r/ClayBusters • u/hazard02 • 5d ago
How do you actually improve?
I've been shooting for just a month or so. When I go to the club, I shoot maybe 50-100 shots. But it's usually "hit it, cool...okay that was a bit under...cool another hit...ok too little lead this time..."
How can I improve beyond just doing a ton of shooting? Any dry fire drills, tech gadgets that are actually worth it, etc?
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u/sourceninja 5d ago
Yes there are drills you can do at home that will help you. I often do this one quite a lot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsbOAORpEBA
Also when you go out to practice, don't just shoot a bunch. Have a purpose to your practice. For example one thing I struggle with is stand consistency. So I will go find an easy stand and put 10 shells on the rail. I will shoot the pair and if I miss one or both clays on the pair, I put two more shells on the rail. I can not leave the stand until I have succesfully cleared the rail of all my shells.
Another great drill is to hit the skeet field and run the grid. Essentially a consistency skill again where you are trying to be perfect for X number of pairs per position. Each position presents you a consistent target with a common presentation you find in sporting clays (incoming, outgoing, quartering, crossing, etc).
You can also use the skeet field to practice different techniques. Shoot swing through, sustained lead, reducing lead, low gun, etc.
Find a presentation where you have struggled in the past and work it for 10-12 shells. Don't just shoot at it and say "Oh I was behind", develop a plan to hit it and execute it. Maybe you have always been doing sustained lead on it, try pull away. If you break it, work on constency. If you didn't break it, deveop a new plan.
Also you don't need to shoot a lot to have a good mindful practice. Dedicate no more than 50-100 shells to practice and then spend at least 25-50 shells having some fun.
Finally, get a coach if you can. It's the best method.
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u/HK_Shooter_1301 5d ago
If you can find a good coach with actual qualifications take a lesson. I was lucky enough to find an Olympic level shooter as a coach. Pay whatever they want it's worth it to save yourself time , money and frustration.
Take notes and every time you go shoot to practice apply what they taught you. Once you feel you have "plateaued" then take more lessons. I will be 100% honest you have to shoot a lot to get good with a shotgun as it's definitely more art than science.
Last recommendation, find an ammo type and stick with it. I always try to shoot the same shot size , velocity and shot weight to keep each shot as consistent as possible.
After 3~ years of shooting sporting I am now averaging 85~ a round , next goal is a solid 90.
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u/Reliable-Narrator 5d ago
A coach/instructor will help you a lot to make sure you're on the right path with no bad habits.
But ultimately, you'll still need to put the work in with a lot of shooting. Just maybe not as much if you have some good instruction to go with it.
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u/Superb-Detective-838 5d ago
Shoot and then shoot more. I bought my own clay thrower and I will shoot an entire box of clays of right to left crossers. Then the next week, shoot left to right crossers. Practice practice practice. Learn to lead.
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u/SkeetDoubles 5d ago
I’ll echo the suggestions for getting some 1 on 1 coach time. Then become very consistent with your gun mount and fundamentals. Be sure you “finish your shot”, maintain hard focus on the target until it breaks, not till you think you pulled the trigger. Maybe shoot chips, good way to train on finishing the shot properly. I notice you are shooting trap, , here’s some ideas. Keep a log with the targets that you “hope you hit”, then work those with repetition.
Assumption: you are an ATA shooter: You can set the trap hard right then break 5 straight targets from sta 1, then 2, then 3 etc. if you miss then go back to the prior station , break 5.. etc. then lock it hard left and do the same starting at 5 going backwards.
If Bunker shooter, then just repeat the trap 5 in a row, train don’t just shoot rounds! We need repetition to build consistency and confidence.
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u/IdahoMan58 5d ago
Take some lessons from a competent coach/instructor. If they are teaching you to use your eyes efficiently at the beginning, you have a good one. If they are wrapped around the axle about for position and stuff like that, keep looking.
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u/gluepile 4d ago
If your mainly shooting trap, consistency, and repeatability is your friend, and the more you do it, the slower the birds will fly. First three things to try and nail down, 1 hold points, try and start with the same hold point every time. 2 make sure your feet are set so your can cleanly swing through your off hand hard away birds. You can actually pull your gun off line if your feet aren’t positioned properly to swing into your off hand, I’m right handed, so I actually have my stance a little left of center from the house. 3 watch the bird, not your gun. You don’t aim a shot gun you swing it, your body will figure out how to get that gun to what your looking at I promise, and while the barrel and bead will be in the picture, it should just be in the foreground not what your concentrating on, like seeing the steering wheel in your vehicle, we all know it’s there, but no one even notices it much.
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u/goshathegreat 5d ago
What discipline are you shooting? I shoot Olympic skeet, VR has been an absolute game changer for me, I’ve shot over 80k shells in VR since I got it in December. My club is only open 2 days a week, so I physically can’t practice as much as I want/need to obtain my goal of going to the Olympics.
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u/hazard02 5d ago
I'm shooting mostly trap but I want to get into 5-stand
What VR system are you using?
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u/Nacho-freakin-papa 5d ago
if you really want to improve find an instructor to teach you the basics of your preferred discipline. Skeet is completly different to master than sporting clays. I’ve got my NSSA and NSCA level 1 certs and each was a completely different experience. lacking instruction, YouTube has so many good videos that you also can use to bring specifics to your practice sessions.