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Looking Hard at the Target???

108K views 2K replies 150 participants last post by  Curly N 
#1 ·
I don't know why I am going to ask this.

Everybody says that a gun that fits right will shoot where you are looking.

Everybody says to look hard at the target!

If a target takes an 8' lead and you are looking at the target and the gun goes where you are looking you will miss the target behind by 8'???

OK go ahead I am ready! :lol:
 
#6 ·
Ahhh, Tadpole, you have discovered one of the great paradoxes of instructor talk. But, did you have to say it out loud just because it went through your brain.

Try substituting "concentrate" for focus. For short lead targets it is relatively easy to operationalize the "Focus on the target" maxim. As the lead gets longer --such as really long distance crossing targets--the gap approaches the point where the shooter fears losing the either the target or the gun in his peripheral vision and brings the two closer to retain contact with both the gun and the target resulting in a consistent miss.

Shooters who see lead at the target seem to shift to seeing the lead or the gap, as stated above. Shooters who see lead at the gun rely on the principle of parallel lines and included angles which Blakeley explains full in "Successful Shotgunning". The result is the same--a hit but the shooter who sees lead at the target may say that looks like four yards of lead and the shooter who sees lead at the gun will say he was surprised that the lead did not look like any more than the lead on a closer target.

In either case the shooter must be connected to the target and I prefer "concentrate" to "focus" when trying to explain this to a student. Experience is the best way to learn what a lead on a long crossers looks like--not theory.

edited
 
#10 ·
I don't think you have to stare a hole thru the target. I think you have to "see" the line and speed. If you can accurately visualize the line and speed , your subconscious will put the bbls in the right place ahead of the target.

Simple , really.
 
#11 ·
Talk about overthinking it.

Everything anchors off the break point. Acknowledge the break point, establish the hold point, let your eyes settle for a moment before calling for the bird, focus on the bird, let the gun meet your hard focus at the break point. This is the road map regardless of speed, angle, or distance. Try to keep your mind between the ditches.
 
#12 ·
I had a target last week that was a little quartering move.

I was just practicing and when I missed the first 2 I thought about the post where they were talking about how Richard Faulds looks at a spot in front of the target.

I tried this and I hit it every time. I could see right where to shoot it.

Try is again on Saturday and it worked great!
 
#13 ·
Terry,

I don't buy it, even though it may seem that's what happened…

What exactly are you looking at when you catch a fastball thrown to your side? It probably wasn't your glove or somewhere in front of the ball if you actually caught the ball -- but more likely you're looking at the ball itself. Moreover you also probably did not think anything like, "the ball is traveling at 85 mph on a vector 2.3 degrees to my left and 3.7 degrees downward, so my glove needs to arrive 11.3 inches out and 4 inches down from where it currently is inside the next 0.47 seconds to intercept the ball." So how did you catch it? Fact is you kept your eye on the ball and your glove-hand went exactly where it needed to go; your brain knew exactly where your hand was and without any conscious input on your part guided your hand to the proper intercept spot, presto a caught fastball...

Similarly your brain knows exactly where your barrel is pointing even though you aren't looking it. And just as similarly, your subconscious will point it in the proper spot as long as you keep your conscious brain focused on the target and out of the way of the body parts doing the gun-guiding; simply get out of your own way mentally and let your brain and body do its thing.

Now if only it were that easy to actually execute on 100 times in a row…
 
#14 ·
ded&ded said:
Ahhh, Tadpole, you have discovered one of the great paradoxes of instructor talk. But, did you have to say it out loud just because it went through your brain.

Try substituting "concentrate" for focus. For short lead targets it is relatively easy to operationalize the "Focus on the target" maxim. As the lead gets longer --such as really long distance crossing targets--the gap approaches the point where the shooter fears losing the either the target or the gun in his peripheral vision and brings the two closer to retain contact with both the gun and the target resulting in a consistent miss.

Shooters who see lead at the target seem to shift to seeing the lead or the gap, as stated above. Shooters who see lead at the gun rely on the principle of parallel lines and included angles which Blakeley explains full in "Successful Shotgunning". The result is the same--a hit but the shooter who sees lead at the target may say that looks like four yards of lead and the shooter who sees lead at the gun will say he was surprised that the lead did not look like any more than the lead on a closer target.

In either case the shooter must be connected to the target and I prefer "concentrate" to "focus" when trying to explain this to a student. Experience is the best way to learn what a lead on a long crossers looks like--not theory.

edited
Exactly...The shooter "Concentrates" only with their eyes.
 
#16 ·
As Pete Blakely once told me..."Ya gun haas t' shoot whar ya looook, but ya' hafta t' know whar t' f***ing looook, too." He's written extensively about looking where you shoot vs. just focus on the target. Has been pretty controversial...but does make sense and does work, particularly on long lead shots.
 
#19 ·
This thread is in danger of becoming yet another argument over hard focus on the bird/ barrel /bead / lead.
JacksBack's post at 11.37 was very nearly correct about catching a ball.
When we are born, none of us can catch a ball, none of us can ride a bike or shoot . We all learn.
As for catching a ball we actually do use our subconscious to factor in lead whilst catching. Many women cannot catch very well until they learn to co-ordinate, that is once they have broken the chain and moved away from the sink.
As I said in my earlier post 'look for the gap'.
Wendell uses a good term 'never let the bird get ahead of the barrels'.
Remember we are talking LONG crossers, not swing through easy close ones.
 
#20 ·
This is one of my favorite topics. Here is my 2 cents worth. As we learn the path of any given target by watching it a few times we can create a hole in the sky that the target will most likely pass through. All we have to do is put the shot there when the target gets there and hopefully they will bump into each other. Or put another way, "Put the shot where the target is going to be when the shot gets there." I find this easiest when I focus laser like on the target as this gives my flight computer, my brain, more data to work with. With practice the gun became an extension of my arms. Put another way, I became one with the gun. That's what works for me. Have fun. Be safe!
 
#22 ·
Guys, I just spent 3 days duck hunting with Wendell. This subject, as well as a few others, came up while in the blind. His thought is, the subconscious drives the barrel while the eye is solely focused on the target.

On the lighter side, shots that were on my side of the blind, I made sure I shot pull away as he was looking over my shoulder. :lol: I can't repeat here what he said, but he knew I was doing it on purpose.

Wendell shot very well on this trip. At one point, he went 9 in a row. Pretty good considering the conditions.
 
#26 ·
You're kidding, Right????? For God's sake it's not that cold here yet Terry. Just go shoot. Who the hell cares how you do it as long as it gets done!!! I know your instructors- they are cringing right now! It's way too early to start the 20 page winter boredom argument. See you in the spring, Steve
 
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