Pennsylvania Game News - January 2011 - 62

efficient that the need for raw speed is greatly reduced.” I found my confidence growing at each station. After watching others shoot, the understanding of what I had experienced and learned from the book and video all fell into place for me. Near the end of the day, after breaking birds repeatedly at a rather difficult station, it suddenly occurred to me that this style of shooting was The author on the sporting clays course with similar to the instinctive method of VICKI ASH making recommendations to improve shooting I had been taught in the his shooting technique. military, and unconsciously blurted picked up on it from my first shot. the thought out. “Now you have it,” Vicki Gradually, regardless of prior experi- said. ence, we were all seeing marked improveThe OSP method emphasizes instincments in our shooting and shotgun han- tive shooting and doesn’t bog one down dling. Most significantly, when we missed with worrying about lead. Your brain will a bird, in most cases we were able to evalu- figure it out for you if you don’t try to overate the shot and knew why we missed. I think things. If you follow the simple techfound myself uttering before Vicki had a niques of the OSP method you, too, can chance to ask me why I missed. “Gun was easily bring it all together on the range and mounted too fast,” or “You were looking significantly improve what you do there down the barrel” when I fired. By the end and in the field. The common sense teachof the day I was able to hit both targets at a ing method of OSP helps students underdouble station several times in a row, a feat stand how their eyes, mind and body functhat I could not have imagined ever being tion together. Once this is learned, underable to do. standing why we miss becomes simple. We were taught that early target acqui- Once the method becomes second nature sition and focused perception was a key, it will be done with such little effort you’ll and we were urged to look at the forward be amazed. edge of the target or a small piece of it, not I wholeheartedly recommend the purthe whole thing. Gil Ash said, “The most chase of the book If It Aint Broke, Fix It!, common mistake hunters make is to mount and after reading it, practicing the OSP the gun and then look for a target. “You flashlight drill before your next trip to the need to pick out and really see your target range or field; it can only help. Practicing first. You should also start pointing the the Ash flashlight drill before your trip will gun’s muzzle toward the target as you be- help you learn the proper way to mount gin the mounting process. This is a learned your gun; not bringing your face to the gun, skill that makes mounting and pointing so but rather the gun to your face. To begin, insert the flashlight into the muzzle with the light adjusted down to a Fun Game answers: narrow beam. Next, focus on a room corner at the juncture of wall and ceiling and Ground Birds: SUN, Tree Clingers: direct the beam of light there before FLO, Treetops: WER mounting the gun. Then mount the gun SUNFLOWER smoothly, while trying to keep the beam
62 GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News - January 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - January 2011