How Do I Learn to Shoot a Shotgun?

While none of us is born knowing how to shoot, it is a skill that can be taught, like golf or skiing. Learning how to shoot a shotgun can make trips to the range or field safer, more enjoyable, and more productive, and it’s as close as the nearest instructor. We’ll share some valuable insight.

Correctly Shooting A Shotgun Requires Professional Instruction

There's always that guy who hits everything, from pair after pair of crossing clays to flushing quail. If it goes up, he puts it down. A lot of us assume people who shoot well were born with a knack for it. Perhaps. More likely, though, someone taught them how to use a shotgun.

Even people who come into this world with a talent for shooting need professional instruction. And even if you aren't aiming for Olympic-level skeet, you can still benefit from coaching, whether you get it through an all-day clinic at a local club or by spending hours one-on-one with a National Skeet Shooting Association or National Sporting Clays Association (NSSA-NSCA) Instructor.

Where To Get Shooting Instruction

Once you're set on learning to shoot a shotgun, you should have an easy time finding a person or place offering instruction. Here are some places to check:

• Gunshops near you
• Sporting or shooting clubs in your area
• The NSSA or NSCA websites
• Your state's fish and game department

After you find a place that offers high-quality shooting instruction, you'll probably have the chance to take classes at different levels.

1 | Shotgun Basics And Safety Instruction

Basic, introductory shotgun courses tend to be short (a few hours long) and safety focused, with little time spent handling guns and shooting. But that's OK. If you're brand new to shotguns, you should take one (and some states require you to do so).

2 | Introduction To Shooting

Many venues offering shotgun basics will also offer an introductory level of instruction. These classes can last all day and should include:

• An introduction to the mechanics of shotguns
• An overview of gun safety
• An introduction to shotgun handling
• Live firing, with a chance to shoot at clay targets

3 | Intermediate Level Shooting Instruction

These intermediate-level shooting courses get serious and can last two or three days. They should cover all of the topics in the first two levels, with the addition of:

• Lessons in how to mount a shotgun
• A demonstration of proper shooting stances
• Extensive trigger time
• One-to-one coaching
• An introduction to shooting clay targets in different scenarios

The best shooting schools will also include an overview of shotgun fit and a personal shotgun fitting.

4 | Advanced Shotgun Instruction

Once you've learned all of the above and you’re handy with a shotgun, you're ready to focus on more advanced and specific skills: wingshooting, competitive skeet shooting, British-style driven shooting, etc.

Instruction at this level is offered at first-rate shooting facilities and sportsmen's clubs, usually the ones with their own skeet fields, five-stand ranges, and sporting-clays courses.

The courses these shooting schools offer can last all weekend or they can consist of a short clinic taught by top shooters in these fields. At its highest level, this kind of instruction is a private lesson with a professional instructor.

If you have a specific problem (like hitting crossing targets), training one-on-one with a pro is the ideal way to address it. Private instruction isn’t cheap, but it can help your shooting skills leap forward in just a couple of hours.

See Orvis Wingshooting Schools