As we're starting a new year and the tournament season is a few short months away, I thought now would be a good time to look at this in preparation for the season ahead. This is about making sure our gun - choke and barrel - are patterning where they're supposed to. Please don't assume they are. Gun manufacturers do a good job with this - but not always.
POI - point of impact - is where our shot-string lands on the target. Is it high - low - centered? Do your barrels actually send the shot-string on a straight line to the center of the target? From a bench rest, as you would a rifle, does your shot-string hit the bulls-eye dead on, with 50% distribution on the top, bottom, left and right? Or is it slightly high, low or off center? If score is a priority in your game, this is an important piece of information. You barrels should be shooting dead on.
Once that is established, the next question is, where do you personally want your POI to be? 50/50 (top and bottom, left and right) POI seems to be a favorite among sporting clays shooters - the POI I use and recommend because a higher POI (60 top/40 bottom) can be problematic for our chandelles and dropping targets. Depending on stock dimensions — rib configuration — and how a stock fits you — all move our shooting eye up or down behind the receiver - moving our POI. The final configuration of all this can directly affect our final X count — and the number of birds in our game pouch.
Checking our POI is on our tournament preparation checklist. Remember too, a good gun fitter and stocker can usually move that POI to precisely where we want it, if need be. Now is a good time check your POI at 30 yards with a Modified choke or tighter. 5 shells, then walk up to the patterning target/board and see what you have. Repeat, 1 barrel at a time, until you know what your POI is and whether or not it needs adjusted and/or meets your needs.
Remember, the more we prepare, the luckier we get! Here's hoping our paths cross in 2012. Please be safe and Happy New Year everyone.
