Need help with my o/u shot gun

[JasonW77]

About a year ago I purchased a CZ o/u shotgun. I really enjoy using it but having a problem hitting birds with it. Up until I purchased this gun I used a Remington 1100. I didn't have problems with that gun. Here are a couple questions I have

1. I have never shot paper with it should I try that to see where its hitting on paper? Maybe its off. Should this normally be done with every new gun. I was always under the impression that they would shot straight but maybe I'm wrong.
2. Since I have been using the gun I notice that when I open it up to eject the shells the machine finish surface where the ejectors are is getting stain. Now I clean my gun after every use, but wondering if there is something I could use to clean that staining back up?

[mcbosco]

Can't help you with the stains but any metal polish should take it off if solvent doesn't. I have a 20 gauge CZ Redhead and it shoots slightly low. I pretty much cover the target with the bead and have been hitting better. I have put case after case of cheap target shells through it and have had no problems.

[Wildweeds]

Practice with it some as suggested, either off the larson road at the bellingham gun club or off the weidkamp road at the lynden gunclub.Bellingham hours are 10-4 on sundays and lyndens hours I'm not sure about but they shoot on saturdays.Trap and skeet at both and a 3 stand at lynden as well

[Shadow]

put up a 30'X30" piece of heavy paper, brown paper wrap best, put something like heavy cardboard as a backing- if screw in chokes try an improved first in both barrels and measure off 30 yards- shoot for dead center and not off a rest- take a black majic marker and dot every hole while counting- you'll know what patern you have and what's going on with your load- every time you shoot change the paper and pin it up on your wall- if it isn't shooting dead center then try off a rest

[Greg Jennings]

Your pattern would have to be *way* off to notice a big difference hitting birds.

Just put a big piece of paper out there, put an aiming point in the center, shoulder it carefully and squeeze one off. Do the same with the other barrel.

It shouldn't be hard to tell if one or both is way off. If it's off, you might try swapping in some of the other choke tubes, too. Sometimes a choke tube is crooked.

If they are shooting mostly where you're looking in a careful, static hold, you have to ask yourself why you're missing.

The single biggest reason people miss is that they don't get the gun mounted and dominant eye aligned down the bore. The way to check on that is to put on your hunting coat and shoot your image in a mirror. Do it several times with your eyes open. You should see the bead(s) aligned on the rib directly at your dominant eye in the mirror. Not too high, not too low, not skewed off to the side, eyes level, not canted. If not, something is wrong. If it works with your eyes open, do it with your eyes closed. Then open them and check alignment.

If you can do that, it's time to go to the skeet field. Cheap way to easily and quickly get in a lot of reps.

If you have problems, email or PM me. I've got about a 100,000 down the tubes of trap and skeet guns. Enjoy helping people.

Greg J.

[Coveyrise64]

Assuming your gun patterns good the problem could be an incorrect gun fit and improper gun mount. One of the biggest mistake I see shooters make is they approach the point with the barrel up and the gun angled across the body, what I call the port arms position. Nothing wrong with proper safety and it's the way most people are taught, but difficult to be consistent on the mount as well as target acquisition. I'm not recommending approaching with the gun pre-mounted but I think there is a better way.

To be a good sight picture the eyes, the barrel, and the bird have to be in the same line of sight. Think about this, with the barrel up and the gun at an angle to your body, the birds are in the air and you have picked your shot, the barrel has to come down into the line of sight, mount the gun to the shoulder, and then you have to line it up with the bird. A lot of wasted motion plus the tendency is to over swing coming down which puts the point of aim under the bird, then you have to adjust and bring the barrel back up. Hard to find the end of the barrel when it is waving around.

To me and I think a more consistent method is to use the low gun position. This gun position is used in International Skeet and Sporting Clays, and it is a good way to practice on the range. Not sure if I can properly describe the position but the butt of the stock is tucked low underneath the armpit with the end of the barrel pointing to the front and the muzzle at least eye high. Greg might be able to describe it better. When the bird is up, the eyes, the barrel, and the target are right there toghether. The movement then is straight out with the leading hand pointing at the bird. You only need to extend far enough to clear the armpit and then pull the butt stock back into the shoulder. This puts the eyes, barrel and the bird in the same picture at the same moment with very little unecessary motion. If the stock is to long though it never reaches the right position on the shoulder and the mount will again be inconsistent. You might try the two different methods in front of a mirror, I suggest you put a piece of tape on the mirror to give you a focal point, and see which one works best.

Coveyrise64

[Wildweeds]

You haven't posted back but others have suggested a little practice as well as myself.You live about 5 miles from me and I shoot almost every sunday with a great group of older fellas that are crack shots.One guy in particular is nicknamed circus boy.He is AMAZING with a shotgun,fact is he can hit the targets from high and low house from the hip from postion 4 thru 7 on the skeet field,He also shoots at any chip that may break off,he always goes for the smallest piece.I've been shooting at the club there about 8 years now,low stress ,fun time with guys 20 years older than myself.They aren't snobby either they'll help anyone with their shooting,heck you don't even have to ask for help and they'll give real good hints as to what's going wrong.I help them they help me its easy squeeze japaneesie.We also have "Sporting" clays days at bellingham where portable throwers are used in conjunction with the standard houses and one guy "picks" the spot to shoot from and the others follow.We've had 9 throwers in action and some of the presentations are as close as it gets to being real birds.Hunting season is on now and all of us hunt so sundays shooting is off the menu unless it's a blue bird day.They all duck hunt and I head to eastern washington for upland.


Shooting at paper is fine.but the repetition of "SEEING" the right picture and breaking targets is what's going to "Teach" you.It will become so familiar that you don't even pay attention to it,you'll just hit and break them because after enough practice you notice not what's right but what is wrong. $3.75 per round for the skeet and trap.Come on out and try it after hunting season is over.

I remember the first day one feller showed up,he hit like 8 targets.In 2 years of shooting he's raised to an average of 23 breaks and turned into one heck of a shooter.Heck I bought a .410 to shoot skeet with and my first round with it hit 1 target,I thought to myself "What have I done" second round I got 11,third round 17.I consisitantly hit 20 targets now and am really happy with my success when I switch to the 20 guage for hunting.If you can consistantly break targets you'll consistantly knock your birds down and knock them down hard.

As coveyrise suggests gunmount is everything,he's done an excellent job explaining it.The other thing is a saying that "Circus boy" says "Wood on the wood" meaning keep your cheek on the wood of the gun otherwise you'll be shooting holes in the sky.

[Greg Jennings]

Would suggest more of a sporting clays low gun than an international skeet low gun (at least one by the rules, that is).

Here is a description:

1. Pick a target head high on a wall. "Shooting yourself" in a mirror works well.

2. Assume an athletic stance about 45 degrees "open" relative to the target. Your knees should be bent, center of gravity dropped, weight on the balls of your feet and weight shifted maybe 60/40 onto your front foot.

3. Mount your gun and point (you point a shotgun, never "aim") at the target.

4. Keeping the front of the barrel pointed at the target, drop the butt of the gun *straight* down till the top of the butt is level with the bottom of your pecs. Change nothing else. Your weight shouldn't shift, you shouldn't be standing up any straighter, etc.

5. You might then drop the whole gun/hands/everthing *straight* down several more inches. Maybe, maybe not.

6. Bring the gun straight back up. Everything should fall right into place.

7. For moving targets, think about "swing, mount, shoot". Focus sharply on the target first. Then move to it, tracking it with the barrel, mounting the gun as you go. You should then be able to shoot pretty much as the comb reaches your face.

Practice this a lot. In a mirror is the best way. Getting someone to video tape you shooting actual targets is another great way. Very humbling too.

Greg J.

[JasonW77]

Sorry I haven't posted back to any of your suggestions that have been posted. Its been really crazy in my house. I cracked my rib, caught a cold. then my wife got sick and my 5 month old son now has double ear infection. Plus our good computer fried. But any way. I haven't had a chance to shot at paper yet but will try to get out soon. As for mounting the gun correctly may be more of my problem. I tested it out in the mirror and it looks like to me that may be the problem. I don't believe I'm shouldering the gun correctly and the stance doesn't seem to be close as you all described. Using all the information you all have given me I'll keep practicing. If any one has any more suggestions please let me know. I would love to get this corrected so I can enjoy hitting more clays and birds.

[mcbosco]

Are you using the factory flush chokes? I bought a pair of Carlson extended SKT's and noticed a difference.

[JasonW77]

Still using factory choke tubes