Making Every Shot Count

There's an old joke about a grouse hunter who gets lost in the woods.

- Anthony I. Matarese, Jr.

ANTHONY I. MATARESE, JR., is the most accomplished sporting clays shooter in U.S. history. He teaches shooting out of his family's club, M&M Hunting and Sporting Clays in Pennsville, New Jersey. To book lessons with Anthony or to buy his acclaimed books and videos, visit clayshootinginstruction.​com.

Generating Lead

He hasn't seen anyone for hours, but suddenly a grouse flushes and sails across a clearing — the easiest shot imaginable. Two shots later, the bird is still flying, and the hunter is shaking his head. “Where was I on that bird?” he asks. Another hunter steps out from the brush and says, “Behind it.”

The answer is not always that simple, nor is “behind it” always the right answer. To shoot a moving target, you must get the muzzle of the gun some distance ahead of that target. Now, some folks say there’s no such thing as lead — if you swing the gun fast and shoot right at the bird, it will fall. I don’t agree. Lead surely does exist, and if you’re shooting properly, you are aware of it, even if you don’t consciously think about it.