Shooting Moving Targets  by Pat Lieske "The whole of this method is utilizing the natural ability to point that we have been born with." Pat Lieske, left, teaches the basic stance needed to hit moving targets. Consistently breaking clay targets, or killing wild game birds, with a shotgun can be learned like any other skill. The key, as with most learning, is grasping the fundamentals. Try this experiment. Point your index finger at a moving object some distance away; chances are you consistently came up on it. Notice how naturally this occurred and how little conscious thought or effort it involved. The fundamentals of shooting a moving target are not much more complicated. Let's examine what happened when you pointed at a moving object. First, your eyes became aware of movement and then focused on the object. Your index finger began to extend to the target coming from slightly behind. At the same time your weight shifted slightly forward to your front foot. Notice that your index finger immediately established the line of the target. There was no wasted movement and every action was quite compact. What you may not have noticed is that your head stayed perfectly still and your eyes remained level. Both your hands and body moved as one. There was never a reason to check your finger for alignment. You stood relatively upright and comfortable. This ability to point is one that we all share. How do we then apply it to the pointing of a shotgun? (Due to the fact that approximately 70 percent of all shooters are right-handed, I will assume and describe the technique as it applies to a right-handed shooter. I am also going to assume for now that we are shooting clay targets with a known flight path.) First, hold the shotgun in a very comfortable position. The left hand should grip the forearm of the gun, with the index finger extended either along the side of the forearm or underneath it. Place the right hand on the grip of the gun. Now face in the direction where you expect to break the target. Stand upright, feet approximately shoulder width apart. Now take your hands and body as one unit back toward where the target will be thrown from. As the target appears, lock on to it with your eyes and begin to move your left hand toward an imaginary tail on the backside of the target. While this is happening, lift the stock toward your cheek with your right hand, making sure you don't move your head. There should be no more apparent effort than lifting a cup to take a drink. To reiterate, the first move is with the left hand, which accelerates the muzzle of the gun along the line of the target, overtakes it, and continues to move until the target is broken. The right hand simply raises the stock to the cheek and pulls the trigger at the appropriate time. The whole of this method is utilizing the natural ability to point that we have been born with. The technique can become as natural and instinctive as reaching out to shake the hand of a business associate. It just takes practice. I know that this all seems quite simple -- maybe too simple -- but this is the beauty of the method. Simple is repeatable and, more important, consistent. Through practice you will commit this to muscle memory, and you will begin to execute on a subconscious level without having to think about each step. Just like pointing your finger. Applying this method to game shooting involves only one unique difference: the flight path of a game bird -- like a flushing grouse or a driven pheasant -- is unknown. Therefore, we will add one additional step, literally, to the shooting sequence. Face the game bird with as natural a stance as you would do if you did not have a gun and were just looking at the bird. Pick up the flight of the bird with your vision and take a step with your left foot toward where you are going to kill it. As always, your left hand establishes the line of flight while your right hand gently raises the gun to your cheek and pulls the trigger at the appropriate time. This one additional step is very similar to the way a quarterback steps toward his receiver or pitcher steps toward home plate. A Few Words on Gun Fit Gun fit is an integral part to making all of this work. What is proper gun fit? In its most basic sense, a gun that fits is not only comfortable to shoot, it shoots where you look. A stock of proper length, height, and cast will allow the gun to be mounted without any head movement. When the right hand raises the gun to your cheek, it will at the same instant meet your shoulder without any apparent effort. Having completed the gun mount, your right eye will be aligned directly over the barrel. With the knowledge that the gun is shooting where you look, there will be no need to check this alignment. You will have uninterrupted focus on the target or bird. The best way to check for gun fit is to spend some time with a competent shooting instructor/gun fitter. Copyright © 1999 Pat Lieske. All rights reserved.