Churchill…Where It Works…Where It Doesn’t

“The story you are about to hear is true;

the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”

Not sure about protecting the innocent but this is my story, so you can be assured it’s true.

This is a factual report on using and trusting a long-standing shooting method called Churchill…currently being promoted for Sporting Clays…what it will and won’t do…where to best use it. And I say this because I had a good night’s stay at The Holiday Inn Express? No. Shared with you humbly and candidly, these first-hand lessons haven’t come easily and I believe they’re worth your knowing.

In the beginning…

Way back in the 1960’s and earlier…yes, some of us really were there…I could handle a gun. Rifle, shotgun, didn’t matter. I can vividly remember the very first pheasant I ever killed in the deep woods of Clarks Valley, up the river from Harrisburg PA. Shooting method? No clue. A guess? Point and shoot. Instinctive. Why? Because it worked. No other reason. It worked then and long, long after. Doves, pheasants, ducks, geese, rabbits, you name it, anything that flew or ran reasonably close, we ate it. Can’t speak for those I hunted with, but the Pointers and Setters sure liked my company. No doubt, a Legend in my own mind.

Early 1980’s, stepping outside a gun club near Harrisburg, I met the clay target. I have vivid memories of those targets flying. And flying. Untouched. Shooting method? What worked…only now it wasn’t. Not worth a lick.

At the same time, Hummelstown Field and Stream handed its shooters a new sport in the U.S., Sporting Clays. Manual machines and a friendly trapper, ready for your round of 50 clays. The course was slam packed on Sundays. Shooting methods back then? Unknown, whatever was working for the shooter. Like everyone else, once again, the Legend was humbled.

I was also, however, determined. Not just to score better, but to understand the game, what worked, what didn’t and most importantly where and why.

Early 1990’s, present and accounted for, I believe I was in the second N.S.C.A. Level I Instructor Certification class. What I learned was repeated and reinforced in my Level II and III. Shooting method? Look hard…see “only” the target rings and edges… trust yourself and pull the trigger. I did. Hallelujah…the Legend was back! With Churchill, clay targets beware!!

For the record, I am grateful and respect the instructors who taught me what they did. Believing I was off to a good start, unbeknownst to me at the time, the teaching road ahead would not be a smooth one. Sharing with my students what I’d been taught, they struggled. Over and over again, Churchill worked and then it didn’t.

Finally, two revelations, two understandings changed all that and got everything working, for my students and myself. And none too soon. 2003 or thereabouts, I woke up one December morning and faced a hard truth. Something was wrong with my teaching. Trusting what I’d been taught, something had to change. Now. But what??

Both revelations came from my Mentors, Peter and Wendy Crabtree of the West London Shooting School (U.K.). Keeping the primary vision on the target, Peter said to lose the “super hard focus” on the target and bring back (what I call) “muzzle awareness” (MA) in the peripheral vision. I wrote about and defended MA in Sporting Clays Magazine, twice, thanks to my respected Editor, George Conrad who kindly published both articles. Those articles ignited a lot of controversies and that’s putting it mildly. Paragon students were, however, advancing much more rapidly…and consistently…by adopting these changes.

The second epiphany…they also changed the shooting method and thankfully so.

Time had finally revealed where Churchill, as I was taught it…very instinctively…see the target rings and edges…trust yourself…point and shoot…typically stops working at about 30 yards from the shooter. A fact-based on long, first-hand history and experience.

Here’s another Churchill experience example I have provided to my instructor Candidates. One instructor certification class after another…I’ve had my Candidates test and evaluate this instinctive method to better understand where it works. Class size? Typically, 10 Candidates or more. The crossing rabbit…medium speed…is shot from the 15-yard marker with this method. Class success percentage? 100%.

20-yard marker? 80% 

25-yard marker? 40%.

30-yard marker? Usually one, maybe two out of ten shooters. Sometimes.

35-yard marker? Give the method a fair test, you decide.

Yes, you can substitute a flying clay at each distance. Those results have been proven, time and time again…with the misses clearly (and understandably) falling behind the target.

Keep in mind now, how many targets do we face today that are over 30 yards?

Depending on the target presentation…

this is why we should only trust a shooting method

that works consistently and dependably on that target.

So, we ditch the Churchill method? No. Let’s not. For some target presentations at reasonable speeds inside 30 yards, executed correctly, Churchill can be very effective. For our quail, grouse and early-season pheasant hunters, here’s your huckleberry. There are countless testimonials confirming its dependability. However, stretch that wing or clay distance out beyond 30 yards…with this method…the risks will quickly become evident. There are better, far more dependable clay and wingshooting methods at your disposal, ready to be learned.

Used in the right places, Churchill will reward the shooter. It has its limitations… as all methods have…and the majority of today’s clay target presentations will very quickly confirm those limitations. Out on today’s clays course, when a final score matters, I’m respectfully suggesting we heed those limitations, learned the hard way by yours truly and many others as well.

Thanks for sharing your time with us. We hope to see you out on the course.

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About Dan Schindler

Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and make their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!  

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take the mystery out of missing targets and feathers with Dan Schindler's simple, easy-to-understand books. They're your road map for consistently and dependably shooting higher scores.

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)