sight picture

[Charlie Tango]

Last night my daughter invited me with her friends to shoot trap at a local club.  The only trap I have ever shot was with a simple thrower that you pull the rope and to target flies. My trap is super slow and super close compared to what I saw last night.  I really struggled and started second guessing my sight picture and leading of the target.  To my question, how would you explain sight picture with your shotgun when shooting clay targets?

[GRIMJIM]

I shot actual skeet recently for the first time too. The older gentleman that took me started coaching me on instinctive shooting. All body position, gun handling and cheek position. He yelled at me every time I tried to use the sights.

I started pounding clays one after another without using the sights at all.

I need to figure out what I did so I am looking forward to hearing the answers to this question also.

[rbwillnj]

Trap guns have sights?    If they do, I never look at them.

See the bird, Shoot the bird.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

rb, to me trap is far easier than skeet...the birds are going away at various angles....skeet is shooting a going way,crossing at various angles, and coming toward you....I have looked over some books on skeet and had coaching from a friend...it helped, but my skeet game is horrible...as for trapif the bird angles to the right shoot up the right side, to the left up the left side, and straight away you might need to cover it unless you have a trap gun...look up trap and skeet shooting books,..they have photos, and drawings that will be of some help....I shot thousands of rounds before I ever shot a trap target so that helped some...my old trap shooting buddy always said keep you head down, shoot one target at a time....while some say they don't see the barrel, I think subcon. they do, but one should not dwell on the bead but quickly line the bore in relation to the target, keep your head down and keep swinging....stopping ones swing or raising one's head causes most misses in shotgunning........from what I am told....

[1marty]

I have shot skeet for over 50 years. I never look at the beads. I would suggest whether you shoot skeet or trap have someone give you some professional lessons. Otherwise, you'll waste alot of lead.
My dad got me into the sport when I was a little guy. When he missed he'd always say "if you hit them all the time it wouldn't be any fun".

[rbwillnj]

I have never shot skeet, just no ranges close by.  I have always been told that skeet was easier than trap because the clays always follow the exact same trajectory.  Once you learn how to shoot that bird from that position youv'e got it.  I've been told that once you learn the shots, it's only challanging when you shoot the sub-guages.   But what do I know, I've never shot skeet.

In either skeet or trap, if you miss one bird, you are basically shooting practice from then on.

[SHOOTALL]

First you need to know how your gun patterns . Second you need to know where the pattern goes in relation to where you see as you mount and shoot the gun. Fast way is to put up a paper about 3 ft X 3ft . Put a 3-4 inch circl in the middle . Step back 30 or so yards and mount the gun and fire at the center about 8-10 times . A hole will show up where for all pratical purposes you are looking . This point can be aduusted with hold changes , stock work etc. Now that you know where your gun shoots with relation to where you look then shoot when the target is also in the spot where the pattern should go . But the target is moving , the best explination on learning lead was to take a garden hose and a spray nossle with a trigger . Try to hit flying bugs with it . Don't hold the sprayer open just learn to make a quick shot with it . The water much like your shot string will travel in an arc. if you are moving your gun while shooting which is the best way in most cases but not all. When you get to the range to shoot clay targets think back to the spray nozzle and adjust where you see the target until you hit it most of the time .
Some say stand in front of a mirror with an unloaded gun close your eyes mount the gun pointed at the mirror with your eyes closed then open them to see if you are looking down the bbl stright. Others will tell you to track the joint in rooms where the wall and cieling meet until you don't go up and down but stright . Stand so the angle is not always the same . Hitting moving targets is easy after you work out the minor things and realize it is really eye hand coordination  not aiming at all . 

[dougk]

The best thing I did when I got into sporting clays was to take a few lessons from a certified instructor.  What a difference those lessons made.

[dukkillr]

To me trap is something of a gimmic.  I've shot it a bunch, competed some, and just don't care for the nature of the beast.  Part of the reason is exactly the issue you noted.  The sight picture is unnatural in skeet.  The target is rising and without a specialized trap gun, you will "blot out" the target when it is going straight away.  Serious shooters overcome this issue with special guns that have raised ribs and high cheek pieces.  Neither ever appealed to me, but I shoot because I want to be a better hunter.  Skeet and sporting clays provide more variance and more realistic skills to work on.

To explain any type of sight picture is somewhat difficult.  When I taught my wife I would say something like, "Well aim 3 feet in front" and she would look at me and say, "how do I know what 3 feet looks like?".  My only answer is to shoot a bunch.  Shoot with someone who can watch you, stand behind you, and explain where your shot is going.

A very quick tip:  If you are ready with the gun mounted, and you find the target quickly, you should pull up to the target, pull over the target such that you can't see it, and squeeze, in one fluid motion.  That target is rising and 90% of beginner misses that are on the target quickly, are because they are below or behind.  Find it, swing through it, pull.