Fit for purpose

I shoot “gun up” at English Sporting with my Browning trap gun and feel confident enough to have a go at FITASC Sporting competitions, but my scores dip whenever I address targets from the “gun down” position. It all feels so uncomfortable, and the sight picture doesn’t look right when the gun’s mounted.

I’d appreciate your advice.

John says:

If you are going to shoot FITASC Sporting, where the rules stipulate a target must be called for with the gun out of the shoulder, then you must hone your mounting skills. And the easiest way to do this is through regular dry mounting at home. Three or four minutes a night is all you need to polish the two key movements of good gun mount – and that’s to “push” with the leading hand, at the same time “lifting” with the hand gripping the stock. “Push and lift’ is one movement, not two.

I would hazard a guess, from what you say in your email, that the very different sight picture you are getting is down to the gun. In short, it is a bad fit.

Before you go any further, take yourself off to a gun fitter where you will discover if the stock is the right length, whether the comb height is correct and that the cast is sufficient to allow you to shoot where you’re looking. With a trap gun, it’s possible that all three elements will need changing.