Woodlands World

Barb Chakurda is a NSCA Level 1 Certified Instructor and Course Manager at the Shooting Academy at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa. She has won or placed in many national sporting clays competitions, and has been featured on the July 2003 cover of Sporting Clays magazine.

As a NSCA Instructor, Chakurda sees many first-time shooters. She has noticed the most common problem first-time shooters encounter is that they feel the need to move the gun too quickly, aim at the target, then pull the trigger. Obviously this is not the most efficient way to shoot a moving target. Here's how Chakurda guides new shooters during their first taste of sporting clays:

"What is most important is controlled and proper gun movement. The gun cannot move faster than the target in your field of view or your eyes will go to the gun and that magic BB sitting on the end of the barrel. Extend your index finger down the fore-end so you are pointing, not aiming, at the target.

Excessive gun movement creates risk, so hold the muzzle close to your chosen break point, making sure the muzzle is under the flight path of the target. This will give you a clear view of the target as it comes to the gun.

Before you call for the target, your eyes must be still and focusing on the pickup point, where you first see the target clearly. Your head should be facing that direction, eyes still. Start a smooth and controlled gun movement in the direction the target is going as soon as you see the target. This way, the gun will stay in front of the target through the bird's whole flight path. Move your head and eyes with the target, focusing on the leading edge, letting the target come to the gun, while timing the gun mount to the face at the chosen break point.

Using this technique, the muzzles are mirroring the flight path of the moving target, and the gun is still moving ahead of the target as the shot is taken."

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