Oh Shoot!

                                         One of my objectives was to improve my knowledge of gun's and shooting. As I spent more and more time in the field the need to work on my shooting became more apparent. Having grown up only touching the shotgun when hunting season came around I was not disciplined in my shooting technique. I was average at best but could manage quite well with the advantage a good dog could give me most of the time.
                                          The off season of 2005 was used to focus on my skills and knowledge of proper techniques. First of all I did some reading and watched some video. Right away it was obvious my mounting of the gun was inconsistent and I hadn't understood all the problems this basic maneuver was causing me. Proper stance and swinging on a target then following though all started to make sense especially as I watched other people shoot. I had never taken the time to break down and study the process of mounting the gun and shooting at a target but once I did it wasn't hard to understand why I was missing so many shots. My motivation was that I wanted to enjoy the sport more but most importantly I owed it to my dog's not to miss! At this time I was alternating between a Browning 12 gauge semi auto and a 20 gauge SxS compensating for the misses with additional shots fired.
                                              I joined my friend Tom at an area gun club to shoot skeet. I had never been to a skeet range before but after shooting a few rounds knew this was exactly what I needed to start doing on a regular basis. This venue had all the elements I needed to practice on. As we shot rounds I got to talk with and watch other shooters which helped to reinforce what I needed to work on. The importance of the mount came up time and again. This was something I could do at home as one older gentleman told me as he watched me shooting. "Just leave a gun in the corner and pick it up and practice that mount a few times several times a day" That's what I did.
                                              My shooting started to get better. I was now conscious of what I was doing wrong and how to do it right. We'd usually shoot 8 or 10 rounds a visit. This was a pretty good work out but I needed the practice. As we were shooting I also got to shoot a couple of Tom's SxS's and became familiar with the ideas about fit and balance. I was surprised at how different some of these gun's felt as you brought them to your shoulder. This was a whole new world to me never having been around a variety of different gun's. Growing up we had two shotguns in the house. My Dad's Ward's Westernfield by Steven's 20 gauge SxS with a single non selective trigger and a Steven's single shot 410. I was still shooting the Steven's SxS  that my Dad had given to me. I had waited year's for this having had so many fond memories of shooting it as a kid but couldn't help thinking when he handed it to me finally  how he must have felt knowing he would never shoot it again. Later I would buy that Browning  Semi Auto 12 gauge to help compensate for my average shooting skills! I admire people that seem to have natural ability but I had to work at this.

One of the last run's of the 2011 season with Molly,Mick and Dad's 20 gauge Steven's
I had Dad's gun restocked,blued and cased. Every time I carry it I think of all the
times we had together down the railroad tracks out side the little town we lived in.
A working man's gun of it's time. I've learned it's not how much a gun costs that matter's
but how well it fit's and whether or not you can shoot the damn thing!

                                            Later that summer we also shot several rounds of Sporting Clays at a few different course's as well. I really enjoyed this game and had shot only once before at a private club in Kansas on a work related trip. I'll never forget that. It was a beautiful place and we were going to do a driven bird hunt from blinds but the first day was clays to warm up. Each station had a bronze sculpture of the bird the shot represented. But what made it so memorable is that on the way back going through airport security I set off the alarm at check in not uncommon but the reason was that I had forgotten a couple shotgun shells in my jacket! Although this was pre 9/11 it still got attention but the older security guard a  tall thin gentleman looking at what I pulled out of my pocket said "Ohhh" I explained we had been out to Flint Oak Hunt Club a well known destination and had just over looked the shells. He said " Well I better just take those" and sent me on my way with a smile. Anyway the relaxing nature of the walk around the course talking and shooting was a lot of fun and fit right in with my objective to further improve my shooting. Anything for the Pup's right?
                                           Now it probably wouldn't surprise anyone reading this that I had decided purchasing a new gun was definitely part of the solution to my shooting problems as well. The search was on."Oh Shoot."More gear!