doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com So, how poorly do 'most' hunters shoot?

Desire is the biggest factor, Larry. "Want to". Daddy instilled that in me, I guess, the desire to always do my best. This has nothing to do with natural ability. I grew up shooting doves with men of means, shoots with 30-40 guns. These men could afford to shoot all they wanted, and some shot doves a lot. If I was put on a decent stand I would be high man on the field, or the first to kill my limit, and almost always had the highest bird/shell ratio, before I could drive a car. Daddy bought my shells in those days, and always admonished me, "Just don't waste 'em". Wasting, to me, came to mean missing. I worked hard at not missing even as a kid.

I have employed a fair number of men in my business, over the years. Give me one with the desire to work, over a man with ability and lack of motivation, anytime. If he wants it, he can learn what he needs to know. Desire can overcome a lack of time or money, but not a lack of effort. That has to come from within. It's just hard for me to understand how people can enjoy shooting under 15%, which is said to be the national average for doves. Every time you miss, you failed, in a sense, failed to do what you tried to do. I don't mean to sound elitist, I certainly have nothing to be elitist about, but I am constantly trying to improve.

No one will ever reach perfection at shooting flying. For that I am grateful. But, why not work at being better instead of settling for "also ran"?

SRH

Stan, my Dad never admonished me about wasting. Instead he took a different approach........he made me buy my own. On my limited budget I quickly figured out the wasting part.

Most dove hunters live in town. Most of them have demanding jobs, demanding wives, children particpating in sports events, and generally demanding lives. Once a year they get their shotgun out, wipe off the dust, grab five boxes of shells and their hunting license at WalMart and go dove hunting. Unless he is a natural I would expect something like five or six shots per bird.

For most, dove hunting is about camaraderie and a temporary parole from the Gulag. I spent over a decade in that Gulag. I am sure glad my sentence is over. I have sympathy for those still interned.

I'd consider that "World Class" talent on grouse, if an accurate calculation. At least for hunting mountain terrain. Most of the people hunting flat ground over in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota have no idea how easy their lives are compared to the rest of us.

Shotgun shooting is an Art. Rifle shooting is a Science and Pistol shooting is a Skill. All are improved with practice.

The person I like to see is the one who shoots Sportingly; and safely of course. That is taking the birds within range and not shooting unless he or she has a fair chance of a clean kill with the right combination of gun and cartridge. The one who says that they can consistently kill birds with a 20 bore at 60 yards; and you do hear them, are either lying or considerably over estimating range. And the one who shoots deer out to 500 yards doesn't deserve to own a rifle.

I pick up with dogs at a number of driven shoots. That entails standing behind the line of guns by a couple of hundred yards or so and collecting the birds, starting with any runners and then moving forwards after the drive is over. I see a lot of shooters. There are the ones who work on the assumption that they have paid for the day and they are going to fire as many shots as possible. They will shoot out of range and at birds far too close that should be left. There are the ones who shouldn't really shoot at live game until they have reached a reasonable level of consistency on clays first. If those type are in the line me and the dogs have to work our socks off trying to retrieve runners that have dropped down and legged it or are still capable of short flights. Silly thing is they think that they have shot well because the bird has been bagged. No, they are lousy shots who are fortunate to have two good dogs standing behind!

There is one shoot I go to that has a woman in the line up (not being sexist it is just that this one happens to be female), the pheasant comes perfectly 30 yards up and straight as a die. A perfect shot to be taken just before the apex of flight but no, she always waits, turns round and blasts it up the bum at 50 yards with her trap gun. Never a clean kill it just shudders and drops one or both legs and comes down in a heap and then goes for cover as best it can. Dogs retrieve it even though it has glided on for ages. Everyone else tells her she is a good shot as the bird is bagged.

We all miss of course but to pick up behind a good team of Guns is a pleasure. Birds either killed clean or clean missed and all shots within the proper range perameters. On those shoots there may only be one or two runners that drop back. And what's more I and the dogs aren't worn out either. Lagopus.....

I experienced a real eye-opener while attending our local rifle range's sight-in days for deer season. I am not exaggerating when I say that less than 20% of the dozens of guys I saw are adequate shots; less than 10% are good and I'd like to see about 30% of them stay home. WAY TOO MANY guys throw 5 rounds downrange as was previously mentioned, and upon seeing their pumpkin-sized group, would declare "close enough for deer"...

I am 100% behind personal liberty, but would like to see marksmanship requirements for license purchase, for big game.

I'm of the opinion similar to Stan's, but not exactly the same. I say: Anything worth enjoying, is worth doing.

I'd put my shooting at fair.

Seems to me desire without the means to support it won't get you anywhere. You can have all the desire in the world, but if you're working your butt off to support yourself (not to mention maybe a family), there's not enough left over--neither time nor money--to devote to a hobby to get really good at it. Unless maybe you live next to a football field and your desire is to become an NFL placekicker. Free access to the field, a ball and a tee, and you can work on it to your heart's content. But shells and reloading supplies have gotten more expensive. Targets have gotten more expensive. Gas, to get you to the range, costs almost twice now what it did when Bush left office. And a lot of people in the current economy count themselves lucky if they're just spinning their wheels and not seeing their income go down.

Well, maybe Obamacare will save folks enough on insurance that they can afford to shoot more.

The ones who complain, "I can't afford the practice" don't have the determination to see it through anyway. History is replete with those, who had not the means, but who caddied, cut grass, bartered work for shooting, whatever it took to get to do what they loved, and who excelled. There is an unwillingness to give up in some people that transcends any and all material shortcomings. It's one of those things that, if it has to be explained to you, you wouldn't understand it anyway.

I will not mince words on this. Have your final say, Larry.

SRH

I hunt alone specifically because I don't want anyone else to see how poorly I shoot.