Five Reasons You Miss Doves

Five Reasons You Missed That Dove. Here are five reasons you missed the last one, and five solutions to help you hit the next. Even if the muzzle appeared to be in front of the target, you miss behind. If there’s one thing you should have learned from all that golf you were playing when you should have been shooting, it’s to keep your head down and your eye on the ball. High gun speed seems like it should be a good thing, but if you swing too fast, your eye goes to the fastest moving object it sees—the gun—at which point it stops and you miss behind (see Reason No. “To hit a crossing bird, your muzzle has to be in front of and below the target—and below is just as important as in front of.” Reason No. 3 If the gun blocks your view of the target, your eyes go to the gun and…we’ve been through this twice already. However, moving the gun from that muzzle-up hold into a shooting position tends to put the muzzle in front of your face where it can block your view of the bird. The Solution: To hit a crossing bird, your muzzle has to be in front of and below the target—and below is just as important as in front of. Dove guns are shot, not carried, and featherlight models are difficult to swing smoothly.
Graves Missed Dove
Eye on the Prize: Focus on the target, not the shotgun’s bead, and you’ll hit more doves.

You emptied your gun at it, and the bird never missed a wingbeat. It’s gone. It’s history—and those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. A lot of history is made in the dove field. The oft-repeated statistic is that the average shooter expends five to seven shells for every dove bagged.

Now is not the time to hector you about how you should have practiced all summer instead of fishing or golfing. It’s time for some quick advice. The next dove is coming, and you need to hit it. Here are five reasons you missed the last one, and five solutions to help you hit the next.

Reason No. 1

You Looked at the Bead

Most shotgun misses occur because you look at the bead, either to check the lead or because you’re trying to aim, rather than point, the gun. This is especially true in the dove field, where you get lots of crossing shots. When you look at the bead, the gun stops. Even if the muzzle appeared to be in front of the target, you miss behind.

The Solution: Focus on the target—never the bead. If there’s one thing you should have learned from all that golf you were playing when you should have been shooting, it’s to keep your head down and your eye on the ball. The dove is the ball.

Reason No. 2

Mourning doves have been clocked flying as fast as 55 mph, but even on opening day most doves cruise along at slower velocities. High gun speed seems like it should be a good thing, but if you swing too fast, your eye goes to the fastest moving object it sees—the gun—at which point it stops and you miss behind (see Reason No. 1). Even if you do manage to keep your…

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