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Larry, note that this is not the first time a theory and experience have clashed. We also know from experience that it is not unusual to see a target break into 2,3, or 4 pieces. After looking at Dr Jones's work on single pellet breaks, I feel comfortable identifying these as single pellet breaks. Somebody needs to clear the target shards out of the landing zone of a skeet field, have a squad of average shooters shoot a round with single hits counted and missed targets recovered immediately for hit inspection, and report the number of unbroken targets with one hit and the number of hits identified as one pellet. That will give us a start to the truth. I think at this point in time most experience is based on the assumption that all breaks are the result of more than one hit. All you skeet shooters out there, next time you are out, look at the 4 piece or less breaks as single pellet hits and see what % you come up with.

DDA

Don, since you sometimes get even 2 pellet hits that do NOT result in a break, I think assuming that all hits that produce 4 pieces or less are the result of a single pellet strike puts you on pretty shaky ground. Maybe not quite as shaky as assuming that no breaks result from single pellet strikes--but I don't know any skeet shooters who believe that. Then there's the issue of even unbroken targets shattering when they hit the ground. We're safe from that right now, here in northern WI, because of all the snow. But the deep snow also makes target collection difficult.

You know what they say in the military about why you should not ASS-U-ME things.

I agree with all above. However, it is the best we have until Dr. Jones finishes his single pellet hit research. I've had the "ass u me" happen both ways. Unfortunately, we usually have to make some assumptions in research just to keep the project within possibility. The good news is we can state assumptions up front.

DDA

Don, I think the typical assumption among skeet shooters is that while single pellet breaks do occur, since we know that they also do NOT occur, they're not as frequent as Dr. Jones' pattern analysis leads him to believe.

One thing that will real help Dr. Jones is aiming error data. I hope some of the new barrel mount cameras will help answer this question. Any ideas as the aiming error topic?

DDA