Try skeet shooting to improve your shotgunning skills

Try skeet shooting to improve your shotgunning skills

One thing most "wing" shooters could benefit from is shooting a round of skeet.

Skeet or sporting clays ranges are located throughout Florida, and the country for that matter, and are available to "pros" and amateurs alike. Professional instructors are available at many of the ranges to assist and teach beginning shotgunners.

In a typical skeet course the shooter takes eight different positions between two houses. The houses, known as a "high house" and a "low house," are filled with mechanical throwers and when the shooter is ready, small four-inch clay "birds" that resemble a tiny frisbee are hurled in front of, or over the shooters. Sometimes it's a single clay bird but often two birds are fired almost simultaneously from each house.

When the clay birds are fired they zoom by the shooter at 50 - 60 miles per hour. The shooter only has a split second to raise their shotgun and fire. The first time out novice shooters often watch in amazement as they miss or fail to even catch up to their streaking target.

"The biggest thing skeet shooting teaches a shooter is to learn to become proficient with their shotgun," said Eric Isenberg, Bay County resident and long time skeet shooter and hunter. "Shooters are shooting small shot, either 8's or 9's and they learn pretty quickly the range of their shotgun."

Isenberg said the optimum range where shooters have the best chance at breaking the clay birds is around 23 -27 yards. He said that's based on the location of the shooter, their gun's shot pattern and the speed of the clay birds.

Perhaps one of the most important elements of skeet shooting that wing shooters benefit from is learning what "swing through" or "follow through" means.

Isenberg, who has been skeet shooting since 1990 and some years shoots 5,000 rounds says, "Beginning shooters often get their shotgun to their shoulder correctly and get a good sight picture as they swing on the clay bird but stop the movement of the gun when they fire. That usually causes them to shoot behind the bird. What you have to do is maintain your swing through or follow through as you fire to be successful."

Isenberg said another thing beginning shooters commonly have difficulty with is estimating lead distances.

"Basically, they learn that the closer an object is to them, be it a clay bird or a dove, the shorter their lead. After some practice they begin to put all this together - effective range of their gun, how to swing through, proper lead and as they begin to break targets just like experienced shooters they begin to really enjoy the sport," he said.

Skeet shooting takes practice, repetition and split-second timing but good shotgunners often shoot and break all 25 clay birds with no misses.

A round of skeet typically costs $20 - $30 per person, shotgun and ammunition not provided. Protective shooting glasses and ear protection are a necessity.