Ask The Instructor: High or Low Gun

Question: I’m a new shooter and I’m confused about if I should be shooting mounted or low-gun. I see different shooters shooting in all different ways. What do you recommend? 

Answer: The only technique that is wrong is the one that doesn’t work. Conversely, the right technique is the one that yields a consistently positive result. What we are really speaking of here is “draw length” — the distance between the comb of the stock and the cheek when a shooter is in the ready position and calling for a target. There are a number of top shooters who are pre-mounted shooters and have won National Championship titles. I can think of still others that use trade-off between a dismounted and mounted ready position, depending on the target presentation. I can count national and international champions among this group as well.

Whether a shooter pre-mounts, or not, on a specific target is a matter of technique. I tend to see the universe of shooters as being divided into pre-mounted shooters and “dynamic shooters,” rather than pre-mounted and low-gun shooters. Personally, I fall into the “dynamic” category of shooters. I will sometimes shoot pre-mounted (“no draw”) when presented with a fast, trap-like, going-away target. On the other hand, I tend to employ a low-gun ready position (“full draw”) for a high, slow, incoming target. I will also sometimes use a “half-draw” on a quartering target, in which I will hold somewhere between a fully mounted position and a low-gun ready position.

The distance between the comb of the stock and my cheek will be based on two seemingly counterposing factors: visibility and efficiency. If a target is emerging from beneath my gun, for example, or if the target has a long flight time prior to arriving at the break point, I will likely hold a bit off the face for improved visibility. If a very fast trap-like target is emerging from a machine that is 25 yards to my front, I will likely pre-mount to limit my muzzle movement and maximize efficiency. Each shooter needs to find the shooting style and technique that works best for them based on the target presentation.