[angery jonn]

Originally Posted by MK2750

I know you like to project yourself as an expert but lets remember that you have to check your watch to know how old your first real bird dog is. My eyes are so bad I can hardly see the barrel let alone the sites but can see and kill birds fine. You are literally preaching to the quire.

The vast majority of people are not like you. They do not shoot clays and go bird hunting only a couple of times a year. They miss, lots.

So then you say "Join a club and practise, practise, practise until your percentage is high 90%" but the vast majority of people don't.

So why do they miss? You say because they are not concentrating on the target. I know it is because the target is all they see and they have never developed the proper skill level to shoot where they are looking while watching that beautiful bird fly away.

If you are not willing (and the vast majority of people are not) to put in the time to develop these skills than you need to concentrate on getting the gun to aim where you are looking in the field.

If you want to test this theory, set up 3 pop cans on 3 well spaced fence posts (2 for double barrels) and ask the new or unaccomplished shooter to hit them without aiming as quickly as possible. I can almost guarantee you 3 misses.

Now ask that same shooter to take his time and aim. I can now almost guarantee you 3 hits.

If that shooter is willing to practise he will get much faster aiming and in time will not even realise he is no longer aiming just shooting and hitting what he is looking at. If he is not willing to practise (like the vast majority) then he is far better off aiming or he will be missing and looking at a bird flying away, again.

You talk about mentoring people at your club that are committed to making themselves excellent wing shooters. These people will be fine and no doubt will get better. I asked store owners why they don't carry more shotguns years ago and was told no one buys them around here, they use what is behind the door or in the truck. There are some goose hunters around here now but you seldom hear more than one group out on a Saturday. I know dozens of farmers and big game hunters that go out once or twice a year (I know because I take them) for a goose shoot and that is it. They have no use for more meat so don't go. They go for a drive and shoot a grouse or two if they see them, that's it.

Hunting and shooting is a lifestyle for very, very few people and those deeply committed are not on here asking for advise. Most are weekend warriors that need a little advise to get some more game in the bag and increase their enjoyment for one or two weekends a year. Telling the average Joe to knock the sites off his gun and suddenly and intuitively you will be smashing birds is like telling a weekend duffer to just "grip it and rip it" and you will be driving the golf ball like Tiger Woods.

Agree 100%