[skeet]

Adam is also correct. What we perceive in distance is not always precisely that far..and another thing. When you shoot at a pattern board..the pattern really looks great?? Remember that shot is strung out in relation to shot size, distance and wind conditions. One reason I could never get into shooting patterns. By the time that shot gets to a crossing bird..only a very few pellets will be in position to hit the bird..some will be in front..some on and some behind. Only time you can really crush a bird is going straight away and coming directly at you. Here is another for the missed shots on those easy straightaways say at trap. Don't know how you could misss?? Most of the time they are not true straightaways. slightly angled. Shoot right at it and voila...another miss. Ask me how I know. What we perceive and what is true are completely different And again..going straight from you..you plant that front sight right on the bird. Remember..if you plainly see that front bead..usually you WILL miss. Ya ain't lookin at the bird/target. Again..ask me how I know. So seriously..as Adam said..shotgun shooting is an Art form. Ask a painter how he paints and he'll just say..what I see is what I paint(an extremely talented artist who lives just down the road told me that). She is very talented even to my eye.. Got her to paint me a small painting. Even the small stuff like mine she gets 3-4 grand for so she must be good for all them people to pay that kinda money.. . So pay attention to the target..not to the gun. It'll happen. with regularity. And Adam's last statement is also a good observation Heck when I was guiding..I will never forget one day..I shot a snow goose at an easy 90 yds. Just couldn't stand it. Hit him with 2 pellets(lead BBs) Amazed the hell out of myself. Led that darn bird by at least 20 ft. Dropped like a rock..the hunting party I had out were dumbstruck..even more than I was. One fellow said holy crap..that was the longest shot he had ever seen. So in great understated brilliance. I said. Well he was pretty close to the longest shot I ever made. They thunk I was the greatest shotgun pointer of all time.. I did not try to dissuade them of that opinion.. hehehehe. Good grief that was a lucky shot..LOL