Table Of ContentThe Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning is the go-to
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resource for curing wingshooting ills
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The Gun Digest Book®of Shotgunning contains concise, N
easy to understand information that is sure to help you
THE GUN DIGEST BOOK OF
become a better wingshooter, whether your target is a D
clay bird or a game bird. I (cid:138)
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The tips and techniques, taken from the author’s vast
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knowledge of wing and clay target shooting styles: S
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(cid:81) Highlights information on gun fit (cid:138)
for the field. B
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(cid:81) Reviews fundamentals such as gun O
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mount, foot and body position and
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the proper use of vision.
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(cid:81) Identifies the reasons for missing, S
and provides tried and proven h
MARTY FISCHER
is one of remedies for failure in the field. o
America’s best-known outdoor pers- t
onalities, seen on national cable tele- g
vision by millions of outdoor enthusi-
u
asts and read by more than a million
outdoorsmen each month. He is a host n
of the highly acclaimed Shotgun Jour-
n
nal series currently seen on the Pursuit
i
Channel, and as an internationally read
n
outdoor writer has columns and/or features in
such publications as Quail Unlimited Magazine, g
Sporting Clays Magazine, Dove Hunter Magazine,
Turkey Call, Southern Sporting Journal, Double
Gun Journal, Sports Afield, Clay Shooting USA,
Gray’s Sporting Journal, Shooting Sportsman and
Sporting Classics among others.
F
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S
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US $27.99
H
Z7015 (CAN $33.99)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4402-1111-9 E
ISBN-10: 1-4402-1111-6 R
52799
Gun Digest® Books
MARTY FISCHER
PC N
U An imprint of F+W Media, Inc. EA
www.gundigestbooks.com
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THE GUN DIGEST BOOK OF
®
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MARTY FISCHER
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©2010 Krause Publications, Inc.,
a subsidiary of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by
Gun Digest® Books
An imprint of F+W Media, Inc.
www.gundigestbooks.com
700 East State Street • Iola, WI 54990-0001
715-445-2214 • 888-457-2873
www.gundigestbooks.com
Our toll-free number to place an order or obtain
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All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
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system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages
in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio,
television, or the Internet.
Cover photo courtesy of M.D. and Julia Johnson, M & J Outdoor Communications
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009937525
ISBN 13: 978-1-4402-1111-9
ISBN 10: 1-4402-1111-6
Designed by Dave Hauser
Edited by Corrina Peterson
Printed in the United States of America
2 I The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
4
Foreword
7
Introduction
8
Chapter 1: The Basics of Wingshooting
16
Chapter 2: Selecting the Right Gun
28
Chapter 3: Fitting a Gun for the Field
48
Chapter 4: Ammo Selection and Performance
62
Chapter 5: Barrels, Chokes and Patterning for Optimum Performance
76
Chapter 6: The Principles of Gun Mount
88
Chapter 7: Understanding Proper Foot and Body Position
104
Chapter 8: Vision and Its Inherent Problems
114
Chapter 9: Shooting Styles and How They Apply
132
Chapter 10: Mastering the Common Mistakes for Misses
148
Chapter 11: Doves and Such
160
Chapter 12: The Wonders of Waterfowling
172
Chapter 13: Hunting the Uplands
196
Chapter 14: Mastering the Mental Game
202
Chapter 15: Safety First and Always
210
Chapter 16: Shotgun Maintenance for the Field
216
Chapter 17: Practicing With a Purpose
230
Chapter 18: Putting It All Together
239
Epilogue
The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning I 3
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F O R E W O R D
I
cannot remember the dog’s name, but I do recollect and I would enjoy in the years to come. We found that
that he was a beautiful black and white Springer we had many things in common. It turns out that we
spaniel. I can, however, remember with vivid detail were both natives of the Deep South, and we both had a
every minute of the hunt. The morning sky over- long family tradition of hunting. We both had a passion
head was a beautiful turquoise blue, and the cotton- for shotgunning and we made our living in the outdoors
wood trees along the creek bottom were in their vivid industry.
fall colors of red, gold and yellow. It was as perfect a day I met Marty in Cody, Wyoming, when he was a seg-
as any outdoorsmen could wish for. ment host on the well-known TV series, Suzuki Great
Outdoors on ESPN. He wrote shotgun and wingshoot-
As we moved quietly through the grass, the Springer
ing articles for many outdoor magazines that I enjoyed
hit the scent of a bird and started quartering back and
reading. My son Richard and I owned a company that
forth to hone in on the bird moving in front of him.
produced instructional shotgun videos called Sunrise
Fortunately the little dog was well trained, so he stayed
Productions.
less than 25 yards from us as he worked the bird.
Marty and I quickly became friends and we started
He went about his business quickly, looping left or
exploring ways that we could combine our efforts. We
right at the end of each pass and jumping up from the
made a few bird hunting videos and one on sporting
tall grass to see where we were. We followed him for an-
clays. We produced a pilot for a TV show, and the
other 50 or so yards before his demeanor changed from
Shotgun Journal television series was born.
excited to dead serious as he locked in on the bird.
The videos and the Shotgun Journal gave us
We both knew what was coming, and we were ready. a chance to hunt birds all over the world. We
The little dog made one last check on our location made numerous trips to Argentina for pigeons,
before bursting full speed forward to fl ush the bird. A doves, ducks, geese and perdiz. We chased
beautiful cock pheasant came up fast, clawing the air francolin, guinea fowl, doves, pigeons, ducks and
with its large wings and cackling as he gained speed geese in Africa, red-legged partridge in Spain,
and altitude. The bird was on a left to right course that pheasants in Hungary and pretty much every
took him away from me, but it would offer my hunting huntable bird species in North America. Over
partner a 30-yard shot. This bird was on a course that, the years we have spent hundreds of hours
over the years to come, I would learn was sudden death talking about shotguns, different shooting
to any bird that Marty Fischer wished to put in his bag. methods and comparing every species of
That was the fi rst time I hunted with Marty, and bird we have hunted and the ones we would
that perfect fall day would be the fi rst of many hunts he like to hunt.
4 I The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning
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Hosting the show and
producing wingshooting
videos and DVDs has allowed
me to hunt with some of the best shotgunners in the
world, and I can say with no reluctance that Marty
Fischer is the best natural wingshooter I have
ever encountered.
Given our long history, Over the years he has gained a good reputation
I can confi dently say that I as a sporting clays course designer, and is sought after
have probably spent more as a sporting clays and wingshooting coach. I can only
time in the fi eld and blind attest to two character fl aws in this otherwise fi ne man.
with Marty than any other First, he is reluctant to shoot a side by side shotgun; a
person. I have watched him true gentleman’s gun. The second fl aw is the one that
shoot thousands of birds over I fi nd most disturbing. In recent years he has taken
the years. I am very qualifi ed up with a bad crowd and has started to hunt the wild
to tell you that if you read turkey. I simply cannot understand why one of the best
the following pages with any wingshooters in the world would get up before dawn just
degree of attention, your to shoot at a bird standing still less than 40 yards away.
shotgunning skills on Enjoy the read. It will make you a better shot.
birds and/or clays
will most certainly Bruce Scott
improve. Sunrise Productions
The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning I 5
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6 I The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
I
n a perfect world, wingshooters who venture afi eld es of the shooting puzzle together within a time frame
with shotgun in hand in search of elusive game- measured in fractions of a second. The Gun Digest Book
birds would wish to have complete mastery over of Shotgunning is written to deal with live birds, so
their brain, their hands and their eyes. With such each shooting scenario discussed will most likely result
control they could precisely steer a scattergun’s muzzle in a totally new puzzle for the shooter to solve.
in the direction of their quarry to take shots that would Without question, an accomplished gun can visu-
never be missed. In other words, they would experience ally and mentally absorb all of the information needed
wingshooting utopia shot after shot. Impossible you for a successful shot once he locks focus on a bird. This
say? Not necessarily. In the perfect wingshooter’s world, ability allows him to perform a series of mechanical
this remarkable feat of never missing is actually attain- and technical movements which place the muzzle of
able. the shotgun in a position to suffi ciently move the gun
There are, however, many variables in wingshooting ahead of the target’s line of fl ight in order to deliver a
that can contribute to hits and misses, so the individual shot charge onto that target. While a great deal of this
being has thus far been unable to consistently attain effort can be described as instinctive, good wingshooting
the perfection he seeks. The act of hitting a fl ying ob- skills can be developed through proper instruction and
ject, whether it be feathered or clay, with a shot charge practice, which in turn will create the positive habits re-
propelled hundreds of miles per hour through the air quired for the mechanical, technical and mental aspects
is truly an art. Successful shooting requires a unique of the sport. Competent instruction, followed by those
combination of eye and hand coordination, fueled by a hours of practice, can help transform even the newest of
split second visual and mental dissemination of infor- shooters into skilled wingshooters.
mation to determine the target’s identifi cation, speed, Unfortunately, with limits and seasons being what
angle and distance. It is the vast variety of possible they are throughout most of the shooting world, the
target presentations that make wingshooting one of the fi eld is really not the best place to practice. Wingshoot-
ultimate mental and physical challenges known to man. ing skills are more easily developed through the various
And it is this challenge that has stimulated me to write clay target games such as trap, skeet and sporting
The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning. clays. Of the three, sporting clays is certainly the most
For generations, sportsmen have ventured afi eld to realistic to actual hunting, but any shooting practice is
face the winged challenge of gamebird species found certainly better than none.
throughout the world. These target types come in a The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning is about the
variety of shapes, sizes and speeds. As a result, they mechanics and techniques of shotgun shooting that can
offer the hunter a wide array of fl ight patterns, which be learned and developed over time. It has been said
are presented at different speeds, angles and distances. that no shooter anywhere in the world is the same. All
The smallest gamebird weighs just a few ounces, and of them have different physical and visual skills, and
the largest can tip the scales at more than 20 pounds. they see lead pictures differently. The information pro-
And if that’s not enough, throw in the uncanny ability vided in this book is not necessarily new or innovative.
of some game birds to unpredictably maneuver in fl ight It is simply a compilation of important ‘how to’ informa-
and you can see why shooting sportsmen constantly tion that is available to the wingshooting enthusiast.
seek a more effi cient means of attaining consistency in
I suggest that as you read this book you make the in-
the fi eld.
formation discussed herein a part of your own personal
Over the years, innovations such as interchange- practice. If you are so inclined, spend some time with
able shotgun chokes, smokeless powder and adjustable a competent professional shooting instructor. Chances
stocks have made it somewhat easier for the hunter are he can provide you with specifi c modifi cations or
to cope with the eccentricities of wingshooting. But changes to your mechanics or technique that will pro-
with all of the creative powers of the human mind, no vide immediate help.
invention has proven to be fool-proof when it comes to a
Best of luck with your shooting, and I hope you enjoy
shooter’s success or failure. In virtually every case, and
The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning.
with every innovation known to wingshooting in place,
the difference between hits and misses rests solely on Marty Fischer
the shooter’s ability to put the physical and mental piec- Rincon, Georgia
The Gun Digest Book of Shotgunning I 7
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1
The Basics
of Wingshooting
8 I The Basics of Wingshooting
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L
et’s face it. In order for a wingshooter to be- pellets from the fi red shotshell will impact the
come competent in the fi eld, he must have intended target. He must take into consideration
the basics of shooting fl ying objects fi rmly in that he is sending a speeding shot charge travel-
place. Wingshooting is an eye/hand coordi- ing somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 miles
nation game. The eyes see the target and send in- per hour in the direction of a moving target travel-
formation about the target to the brain. The brain ing at a much slower pace. The very best shooters
then signals the fi nger to pull the trigger once the seem to have a knack for deciphering information
desired lead picture is confi rmed. This process that includes target speed, angle and distance so
sounds easy, and it is when the pieces of the puzzle as to allow their eyes and hands work as a team
fall into place. So let’s get right to those pieces of in placing the shotgun muzzle in just that right
the puzzle. spot relative to the target as the trigger is pulled.
Once a shooter learns to use his vision to see The not so skilled or trained, however, can visibly
the target, he must have a working knowledge struggle with the same challenge.
and understanding of the physical movement
A major secret to a shooter’s success is having
required to place the muzzle of his shotgun in a
excellent technique. A good stance, proper
location relative to that moving target. When the balance and a perfect gun mount are keys to
muzzle of the gun is pushed to the right spot, the consistent success.
The Basics of Wingshooting I 9
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