My son and I have been trying to shoot an informal round of skeet and trap on the weekends he doesn’t work at the gun club. It is a weather dependent thing, and we miss going as often as we go, simply because it isn’t pleasant to shoot in the cold. I have been attempting, without much success to become a right handed shooter, but, I typically enjoy watching Chris have a good round,and that has had to be enough of late.
Typically.
This past Sunday, it warmed to perhaps 22 degrees, with a truly gloomy sky. The kid wanted to go, so, we packed our range guns and headed over to the club. I have been shooting an All Weather version of the Remington 1100, in 20 gauge, trying to develop the muscle memory and skill it takes to switch to shooting off my right side. We stood around waiting outside to shoot skeet, a mistake, as we were both shivering when our turn came. We both shot a dreadful round of skeet. Hey, whatever, there has been much of that in my world for a few years. The boy suggested we warm up inside, and led me to a spot the pullers hang out between rounds, a cut in the ductwork of a furnace, that warmed us up nicely. Then we went out, warmed up, and proceeded to have two very good rounds of trap in the gloom. Chris ran 24, and, for the first time in 6 years, since the detached retina in my left eye happened, I ran 25 straight.
A younger version of me, shooting left handed, would manage a half dozen straights a year, in a good year. Often enough to not be shocked when it happened, but, really happy that it had. I never took the 25 straight patches you get at the club when it occurs, as it never meant that much to me. But, my son escorted me into his place of work, went to where they are stored, and made sure I walked out with one on Sunday.
Great lesson in life. Never give up, keep trying and do it with those you love, then when good things happen share their joy in what you have overcome.
I watched my late father get a limit of dove, using a 16 gauge Fox I lent him, with under a box of shells. Also in the field were two of my sons and myself. That was the last time I ever got Dad to go hunting with us. In fact I bet it was the first time he had hunted in four decades. His eyes were very bad, reflexes almost gone, he just sat there and watched birds for over half an hour. I thought he had decided to not shoot at all, and was just going to watch his grandsons for the most part. He got up and cut three weeds, to mark distance and flight paths of the birds. Then he loaded his gun and started a steady pop, pop, pop. And nearly every shot brought down a bird. He shot his entire limit, then got up and picked up every bird without any problems. He might have been very sight limited, but he could still mark a bird. Then he went over and sat next to my middle son and coached him up a bit. Until the day I depart this world, I will remember that day.
Thank you for sharing that with us, my friend. I am truly happy for you both, especially being aware of the troubles you've been having with your eyes and shooting. Very well done!
I remember that story of your dad so well, Jon. Warms my heart each time you tell it. Family being together is so important. My son, his two sons and I are leaving in a bout 20 minutes for eastern AR where we intend to be a worryation for some ducks for a few days. Reports to come later. It will be a great trip, being together, ducks or not.
Glad to hear all of the time and effort you put in to continue doing what you love has paid off Ted. It should be an inspiring lesson to all, but most people still give up when bad things happen. Maybe the best part wasn't running 25 straight on a cold windy day. The best part is knowing that your son saw that the work you did to overcome adversity paid off. He won't need a patch to remember that.
I know that you are one of the guys here who actually understands what the Liberal Left anti-gun Democrats have done over the last several decades to discourage this sort of activity, and to also incentivize the breakdown of the family structure. So more and more kids grow up without Dads to teach them life lessons. The results of that are clearly evident, but they keep working to drag the country and the values that made it great even lower. That's why those of us who are able to see through it have to keep punching no matter how hard it gets. Best to you, and your son.
Nice one Ted. Congratulations. A tough row to hoe that’s been forced on you. Very happy to hear of some success. Probably not a whole lot that can say they’ve shot a 25 off both shoulders.
Well done Ted. I tried shooting left handed a few days ago. To make the switch is quite a victory for new muscle memory and to be with your son is icing on the cake.
There are a few things about this endeavor that are very concerning to me.
Recoil bothers me off my right shoulder far, far, more than it ever did off my left. That is one of the reasons for using the 20 gauge Remington gas gun. If there is a design of gun that is more user friendly for pointing and shooting, for more people, than an 1100, I have yet to meet it. I can use my Brother’s 12 gauge 1100, if need be, but, to date, I haven’t. I also have not wrapped my head completely around the fact that my little brother is in a nursing home, both legs amputated below the knee, with a host of other medical problems, and very much not likely to need his 1100 ever again.
Handling his guns brings me incredible sadness at the moment.
The arthritis in my hands from the blue collar printing work I have done my whole life, is worse in my right hand. I’m having a bit of trouble manipulating the three Darne guns in my accumulation. I imagine for hunting use, I can make them work, but, the disquieting truth at this point is ANY double is hard for me to connect on a target with.
That bugs hell out of me. My scores slowly crept up with the 20 gauge 1100, but, the doubles gun scores are consistently bad. I hope I can practice my way out of it. I could shoot a 20 gauge black autoloader the rest of my life, and be thankful for it, but, I don’t know how happy I would be about it.
Ted, Take the victories where they come and build on them if you can. But be sure to enjoy the progress you’ve made. It was a detached retina that made my father put his guns down. I know it’s been tough but you are doing well.
Ted, your effort and willingness to admit that recoil is an issue are refreshing. I've seen skeet and dove shooters who brag about not having recoil or flinch affect them but almost topple over, bracing for recoil, on a FTF from faulty ammo or failure to have one in the chamber. There is a "sticky" over at shotgunworld in the reloading section regarding 3/4 oz. in the 20 ga. I know you have opinions regarding reloading, but it may be worth your time. You might even have a 25 lb. bag of #9 lying around. Your son's work at the range would be a good source of the best hulls for the task. 20 ga. promo loads are relatively cheap, but it is still cost effective to reload specialty rounds in the 20. Keep going forward. Gil
Great day for you and your son, Ted! Best of luck making the switch. I thought about trying to shoot southpaw, because I'm strongly L eye dominant. And at that time, I was having issues with my R eye. Macular pucker surgery has improved my R eye enough that it's not as much of an issue as it was, although my L eye is slightly stronger. But I've shot right handed my whole life, and everything just flat seemed awkward when I tried to make the switch.
But I've shot right handed my whole life, and everything just flat seemed awkward when I tried to make the switch.
That might be the understatement of the decade, Larry.
When I try to practice my mount, say, at home, I fiddle and fidget around, trying to get it just right. Uncomfortable. I have noticed that when I shoot, it seems to be an improvement, if I just call for the bird and attempt to smoothly mount the gun to my shoulder, focusing on the bird. It is hard to explain, but, that is the best I can do. There is no time to think about the process.
The coach out there on Sunday told me I have a beautiful swing. He obviously didn’t watch me chop at the skeet targets.
Ted, Glad to hear you’re getting out and shooting! I have an 1100 20 gauge and it is an excellent shooting gun. Mine runs well with 3/4 oz reloads which makes it even nicer to shoot. You can try a box if you’d like.
Ted, Glad to hear you’re getting out and shooting! I have an 1100 20 gauge and it is an excellent shooting gun. Mine runs well with 3/4 oz reloads which makes it even nicer to shoot. You can try a box if you’d like.
Very kind of you, Jeff. When it warms up a bit, I’m in.
Gil, that is actually a bag of 8 shot. Right where I left it, in front of my gun tools toolbox. The COVID19 scam put a damper on my attempts at becoming a reloader. I should develop a 2 1/2” load for my Halifax Darne, even though Dustin says just run 2 3/4” in it.
Keep at it Ted. As you said thinking about shooting when doing it doesn't work well. I know because I do it all the time. Best of luck in your switch. I hope your MD has prescribed some anti-inflamitory for your hands, I understand. Sometimes Fiochi makes 3/4 oz 20 ga loads. As I said, best of luck.
Keep at it Ted. As you said thinking about shooting when doing it doesn't work well. I know because I do it all the time. Best of luck in your switch. I hope your MD has prescribed some anti-inflamitory for your hands, I understand. Sometimes Fiochi makes 3/4 oz 20 ga loads. As I said, best of luck.
Aleve works about as well as anything I’ve tried. I just try not to take it daily, or, more than once a day.
Ted, L.Brown, I don't know for sure, but you might benefit from practicing with a patch over the dominate eye, if it is on the non-shooting side. I am naturally left-handed but shoot right-handed due to my right eye being dominate. I have shot several deer and squirrels left-handed with a scope which seems to mitigate the dominate eye problem. Maybe a 1x scope or red dot would help, with practice. Mike
Mike, My right eye was always my dominant eye. It also had better vision, always. I just shot left handed, because I was left handed. Winked the right eye closed at the shot for 50 years. I was never the worst shooter on any squad I was on, it worked well enough.
Now, I shoot right handed, because the vision in the left eye has deteriorated too much to shoot with. I’ve worked a bit with a coach, informally, but he doesn’t seem to grasp that it feels very unnatural to hold the gun right handed. He suggested that if I really want to move forward I sell or give away the left handed shotguns, as they would likely be an impediment to going forward as a right hander. I did do that, there are plenty of right handed guns here.
It will be too cold to shoot, here, this weekend. I might take the boy to the club and blast away with the handguns, we haven’t done that in a while. Switching eyes with the handgun was no problem, just line up the sights with the right eye, holding left handed, and poke holes in the paper.
Well going on 79 I feel aches and pains as much as anybody. And I've had two complete shoulder replacements and still have 100% strength and mobility in both. (Be happy to share my learning experience with anyone going through that operation).
But rather than Aleve or Tylenol or whatever, before golf or shooting I use Bayer Back&Body 800 mg Aspirin. It is basically aspirin mixed with caffeine and is an age old French recipe now marketed by Bayer.
Ted, you are an inspiration and an example of just not stopping. Life throws up all sorts of challenges. You either move forward or sit in a chair. Thanks.
I used aspirin for many years, but, find I tolerate the every 8 hour doses of Aleve (related to aspirin) better than the every 4 hour doses of aspirin. Depending on what is in my stomach, regular aspirin can really tear me up.
The aspirin does work well for me. Tylenol does not. Never has.
I use Bayer Back&Body 800 mg Aspirin. It is basically aspirin mixed with caffeine and is an age old French recipe now marketed by Bayer.
Isn't that the same thing as a Goody powder?
I have learned that for intermittent pains one Acetominophen and one Naproxen Sodium is much better than two of either. They just work very well together. My GP told me this years ago.
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Your son's work at the range would be a good source of the best hulls for the task. 20 ga. promo loads are relatively cheap, but it is still cost effective to reload specialty rounds in the 20. Keep going forward. Gil