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How to hit low incomers

Grouse shooting is easily simulated on the clay ground.

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By Mark Russell

Wednesday, 13 June 2007

Here we explain how to nail those low and super-fast incomers; ideal practice for early season grouse and driven partridge.

There's nothing like a bird that's really coming on to you. I reckon it must rate as one of the best experiences in the world.

Personally speaking, the faster they come, the better it is. You know right from the outset with a little bit of thought and preparation you're almost certain to score.

Sorry about that, my mind must have been wandering for a moment.

Right, my mate Jim has never shot grouse before so he asked me for a few pointers - grouse, unlike other game birds, are easily simulated on the clay range. In real life the way the birds are presented to the guns is predictable. The birds tend to come in very fast and often quite low. Generally speaking, the birds are pretty much straightforward incomers, but they can come in quartering from either left or right - and when they hear the first shots they can turn at an instant to provide a fast-moving crossing target.

From the 'clay shooting' perspective I can make 'grouse' targets pretty realistic when I'm setting up the traps, the only thing that's different from the real thing can be the frequency at which the birds are presented - it's sometimes difficult to get a covey of 20 or 30 clays in the air at the same time. That aside, any form of simulated game shooting can really speed up your reflexes, and is ideal practice for when you're out on the moor or at a peg.

From the coach's point of view, it was an interesting challenge. I set up a number of traps, close together, and about 20 yards or so from the stand. I could now present super-quick incoming simultaneous pairs or singles in rapid succession. The birds were between 15 and 20 feet off the ground. Jim only missed half a dozen or so out of 40. No problem with technique here then.

Here are a few of the pointers that we covered.

Enjoy yourself
In a nutshell, try to relax! Enjoy yourself. This could possibly be a chance in a lifetime, so make sure you make the most of it. Whatever you do, a shooter should not put himself under pressure before getting to the venue. Jim was already competent at breaking clays, and it seemed to help when I suggested he simply treated the grouse butt as any other stand on a sporting layout.

Watch the birdie
No matter what the target is, you've only got two barrels at your disposal. Pick your birds carefully and choose which to shoot first - exactly as you would when presented with a simultaneous pair of clays. Be aware if you miss with your first shot, the second barrel might be better saved for the second bird rather than trying to play catch up on the first.

Remember when you've only got seconds to decide which bird to take first, everyone has a natural preference when they swing the gun. Most right-handers find it easier to swing from right to left, so try and keep this in mind when choosing the one to go for.

Ready, steady?
You never know exactly where driven game will come from; just a rough idea. Therefore, picking up the bird visually and then choosing the kill point will have to be done 'on the fly'. As such, your ready stance should be neutral, almost square-on to the expected flightline. Be ready to move your feet if necessary, especially if the incomer suddenly veers away to become a quartering or crossing bird.

Concentrate your vision on the accepted 'arc of fire' in front of you, but keep your wits about you and use your peripheral vision to pick up any birds coming from right or left down the line. Remember, what was a fellow gun's straight incomer could turn in front of the line and become a crossing shot from your butt.

Be safe
The general rule is to only shoot at birds in front of, or above your butt. Another rule of thumb is to only shoot at birds behind you if they've been pricked. If this is the case, you must take the gun from the shoulder, turn, re-mount and fire. You must never, ever, swing through the line of guns. This is the golden rule.

Flushed with success
The summer months are traditionally the time for charity clay shoots. These are an ideal opportunity to hone up your pre-season skills, as 9 out of 10 of these shoots will organise a flush as part of the day's sport.

A flush of any sort is usually 30, 50 or 100 birds - depending upon the number of guns taking part at any one time. It's usually shot in pairs or fours at small events, but you can get flushes with a dozen or so shooters taking part. The targets are often released at random, generally from two or three different traps, but you can guarantee they'll come thick and fast.

At this stage it's sufficient to say that shooting any form of flush will definitely get the 'red mist' going, it'll sharpen up your driven-bird skills and leave you wanting to have another go! It's great fun so give it a try if you get the chance.