Clay pigeons to improve your duck hunting?
There are many duck hunters that never pick up their shotgun in the off season. Heck, it seems a chore to ensure that the gun is cleaned thoroughly sometimes. And to be sure it can be a tedious and boring chore to practice your shooting in the off season.
But other than prodigious scouting and ensuring that you are in the right spot come your time in the duck blind, nothing will increase your duck hunting success more than solid shooting form.
Luckily there are several options for those looking to practice. Trap has been a staple of gun clubs for decades and continues strongly still. While it can be a bit boring after a while given that the clay pigeons only go in a relatively few different directions and there are only 5 stations, it is a great way to ensure that your shooting form is at least sound.
If you are struggling to hit more than half of the targets in trap you likely have a key flaw in your form. To top that off it is quite common for there to be leagues that form that you can join and enjoy time with friends and acquaintances.
Skeet is another form that people use that can be quite beneficial for duck hunters. While trap targets are all going away from us, the skeet range allows for crossing shots that are so common in the duck blinds of the marsh.
On top of that they are closer in nature and seem to fly at a faster pace that also is quite common when targeting ducks in the field. Skeet is a great way to hone your skills, but I would only try once you are comfortable on the trap field.
The final area that has come into vogue is the advent of sporting clays. Cut out of the woods and areas where hunters are known to target quarry, sporting clays are as close to the real deal Holy field as you are going to get with clay pigeons.
On top of that they are quite challenging and fun to do. Nothing can prepare you totally for your local marsh, but the sporting clays course will have you in top form.
