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That !!! Rabbit In March, I saw Bob Wilson at River Road Sporting Clays and he said he was having trouble with rabbits. When I asked him what seemed to be the problem he said he kept shooting in front of the !!! rabbits and couldn't seem to correct it. I knew when he said that, that one of two things were the problem. Either he was not holding Focus on the target or he was moving the gun way to fast. We went to the Fur & Feather on the South course immediately. When we arrived at the station we looked at a couple of rabbits and talked about some of the idiosyncrasies of the rabbit target. We discussed that the rabbit target appears like it is going faster than normal because it bounces erratically. It also doesn't fly in a straight line like a normal clay. Because the rabbit appears faster than it really is, excessive gun speed typically creates misses in Front. Even though every thing looks right when you pull the trigger, you still miss in front because the gun is going so much faster than the rabbit. Vicki & I see this problem most frequently in women. We feel that it has something to do with the fact that most women see lead in terms of inches at the barrel, not feet at the target like most men.--More on that later. The easiest way to slow both the rabbit and the gun down is to Focus on the center circle of the rabbit, and don't move until you see it. Yes, for those of you who have been shooting streaks, the rabbit has a raised circular portion in its center where the manufacturers logo is stamped. When sharp Focus on this circle is achieved the target will seem to slow down, because you are less aware of the background. The target will also seem to straighten out its Flight Path. After going over these things Bob & I looked at a few rabbits and he decided that he hadn't been focusing on the center circle and once he did that the rabbit really did appear to slow down and roll smoother. It was then that Bob realized another big thing about rabbits--they come out Fast and slow down every time they hit the ground. Also the longer they are on the ground (rolling and not hopping) the quicker they slow down. We then talked about his swing and how it should slow down with the rabbit so his lead picture would be constant and correct. Then came the magic moment. Bob tried one--and hit it. The look of disbelief on his face was priceless. He couldn't get over how slow the rabbit appeared and how easy it was to hit. Then he asked if he needed to do anything different at longer distances? So we backed up. To his amazement it got slower and easier to hit. PROBLEM SOLVED! So remember, when shooting rabbits, focus on the center circle first Before you move, swing with the exact speed of the rabbit, put the gun where it needs to be and Kill It. Back to Article Directory I want to give my wife some shooting lessons for her birthday. Can I come too? My first reaction is always sure, but it will cost you double to show up and if you speak it will cost you triple-but what we tell him is that it is up to the lady. If she will feel the least bit intimidated by having him watch, then the answer is no. If she says it doesn't matter or she would like him to come then it's OK, but he is limited in his actions. I personally like to have the shooting partner there, so they can find key words to say to each other to solve any difficulty they have with a target. One or two key words are usually all that is needed to correct a miss. Telling a women to be 3 feet in front of a bird doesn't tell her anything. She must be more specific with where she is looking on the target. That magical three feet is different to everyone--it is a perceived difference to each individual, therefore, it will be different for each person, and useless information. Instead of helping it has become confusing--then frustration sets in, sound familiar? We have found that the ladies are more interested in learning how the process works. They don't have to hit every target, but they must understand how the gun works, how the shot column works and how to use their eyes. This all makes sense to them and they understand that the hitting of the targets will come, but learning how the process works is more important. The desire to hit the target is there, but its not their first priority. This is quite different from a mans perspective of got to hit that target no matter what. If I load more shells into the gun and shoot more, I'm sure I will hit it eventually. Sound familiar? Gentlemen, the reason the ladies are taking this sport up is because it is fun. Its fun to be with friends and its great therapy to break those targets. Let's keep it FUN. Don't put your perception of a good time as hitting every target off on her. Once you put pressure on her to hit the target, the more frustrating it is. Let her make the mistakes and correct them without the interference. She doesn't need to become dependent upon you to tell her what to do. We tell our students to make their own corrections--AND NOT TO RELY ON ANYONE ELSE. Should you come to the lesson? If its OK with your wife you are welcome--who knows you probably will learn something too. Back to Article Directory I think that I am moving the gun, but others tell me that I am stopping. How do I get myself to not stop the gun? (James Nagamine, California) The only reason that you will stop the gun is that your eyes have gone to the barrel. If you are focused on the target, you will follow just the targets flight. You will not have that "quartz watch" movement of looking at the barrel, then the target, being behind the target, having to hurry up to catch it, then look again at the barrel, then the target. There is too much thinking going on during the shot. It is impossible to make this work. You must maintain complete focus on the target until you break it. The instant the focus goes from the target to the barrel everything stops and then you must hurry to catch up. Then the barrel is always moving faster than the bird so your eyes are always on the barrel, because their job is to react to the fastest movement in the sight picture. What needs to be done is: the barrels must start making their move as you see the target. This initial move to where the target is going (the break zone) is perhaps the most important thing to get you started to breaking the target consistently. Your first move with the gun is to the break zone, not to your face. This move lets you feel the tempo of the target. It also starts the whole process of moving the barrels the speed of the target. If you wait for the target to get too close to the barrels before you start your move, this will put you behind the target and in a rushed move to the break zone and usually gives you a poor mount. Any movement made the direction the target is going robs the target of speed and makes it slowdown. That makes everything in the picture go the same speed and enables you to keep sharp focus on the target. The barrels and the target are going the same speed so focus can be maintained throughout the swing. Remember that the gun will follow the eyes. Trust your eyes and your point will be perfect. Back to Article Directory Have other questions on other issues? Visit our Clinic FAQs section or submit your own question. 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