The shooting method information that follows shares what works, what doesn’t…where, when and why. Facts you can trust to serve you dependably…in practice and competition. These truths come from four decades of competition experience, along with teaching thousands of clay target students, wingshooters and certifying ~380 NSCA and Paragon Professional instructors.
I said the above because I predict what follows will be controversial. Here’s my story on the fourth basic shooting method…Churchill (CH). All expressed respectfully, remembering those who were involved in the story.
Thirty some years ago during my first instructor certification class, I was taught what I consider to be the CH shooting method. It worked. Let me say that again…it worked! After the class ended…in the shooting box, it didn’t. Over and over again…X over here, O over there. When it worked, it was truly wonderful. When it didn’t…it failed miserably and consistently. Why? Good question.
During that instructor training…after X X X X X…I asked WHY. I was told…”Trust yourself. You’ll just know.” So I did. I trusted it. And taught it. With the mixed results, I spoke of above. Something was wrong. Mixed results were not what I or my students were rightfully expecting.
It took a while to discover where CH does indeed work, where it doesn’t. Truths were revealed and confirmed many, many times.
In my professional, experienced opinion, CH is basically a hand-eye coordination shooting method. Trust your natural, God-given instincts. Look HARD at the target…visually slow it down…trust your hands to guide the gun successfully. Will it do that? The truth is…yes indeed, it will. And then it won’t.
As the Examiner in my previous N.S.C.A. and current Paragon instructor certification classes, I introduce the pros and cons of each of the 4 basic methods. Drilled and tested by my instructor Candidates. To confirm. When testing CH…and this is the KEY…inside approximately 30 yards…CH shines. With my instructor Candidates shooting…inside 30 yards…X after X after X. Consistently. Dependably. Stepping back from this target…increasing that distance…right on schedule, O O X O X X O O. These predictable results are NOT shared with the Candidates prior to testing. Each shooter begins the testing with an open mind, totally unaware of what is about to occur. Class after class, test after test, the results are always the same. Consistently.
Here's another story I think is relevant.
Way back in the early 1980s, when Sporting Clays first came to the US, the majority of us were all using our eye-hand coordination to break targets. Churchill. And let me add successfully. Why? Our targets were CLOSE, thrown off manual machines with trappers onboard. Yours truly included. A great time was had by all. As shooters, our natural, hand-eye method put a hurt on those “closer” targets. And then…over the years…our target setters began throwing longer, more distant target presentations. X O X O X X O O. We shooters struggled to keep up. However, as they’ve developed their skills, so have we. Learning the much-needed, more dependable ML, PA and ST shooting methods, we’ve kept pace. Our scores today reflect our progress.
None of the above is meant to undermine the true usefulness of the CH shooting method. Provided its limitations are respected, it works wonderfully. In my Wingshooting lessons where Quail, Grouse or early-season Pheasants are being hunted, CH is the number 1 method of choice. Indeed…there is real magic in this method. A joy to use.
So, for Sporting, we should abandon CH? Not at all. On all our closer, more friendly target presentations, it can be trusted to provide X’s. Non-registered tournaments, like fundraising events where the targets are set up reasonably close to assure a lot of broken targets, CH just plain works.
In the competition box and behind my students, countless shells have gone downrange to verify each of the 4 shooting method’s advantages and disadvantages, its strengths and shortcomings. Used correctly, each method in this 4-part series will be utterly dependable. Count on it!
The Churchill Shooting method and others are explained in my 3 books Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target (Daniel Schindler). These books offer a direct path to better shooting and higher scores. Written in clear, simple plain language to help shooters of all skill levels take the mystery out of shooting and move your game forward.
In closing this series, I respectfully suggest the following. If the method you are being asked to use is not delivering the consistency you expect…consider questioning a) your swing, or, b) the method being used. I say this because…if your swing is under control…and the method is being used correctly…you have every “right” to expect that target to break. It will. Consistently. There’s a truth. If it doesn’t, something’s amiss. Ask your instructor why it isn’t.
Thanks for visiting with us, you’re always welcome here. I hope to see you out on the course.
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About Dan Schindler
Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and making their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!
Testimonials
Dan Schindler's Books
"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors
and parents of youth shooters."
Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.
To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.
Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.
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