Canada

On our way home from another great trip to Wapiti Shooters Club in Grande Prairie Alberta, Canada. The club is great and the people are even better. We always enjoy this trip to visit with everyone. Their goal is for anyone who visits the club to leave with a sense of being comfortable and a sense of family. We feel they are our family too.

The weather didn’t cooperate with us. But rain every day is good for the soil, eh? We have always said we don’t charge extra to learn to shoot in the rain.

We had a few repeat offenders but a lot of new faces, too. They all learned a lot and are always amazed that they learn so much in the first hour when we are talking about the eyes and where they should be when you shoot a shotgun. They have not even thought that the eyes should be behind the gun – not over the gun looking right down that barrel. But when we talk about it, they have that look on their face: “That makes so much sense. Why didn’t we think of that?” But that’s why we get the big bucks.

Once again, we spent a lot of time getting the gun out of the way of the eyes by having it lower in the shoulder and head off the stock. I’m always surprised that so many people think it is easier to shoot a shotgun with it already mounted, and wonder why they get so tired by the end of the round. By having the gun mounted then calling for the bird, you are holding it up 80 percent longer than if it were unmounted and able to move with the target when you see it.

Are there times when having the gun up is beneficial? Yes, there are a few presentations where having the gun up higher in the shoulder is good, like a target you have to shoot very fast or a trap-like target where the mount must be perfect. Then I would have the gun up higher in the shoulder but never would I have my head on the stock. It’s hard to start moving with the target when you can’t see it until it passes the gun. Then you have to hurry to catch up. And catching up is not good!

I want to feel like I am catching the target because I was early to the breakpoint and waiting on the target. It’s more forgiving that way.

We’re home for a few days, and we might even do a little fishing. Then on to Mid-Hudson Sporting in New Paltz, New York. Hopefully, no tornadoes will be heading that way.