Shotgun eye focus

Bob H

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Joined
Apr 11, 2014
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6
Location
Hansen, ID
Where is your focus when shooting the shotgun? I focus on the target and try to snap my eyes right to the center of the target. Then when I see the blurry sight get close pull the trigger. I ask because I can't hit much when my target to target transitions get below .30.
 
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Jesse?? You ever see him shoot shotgun?
;)

Bob,
Keep your noggin glued to the shotgun. Look for targets, once you see them, pull the trigger.
No head snapping involved.
Shotgun shooting is not pistol shooting; if it were, youd have a rear sight to look at also.
A properly fit shotgun is important.

What you describe is the #1 biggest error in shotgun shooting I see.
Good question.
 
mike cyrwus said:
Jesse?? You ever see him shoot shotgun?
:wink:

Bob,
Keep your noggin glued to the shotgun. Look for targets, once you see them, pull the trigger.
No head snapping involved.
Shotgun shooting is not pistol shooting; if it were, youd have a rear sight to look at also.
A properly fit shotgun is important.

What you describe is the #1 biggest error in shotgun shooting I see.
Good question.
Great advice!
 
Is gun fit as important for 3-gun as it is for clay shooting?

Like, would a 3-gunner ever take her Benelli M2 to the gunsmith for an extra 1/4" of cast-off?
 
dennishoddy said:
I think the biggest mistake most shotgun shooters make is raising the head to see if they hit the clay like Mike already said. Head down, and lead the clay.
Absolutely correct. Keep your cheek welded to the stock.

poopgiggle said:
Is gun fit as important for 3-gun as it is for clay shooting?

Like, would a 3-gunner ever take her Benelli M2 to the gunsmith for an extra 1/4" of cast-off?
For shooting clays, its all about NPA, so its important to have a gun fit that always points to your NPA.
 
I learned my lesson about stock fit when one of the best trap shooters in the country let me shoot his gun with its adjustable stock. Went from 75% to 90%.

There is a guy in Enid Ok that can actually bend the wood stocks, etc to fit a gun to the shooter. He isn't cheap, but if you want to make your gun shoot, he is the man.
 
The best trap shooter I've ever met (won the Grand from 27 yards) adjusts his stock by wedging a toothpick between the stock and receiver on his 870

Point being, you don't HAVE to have a gunsmith do it if you're a cheapass.
 
TheRealKoop said:
Target focus, or front sight focus?

Specifically on stationary targets. I find that if I try to target focus Ill miss quite often.
i have been all over the world hunting waterfowl and other flying things and target focus was really ingrained in my head with the shotgun and im very good at hitting flying things.... it was a huge problem with stationary targets for me with the shotgun when starting 3 gun last year... it is getting better fast but it was really really hard to use the shotgun sight at first vs just looking over the barrel and leading a target
 
poopgiggle said:
Is gun fit as important for 3-gun as it is for clay shooting?

Like, would a 3-gunner ever take her Benelli M2 to the gunsmith for an extra 1/4" of cast-off?
The M2 already has a multitude of shim combinations to adjust cast. different sizes of recoil pads account for LOP. Its an awesome shotgun.
 
mike cyrwus said:
The M2 already has a multitude of shim combinations to adjust cast. different sizes of recoil pads account for LOP. Its an awesome shotgun.
My bank account hates you.
 
TheRealKoop said:
Target focus, or front sight focus?

Specifically on stationary targets. I find that if I try to target focus Ill miss quite often.
Target focus. Your shotgun points where your eyes point. If it doesn't, you need to fix the fit if the stock or practice mounting the gun until it does. It's not a rifle or a pistol, don't try to shoot it like one. You should see the bead out of your peripheral vision, and it's really only a visual indicator that the shotgun has caught up to your eyes and it's time to pull the trigger. It's not a front sight and you shouldn't think of it that way.

Slugs are a different story....your shotgun is a rifle when you're shooting slugs. A very very poorly designed rifle.
 
Austin T said:
Target focus. Your shotgun points where your eyes point. If it doesn't, you need to fix the fit if the stock or practice mounting the gun until it does. It's not a rifle or a pistol, don't try to shoot it like one. You should see the bead out of your peripheral vision, and it's really only a visual indicator that the shotgun has caught up to your eyes and it's time to pull the trigger. It's not a front sight and you shouldn't think of it that way.

Slugs are a different story....your shotgun is a rifle when you're shooting slugs. A very very poorly designed rifle.
you may very well be right here but i cant hit crap on stationary targets shooting with target focus.... ive shot 1000s of rounds at stationary targets both ways in the last few months and i just cant get target focus to work on stationaries like i can on a flying target
 
Thanks for the replies. Interesting that I have two opposing answers. I adjusted my shotgun for fit, but I think I will check it again. But basically keep my head down and keep practicing is what I feeling.
 
Bob H said:
Thanks for the replies. Interesting that I have two opposing answers. I adjusted my shotgun for fit, but I think I will check it again. But basically keep my head down and keep practicing is what I feeling.
keep head down.... so hard for me.... harder than front sight focus with pistol.... its stupid i gotta quit looking up to see if i hit target.... i would get answers from people who blaze with shotgun like so many can and i am not one of those yet... maybe after time you quit using the sight on stationary targets... time will tell for me
 
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