Hunting Sense

Ask anyone who hunts for game birds or waterfowl and they will confirm wingshooting takes practice. It isn’t like blasting cans with your shotgun or shooting at an animal that’s standing still. Hitting a flying target from a distance is a whole new game that takes time and skill to learn to do successfully.

If you want to wingshoot like the pros, there are some important things to keep in mind. While none of them will turn you into a champion overnight, they will give you a good basic understanding of the equipment and techniques to become better at it. You may never grace magazine covers or have huge sponsor endorsements, but you may just wow your buddies the next time you go afield.

The Gun: While any shotgun may be fine for shooting squirrels, rabbits, or cans, it’s imperative to choose the right one for wingshooting. The stock of the shotgun needs to fit your shoulder like a glove. A rubber butt can achieve this sometimes, but if you want a perfect fit, consider replacing the stock with a custom one.

Proper Positioning: Just like with a bow in archery, the proper placement of the shotgun is critical in wingshooting. Firmly plant the butt of the gun high on your shoulder and press your cheek against the stock. This way you and the gun become one, allowing it to move fluidly with your head and shoulder as they turn to follow the bird.

The Stance: Depending on whether you’re right or left handed, place the foot opposite of it forward when shooting. If you’re right handed, it would be the left foot. Always do this, even if you have to take a step to do so while bring up your gun.

Track the Bird: Pivoting at the waist, swing the barrel toward and through the bird from behind. This way you’ll see the tail, then the body, and finally the head. When there’s approximately two inches of daylight between the barrel and the birds head is the time to shoot and have a successful hit.

Finish It: Never stop swinging the barrel when you pull the trigger. If you don’t allow the gun to continue along the same path during and after the shot, you’ll miss the bird. You want the bird to fly into the path of the shot and this is only accomplished if you swing the barrel forward faster than the bird is flying and fire ahead of it.

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