1. Safety, above all.

• Your safety and the guns around you really is paramount – always practice safety first. Handle all guns as though they are loaded; however, it is important to keep your gun unloaded until you are ready to shoot.
•  It really is important to keep your eyes and ears protected – don’t hesitate to spend a little extra on kit that will serve you well!
• In all instances, make sure you can see daylight through the barrels before inserting the cartridges – on the odd occasion guns have been known to blow up due to obstruction.
•  Always remember to keep your muzzle pointed down until you are ready to shoot.

2. Keep it movin’.

• It’s simple, keep your gun moving! Keep your eyes fixed on the bird’s head and naturally your gun will swing with every shot, but, remember to follow through with your head down and weight over your front foot.

3. Eyes on the prize.

• A mistake many novice shooters make is the assumption that because they are right-handed, they have a dominant right eye, or vice versa with their left. This is not always the case.
• In order to check for eye dominance, stand tall and point to an object on the other side of the room. Close your left eye, and if you can still see the object at the end of your finger, you are right-eye dominant. If the object has moved, open your left eye and close your right. If the object is still at the end of your finger, you are left-eye dominant.
• It may seem alien at first, but, train yourself to focus on your target and forget aiming down the barrel of your gun – aiming takes too much time.

4. Practice makes perfect!

•  Ok let’s correct that… Practice makes progress! With hours of repetition on your gun mount, your swing, and in live situations in the field, you will start to feel your own style of shooting come naturally.
•  If you want to see progress on becoming a better shot, try a daily routine of 15 mount/swings and remember to get in the habit of mounting your gun to your face, not your shoulder!

5. Relax!

• When you’re shooting forget everything about the gun, your cartridges, or your chokes. Relax and enjoy the moment.
• By relaxing you will naturally eliminate the thought process that has gone into practice – you will end up finding yourself pointing rather than aiming, which is ultimately what we want to achieve!

Are you new to shooting?

If you’re looking to start out in clay shooting, we strongly recommend taking a look at our latest offering of 2016: the B525 Trap One – for all new shooters. Efficient, affordable & ergonomic!

Advice from Browning Shotgun Owners:

“The best advice I was ever given was to get some tuition. There’s nothing harder than trying to iron out all those bad habits that you develop when you first start out!” – Glen Downer

“Don’t jump at buying your first gun until you’ve had a few lessons and tried a few disciplines.” – Stu Rock

“Tuition not only teaches you a foundation for whatever discipline you choose, it will also give you a far better chance of knowing which gun suits you with regards to fit. Not every model is the same, and not every model will suit you.” – Glen Downer

“Most importantly, have fun.” – Craig Holland

“Go in prepared, and you will find your progression is so much faster and easier.” – Glen Downer

Feel free to share your tips and tricks in the comments below!