Foot and Hand Positions on Targets Below Your Feet

The elevation of the target has a lot to do with foot position and the front hand’s grip position.

When shooting overhead targets off high towers, the front hand must come back towards the action of the gun just to be able to get the gun butt to your shoulder!

When shooting targets on the horizon, the hands can be about shoulder-width apart due to the left shoulder being ahead of the right shoulder.

On the high tower shots if the shooter leaves their hand in the normal position on the forearm, they cannot get the gun up to their shoulder because both shoulders are now level and the arms are extending from the same plane. The hands must be much closer together. And the feet must be closer together with weight still on the front foot. The gun is moved more in the wrists and arms than the body.

The same thing happens when the targets are below your feet – say, 15 yards or more. Again, the feet must be closer together and the hands must be closer together just to be able to get the gun mounted and keep the muzzles on line, regardless of what that line might be.

And believe us when we tell you targets below your feet are much easier to read than targets over your head.

The reason those targets are easier to read is due to the horizon. It is easier to read what the target is doing if you can see the ground underneath it or behind it. But remember, the closer the target is thrown to its background, the faster it will appear to fly. So don’t be deceived by the speed.