I need help for you the experts. I have the bad problem of missing my first shot. Should the bird be a quail, pheasant, dove, etc. However, the second shot is most generally the deadly one and even the third if shooting at another bird. I might as well shoot the first one straight in the air because it isn't going to bring anything down. What are some tips and techniques I can employ to make the first shot count?

Thanks, graybird

You may have "convinced" you self mentally that you need a second shot and are not concentrating. I might suggest, just loading one shell at a time. by knowing you only have one shot, you might re program yourself. If that indeed is the issue
Just a thought

Be sure your gun fits. Go to the skeet range and shoot from the station that you get most of your game shots from. Then slowly mount the gun until you are comfotable. Call for the target and concentrate on the target. shoot when lined up. You might patten your shot gun before doing al this to see if any peculiarities exist. I think it will take a little practice. Or you can attend a shooting school which would be fun and get some really good instruction. I heard Orvis had one. Good luck.

Thanks for the opinions. I'll see what I can do with them now.

Thanks again,

graybird

graybird,
I am the opposite, at least with the first shot. I pick out a bird and track with my eyes as I raise the gun. Most often the gun hits my shoulder as the lead is attained and I fire. I suspect that you are aiming on your first shot and end up behind the bird. if you shoot skeet, do it with a low gun and watch the window for the bird and mount and shoot. works for me.

gray bird,

If you are flushing and shooting birds you are probaby shooting the first barrel to soon, and either missing in fromnt or not gettting the pattern to kill as the shot is still to otight so a small margin of error results in a miss.

Give your target a chance to get out to 15-20yds or so as you mount and kill it at 25-30.

It's a common mistake with walked up birds. you can obviously hit a target as you are killing well with your second and third shots.

I would also seriously disagree with the skeet range as it is very reflexive shooting and you will start to shoot even faster and miss things in front. I've been there and done that one!!

Rgds,
FB

Graybird:

I think that hikerbum has nicely summed up in a few sentences a really complex subject - and that he is right.. As one who grew up shooting a single shot 22 it is true that the knowledge that there is only one shot made me careful. You are a good wing shot with the second and third shots. That would seem to show that you know how to handle a shotgun. You may have unconsciously had it in the back of your mind that you have more ammo if the first shot misses. You may not be concentrating. The miss makes you concentrate and so you hit on the second shot.

I agree you are not concentrated or better yet not focused on the leading edge of the target. If you really concentrate and focus on the leading edge as the shogun mounts to your shoulder and allow your insticts to guide you to the break point. Wing shooting is not much of a mental game but more of a sight and feel relationship. Stay in the zone and focus intently on the leading edge eliminates a lot of potential errors ( heading raising, stopping the follow-thru and shooting somewheres around it). I had your same problem many years back, my problem I was trying to shoot fast rather than relaxed. Go down to a long shooting range and practice intently focusing on the bird. Good Luck!

gray bird

I too experienced something similar. I was paying to much attention to the location of the muzzle and trying to get the correct lead. it wasn't until the second shot that I focused on the target. once I quit worring about the gun and focused on the target the first shot was just as deadly as the second.

good luck and good shooting

Odds are very great you're stabbing the gun and raising your head off the wood. I've never been able to slow down and wait for a bird to get out there as one shooter suggested. I'd rather use skeet chokes and shoot in an instinctive manner.

Are you aiming with the first shot? I used to have a problem with missing when I aimed. I decided to try something different and just started pointing and ended up hitting at least 3/4 of whatever I was shooting at. I've learned to stop looking at the bead and just focus on the target and ended up making more kills.