TOP tips for shooting vermin!

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TOP tips for shooting vermin!

The most common reasons for missing rabbits are shooting behind and above. As such you must always remember the golden rule: shoot its front feet off.

By Mark Russell

Friday, 08 February 2008

Here we look at how a variety of vermin species can be simulated with clay targets. All you've got to do is practice hitting them!

Bolting bunnies
The concept of shooting rabbit targets is easier to understand compared with flying targets, simply because you don't have to worry about that extra up and down dimension.

That doesn't mean they're easy by any means though, in fact, I know shooters that dread finding a rabbit stand on a sporting layout.

The main reason they don't like shooting clay rabbits - especially in competitions - is the possibility of the dreaded bounce - where the target can suddenly leap a foot or so off the ground after hitting an obstacle in its path.

Fortunately, though, rabbits that suddenly leap up and fly through the air are rarely seen in the wild!

Like shooting at any moving target with a shotgun, your muzzles must be ahead of the bird as you pull the trigger. If you aim at the target you'll miss. Lean into the target, keeping your weight on the front foot with your toes pointing towards the expected kill point.

If possible shoot gun-up and swing the muzzles smoothly, keeping ahead of the target (the maintained lead style always works well with this type of target.) Make sure you don't jerk the gun and you must remember to keep the swing going after you pull the trigger.

The most common reasons for missing rabbits are shooting behind and above. As such you must always remember the golden rule: shoot its front feet off.

Grey dreys
This is one of the few times you'll ever actually aim a shotgun. As we mentioned earlier, with shotguns and moving targets you always have to shoot where the target is going, not where it is.

Grey squirrel drey shooting. Above: with static targets, simply line up the bead with the target.

With static targets though, you obviously have to aim. The best approach is to place the target on the bead of the muzzle and pull the trigger. This approach simply relies on the fact the average shotgun will place around 60% of the lead shot above the bead, and the remainder below. You can always check to see how your gun fires by firing a shell at a mark on a pattern plate.

Snap shots
Instinctive shooting can often be incredibly effective. You might not know why you hit the target, all you do know is that you did.

For instance, if you're running to catch a ball you don't stop to think how much forward allowance you're going to need to make your hand connect with the ball, instinct takes over and you just put your hand in the correct place.

The result can often be the same with shooting. Snap shooting lends itself to ultra quick moving targets, rats for example. The way to practice this type of shot is to get yourself onto a rabbit stand at your local shooting ground.

Snap shot clay shooting. Above: impose restrictions on yourself so that your reactions have to be instinctual.

Make the shot even more difficult for yourself by imposing mental (or actual if you can) restrictions on where you can take the shot. Say to yourself I'm going to clobber this target before it's travelled more than six feet after coming into view.

Alternatively, try and break the clay between two, predetermined places. (If you can place obstacles, say straw bales, in front of the clay's line of travel all the better.)

At the end of the day you can't learn how to snap shoot out of a book, practice a lot and rely on your instincts!

Woodies
Pigeons can be some of the most testing and tricky birds to shoot in the wild. Fortunately they can easily be simulated on the clay ground, so sharpening up your technique is easy to do.

It doesn't really matter what type of stand you're on when shooting a sporting layout - crossers, incomers or going away birds, they're all typical of the types of target seen when you're out decoying.

Clay shooting pigeons. Above: pigeon shooting can be easily replicated on the clay ground with multiple targets.

The crosser simulates when the birds are showing an interest, flying past and looking at your pattern. The incomer is when they commit to land, and the going away is the second bird frightened off by your first shot!

Pigeon and clay pigeon shooting go hand in hand. Practicing on the clay ground will help you shoot more pigeons - every outing on the pigeons will sharpen you up for the clays. Do as much of both as you can!

Crows
Corvids are a serious pest and everyone should have a go at keeping the numbers down. Crows and rooks can be canny creatures - they instinctively seem to know when they're out of range - so the best bet is to whack them when they are in and around their roosting sites.

The classic crow shot on a sporting layout is a rising bird that appears suddenly, it will hang in the air for a few moments before dropping out of sight.

Crow shooting. Above: the thing to remember when shooting the clay version of a crow is to hit it just as it reaches the apex of its flight.

Swing the gun up onto the bird, when the target is sitting on the bead at the end of the barrel pull the trigger. You've usually got more time than you think with these types of targets so don't rush or get flustered.

Keep your gun mount and swing silky-smooth and you can almost guarantee another kill on your scorecard.