The Orvis Guide to Beginning Wingshooting: Proven Techniques for Better Shotgunning

by Tom Deck

Overview

The Orvis Guide to Beginning Wingshooting is required reading for anyone interested in picking up the sport or improving their shooting skills. Experienced shooter and teacher Tom Deck shares his tips, as well as insider tricks from the most successful wingshooters.

The Orvis Company began one of the very first shooting schools in America almost fifty years ago. Today, Orvis has schools, lodges, outfitters, and guides all dedicated to helping bird hunters discover and enjoy wingshooting. This book is a combination of the 101 best tips from many of the Orvis shooting instructors, outfitters, and guides. Chapters feature topics such as:
• Safety and etiquette
• Proper equipment
• Eye dominance
• Sporting clays and other games
• Field shooting
• Trap and skeet
• Correct stance
• Shotgun care
• And much more!

It is packed full of expertise for the absolute beginner, but even the seasoned wingshooter will find some helpful tips to sharpen their skills. From the basics of gun safety, to learning how to correctly spread your duck decoys, The Orvis Guide to Wingshooting covers it all. Add this volume to your hunting shelf and you’ll see a great improvement in your wingshooting technique

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620876190
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	08/01/2013
Series:	Orvis Guides
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Tom Deck has taught at the Orvis wingshooting schools for almost twenty years and is a passionate bird hunter.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Getting Started 3

1 Always make safety your first priority! 4

2 Understand the difference between a shotgun and a rifle 6

3 Begin with a good foundation-take a lesson 8

4 The over-under vs. the side-by-side? 11

5 Don't overlook the semiautomatic shotgun 14

Part II Basic Shooting Techniques 17

6 Have the correct stance and footwork 18

7 The easiest fix to better shooting is the ready position 20

8 Hands on the gun-point at the target for better shooting 22

9 The gun mount-a steady head keeps you on target 24

10 Get into the swing as you mount (timing and motion) 26

Part III The Eyes and Sight Picture 29

11 The dominant eye-if possible, shoot with both eyes open 30

12 If you can't keep both eyes open, wink at the bird 35

13 What is the best shooting tip ever? Focus! 39

14 The sight picture-learn to tell time for better clay shooting 42

15 Picture your lead instinctively instead of measuring it 45

Part IV Basic Shotgun Know-How 49

16 Choose the right gauge 50

17 Don't confuse shotgun gauge with pattern size 52

18 How to read a box of shells 53

19 Understand the shot string 55

20 Shot size can greatly affect success in the field 56

21 Get the lowdown on the load charge 58

22 Shooting glasses are a must 60

23 How to reduce recoil 62

24 Wear some hearing protection 65

25 Understand the shell game 67

Part V Gun Fit 69

26 To shoot well, be fitted for a shotgun 70

27 Pattern your shotgun! 72

28 Use a try gun for the perfect fit 74

29 Understanding length of pull 76

30 Make sure you have the proper pitch on the butt of the stock 80

31 "Drop" yourself into the right stock 82

32 The proof is in the pattern 86

33 Cast off your misses to the right 88

34 Check the measurements of your stock 90

35 Before you buy, consider a bespoke gun 93

Part VI Parts of a Shotgun 97

36 Learn your shotgun's safety features 98

37 A shotgun shooter never squeezes the trigger 100

38 The stock type and style can tell you a lot about the gun 102

39 Get a grip on shotgun grips 103

40 Barrel length and its effect on shooting 105

41 The pros and cons of shotgun ribs 107

42 The benefits of a small, low-profile bead 108

43 Where to place the lead hand 110

44 Understand how the choke affects the shot string 112

45 Choosing the proper recoil pad 114

Part VII Clay-Target Shooting 117

46 Sporting clays-the wingshooter's preseason 118

47 Shoot instinctively on the basic going-away target 120

48 Blocking out an incoming target 122

49 How to "swing through" the right-to-left crosser 124

50 How to "pull away" from a left-to-right crosser 126

51 How to pick up the target 128

52 Setup is a key fundamental to better clay shooting 130

53 When shooting doubles, take the target you see first 132

54 Use open chokes and target loads for clay shooting 133

55 Etiquette and safety procedures at the shooting range 135

Part VIII Field Shooting 137

56 The ready position for upland hunting 138

57 When hunting grouse, the pointing hand is key 140

58 Pick out one bird in the covey when hunting quail 142

59 Pheasants-go for the ring 144

60 When shooting ducks, let them get closer 146

61 The proper chokes for waterfowling 148

62 Always carry nontoxic shot when hunting waterfowl 149

63 Learn some fancy footwork for field shooting 151

64 Find your ideal field gun 153

65 The correct chokes and loads for upland shooting 155

Part IX General Advice 157

66 When buying a hunting dog, pay attention to breeding 158

67 Flushing dogs vs. pointing dogs 160

68 Practice restraint with an electric collar 162

69 Think fly fishing when selecting a hunting vest 163

70 Selecting the perfect upland hunting boots 165

71 Blaze orange for the upland hunter 167

72 Practice mounting your shotgun at home 168

73 Learn how to properly clean your shotgun 170

74 Find the right balance and weight for your shotgun 171

75 Check current regulations before hunting 173

Part X General Tips for the Upland Hunter 175

76 Understanding upland bird habitat 176

77 Keep it light when quail hunting 178

78 Hunting pants or chaps? 180

79 Use the off-season time for scouting 182

80 GPS-next to a dog, it's a hunter's best friend 184

81 Learn to be an effective dogless hunter 186

82 Beepers vs. Bells 188

83 Work into the wind when hunting a covert 190

84 Essential items for your hunting vest 191

85 If you're new to dog training, go see a pro 193

Part XI Ten Tips for the Waterfowl Hunter 195

86 Finding waterfowl-be where they want to go 196

87 Use the proper amount of duck decoys in your setup 197

88 Rig 'em right and add some movement to your decoy spread 199

89 Create a landing zone for incoming ducks 201

90 Pay attention to wind direction 203

91 Cover up for waterfowl 205

92 Call softly and carry a big gun 207

93 The correct sight picture for pass-shooting ducks 209

94 Select the right duck gun 211

95 Mastering hunting camp duck poppers 213

Part XII Final Thoughts 215

96 Study the classics on shooting technique 216

97 Shooting in the zone-develop a pre-shot routine 218

98 The mental game-shooting psychology 221

99 Practice makes permanent 223

100 You can never have enough fly rods-or shotguns 225

101 Focus-again! 227

Acknowledgments 229