I'm a big beliver in patterning a shotgun too...first thing I do with any new shotgun I buy, you need to make sure the gun is shooting where you are looking. Kinda like you wouldn't take a rifle to a match that hasn't been sighted in.

I'm headed down a rabbit hole I don't wanna go down but there is POA vs POI patterning and then there is patterning for loads. Two different patterning...regardless on whether you agree patterning is valuable you need to make sure your POA = POI.

I can relate, several years ago I had bought a new shotgun and a buddy of mine and I went to an Austin skeet club. There was a fellow there in a wheelchair that we shot with. Like ALL TEXANS I was born knowing how to shoot, or so I thought. We shot a few rounds and I learned more in one day than I had ever known. Come to find out this gentleman was a competition shooter in the handicap division. One of the things (of the many) I was doing wrong was how I mounted the gun to my shoulder. I corrected this and immediately started shooting GOODER, SHAZAM. Good Luck.

Good call, Judd. I need to try the gun on paper.

Riverrider, like I said, it's not uncommon for riflemen to not be so good with a shotgun. And well, you're a rifleman.

Yes some barrels on shotguns come ever so slightly bent from the factory where you're aiming won't be where you're hitting if your shotgun happens to be one of those lucky few LOL. Unless you pattern it you'll never know.

I am by no means an expert but just something that helped me.

When I first learned to shoot a shotgun at a sporting clay range, the guy working the thrower told me to "look right down the barrel" with both eyes open. I feel a lot of people get this advice. Anyway, went out to my friends house one day to break clays and I couldn't hit a darn thing. His dad was there and asked me how I was aiming. I told him with both eyes and looking down the barrel. He said that was my problem, told me all my focus should be on the target. When a clay was coming right to left look down the side of the rifle and left to right, look across the rifle (I'm right handed). Started doing that and was breaking clays left and right.

I'm not sure I am, Jason, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn once or twice.

Good tip. Even though you wrote rifle twice where you meant to write barrel.

Def need to pattern the shotgun. Never would I hunt with a rifle that isnt sighted in.

so a few thoughts...

There are two different shooting styles i have observed....those who "Poke" IE pick a break point and ambush or those who swing. Swinging is by far the better technique....

There are no rules of thumb like there is with rifle shooting. Some birds fly fast, other fly slow. The best thing you can do is set up a crosser and shoot it with differing leads at differing distances. If a bird is 30-40 out there and a fast left to right you may be aiming a few feet at bird, or few inches at gun in front.

You may try some different loads. Also check your chokes. I would highly recommend shooting skeet.

A few tips that have worked for me...if you are having troubles on timing try shooting in front of a target. I could never get a rabbit thrower until an instructor told me to do that. Make sure the gun is a good fit for you. I find it funny when people buy off specs and not off feel. I actually point my figure of my lead hand outwards so that i am pointing where i am going.

just because you are a good target shooter does not mean you are a good hunter. I beat my dad in target shooting 9/10 but rarely do i beat him in hunting...

I am definitely no expert but do have some experience in college shooting with the team where I was instructed to lead x or xx depending on the trap station and angle of departure of the clay...needless to say, I sucked until a hunting buddy of mine (OK State Trap Champ) told me to quit thinking and shoot like he had seen me shoot in the field. Once I quit thinking about lead and shot instinctively, I smoked them and ended up winning the final shoot against the instructors. Trust your instincts. Precision guys will always overthink this.

I also have an electric target thrower you can borrow if you are interested. Never tried it and still in the box, but you are welcome to it.

Last piece of advice, shoot 8's or 9's with IC choke (Mod mid season), dove are not tough to bring down.

Ditto on the point of impact test on paper. 16 yards is the standard. For every inch your off left or right the stock has to be bent 1/16 inch

Also as you age your dominate eye changes possibly. It happened to me. Finding your dominate eye can be more involved than you think. The angle your head is while mounting the gun can be different than looking strait ahead as far as your dominate eye taking over

You are used to shooting a bullet that carries a lot of weight and shoots pretty flat. A shotgun shoots a whole bunch of tiny pellets that don't carry much weight. Paper the shot at different yardages. You will find the pattern drops off pretty quick. It'll give you a little better idea of where to aim. I find at the beginning of season I shoot under birds at a distance. I improve over time and then forget it again by next season. 2-3 lengths on a 20 yard bird seems too far in front of the bird. Maybe 1 length at that distance.

Good stuff fellas

FJG,

If you want to come to Austin for a day, I am willing to help you.

Long ago, I used to compete in skeet shooting and have taught quite a few folks through the years.

Thinking lead (as in leader not the metal) is generally not a good idea.

The correct way is kind of difficult to explain and make sense. You really need somebody to teach you at the clay range. You sort of focus on the beak of the bird, pull the trigger at that point while following through with your shotgun swing. Make sure you have a good sight path from your eye right down the barrel. Don't focus on the bead.

Lead will screw people up.

1. Weight forward
2. Head down
3. Focus on the target

I am the opposite of Fireman I am pretty fair with a shotgun but I did attend a seminar and Gil did a little presentation and I was amazed at doing one drill he showed that day really helped improve my scores and percentage on dove too. It involves a AA mag-light and you can do it in the house and I won't go into details but it helps on the issues shown in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCnOGIGrKE8

This^^^^All you need to remember

Way too much emphasis on lead. 20 yards is a close shot. Point right at it. When you start getting out to maximum distance like 35 plus yards then start thinking about lead.

Again check that the gun is hitting where your shooting first

Do not use you sights, shoot with both eyes open, and focus on the leading edge of the target, whether it be the front edge of the clay or the bird's beak. When I say focus, I mean try to see the lines on the clay or the fine details of the beak. Your eyes can focus for about 3/4 second, so you see the bird crossing, but really focus on the beak just as you are ready to fire. A smooth swing with follow through is also very important. Stopping when you pull the trigger and not following through will cause misses. If the gun is pointing where you are looking, and you are focusing on the front edge of the target, do not worry about lead, your mind will calculate all of that for you, the same way it does when you throw a football to a receiver. Keep your head down on the gun. Some people will raise their head to see if they hit the bird just as the gun is going off.

I had the same problem. I switched guns and problem seems to be solved. It was more to it than that. But I'd try the gun first.

Forgot to ask and did not see it addressed here, which is your dominant eye? If dominant eye is the right, you will have difficulty shooting left handed. This was one of the first things I've seen instructors determine.

Are you kidding me? Don't know why guys are even asking that as much as I shoot a rifle. Acting like I never shoot at all.

Left handed, left eyed. Can shoot a rifle right handed right eyed when needed.

Wouldn't shock me if this were the case. I'm going to check it on paper tomorrow and then bust some clays.

I always take 2 shotguns with me. Sometimes I just can't hit a bird with one so I'll switch to the other gun and be fine. Most likely a mental thing.

i did not read the preceding pages but will give you 2 potential quick fixes
1 take a pair of pliers and remove all the beads on rib, if you think you will sell the gunkeep them if not throw them out the window of the truck. ( and yes neither of my guns have em now)

what eye are you that should determine how you shoot "Handedness" is all in your mind