"Site Picture Perfection" - The Shooting Simulator

                All Practice Sessions are "in person" in Alpharetta, GA
Please bring your shotgun to the session.

Over time, the more I speak to folks, the more apparent it has become that shooters don’t really know how, or more importantly, "what" to practice.  Some students will say “I’ll go out and shoot 100 or 200 or sometimes even 250 shots…that’s great practice!” Really?  Are you sure?  It’s practice, no doubt…but is it “great practice?”  Will such practice provide you with what you really need on the tournament course or in fact, will the wrong type of practice simply create a bigger issue?   So, what do we do…how and "what" should we practice? We'll address that in a moment, but first, let's examine the benefits of the Simulator.

 

SHOOTING SIMULATOR.   Let’s think of Shooting Simulator training with an analogous situation….recently, the FAA has agreed to accept up to 50% of a pilot’s training on certified Flight Simulators, under an instructors watchful eye, towards instrument certification.  In short, the FAA has recognized the importance and benefits available to pilots on Flight Simulators.  Now back to shooting…do you practice your “site picture” acquisition on a Shooting Simulator?  Why not?

Shooting simulators provide you with the following benefits:

• No cost of shells

• No cost for targets

• No cost for gasoline to get to range

• Perfect Site Picture evaluation (learn to "see" what you must see)

• Perfect Site Picture correction (can you "stop" the target on the range?)

• Ability to design your own targets (got problem targets…solve them quickly)

• Use of your own sporting clays shotgun, not some plastic or replica gun

• Ability to shoot in any weather (who cares if it’s raining, snowing, blowing, etc.)

• Shoot without having to move to various stations, wasting time

• Shoot hundreds of rounds with no punishment from recoil

• Ability to shoot the target anywhere along it’s flight line

• Ability to develop/perfect line of flight training

• Ability to practice any method of shooting, American or British

• Ability to SLOW TARGETS to ANY speed needed WITHOUT changing required lead - try THAT on the practice range!!

• Practice shooting in the wind if you like...I can create wind speed for you.

• Pick chokes for multiple barrels, shot charge, shot speed, shot pattern (60/40 - 50/50 whatever)

• Pick target type (battue, chandelle, quartering, driven in, driven out, rabbits, you name it)

• Chose angle of target (how do you want the target to leave the machine? It’s your choice)

• Want targets under your feet…no problem.

• Want trees in the way, no problem.

• Want hidden traps, no problem.

• Whatever you can imagine, the right shooting simulator can provide that presentation!

OK....now that you see the benefits of Simulator practice, let's get back to your question from above..."what and how do we practice?"  There are many ways to practice depending on several factors such as your “Readiness” factor, your “Level of Participation,” where you are in the “Learning Curve” and so on. 

Are you good enough?  Well are you? I've found that students who possess all the technical skill they need continue to work on the "technical" aspect of their shooting....and consequently, practice the wrong way....I'm not going into that right now because to determining "what to practice" is a very individual exercise...one that requires a lot of investigation to come to the right practice regimen.  But, whatever it is you are focused on during practice, I sure hope it's the right thing, or you are just wasting your money!

Well, what is the right thing to practice? Like I said, it Depends.....depends on what you are trying to accomplish - which is a "way too long" a discussion for now.  I'll "assume," for the sake of this page, that you want to build "technical skills" as that is what most people think about when they "practice."  That is, they are concerned with shooting target after target to "get better." 

                    Target Cost Avg./Sim.   Shell Cost Avg./Sim.        Duration 

100 crossers           $32/$0                       $30/$0                 .75 hrs/20 min.

100 quartering        $32/$0                       $30/$0                 .75 hrs/20 min.

100 chondelles       $32/$0                       $30/$0                .75 hrs/20 min.

Thus, an average days practice of 300 rounds would cost $96 for the targets and another $90 for the shells. And probably about $15 for gasoline not to mention the time involved.  Financially, the shooter would spend $186 for targets, shells and $15 for gasoline and would have had 300 rounds of recoil delivered to his/her shoulder...oh, right, and no instructor would be present to assist.

The shooting simulator would save the cost of shooting and would do more to show the shooter exactly where he is shooting…and missing some targets.  It would also show exactly…EXACTLY where the shot must be delivered to hit the target ANYWHERE ALONG THE LINE OF FLIGHT…thus establishing PERFECT SITE PICTURE ACQUISITION!...and yes, I would be right behind you assisting you with your shot.

Don't waste time or money at the range to establish site pictures.  Use valuable range time to validate Shooting Simulator training.

Let's recap....Save 100% of the cost of shooting live rounds and find out exactly where you need to be…what you must see….to break the target.  You can also practice your swing, follow-through, foot position, muzzle hold position for multiple break points, focal point, swing through, pull away, sustained lead, Churchill, or any of the British methods, all in a controlled environment under the watchful eye of a certified instructor.

One final bit of information....I have found that once my students have been exposed to the Shooting Simulator they ALWAYS ask "why didn't we start here...why at the course?"  Simple answer...people want to break targets...and after they break a few, they want to break more.  Once they understand certain elements and components of shooting, they can better appreciate the benefits of the Simulator. One step at a time folks....one step at a time.

Click here for more information regarding Shooting Simulator sessions. You will be taken to a Lesson Registration form...select "Individual Lesson" and in "Special Instructions," indicate you want to shoot on the Simulator. 

Practice correctly, save money, and develop the proper muscle memory needed to compete or win on the tournament course.

Good Shooting - - and if you are a tournament shooter, I wonder if your opponent is shooting indoors right now....perfecting his/her site picture?  Guess you'll find out.