I shoot international skeet where we shoot low gun (butt must show below a line measured along the bottom of a vertical elbow) and once learned the no.8s are two guaranteed birds.
1. They are not overhead. They are crossing targets. 2. High 8 is the same target as high 5 but simply at a higher vertical angle.(no longer shot in international skeet) 3. Start shooting high 5 from that station. Break it before the center stake. When happy with yourself move two yards towards station eight. Set up exactly as station five ie: foot position and hold point. Look at the window of the house, be ready but relaxed. Call for the bird. Mount at the flash of the bird. Focus on the bird while mounting and WHILE CONCENTRATING ONLY ON THE BIRD fire as soon as the butt hits your shoulder (as you would a chukar diving over the ridge). Smoke the bird before the stake. Repeat in two yard increments until you smoke it on eight. 4. DO NOT MOVE YOUR FOOT AND GUN POSITION IN TOWARDS THE HOUSE AS YOU MOVE TOWARDS STATION EIGHT! Remember, it is a crosser. If you miss move your gun position and feet AWAY from the house in increments till you hit. Be ready when you call the bird!
5.repeat the above from station three for low eight.
6. The bird has the same distance to travel from high house to center stake whether you are on station five or station eight. If you break it at the same point before the center stake YOU HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME to break it from either station. There is no hurry. Shoot smooth and easy. Just react to the first flash of the bird to start the mount. Best done with a relaxed but ready approach.
Hope this helps and best of luck.
All the best
Skeeterbd
Last edited by Skeeterbd; 12/20/1203:03 AM. Reason: Adding point 6
I shoot skeet low gun but decided Station 8 warrants an exception. I found Chris Batha's approach to Station 8 very helpful:
This and the post above are very helpful, thanks. I like how little wasted gun movement there is with this approach. I can see how the same idea could be appropriated for low gun shooting as well. I've been letting the target get nearly overhead, moving my gun quite a ways in the process.
Mark, I also shoot low gun--except Station 8, unless someone challenges me to do it that way (in which case we'll sometimes do a double, facing the high house). The reason I don't shoot 8 low gun is because I look at skeet as practice for field shooting, and you would NEVER shoot an incomer that close. Look at the way a centered 8 disappears in a ball of smoke and you understand why. What you'd do, in the field, is pivot and take the bird going away. You can do that, pivoting away from the rest of the squad, if they don't mind--or you can shoot the high while facing the low and vice versa. Those are more typical of field shots than taking 8's while facing the respective houses.
So I'd suggest mounted gun, if you're going to shoot them the way everyone else does. Like you, I do a "goofy foot" on 8 as well, but only on the low. Went through a lot of missing on the low when a friend--also a right hander--pointed out that he shot it right foot forward. I have ever since. I don't do that on high 8, for whatever reason. Covering the bird actually gives you built-in lead as long as you continue to swing. It's a very quick swing so doesn't seem that way.
As for me, I shoot low gun at everything...I find that some days I struggle to catch the bird and other days I can make a smooth motion to ink dot the bird. The days I struggle... I might revert to "bench rest skeet".
You have received great information! I want to add one thing that I learned at station 8 and that is DO NOT THINK about the shot!!! Get ready and just do it! You have NO time to think! It is an instinct shot! Cover the bird with the barrel,keep swinging and the bird will break!!!
I will have to try it the way Chris Batha does it. I never faced the high house but pivoted my waist to shoot it. Want to try fun, move 5 paces closer to the low house.
Copyright (c) 1993 - 2024 doublegunshop.com. All rights reserved. doublegunshop.com - Bloomfield, NY 14469. USA These materials are provided by doublegunshop.com as a service to its customers and may be used for informational purposes only. doublegunshop.com assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in these materials. THESE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT-ABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. doublegunshop.com further does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these materials. doublegunshop.com shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including without limitation, lost revenues or lost profits, which may result from the use of these materials. doublegunshop.com may make changes to these materials, or to the products described therein, at any time without notice. doublegunshop.com makes no commitment to update the information contained herein. This is a public un-moderated forum participate at your own risk.
Note: The posting of Copyrighted material on this forum is prohibited without
prior written consent of the Copyright holder. For specifics on Copyright Law and
restrictions refer to: http://www.copyright.gov/laws/ - doublegunshop.com will not monitor nor will they be held liable for copyright violations presented on the BBS which is an open and un-moderated public forum.