Point of Impact Overview - Part 2

Part two is finding where your point of impact needs to be to center moving trap targets. The next step or going from elementary to Jr high.

A new or less experienced shooter steps to the line on a trap field. They have not developed their skills or have not had the opportunity to repeat each shot thousands of times, developing their personal form, timing, visual target acquisition, bead/barrel relationship or shot placement. They tend to be a slower and more deliberate shooter than the experienced old timer standing close by. They are shooting at the target as it peaks or the targets only horizontal level during its flight time. They are still trying to aim or relate the bead to the target to gain confidence and shooting data for their internal target solutions computer. In their minds eye they can see the recent patterning board results and are thinking they can place the pattern while the target is at its easy spot. With the chips, chunks and losses, they soon feel lost, because they know exactly where the pattern is as it relates to the moving target. It’s the moving part that changes where the POI needs to be at.

At this point the shooter needs to understand that aiming and pointing are very different, and pointing is the only way to break moving targets. Keeping a visual lock on the target and seeing the bead /barrel relationship in the periphery vision essential. It’s the targets path and movement that generates the shooters movement. Look away (bead check) and loose the target.

The 60/40 or 70/30 percent POI settings would work fine for the new or slow shooter, allowing for visual bead contact with the target. After your muscle memory has mastered the moves to the target and the shooter is comfortable with all aspects of form, mount, move, many shooters will start to naturally speed up timing. Taking the target sooner and while still climbing. This is where we need to start raising POI compensating for the targets vertical momentum. Raise the POI or try to control your timing every shot. My theory is, the shooter needs to shoot their natural timing. This speed should be based on vision. How fast visual target acquisition is locking on the target and how fast the shooter is responding to the targets movement. You can count on the trigger being pulled/released when the sight picture is accomplished. Can’t stop it, it’s a trained subconscious response, data you have loaded in your brain. Many will also find advantage in not making visual bead contact with the target, and float the target above the bead/barrel relationship. If you tend to flinch the float could be good. This again represents a higher setting on the stock for POI. As we can see its not hard to need and get settings that are 100% or more high at target distance (5 inches high at bench 13 yards). One thing you can count on, is each shooter must find what works for them, and how high their trap gun must shoot to center moving trap targets.

Once your gun is set for your proper or natural ability, any timing error will represent a lost target. Any visual mistake or jump will be a loss. The guns POI is set on your capability and normal shot sequence. A bead check is a stop movement, a jump is out of control movement. Once you establish your form, mount, vision and timing, thereto setting the POI to center, each shot must be in the same manor. So the shooter needs to self analyze every aspect of how a well placed shot was made, and know what the difference is of any error made.

--Maltzie