High-driven birds

Tony Bracci deals with high driven birds that can catch so many out

Ahigh driven target is quite straightforward, the shooter moving the gun on the same line as the target and giving the required lead and follow-through. But there are a few mistakes to watch out for.

The easiest place to shoot a high driven target is when it is at its closest, just in front of or right above your head. The first mistake to avoid is taking the shot at your fullest extreme of swing, as it won’t allow you to follow through effectively or give you a chance of a second shot. Try to take the shot slightly in front to give you room to finish the shot off smoothly on the right line.

If you can see the high driven target coming from a long way away, hold your nerve and don’t mount too soon. If you mount too soon it gives you too much time on the target and encourages you to look at the gun and measure and miss. Let the target come to you and allow yourself enough time to shoot on three beats. One as you mount the gun, two as you swing and three as you follow through.

If you use the swing-through method, as many people do on this target, don’t mount too far behind and slash through the target. This may get you the odd target, but to be consistent we need a smooth controlled swing. There is no magic gap to mount behind, you just don’t want to be spending most of your swing behind the target and not enough time in front. This, of course, doesn’t affect pull-away and maintained-lead methods.

“Hold your nerve and don’t mount too soon”