for specific targets. Then, a Level 1 instructor told me that the choke options with the over and under were overrated and that 50% of the competitive shooters used autoloaders. 

Would you mind providing some advice with respect to whether I would be placing myself at a disadvantage if I choose the 391 over the 682? I realize you probably do not make endorsements of any particular shotgun, but can you tell me anything about the life span of the 391 as compared to an over and under.

Thanks for any information you may provide.
– Scott

Scott,

The gun you choose to shoot sporting clays with should be a personal choice. Advice from other shooters usually follows this reasoning: Do what I do because I like to do it that way.

We do not feel you would be at a disadvantage with either gun, provided it’s the gun you want and like. There are some disadvantages and advantages of both.

A semi-auto like the Beretta 391 will have less recoil because of its gas operation. When you pull the trigger on a semi automatic shotgun, many parts move when the gun fires and cycles another shell into the chamber.  Because of the number of moving parts, there is a greater possibility of a malfunction or a broken part making the gun inoperable. Also, having only one choke, your choke selection is sometimes a compromise on certain target presentations. You will have to clean it more often because it must be clean to function.

An over and under (O/U) shotgun like the Beretta 682 Gold will have more recoil because of its design. There is no gas operated action to absorb the recoil. Fitted properly, with the right kind of recoil pad, the recoil can be tamed. When you pull the trigger on an O/U, very few parts move which lessens the possibility of a malfunction or a broken part. An O/U does offer two choke selections, which makes choke selection on any pair less of a compromise. You will also not have to spend near as much time cleaning an O/U.

So, as you can see, there are ups and downs with either type of gun. Our advice would be to buy the gun you like. Have it fitted and learn to shoot it. After all, we find that people shoot a gun better if they like it and are proud of it, regardless of what kind it is!