I’m offering this with a heavy heart....
As much as I love shooting sporting clays...it is taking up too much of my time.
I am struggling to keep up with the everyday basics of cleaning and cooking and maintaining my home, so something has to give.
I have decided to get rid of my gear.
Below is a list of what is available. Serious inquiries only, and please, no low ball offers.
Thanks for reading and understanding. Here is what I have:
1. Vacuum cleaner
2. Broom and dustpan
3. Mop and bucket
4. Lawnmower
5. Leaf blower
6. Laundry detergent
7. Iron
8. Toilet brush
Thank you.
Howard Fortner
Reprinted with permission. Howard is a true gentleman in our sport.
Good luck, Sir!
Back to our regularly scheduled programming…
“Sometimes doing our best may not be good enough.
Sometimes we must do what is required.”
Winston S. Churchill
I recently had the pleasure of working with a retired Army helicopter pilot - and flight instructor - who served in Afghanistan and Iran. Talking with him reminded me of my father, a decorated World War II B-26 bomber pilot. I have the deepest respect for military pilots and those who fight for our precious freedoms.
As my student and I got to know each other, I asked him to share his background. He spoke intelligently with a respectful military presence. I listened quietly and asked him a question. Preparing for your missions, would you ever approach your aircraft without your “checklists?” He said, “No. As in never. The checklists are not optional. They’re mandatory.” Amen to checklists.
Like my many good students, he arrived confused about why his shooting was not progressing. He said he very much wanted to be taught the “structure” (aka checklist) he sensed was missing in his shooting. I shook his hand and assured him he’d leave with that structure, a clear understanding of his checklist, and more.
“I am a simple man.
All I’ve ever sought were simple answers.”
To say I could relate to my student…would be an understatement. Simplicity is the very foundation of everything I teach. The required methods. We’ll talk about that word required in a moment.
My students quickly learn specific methods that are simple, utterly reliable and effective. Not sometimes effective…all the time.
As a full-time Instructor and Coach with 3+ decades of experience teaching shooters (nationally and internationally) of all skill levels, please allow me to be candid with you.
“To become a consistently good shooter…
to put more Xs on your scorecard…is simple.
Not easy, mind you, but simple.”
I tire of reading the massive amounts of clay target information that is overly complicated, confusing, and filled with unnecessary minutiae that falsely promises a shooter more consistency and better performance in the shooting box. History shows us that engaging those complexities inevitably leaves shooters lost, confused and frustrated.
Shooters come to me seeking truths…methods…and a dependable shooting “system” that works consistently. I humbly promise you, dear reader…that system is incredibly simple. When applied correctly, the methods are utterly reliable and effective. Not sometimes. All the time.
Please understand…breaking targets is not the same as breaking targets consistently. On purpose. Repeating XXXXXX on a scorecard requires step-by-step knowledge of setting up, executing a consistent swing, and when needed, making corrections so the next target breaks. The non-negotiable basics. Why? Because, on its own, hand-eye coordination (instinct) cannot deliver a consistently dependable swing and will fail on today’s complex target presentations. Tell me I’m wrong when I say you don’t want a swing that only works sometimes? I’ve yet to meet the shooter who’s happy with shooting inconsistently. What’s missing is the shooting system (process) and the fundamentals that minimize random gun movement (RGM).
Based on my experience, many clay target shooters are “trying to” break their targets. This focuses all their attention “out there” where the target is. The question is: Here, inside the shooting box, who’s focused on “guiding the gun?”
"What takes place behind the gun muzzle
will decide the shot outcome...
X or O."
Target/muzzle alignment. Precision. That’s where our attention should be. Behind the gun muzzle. Know your checklist. That checklist will allow you to build the perfect swing. XXXXXX becomes predictable. Dependable.
To demonstrate a swing error…RGM…here are a few mathematical truths. Please consider these everyday distances and the consequences:
- A 1” swing error – at 30 yards – puts your shot string 2 FEET off your target.
- A 1” swing error – at 40 yards – puts your shot string 3 FEET off your target.
- A 2” swing error – at 30 yards – puts your shot string 4 FEET off your target.
- A 2” swing error – at 40 yards – puts your shot string 5.5 FEET off your target.
That is why we cannot count on our shotgun “pattern” to make up for swing errors. May work sometimes, but not consistently. It won’t.
“The road to success is always under construction.”
Lily Tomlin
To expect realistic changes in our clays game…one must be willing to make changes. If you’re looking for those changes…to shoot consistently higher scores using shooting methods that work dependably - all the time - you may want to consider the Paragon Shooting System. The simple, crystal-clear methods are outlined in my 3 books: Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target.
Thanks for sharing your time with us. See you out on the course.
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XXXX
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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