how low do you go?

In a recent trip to Sonoma, CA to teach at the famed Wing & Barrel Ranch, I noticed that several students had adopted a low gun start for their sporting clays game. This may not seem like such a big deal but some of these students were ones that I taught before on my previous trip last September and they hadn’t progressed despite my leaving them solid in the fundamentals. Some of them had actually regressed. Others were brand new students to me that communicated they’ve shot for years and had lessons recently with other guest instructors. It was glaringly obvious that someone convinced ALL these students they MUST start with a low gun.

My husband, Mike, shoots clays starting from a low gun position. That’s because he predominantly shoots feathers and has thousands of rounds through his Fabarm L4S and understands the key fundamentals. In other words, he’s put in the time and practice. He has built a great sight picture, mastered muzzle management and is able to successfully and quickly read a target. I will occasionally use this method but predominantly shoot with a mid-mount position.

What is “Low Gun”?

As you’ve moved around the clay course, you may have noticed several different styles of shooting. Not only are there several methods, pull away, swing through, Churchill, etc., but there are also multiple ways to begin your swing.

Mounted. This position has the shooter starting with the gun completely up in position. The buttstock is secured in the pocket; the face is all the way down with the cheek securely sealed on the comb and the body stance is slightly forward in anticipation of calling “pull”.

Mid-Mount. One of my favorites and most widely used stances has the shooter go through all the motions as the full mounted positioning but before calling “pull”, the shooter rolls back the shoulder allowing the gun to move out of the shooter’s face and opening the field of view. The shooter’s muzzle and head do not move so that when the clay is released, the shooter only needs to roll the shoulder back into place and execute their plan.

Low Gun. If you play the game of F.I.T.A.S.C. or pre-dominantly hunt, this is the stance you know best. The shooter starts with the gun slightly forward of the body, muzzle in the line of sight and at the release of the bird, the shooter pitches softly forward in stance and connects smoothly into the gun. The key to success is to make certain the cheek and comb meld together and then the shoulder connects to the buttstock.

Should you incorporate a low gun position? Absolutely! Once you’re ready for it and if that’s something that appeals to you. The reason my students in CA were struggling is because many of them had not yet conquered the fundamentals or were ready to move into such an advanced positioning. This is why your first car was a used sedan and not a Ferrari; you weren’t ready for the Ferrari!

Remember the shooting games are full of geometry, and your movements must be linear to prevent chaos in the muzzle. For every 1” of muzzle movement in the shooter’s box, that’s about 8-10’ out at 30yds. That’s a ton and very difficult for a new shooter to manage especially when they’re still not sure of how to set hold and break points or which method of swing is the best to use.

Become solid in the fundamentals and as you progress, incorporate more advanced techniques into your shooting. Most importantly, as our great nation celebrates 250 years of freedom, be sure to share time behind the barrel with a friend or family member. Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful July 4^th, God Bless America!!!