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Vincent Hancock – The Rabbit Target

Sporting Clays has a lot of different target presentations, and one of the hardest ones is the rabbit. It’s the hardest to judge and this can absolutely drive people crazy, but in all actuality it has one of the easiest break points.    In today’s Pro Tip, I’m going to show you how to break these rabbits in different points on the field. The difficulty of shooting a rabbit is that it’s path is determined by the terrain. If it catches a hole or hard object it goes skyward, or it can stay in the grass or brush, and slow down drastically.  Since there are so many variables with this target, you can never anticipate what it’s going to do. It’s more of a reactionary target than anything. And the best time to react is when it’s left the ground, and it’s in the air. The reason is because once the target is in the air, nothing else can affect it.  If you notice, my barrel is out away from the machine. This is so I don’t get beat by the target; my move is short, but concise to the target. I don’t see any lead, I’m just moving to it and pulling the trigger. Though the best place to take this target is in the air, you may not always have this luxury. If you have to get to another target, or if you’re shooting a pair, you may have to shoot this target on the ground. It’s not your best choice, but it may be your only option.  When you have to shoot the target on the ground, find the flattest location the target will cross. In other words, shoot at the rabbit at the spot, it’s least likely to bounce. Remember, the best place to take this target is in the air.  But if you have an incoming target, and you don’t have the time to wait for the rabbit to jump, you have to take the target on the ground. This really depends on the course conditions.  Of course, the easiest way to take the ground out of play is just to shoot it before it gets to the ground.    You may not be able to break it that fast, but as long as you can shoot in a comfortable spot. Hopefully, while it’s in the air. Until next time, Stay Army Strong. CLICK HERE FOR PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION