Respect for a Mountain of Broken Targets

So…how long has it been since you thought about your own shooting? 2 days ago? Yesterday? 11 seconds ago? If you chose 11 seconds…welcome to the club. We are many, and you are in a great group of kindred spirits.

As shooters, we are inundated with so much information on our equipment choices… shooting methods…the mental game…I wonder if we sometimes forget what really matters. No…not just to me…definitely not…but maybe to you too? The following are a few of my thoughts…any conclusions are left up to you.

From the time I was very young, being in the field taught me how little I knew. I wasn’t 10 years old yet but I sure had a lot of questions. Years of Scout training…impatiently building woodcraft experience…how-to hunting and fishing knowledge…all my clay shooting endeavors…I am deeply grateful that I had “best” friends and mentors. Over so many decades, their willingness to unselfishly share their time and patience with this imperfect soul has left an indelible impression of their generosity and kindnesses.

I’ll admit, the learning curve, all the trial and error in my outdoor activities, hasn’t always been fun. Which is why the lesson always came first…the smarts afterward. Borrowed from Dan Nauman, February 2006: “If lessons are learned from failure…there is no failure.“

Over time, that’s how I learned to hold myself accountable for my own mistakes. Mind you, it wasn’t easy. It took awhile, but I came away with just exactly how learning takes place…and what it really takes. I learned very early that I wasn’t “entitled” to success, or a car, or a new gun, or a high score. If I wanted any of those things…no one gave it to me…I had to earn it. That was a plus in my knowledge bank, not a minus.

From that personal accountability, I learned to better appreciate what responsibility meant. Again, very early, I was taught that it is my responsibility to be safe when I am with other hunters, and those I’m with on the clay target ranges. The safety rules are not optional and apply to everyone. Regardless of what firearm I am holding, safety is my responsibility…and yours…and yes, each of us has the right to expect others to follow and comply with those rules.

With all respect given to our natural instincts…our hand/eye coordination and all its advantages…like it or not…the math involved in shooting is an unforgiving Ruler…a formidable taskmaster indeed! The math involved in firearm accuracy is a two-edged sword. At the very same time, the math can be both our trustworthy friend, and our unforgiving adversary. We can’t be counting on any math latitude or wiggle-room when the trap machine fires. Though it’s always unintentional…set-up and swing inconsistencies will cost us.

Handgun, rifle and shotgun…when the trigger is pulled…it’s 100% up to the shooter to guide the gun. When guided properly…”only” by staying inside the mathematical formula…will all the math and geometry assist us and dependably put the bullet or shot string on the target. And…opposite of that and equally important…any movement of the muzzle in the wrong direction…even slightly…the math will show us a missed target. This takes place very quickly in the shotgun sports where a lot of body, gun and target movement are involved. Speaking literally now…mere inches of movement at the muzzle can easily equal many feet of unwanted movement out at the target. 00. Lost a pair, Sir. The what…that’s your scorekeeper talking. The why are the math errors. And why at Paragon, we do, strongly emphasize gun “control” to keep the set-up and swing inside the math formula. The formula required to break the target, 1) consistently and 2) with unconditional dependability.

If score matters to you, reading the paragraph above underlines why our respect for each and every target is not optional. Naturally, of course, the X is important to each of us. But, as time passes and each of us progresses through our own chapters of personal shooting development, a truthful conclusion awaits. That conclusion? It will take more than natural instinct and determination to create XXXXXXXX. And then do it again. Respect for the target, followed by a set-up and swing that stays inside the math formula…both are written as requirements on our to-do list as we step into the box.

Let’s remember why we jumped into the shotgun sports in the first place. For some, it’s pursuing the satisfaction when the target is broken. For others, there’s the well-earned gratification when the targets are broken “on purpose.” And then there are the millions who pursue feathered game…so often, thank goodness, with man’s best friend.

These are all treasures, my friend. Rich, bountiful opportunities to spend time with those we care about, on the range, in the field, and in the clubhouse. I hope to see you there…and thanks for stopping by.