Instinctive Shooting by Buz Fawcett

Author:Buz Fawcett [Fawcett, Buz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2012-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

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SELECTING A SHOTGUN

In this chapter, I’m not going to tell you which shotgun to buy. You may have already decided which shotgun to use. You might even have decided to try to get by with your old vertical format shotgun. So be it. Some people just won’t be helped.

Let me tell you up front that I don’t pretend to be an expert on the mechanics of shotguns. I have the knowledge to shoot them well and do routine maintenance. Beyond that, I let the real experts take over. We’re talking gun selection here, which requires a rudimentary discussion of some of the mechanics. In gun selection I have some experience, which I would like to share with you.

So, in this chapter, I’ll tell you what I do and what most of my graduates do, based upon experience. The graduates, after all, have had the benefit of the Wingshooting Workshop. They know the technique works.

Often, I run into people who proudly announce they own this or that side-by-side. When I see them shoot I’m usually shocked by their truly atrocious fundamentals. Then, I’ll hear something like, “Well, you know the side-by-side is the most difficult firearm to master,” or “The wide sighting plane takes a while to get used to.” They’re using the side-by-side as an excuse for poor shooting technique. The reality is that was among the original and most traditional of upland guns.

Let me say it one more time: THE SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN, IN THE HANDS OF A SHOOTER WHO UNDERSTANDS IT, CAN AND WILL PERFORM AS WELL OR BETTER THAN ANY OTHER ACTION TYPE OF SHOTGUN.

Our technique has been designed around the properties of a side-by-side shotgun. Other firearms can be used as well for this method, but you will not want to use them other than possibly for a brief demonstration. Side-by-sides simply work best and are the easiest to fit and use in your quest to become a master gunner. There, now I have some enemies with this line in the sand. However, it is said that “you can measure your power by the strength of your enemies.”

For your Year in the Wilderness, pick one gun, make sure it is fitted to you, and then shoot it to the exclusion of all others. It should be a shotgun which fits our preferred profile. It should be appropriate for your body size. It should be new enough so that parts are readily available. Plus, you should already have located a side-by-side gunsmith to take care of it for you. If I thought there was better a firearm for the upland gunner, I would be the first convert.

Maybe I’ll make a few more enemies, but I’ll also state that most gunsmiths are not qualified to work on side-by-sides, nor do they have the requisite experience to offer you much helpful advice if they lack the experience. When you go looking for a gunsmith, ask specifically for his side-by-side references. Not just shotgun references, but side-by-side references. There’s a vast difference.

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