Don Currie's Shooting Tips...
 Sept. 9, 2021
Battues can be thrown in many different ways and are vulnerable to wind and light conditions so it’s difficult to provide one “silver bullet” for breaking them. If you examine a battue closely, you will see that it differs dramatically from a standard target in one significant way: it lacks mass at the edges. As a result, it tends to turn over (or not) at a certain point in the target’s flight, depending on the wind and the way in which the target setter sets the trap. The target setter usually presents the battue’s belly or face just prior to and through the natural breakpoint. In some cases, the target setter will force you to engage the battue while it is still opening up or even as an on-edge target. Let’s address the two most common battue profiles you might encounter and what tactics to employ to yield more broken targets.
1) Crossing, arcing battue that opens up just before reaching the apex – The technique for breaking this classic presentation is very similar to the preferred technique for breaking a crossing chandelle.
2) On-edge battue – Shooting at an edgy battue is more of an eye test than a shooting test (so I’m not a big fan of this presentation), but you will encounter one every now and then. This target is best engaged at or just below the apex of the arc using a collapse technique. Your hold point should be very close to the breakpoint with minimal gun movement from hold point to breakpoint. Initiate movement early, just before or just as the target leaves the trap. The muzzle should arrive at the breakpoint well in advance of the target, letting the target do most of the work at the end of the stroke. Execute decisively.
Don Currie is the chief instructor of the National Sporting Clays Association and one of the most sought-after shooting coaches and gunfitter in our sport. Competing in the shooting sports since age 8 and instructing as an apprentice at age 16, Don is that rare combination of Champion, Instructor, Coach and Gunfitter Don regularly propels shotgun enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels to breakthrough performance whether in the field or in competition. He also fits and equips shooters for custom shotguns. His instructional DVD “Focus – Movement – Faith” is the #1 rated sporting clays DVD on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3jEtt1u. For more about Don, visit his web site at https://doncurrie.com.
Don Currie is one of North America’s most respected gunfitters, shotgun coaches and an award-winning author. In his new book “Gunfitting: Achieving the Ideal Fit for the Game and Clay Shot, “Don delivers a groundbreaking reference work on the proper fit of a shotgun based on a lifetime of experience as a shooter, coach, and gunfitter. He takes the reader far beyond the pattern plate, to a detailed description of how the proper point-of-impact is evaluated on moving targets and how the shooter’s stance, mount, shooting discipline, and level of experience all factor into the final dimensions of the properly fitted shotgun. Don leads us on an informative journey into the stock maker’s workshop, the engraver’s studio, and the gunfitter’s kit bag to round out our understanding of the detail required to achieve the perfect gunfit. Gunfitting will prove to be a highly valued resource and a welcome addition to the book shelf of any shotgun enthusiast, instructor, gunfitter or gunmaker for many years to come.
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Sporting Sentinel
Sept. 9, 2021
