Listener Question Extravaganza PART 5 - TRAP TALK E83

Summary

Trap Talk From The Back Fence: Listener Question Extravaganza PART 5 - TRAP TALK E83

Release Date: July 19, 2024

In the fifth installment of their "Listener Question Extravaganza," hosts Zach Danini and Richard "Rick" Marshall Jr. dive deep into the intricacies of trapshooting, addressing a variety of questions from their dedicated audience. Filmed live at the Cardinal Center in Sparta, Illinois, this episode not only showcases their expertise but also fosters a community spirit among trapshooting enthusiasts. Below is a detailed summary of the episode's key discussions, insights, and conclusions.

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1. Addressing Listener Questions

The core of this episode revolves around answering listener-submitted questions, offering practical advice and expert opinions on various aspects of trapshooting.

a. Training Aids for Off-Season Practice

Question by Terry Delonte

Terry inquires about effective training aids for trapshooting during times when outdoor shooting isn't feasible, such as winter months. He mentions tools like VR systems and wall charts used by the Jordan Wall Chart but seeks cost-effective alternatives.

• Rick Marshall (05:06): Expresses skepticism about dry-fire training methods, emphasizing the importance of physical movement and gun handling over static drills.

• Zach Danini (05:27): Shares his experience with an eye-training exercise involving a manually created tennis ball target system, highlighting the significance of eye coordination and focus. He recreates drills taught by Craig Hancock, showcasing adaptability in training without hefty investments.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (06:28): "One of the best exercises I did was trying to catch the number or letter on a swinging ball without moving my head."

Conclusion: While advanced training aids like VR can be beneficial, Zach and Rick advocate for practical, hands-on exercises that enhance eye tracking and coordination, ensuring shooters remain sharp even during off-seasons.

b. Choke Selection for Doubles Shooting

Question by Oliver J. Patton

Oliver seeks clarification on why many shooters opt for modified or improved full chokes for doubles rather than sticking strictly to full chokes, which are generally recommended.

• Rick Marshall (08:16): Suggests that tighter chokes like modified chokes prevent shooters from breaking targets too close to the house, ensuring consistency in doubles shooting.

• Zach Danini (09:14): Elaborates on the relative performance of different chokes, referencing insights from top shooters like Mitchell Loveless. He emphasizes that modified chokes offer a balance between control and spread, which is crucial in doubles.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (09:30): "I think that's the explanation you use on that doubles, you know where it is. You're snap shooting it pretty quickly."

Conclusion: Modified and improved full chokes provide the necessary balance between control and spread, making them preferable for doubles shooting to maintain consistency and accuracy.

c. Overcoming Flinching in Shooting

Question by Braden Flanagan

Braden shares his challenges with flinching during shoots and seeks strategies to enhance his trigger control and overall performance.

• Rick Marshall (10:50): Highlights the multifaceted nature of flinching, attributing it to factors like vision issues or premature gun movement. He suggests individualized solutions, potentially through professional coaching.

• Zach Danini (11:12): Discusses the importance of eye positioning and focus, recounting personal experiences where improper eye alignment led to flinching. He emphasizes the need for consistent routines and the psychological aspects of confidence in shooting.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (12:09): "The better your eyes work, the better you're probably going to shoot, right?"

Conclusion: Flinching is often a result of visual misalignment and psychological factors. Addressing eye positioning and developing a consistent pre-shot routine can significantly mitigate flinching tendencies.

d. Precision Fit Stocks for Youth Shooters

Question by Ryan Russell

Ryan asks about the best approach to equipping his 13-year-old son for trapshooting, specifically regarding gun stocks that accommodate growth.

• Rick Marshall (15:07): Recommends avoiding recoil device systems and suggests adjustable combs or adding spacers to existing stocks to accommodate growth without compromising stability.

• Zach Danini (16:07): Advocates for consistency in the stock, preferring locked-out systems over collapsible ones, especially for doubles shooting. He underscores the importance of a stable stock as the shooter grows.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (16:46): "For doubles, I don't want to see just shooting singles or handicap. That's a different story."

Conclusion: For youth shooters, adjustable or spacer-equipped stocks offer the flexibility needed for growth while maintaining the consistency and stability essential for effective shooting, particularly in doubles.

e. Navigating Colorblindness in Trapshooting

Question by Mason Bartlo

Mason discusses his red-green color deficiency and its impact on his trapshooting performance, especially in low-light conditions with green backgrounds.

• Zach Danini (34:16): Recommends experimenting with different lens colors, particularly pinks and vibrant hues, to enhance target visibility. He emphasizes personalized trial and error to find the most effective lens for individual perception.

• Rick Marshall (34:52): Advises consulting with an eye doctor to explore tailored solutions, acknowledging the uniqueness of each shooter’s visual experience.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (34:59): "Trial and error, try to figure out like look through a bunch of different lenses and figure out what works best for you."

Conclusion: Colorblind shooters should collaborate with eye care professionals and experiment with various lens colors to optimize target visibility, ensuring peak performance regardless of visual limitations.

f. Choosing the Right Ammunition

Question by Jeff from Ohio

Jeff, a new shooter, seeks advice on whether investing in more expensive shotgun shells offers tangible benefits for performance.

• Rick Marshall (36:10): Encourages shooters to use ammunition within their budget, noting that quality and consistency can impact shooting scores. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how different shells perform in specific guns.

• Zach Danini (36:21): Points out that premium shells may offer higher animony and consistent powder charges, which can enhance target breakage and overall performance, especially in competitive settings.

Notable Quote:

Rick Marshall (36:21): "Don't always look and say, oh, I could save a dollar here because it could cost you a score."

Conclusion: While budget-friendly shells are adequate for practice, investing in higher-quality ammunition can provide better consistency and performance in competitive shooting, potentially improving scores.

g. Developing Trigger Control

Question by Chet from Prescott, Arizona

Chet seeks methods to improve his trigger control, particularly to avoid being jumpy towards moving targets.

• Rick Marshall (42:10): Advises focusing on the target’s leading edge and maintaining awareness of the target’s movement to prevent premature trigger pulls.

• Zach Danini (43:30): Highlights the importance of disciplined eye movement and consistent practice to enhance trigger control, ensuring shooters respond appropriately to target movement.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (44:01): "I want to look where I want the pellets to go."

Conclusion: Effective trigger control is rooted in disciplined eye movement and consistent practice. Shooters should focus on the target’s leading edge and develop a reliable pre-shot routine to prevent flinching and premature trigger pulls.

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2. Pre-Shot Routine Insights

A significant portion of the episode delves into the intricacies of establishing a consistent and effective pre-shot routine, a fundamental aspect of successful trapshooting.

• Rick Marshall (20:16): Emphasizes simplicity in the pre-shot routine, advocating for repeated, consistent actions that minimize overthinking during shooting.

• Zach Danini (21:02): Discusses the balance between maintaining focus on the target and being aware of surroundings, ensuring shooters remain relaxed yet attentive.

• John (22:03): Highlights common pitfalls, such as mounting the gun too early, which can disrupt the shooting routine and lead to missed targets.

Notable Quote:

Rick Marshall (26:00): "See the target is a whole paragraph of things, right?"

Conclusion: A streamlined pre-shot routine, focusing on consistent actions and balanced visual focus, is crucial for minimizing errors and enhancing performance. Shooters are encouraged to develop habits that allow them to remain calm and focused, reducing the likelihood of flinching or premature trigger pulls.

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3. Community and Event Highlights

Throughout the episode, hosts celebrate their community’s achievements and upcoming events, fostering a sense of camaraderie among listeners.

• Rick Marshall (45:20): Shares personal anecdotes from recent competitions, including breaking a 200 score and participating in shoot-offs.

• Zach Danini (45:29): Encourages continued engagement and participation, expressing enthusiasm for future events and community involvement.

Notable Quote:

Zach Danini (45:15): "We appreciate all the questions that you guys send in. Please keep sending them and we're gonna get you some more content asap."

Conclusion: The episode underscores the importance of community interaction and active participation in events, reinforcing the hosts' commitment to engaging with and supporting their audience.

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4. Sponsor Acknowledgments

Interspersed with the Q&A, hosts acknowledge their sponsors, highlighting products and services that support their trapshooting endeavors. While these segments are integral to the podcast’s operations, they are kept brief to maintain the focus on content.

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Final Thoughts

"Listener Question Extravaganza PART 5" offers a comprehensive exploration of various trapshooting topics, from technical aspects like choke selection and trigger control to personalized challenges such as colorblindness and youth shooter equipment. Zach and Rick provide balanced, experience-based advice, fostering an informative and supportive environment for both novice and seasoned shooters. Their emphasis on consistency, personalized training, and community engagement underscores their dedication to advancing the sport of trapshooting.

For those interested in enhancing their trapshooting skills or seeking answers to specific challenges, this episode serves as a valuable resource, blending expert insights with practical recommendations.

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Notable Quotes:

• Zach Danini (06:28): "One of the best exercises I did was trying to catch the number or letter on a swinging ball without moving my head."

• Rick Marshall (36:10): "Shoot what you can afford, number one. Yes, there is difference with all shells with the amount of animony in there."

• Zach Danini (44:01): "I want to look where I want the pellets to go."

• Rick Marshall (26:00): "See the target is a whole paragraph of things, right?"

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This episode exemplifies the hosts' commitment to providing valuable content tailored to their listeners' needs, making "Trap Talk From The Back Fence" an essential listen for anyone passionate about trapshooting.

Transcript

[Rick Marshall]

Live from the Cardinal center.

[Zach Danini]

Welcome to season two of Trap Doc, brought to you by Craig.

[Rick Marshall]

Off.

[Zach Danini]

Are you good? Are you gonna be in the camera shot, too?

[John]

No, I'm just gonna be off camera, but I'm asking questions.

[Zach Danini]

Well, this isn't gonna be as cool as before. I like seeing you. It's okay.

[John]

We'll just.

[Zach Danini]

We'll pretend you don't need to.

[Rick Marshall]

We can have. We can have John slink across the.

[Zach Danini]

Slink on over. You should put your little face just flying across when you ask the question. We got some special news for you. So I know we've teased you a little bit, but we've got the store looking fantastic in Sparta, Illinois. It's building number 106, and we're gonna have a Trap Talk Live studio. So you're gonna be able to walk in, you're gonna be able to get merch, get T shirts, hats, all this good stuff. Look, threaded up, some stickers.

[Rick Marshall]

John's done. We got some hundred straight pins. Okay. We're gonna have a lot of different stuff there at the Grand. Looking forward to that.

[Zach Danini]

In the back, we're gonna have an area where we're actually gonna be shooting live podcasts. So there's gonna be a lot of hours of the day we're probably not gonna be open because we're gonna have famous people in there shooting podcasts, which is going to be. Which is going to be a cool thing. And we're always open for the VIPs in the after hour. But because of this announcement, we've got some new sponsors that are giving away some really, really cool stuff. First thing we're going to give away is the 73 pointers hunt. So there are. They're our new sponsor this year, 73 Pointers Ranch. And they're. They're giving away. You know, it's a. It's a pheasant chucker, dual hunt, stay the night type of thing. It's going to be awesome. Thanks, Rick and Carla Burke. In order to get signed on, Rick.

[Rick Marshall]

You got to get on TrapTalkPodcast.com go to the area where it says VIP Newsletter. Hit that, enter your email and you'll be in to win a hunt then.

[Zach Danini]

Also, we're giving away another shot Shot tracker. So this is for VIPs. If you're not a VIP and you're not on the VIP newsletter, you're not going to come in the back and hang out with me. Ricky, you're definitely not going to get the shot tracker. You're not going to get the 73 pointers. So you guys go put your email in, become VIPs, get a chance at 73 pointers, get a chance at the shot tracker. And you do not need to be present at the grand to win this stuff.

[Rick Marshall]

No.

[Zach Danini]

You could be drawn to couch in Alaska wishing you were at the grand with us and still winning stuff. But. But we have one more special thing we're giving.

[Rick Marshall]

We got Ron Prescott with Midstates Precious Metals. He's given us some gold and silver. We're gonna be giving that away live at the grand though. So you gotta be present to win that.

[Zach Danini]

You can't be sitting in Alaska. No wishing. You got to come to the grand where all the big dogs are and get the gold and the silver. And that's, I mean, that's your best opportunity to come hang out with me and Rick and maybe, you know, have a, have a soda pop or something.

[John]

When's that gonna be?

[Zach Danini]

We're gonna do it August. August 8th. Which is Thursday.

[Rick Marshall]

Yep.

[Zach Danini]

We're gonna draw all three things. The only one you need to be there for is the gold and the silver. So, you know, you guys head on out. It's gonna be awesome. We're really looking forward to it. The Grands account down.

[Rick Marshall]

That's right.

[Zach Danini]

And we love if you're not coming to the Grand.

[Rick Marshall]

Come on, folks.

[Zach Danini]

Put it on your counter.

[Rick Marshall]

Sparta. Enjoy it. Yes, it can be hot. Yes, it can be cold. But you never know.

[Zach Danini]

But what better place to be and.

[Rick Marshall]

Shoot 2600 targets for the HOA.

[Zach Danini]

Thanks for listening.

[Rick Marshall]

That's right.

[Zach Danini]

Welcome back, Trap Talk listeners. I'm your host, Zach Danini. I am here live with my co host, Richard Marshall Jr. At the Cardinal center in Ohio. We just got done with the championship singles and John says, hey, guys, you need to make some content because people want to hear stuff. And we got questions that we haven't answered. We got people hitting us up, walking down the line, saying, hey, when are you going to do my question? When are you going to do my question? Most of the time we do them, but we got to get out here and get them. Exactly.

[Rick Marshall]

We've been waiting on John sometimes, you know, Psycho Bullard said the mustard slipped.

[Zach Danini]

Off the hot dog. It's hard to find good help these days, but, you know, we make a good team.

[Rick Marshall]

Yes, we do.

[Zach Danini]

We work together, so it's a lot of fun. We're having a great time. A back fence shootout went fabulous last night and we talked about that. We shot some content about it. But today we're gonna get Some questions, singles.

[Rick Marshall]

Zach did break 200, I had 199.

[Zach Danini]

So it happens every once in a while, you never know. But that being said, we got, we're ready to go. So John, what's our first question?

[Rick Marshall]

What we got?

[John]

Alright, first question coming in from Terry Delonte. He says do you guys use any training aids or have used training aids? Not all of us travel and shoot in warm weather, in the winter or at other times. I'm thinking of something similar to VR or the Jordan wall chart. Wanted to save some time and money but also get some training in. Do you have any suggestions?

[Rick Marshall]

I don't use it, no. I'm not a big fan of dry fire stuff. I'm a fan of, you know, gun lifts and mountain and moving around, but not just picking a spot and shooting and, or any of the, the VR stuff. I haven't even messed with the VR stuff. So who knows, maybe that is a possibility.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, I've never done the VR like Rick. I have seen the, the wall chart mounts. My discrepancy with that is like the target's not going to be in that same spot every time, right? So you're going from here to here, from here to here, from here to here. Not that that's bad, but what, what I did back in the day was I would just like go in the garage and just take a clean wall and I just put, you know, tape mark, tape mark, tape mark. And if you want to go from spot to spot, you can do that. But one of the eye training drills that I did that I thought was pretty helpful that they taught us in college was Craig Hancock. He brought one of these balls and it had a lot of numbers and letters and stuff on it and it would hang from a string and he would swing it left to right and then back to forth and you try to catch the number of the letter that he called out. So he'd say hey, look for the A. And you try to, without moving your head, just kind of like a cat clock, like look for that. And that really was one of the best exercises I did and to try to duplicate it because I didn't want to spend $200 on the ball. I just got a, I just got a tennis ball.

[Rick Marshall]

The Italian coming out.

[Zach Danini]

That's why I'm a financial guy. We didn't want to waste 200. So we got a tennis ball. I took some electrical tape and I taped like, you know, nine or ten pieces of tape on it and I wrote nine, seven, A, B, whatever. And then I'd swing it. And I had my dad call it out. And I just try to really focus on that one spot on the tennis ball as it was swinging and work it from this way in and out.

[Rick Marshall]

And then left to right.

[Zach Danini]

And you know, if you do that for 10, 15, 20 minutes, that's going to strain your eyes. And one thing I learned from Craig at school, because he was obviously Vinnie was his son. They talk about all those Olympians, do a lot exercises, and I don't think there's as many, you know, just regular trap shooters that are going to that level. I mean, not that I've heard of, but, I mean, it's our eyes, right? The better your eyes work, the better you're probably going to shoot, right?

[Rick Marshall]

Absolutely.

[Zach Danini]

So that's. That's my thought on it.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, I agree with Zach on that. And like I said, we haven't done any of the VR stuff, so that's possibility. We could look into that and see kind of how it does and maybe give you a little feedback at a later date.

[Zach Danini]

Hey, anybody want to send us some VR to Trap Talk? We'll try it out. We'll do a review. I mean, we would take merch. You can send it right here. We'll tell you if it's any good.

[John]

Just email [e-mail] that's a good idea.

[Rick Marshall]

Perfect.

[John]

Take in all of your ideas on VR. Okay, guys, good. Good one. Let's move on here. Oliver J. Patton sends in a question. Hello, Oliver from Kentucky. Absolutely love the podcast and love the content. With that being said, love it. You hear this from most shooters, and I know both of you guys do this route. Also, like Leo said, any choke is good as long as it's full.

[Rick Marshall]

Yep.

[John]

Then why do so many shoot mod imod for dou. Why not full full. I'd love a better explanation. Again, love the podcast. Oliver J. Patton.

[Rick Marshall]

Too tight a choke for shooting doubles? You know where the targets are. A lot of people jump the targets, especially the first target. So mod 20,000ths, and then I mod 30,000ths for your second shot. That's it. There's no explanation other than, you know, you get too tight, it's so you're breaking that first shot in doubles probably 2/3 closer than you would a single start.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, you're breaking it so close to the house. I mean, so we talked with Mitchell Loveless about relativity of choke, where you break a target. If a guy's breaking a target where Joey's breaking it or where Mitchell's Breaking it. Their choke, even though they're modified or improved. Modified is more like a full where I'm taking a target at singles that's kind of drawn out. I'm taking it more closer to the apex. So I think that's the explanation you use on that doubles, you know where it is. You're snap shooting it pretty quickly. And it's. Even a modified is going to be a pretty damn tight choke. Oh, yeah. That distance. Yeah.

[Rick Marshall]

And I've shot them all. I mean, I literally practice with full full, and it's just too tight. You're throwing a softball at them, so to speak. It's not that tight.

[Zach Danini]

But as far as. As far as the second shot goes, I mean, it's 30,000. I mean, it's 35 is.

[Rick Marshall]

Is full.

[Zach Danini]

It's 5,000 different. It's your preference though, I think. I mean, if you want to throw a mod full, I mean, go ahead, but. But I personally think that mod that I've always heard from some of the best double shooters in the country. What are in your barrels? 20, 30 is like pretty much the perfect chokes for doubles.

[Rick Marshall]

One of the barrel gurus of all time, Tommy Wilkinson. You know what you say 20,000, 30,000 for doubles.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah. And then tighter. A little tighter than the single barrel. But yep, that's just our. Our take on it. So.

[John]

Okay, perfect. Thank you, Oliver, for the question. We appreciate that. All right, we're moving on here. The next one comes in from Brayden Flanagan. He is from Berlin, Wisconsin. We're gonna be in Wisconsin coming up here. Not too the cheaps date sent from my iPhone. Hey, Ricky and Zach, I love watching your podcast and I've been shooting the best of my life by far. Learning so much from you and all the guests. All right, cool. Great news. I set a new personal record this season of a 99 out of 100, and I've broke a few hundred straights over the span of a couple of days.

[Zach Danini]

There you go.

[John]

One thing I struggle with and always. Excuse me. One thing I struggle with is always flinching. How can I fix this? Well, million dollar question here.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, I mean, without seeing you shoot, it could be a multitude of things. With vision moving. So without taking a class, honestly, I couldn't say.

[John]

Hey, that reason most commonly flinch. What is the most common reason for flinching? Is it not seeing the target? Is it jumping?

[Rick Marshall]

It could be a multitude. Everybody's different.

[John]

Okay.

[Zach Danini]

I feel like it's. I mean, categories, right? There's amount of people that have shot like. Like you got A Dave Kelly who shot his whole life. And I think eventually your bang switch could expire at some level for some people. When it goes. That's. I mean, one option, but I think it's vision related more than anything. Vision related. Right. And now you would need a guy like Rick to go in and say, okay, well, what do we have to do to correct that vision? But. But more times than not, because I have flinched in my career before, and, you know, as most of us have, and when I've personally experienced a flinch, it's because my eyes didn't like what they were seeing either. I was too far behind the gun. I was too high above the gun, and I looked into that center space, into the rib. You know, I was looking somewhere or, you know, my eyes should have been. Yeah. My eyes were where they shouldn't have been, and that target kind of surprised me in some direction, and it caused me to have what I would say would be a visual flinch.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah.

[Zach Danini]

But I do know some people and that have, you know, they got the vision, all right, but for whatever reason, they just can't pull a damn trigger anymore.

[John]

Is that, like, stress related? Is it expectation related?

[Rick Marshall]

Thinking too much.

[John]

Thinking too much. Yeah.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah. I mean, because. Because there's some people that have shot, you know, million rounds and never developed a flinch.

[Rick Marshall]

Right.

[Zach Danini]

I mean, you've shot.

[Rick Marshall]

I mean, I'll flinch every once a while. What it causes me is when I move the gun. When I move the gun early.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, you.

[John]

Oh.

[Rick Marshall]

And that's the vision when you get.

[Zach Danini]

That gun up ahead of the target before you see it, and you're like. And you don't want to shoot because you don't see it. Right. And I think that's. That's a huge.

[John]

So this one's a tough one to answer without seeing.

[Rick Marshall]

Yes.

[John]

Right.

[Rick Marshall]

Absolutely.

[John]

So I think, you know, from Braden's standpoint, Braden, if you want to get real adventurous, I would say send us another round two on this. Talk to us a little bit more about what he's even calling flinching. Right. Because just making a bad move on a bird is not what we typically.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah. I would tell you, seek some professional guidance on that. I mean, if you got somebody good, like Rick, I mean, just. Yeah, call, you know, go do. Go do a lesson with somebody that can say. And say, hey, you're doing this wrong. Because a lot of the times you can correct that stuff pretty quickly.

[Rick Marshall]

Oh, yeah.

[John]

But Braden's putting up some good scores.

[Rick Marshall]

That's absolutely.

[John]

Rick, you've been known to go To Wisconsin. Oh, yeah.

[Rick Marshall]

We'll be there at the state shoot. Zach, are you coming?

[Zach Danini]

Maybe rmc.

[Rick Marshall]

That's a rumor.

[Zach Danini]

It's a rumor.

[Rick Marshall]

May be coming. I doubt it, folks.

[Zach Danini]

All right, I gotta go back to work.

[John]

We're gonna keep it moving because this is an extravaganza.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, we just go.

[Zach Danini]

We got it. We got rapid fire. Bang, bang, bang.

[John]

Thank you for that question, Braden. Okay, guys, next one's coming in from Ryan Russell.

[Zach Danini]

All right, folks, we got to take a quick second and give a huge shout out to our title sponsor, Craig Off. Me and Ricky. Bullshit. And we both love them.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. Best gun in the industry. I shoot him, I sell them. Nothing better, folks. Get yourself a Craig off, your scores will increase.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, I mean, Ricky's got hundreds and hundreds of hundreds with his. I mean, I've got a few hundreds, but. But I'm always working to get a little bit better and they definitely help me, that's for sure. So on top of that, we also got to thank winning. I'm wearing the shirt today. Love this shirt. If you're down at the grand, pick one up.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, Winning. Like I said, Zach, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of my winning stock. You know, get a hold of Bobby, Luke, Bill, get an appointment, set up. They will make you a better shooter with that winning stock.

[Zach Danini]

Of course. Yeah, the Grand's the great place to do it. Give them a call, get on their book. It's worth your time.

[Rick Marshall]

Just remember, winners shoot winnings.

[Zach Danini]

With that being said, let's get back to the show.

[John]

Hey, guys. My son and I really enjoy the show. Keep up the good work. While I know you guys are big fans of winning stocks, I don't think we are. At the point as my boy is only 13 and still growing, what are your thoughts on a precision fit stock for a youth shooter? He's currently shooting a Browning satori high post 30 inch with an adjustable rib. We'd love to get to a clinic with Ricky around Iowa sometimes. Thanks in advance, Ryan Russell. So he's not ready to make that Invest. I mean, 13 year old, right, Rick? He's going to be different size.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. You're going to grow and. And such. So I. I'm just. I'm not a huge fan of recoil device systems.

[John]

What if you. What if like an adjustable stock without recoil is something for a you shooter as they're growing, is there anything out there that you would lean to besides an adjustable comb?

[Rick Marshall]

Well, adjustable comb is fine, but what.

[Zach Danini]

I always did when I was growing is I just had the Stock and then I was just putting spacers in the back and added to a wood stock. And I'm with Rick on this one. I don't love the idea of anything collapsing. Now, there's some good shooters out there that shoot that collapsible type of shot. But for me, where it really goes south is in the doubles because you're moving in between. Now if you could figure out a way to lock something out, whatever it may be, standard stock or whatever, and start adding length to it, because you got a 13 year old, then really that's all you're going to do. I mean, but once they get to a point where they've stopped growing, well, that's when you need to really get to the point.

[Rick Marshall]

You can do a custom stock and do a pattern stock first and, and you, you pay the initial investment for it and then you, you know, you can mess with the pattern stock. But it is tough. I, I'm not a fan of things that move. And it's not, I'm not saying those things are bad. I'm just saying for me and what I see out there and the lessons and the issues, it can turn into bad things.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, it can. And then, and then there's, there's some people that shoot them great too. Yeah, no, it's, it's, it's a lot of preference, but I think on this side of the table, we both like things consistent and locked.

[Rick Marshall]

I don't, for doubles, I don't want to see just shooting singles or handicap. That's a different story.

[John]

Yeah.

[Zach Danini]

I mean, and for that, if you look at some of the top double shooters in the country, most of them are locked out. Yeah. And most of them don't have any movement here. So there's a preference there. Right.

[John]

I mean, that's good advice. Look at what the top guys are doing, where they're going. And if you're growing spacers and adjustable combs, that should get you a little ways down the road.

[Rick Marshall]

Been down that road?

[Zach Danini]

Well, yeah. I mean, what can you do? I mean, you go from a 13 inch stock to a 16 inch stock over a few years, I mean, depending on how they, you know, crawling it and what they're doing. But.

[John]

All right, so stick with that Woodstock. It don't, you know, that's what I agree.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah. I mean, if you, I mean, you're gonna spend all that money anyway. I mean, why not just add to what you got instead of getting something else and spending money? I mean, because that right there, I mean, you could go get like you said, a blank pattern.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah.

[Zach Danini]

Pattern stock. And wait on converting it to the wood over time. And you could add to that and kind of adjust that and bondo that and then convert it when the time is right. But, I mean, that's a long time. Thirteen.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, it could.

[Zach Danini]

That could be years.

[Rick Marshall]

Right? That's why I just say, you know, a factory stock and. And get it fitted.

[Zach Danini]

You know, somebody that sees, hey, this is right.

[John]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, guys, we're. We're moving on. We're keeping it going here. All right, this next one's coming in from Luke from northeast Ohio.

[Rick Marshall]

So we're here. Here we are.

[Zach Danini]

Cardinal center, baby. All right, folks, we got to take another quick break and thank some more sponsors. We've got game Masters. Ricky, you're our guy over there, right?

[Rick Marshall]

Yep. I. I sell every gun you can imagine. We got a ton of Craig Offs, every other brand available. So if you guys need something, let us know. We can hook you up. Worth the shoots. We got vendor buildings in Arizona, Ohio, and then Sparta at the Grand American.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, I do like sucking up that free AC in Sparta, that's for sure. I mean, it's a good time. Come by and say hi to us.

[Rick Marshall]

That's right.

[Zach Danini]

Also shot tracker. I mean, we've. We've had great success with them. Ricky, you've been involved since day one.

[Rick Marshall]

So it's like having a coach on the end of your barrel. It's a great tool, especially for doubles. That's what I really like it for. You can see the transition moving from the first target to the second target. That's where a lot of people get lost in no man's land.

[Zach Danini]

You know, I love that. And I also love the new software update, the stuff that's coming down the pipe. Those guys are constantly innovating. So with that being said, let's get.

[Rick Marshall]

Back to the show.

[John]

Love the podcast. Always like listening and learning new things. I have two questions I'd like discussed, if possible. First off, would you guys please talk about your pre shot routine? I'm curious as to what Ricky and Zach recommend for that pre shot. Do you watch every target, or do you relax your eyes and look at other things in between? I've been told by some to never take your eyes off a target. Some say you'll wear your eyes out by doing that. And I'm just staring at a blade of grass. Or should I be relaxing my eyes?

[Zach Danini]

My eyeballs are burning red.

[John]

That was the first question. Next question. Would it be better to buy an expensive gun? And not have the money to change anything about it or go less expensive and put money into it like a custom stock. Thanks and hope to see you guys at the Cardinals.

[Zach Danini]

So.

[John]

All right, Luke, we're going to hit you with the answers.

[Zach Danini]

That's a two question part. It felt like three. Yeah. Start pre shot routine for you. Let's break down pre shot routine.

[Rick Marshall]

The pre shot. So we've talked about the pre shot. We have talked about multiple times and stuff. But, you know, for me, I mean, it's simple. Okay. I don't. If you try to make it too hard, then you're thinking. When you get up there, as long as you're doing the same thing and it's the right thing over and over, it's less thinking. Okay.

[Zach Danini]

Love that.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. It's when you get up there and start doing it. Now, that's why I always say the top shooters are like a dead person. Okay. Everything's the same where the average shooter's like a heartbeat. Good, bad, good bet. Okay. John's looking, John's thinking now.

[Zach Danini]

Well, they're changing things. You can watch and see based on what they're doing. And it's little things.

[Rick Marshall]

Gun mount. What they're doing in between.

[Zach Danini]

When they're loading the gun, how they're loading the gun, how they're closing the gun.

[Rick Marshall]

I try to do everything the same. Okay. And we, we all do. Now, the one thing you don't want to do is start thinking like, okay, I got. Okay, I got to do. Oh, wait, I touched my head. Oh, I got. You know, we're not, we're not doing that. It's just like, just relax, don't think. Okay. But also, that. That's one of the things where if you're. You're looking at every target. Okay. I watch targets, but I don't stare at everything.

[Zach Danini]

You're not intently focusing on the targets because you want to reserve that intent. Focus. I'm softly looking at the field. I'm looking at the surroundings.

[Rick Marshall]

I'm aware of the surroundings.

[Zach Danini]

Correct.

[Rick Marshall]

That's it.

[John]

You know, if someone else on the squad broke a target.

[Rick Marshall]

Oh, absolutely.

[John]

You know, I'm watching.

[Rick Marshall]

Oh, yeah, wait. Polar called a loss. There was a piece off that target, you know. Oh, wait, the target was missed. There was no piece of it. Hey, that was a lost target.

[John]

You're not getting it. I'm about to shoot it.

[Zach Danini]

No, you don't want to burn that up.

[John]

Yeah, I think.

[Zach Danini]

I think you'll strain your eyes.

[John]

We do get this pre shot routine question. A Lot. And what I'm starting to think is when people miss, they're thinking, oh, I didn't do a good pre shot routine.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah.

[John]

I think they're taking shots and they're not ready to shoot. One thing that I've seen both of you guys do is bring your guns down. Oh, absolutely. I think if you ask the general public out there, they'd be like, oh, Rick and Zach, they probably never have to bring their gun. They probably mount their gun.

[Zach Danini]

I did 15 times a day. 15 times maybe.

[Rick Marshall]

I always say, here's the worst thing you can do. And I've done it. Okay. My squad mate, Ryan Glow, he did it the other day in the doubles you mount, you're like, ah, it'll be okay. Pull, bang, lost.

[Zach Danini]

Worst thing you can do.

[John]

That's not good shot routine because that's not ready.

[Rick Marshall]

That's not ready. That's part of.

[Zach Danini]

You're already in your mind thinking to yourself, this isn't right. Yeah. And so as you're going now, your body's kind of adjusting to that. This isn't right. Instead of just getting it where it needs to be.

[John]

You can't see something flying at 43, 44 miles per hour while you're thinking a thought in your head. It's almost impossible.

[Rick Marshall]

Oh, yeah. You have to trust the one I missed today. I would. I had something pop into my head and I didn't discard it. I just mounted the gun, put my head down, called pull, bang, lost. And I went, hmm. I tell everybody to do this. And here I failed on one, now the neck, the other 199.

[Zach Danini]

You did it.

[Rick Marshall]

I did the right thing.

[Zach Danini]

And, you know, I was just talking to Dagan about this the other day. You know, we only go so many until we're gonna have a mental malfunction.

[Rick Marshall]

Oh, absolutely.

[Zach Danini]

Like it might be today. Today you missed one. You might run the next six, seven hundred straight and say 800 or a thousand or whatever. Whatever it is. We don't know right exact thinking. But the reality is every once in a while, our brands get fatigued and it lets off and that's kind of that release and it's like, oh, shit happened. But for me, my pre shot routine is pretty simple. Just like Rick, I don't like to have a lot of things going on for me. If I'm on post, let's say post four, I shot today. When post two calls pull and shoots their target. Once they break it, I close my gun, and that's kind of when I close my gun, and then that person before me shoots. And once I hear the shot and I see breakage or not breakage shot, that's when I start to mount my gun. So, like, I'm trying to be really consistent about my timing so that I'm not mounting the gun early or, you know, mounting the gun late. And then from there, I'm looking for, you know, contact points. Where is it hitting? Is my head right then right when I'm here. Okay. Are my eyes where I want them to be today? And then calling pull. And it's just kind of mount, and it's checklist each way.

[John]

There's been too much focus on the pre shot routine.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah.

[John]

I mean, you've talked about the blocking word a lot. I love that. I think you should, because you got to get that couple of seconds of pushing everything to the side. I think a lot of this pre shot is just coming back to people getting the gun up and going. Yeah, it's probably okay.

[Rick Marshall]

Just got to make sure you're ready and be confident and practice and do it. Because, you know, there's times where, like Zach said, you know, he close the gun here. Okay. For me, I shoot when I'm ready. There's times where it's pull, bang, and then there's times where I mount the gun and my eyes just. I'm not focused. Right.

[Zach Danini]

You'll know, you'll feel it, and it's gonna lock in. I feel like the eyes just say, okay, I'm ready. And what he just said, confidence. And for me, like, that pre shot routine can change and something can happen. I could say, okay, I got to start back at phase one. But I'm not sitting there thinking, did I do this? Check. Did I do that? It's like, for me, I know when I'm doing it naturally. I mean, if I were to break it down, but when I'm doing it and doing it right, I'm not saying, are my eyes right?

[Rick Marshall]

Check.

[Zach Danini]

Are my feet. Check.

[Rick Marshall]

No, you don't want to do that.

[Zach Danini]

I'm just, like, going through all of those things in between. When I step in the box and when I shoot the target, it's all happening. And when it's wrong, I recognize well, I say, oh, that's wrong. Redo it.

[Rick Marshall]

And the one thing that I do is I use see the target as a catchphrase, which all that stuff is compiled into. So when I get that gun here, see the target.

[Zach Danini]

All right, Trap talk listeners, let's take a couple seconds and thank a couple more sponsors. First of all, Remington's been with us since day one. I've been shooting these shells since 2007. I shoot the Nitro 27 from 27 yard line. Ounces and eight seven and a half and STS ounce and eight eights for singles and doubles. They've worked great for me as they do a lot of top shooters all around the country. Give them a try. Don't forget the gun club line when you're practicing and you're wanting to save a little bit of money.

[Rick Marshall]

We'd also like to thank another sponsor, Outlaw engineering. Randy Freston, R2. I've known Randy since 1988. They do engineering survey and drafting, GIS, civil structural land development, wetland permitting. They do.

[Zach Danini]

And they're friends and trap shooters. I mean they're trap shooting family. They've been in the ATA forever. His dad's been involved. They're involved. They're beautiful family. They're great people. And we just love that they listen to the show and we love that they support trap talk.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. His dad was past president 1989. So I really want to thank those guys for the support. It really appreciate it here at Trap.

[Zach Danini]

With that being said, let's get back to the show.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, I mean my mind is ready that.

[John]

See the target is a whole paragraph of things, right?

[Rick Marshall]

Absolutely.

[Zach Danini]

So.

[John]

Well, that's. That's a good part one of Luke's question. Really quick. We'll go into part two here, which is relaxing your eyes in between. We kind of covered it. You're kind of taking your foot off.

[Zach Danini]

The gas a little between, you know, you're not staring.

[Rick Marshall]

You don't need to do that. You know, like focused looking. Well, my old coach and mentor Frank Hoppe, you know, always said, I don't care what you're doing in between shots. Just be aware what's going on. Yeah, that's it.

[John]

Right.

[Rick Marshall]

It's not where you're. Because you will. You will burn yourself out in 25 target.

[Zach Danini]

You cannot look that hard for that long.

[John]

It's.

[Zach Danini]

It's soft. And then when that tar comes out, I'm intently looking at mine and then I let my eyes rest. That's it.

[John]

Okay, last one. Should I buy an expensive gun that I can't do anything to or should I buy a cheap gun and get a custom stock?

[Rick Marshall]

I would get whatever you can do in your budget, the in your means. If it's you want a custom stock and that's the way you have to go, then go that route. But it's all preference. We can't tell you. Hey, you got to go buy a $30,000 shotgun. It's going to make you shoot better.

[Zach Danini]

All right, guys, we got to take another quick break and thanks more sponsors. We got to say big thank you to White Flyer, America's best targets. You make them, we break them, right, Rick?

[Rick Marshall]

That's right. We got the new Eco Flyer that we helped design, myself and Sean Holly.

[Zach Danini]

That's out now.

[Rick Marshall]

Available out of the Georgia factory. That's an awesome target look for that, you know, going to be available hopefully everywhere by 2025. But, yeah, they are best target in the industry.

[Zach Danini]

I'm looking forward to the blue gray shootout this year at the grand, too. That's going to be a fun event.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, it'll. You're in that dude this year, aren't you, Zach?

[Zach Danini]

We both are, aren't we?

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, I'm in it. I didn't know if you made it or not.

[Zach Danini]

See? Yeah, that's okay. I skated right in there.

[Rick Marshall]

Don't you worry.

[Zach Danini]

But, you know, we got another sponsor, I think. Shotguns West. The Pelas, baby. Check out these wings. Ricky don't got these. He ain't that stylish, folks.

[Rick Marshall]

Listen, Zach tries to wear these driving down the road doing podcasts. It's okay.

[Zach Danini]

We still love it when you look good. You don't have to apologize. Remember that not only can you hit more targets, but you could look good doing it. Give Ryan a call.

[Rick Marshall]

That's right.

[Zach Danini]

With that being said, let's get back to the show. It's what works best for you. But for some people, you also have to understand. And I'm a. I'm a big fan of Winig. Obviously, my stock is custom fit to me. I really think it gives me better results. But that's because I knew what I wanted. Right now, I'm not an average build person. As you can see. We're kind of bigger guys right now. We went. I'm sorry.

[Rick Marshall]

You're so tiny over here, Tiny McGee.

[Zach Danini]

Tiny McGee over here. But what I'm trying to say is. And Rick, you'd be able to go into this more because you've been around the game a lot longer. But don't they make most standard stocks to an average size person? Or isn't that average size a lot.

[Rick Marshall]

Smaller than just kind of a general stock?

[Zach Danini]

I heard. I always heard it was like 510 and 180 pounds or something like that.

[Rick Marshall]

Honestly, I don't know about that. I. You know, I shoot a custom stock by Winig. I could shoot the factory stocks, they just don't feel as good to me. I mean, I've got big hands. I'm a big guy.

[Zach Danini]

I just.

[Rick Marshall]

I want that so I shoot a long length of pull.

[Zach Danini]

I would think it would matter what size this guy is. I mean, if he can get a brand new gun and it fits good with that factory stock, then I fits him.

[Rick Marshall]

Well, then he doesn't demo guns. That's why you come to the cardinal. Yeah, you come to the grand, you demo all the guns.

[Zach Danini]

But if he's somebody that, you know, is really, you know, different in the way that he mounts the gun, well, then he might need to buy a little bit less of a gun and get a custom stock because there's going to be no stock on the shelf that's going to fit him.

[John]

Also, I mean, there's a huge used market out there for these. 30,000. Whatever. I mean, they are on the market. You don't have to pay sticker.

[Zach Danini]

No, Ricky, he's got them, right?

[John]

I know a guy.

[Zach Danini]

You know a guy.

[Rick Marshall]

We have a lot of guys.

[Zach Danini]

Game masters. Call Ricky.

[John]

He's.

[Rick Marshall]

He.

[John]

He'll help.

[Rick Marshall]

We have a lot.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah.

[John]

So. All right, we're gonna keep it moving. Luke, again, thank you for the question.

[Zach Danini]

I hope. Is that all of them? Did we get through, Luke?

[John]

Yeah, you know, Luke's good now.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, you got.

[Rick Marshall]

That was three.

[Zach Danini]

Next time send one, Luke. Not a three for that was. I feel like we need a tip on that one. He said it was two, but he.

[Rick Marshall]

Got us with a third.

[John]

Okay, Mason, next one is from Mason Bartlo.

[Zach Danini]

I know him.

[John]

Not Barthelow, but Bartlo. Yeah, we know Mason.

[Zach Danini]

I know Mason.

[John]

Hello. Hope you guys are staying safe and shooting.

[Zach Danini]

Well.

[John]

My question is about being colorblind as a trap shooter. I have a red green color deficiency and I shoot fairly well. Is there any downside to this? I'm noticing I'm drawn to the reds and the pinks for lenses and also the targets. The only downside I experience during low light and night shooting. I have a hard time finding a good lens for those kinds of conditions as well, with all green backgrounds. So Mason is just wondering, do you have any advice on color choices?

[Rick Marshall]

I never dealt with the color issues, so I couldn't comment on that.

[Zach Danini]

I can only speak on what Mike Reiner told me. And Mike Reiner, when he was alive, he was the guy that owned Post four, and he taught me a lot about lenses. He was my first glasses sponsor, and he just went through it, and one day he had a bunch of colorblind people that he's working with. And one day one came in and started talking to him and I can tell you what he said. He said exactly what you said, Mason. That those pinks and those more vibrant colors would help that person in that situation. But everyone's colorblind is different, different levels. So nobody's going to have the two same sets of being colorblind and everyone's going to recognize and perceive colorblindness.

[Rick Marshall]

Everybody's eyes are different. So that'd be something that you would have to honestly talk with a doctor.

[Zach Danini]

I would talk with someone who understands lens colors and understands eyes. And then I would just trial and error, try to figure out like look through a bunch of different lenses and figure out what works best for you. Because me and Rick could be looking at that wall and even with not being colorblind, he might see that color a little differently than I might see it. And I think that's common for everyone.

[John]

So hit on it though. That's probably the good advice. Right? Good eye doctor.

[Rick Marshall]

Good eye doctor.

[John]

You have an eye doctor that actually is a shooter, right?

[Rick Marshall]

Well, he. What my original doctor was.

[John]

Yeah, yes.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. My current one now understands shooting because of my help with explaining stuff and everything. So that.

[John]

Yeah, so maybe for Mason, start with the eye doctor, see if there's any around that are shooters too. And you've seen some eye doctors out at the range too, Right? So there are some guys out there. Alright, Mason, we're going to keep it moving here. Next question is coming in from Jeff from Ohio and he says I'm a new shooter, I just started about three months ago and I wanted to ask about ammo. How important is it to buy the more expensive shells if you want to shoot? Well, I usually purchase the cheapest shells I can find, usually Challengers or Vance brand. But is there a benefit to the higher cost shell, Jeff?

[Rick Marshall]

I mean shoot what you can afford, number one. Yes, there is difference with all shells with the amount of animony in there.

[Zach Danini]

You know, in the shot, consistency and speed.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, I mean the quality of the shells. I mean, you know, I shoot the cheapest shells that Fiocchi makes the shooting dynamics for singles, the first shot of doubles and it's an awesome shell. So you know, for me. And that's one I pick out to shoot because it performs well for me. So that's what you got to look at it. Don't always look and say, oh, I could save a dollar here because it could cost you a score. Yeah, I Say what? Shoot what's in your, your budget. But quality, you know, cut them open, look, see.

[Zach Danini]

You know, for me, I feel like when you get distance shots, it really is important to have premium components. You, you want high animony shot, you want consistent powder charges, you want consistent speeds. So like when I'm shooting 27 yard line, I'm shooting nitros and I think they work great. They're very consistent and they smash targets up close. It can be preference. I think it's 16 yards and doubles. Like if I'm using STS's or if I'm using gun clubs, that's just on how I feel. I think both of them are going to break the targets. I feel like higher animony shot is going to break the target a little harder because, duh, it's harder. But do I want to pay an extra dollar or $2 or $3 a box to see a little bit more smoke, A little bit more smoke?

[Rick Marshall]

I just want to break, I just.

[Zach Danini]

Want to break them. And do I feel like at that distance I'm going to hit or miss a target because of that animony and that I don't, I don't, I feel.

[Rick Marshall]

It all falls back to confidence.

[Zach Danini]

It's your confidence. Now there's some people that are like, I want the best brakes every time. It helps my brain and I need the best quality all the time. That's great. I can tell you that I broke, you know, not hundreds and hundreds and hundreds, but the hundreds that I broke with the gun clubs or the stss.

[John]

Yeah, a couple more today.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, a couple more today. But it's what you want to do and it's what you can afford. I would say every gun likes different shells. I've had guns that preferred these shells over these shells. So like, if you're all in the same price range, you might want to try out like a couple different shells in that price range and say, well, what actually breaks them the best? Because every forcing cone is different, every barrel is different. Everything, you know, works differently in a gun. They might feed better or work better. So, you know, trial and error. I mean that's, that's what all the big dogs have done. They try stuff.

[John]

Is it okay to. So Jeff's a new shooter, right? He's three months in. If we all remember, back then you just wanted to shoot, trap, shoot every, every day.

[Rick Marshall]

Shoot practice.

[John]

You're shooting, you're shooting practice.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah, who cares?

[John]

You shoot in practice. You're really in a phase of, you're trying to Learn all the muscle memory. You're trying to take all the shots. Don't. When you go to competitions and you get into that, if you want to buy four boxes of a higher premium shell to go shoot that handicap event. Okay, go buy four boxes.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, yeah, try them. But I always say, try them.

[Zach Danini]

Shoot.

[Rick Marshall]

Practice round. See what works best.

[Zach Danini]

See what breaks the target. Well, based on what you're doing. Recoil choke. Yeah, get after it. Give it some. Some time and figure it out and go from there. But don't feel discouraged if you're not buying the most expensive box of shells I've seen. You know, the. The cheapy shells run hundreds.

[Rick Marshall]

Oh, yeah, it doesn't matter on that. Don't get. Don't get caught up. They're not expensive.

[John]

They don't work. Break targets, play all the options, win the event, then use that money to buy any shell you want.

[Rick Marshall]

Great idea.

[Zach Danini]

Great idea.

[Rick Marshall]

Approved.

[John]

Don't forget to. To play the money.

[Zach Danini]

All right.

[John]

Okay, next one's coming in from Chet, and he's in Prescott, Arizona.

[Zach Danini]

Hey, Trop Talk listeners, let's take a quick second to thank a couple more amazing sponsors. Sos, Clay Shoot Management. They're doing a fantastic job. I love the app. I love being able to see everything on my phone instantaneously. It's freaking awesome. Rick, what do you think?

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah, Greg Pink and his group over there, I mean, they've got majority of the satellite grands, majority of the state shoots. I think it's 40 plus state shoots they're doing. But the app, honestly, we were doing a little beta testing with that at the spring grand. It's awesome. You could see your squad if they paid. You know, you can see your options, your payouts, the whole works at your fingertips. Great deal. They're just.

[Zach Danini]

Ricky knew how much money he made before he even got off the line. He was like, hey, I'm buying lunch. I'm like, yeah, good job. We're good to go. We also got gun and trophy insurance. I mean, they're the best in the business. I know. They're. They're great price. Ricky, you're familiar with them, right?

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. Cole, Larry Cushman. Been long time supporters of myself and, and I've been a supporter of them and, you know, especially with my college team, you know, we require insurance. It's so fast and easy to sign up and get your insurance. In literally 10 minutes, you can have your guns insured. And they're just great. They're great to deal with. Like I said, you can do your trophies. Also you know, your. Your wildlife, animals and that such, and your guns. It's just a great.

[Zach Danini]

It's always good when you're traveling around to have that peace of mind and know that you don't have to worry about losing your stuff forever. And these are expensive things, especially when you got those Craig offs. You got to keep them insured, so. Oh. With that being said, let's get back to the show.

[John]

He says, enjoying all the videos. You are to blame for getting me interested in shooting again. I haven't shot since 1991, so.

[Zach Danini]

Hey, that's guilty.

[John]

Guilty.

[Zach Danini]

Send an email to your directors, let them know.

[John]

Ricky has mentioned trigger control in past videos, and I'm wondering if there is a way to develop trigger control. I tend to get jumpy towards the targets with the gun barrel. Would it be helpful to purposely hesitate for a second or longer focusing on the target before moving the gun and shooting? Right now, I feel I am moving with the streak and have not and do not have any trigger control and firing when I'm near the target. Well, appreciate everything you're doing, Chet from Prescott.

[Rick Marshall]

Chet, you just answered your own question.

[Zach Danini]

He knew a lot of.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah. Of, you know, do I need to wait a little bit? Do I need to look at the. Yes, absolutely. All the above. Look at the target, then move the gun. Don't look at the streak and move and shoot the streak. Look at the target, move the gun, shoot it, fall through. That's it. That's the simplest.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah. Ricky's the best I've ever seen trigger control. I mean, he could take a target and go here. He can go here, he can go here. But what I've watched in shooting with him all these years is when it's in the right spot, that's when he shoots. And if the targets hopping and jumping, he's going to the right spot and shooting it. But if you're coming out, if you're on the house and you're coming out with a target when it's streaking and you get that gun and that target all in the same spot, that's gonna cause you to shoot early because you're like, oh, I'm on the damn thing.

[Rick Marshall]

Well, mostly they're moving early.

[Zach Danini]

You're moving early. You're already ahead of it. You're not seeing it really well. And then it's like, oh, I have no trigger control because well done. You didn't see the bird real well. Right.

[Rick Marshall]

I mean, it's one of those that you just. You got to take time, see the target Move to it, shoot it.

[Zach Danini]

When you're on it, the better you see it and the better you identified in the air with the distance between where you are and where it is. I think the better your trigger control is going to be, because if you're here and it's here. Well, you have to have trigger control to make that gap. If you're coming out with it the whole time. Well, it's hard to hold off when you're on something, right?

[Rick Marshall]

Absolutely. So just take your time.

[John]

Do you guys get your eye to the leading edge, as they say?

[Rick Marshall]

I look at the. Always try to look at the leading edge of the target.

[John]

Okay. So because if. If you're getting a hard right, you know, and you're coming, the first thing your eye sees is the back of the target.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah.

[John]

It needs to take that extra second, get it to the front, front of the target. Right.

[Rick Marshall]

So it ain't so much.

[Zach Danini]

It just.

[Rick Marshall]

It all happens just instantaneously, but you got to see it and then make the move. Nice.

[Zach Danini]

I want to look where I want the pellets to go.

[Rick Marshall]

Yeah.

[Zach Danini]

I'm looking if that target's going to the right. Ideally, I'm looking on that right side of that target because it's moving.

[John]

Right.

[Zach Danini]

And I want to sustain my eyes there and shoot that spot. But I think there is days when I'm either moving the gun faster or slower or the wind is playing in an environment. And I've noticed, like, certain days, like you say, I have a big crossing wind pushing a target. It's pushing everything a little bit. You might not need to look as far on the front or, you know, you might need to adjust that a little bit based on your brakes. That's why I always say, look at your brakes, and that'll take you.

[Rick Marshall]

Today's a prime example. The second hundred, the wind was blowing more and the targets were bouncing around, and I just took a little more time to make sure I was focused, and I'd look at the target. Sometimes it was pull bang, sometimes it was pull bang. So it's just one of those. You just. You got to be ready to shoot.

[Zach Danini]

Yep. Yep. And as far as. How do you train that? Years and years of experience of doing it the right way.

[Rick Marshall]

A lot of practice.

[Zach Danini]

Do it the right way for a long time. And the more you do it, the better you're going to be.

[John]

You have to have the discipline to get your eye out to the front of that.

[Rick Marshall]

Absolutely.

[John]

If you're pulling it on the streak and if you're pulling the Trigger on the back of the bird. It's going to be nothing but pain.

[Zach Danini]

Bad news bears.

[John]

Yeah, yeah. Not speaking from, I'm speaking for a friend. All right. Okay.

[Zach Danini]

John doesn't know anything about that. Not this week.

[John]

Okay, next one's coming in.

[Rick Marshall]

Hold on. You might want to look. They're shooting out there doing something and they've already put down these chairs an hour ago. Okay, yeah, pause it real quick.

[Zach Danini]

Drop talk listeners, Zach, Nini here and with my co host Richard Marshall Jr. We're back home, we're not in Ohio. I know we started shooting the Q and A episode but we had a little, little disruption, Rick. So we kind of hiccup and it.

[Rick Marshall]

Was cuz Zach broke 200 and they were doing the call for the shoot offs and I said gotta go.

[Zach Danini]

Yeah. So I had to jump in the golf cart. I had to run down there and check in. We win 125 birds in the, in the shoot off. I didn't end up winning, I got runner up. But, but it was a fun time. You can never be upset with breaking a 200 and a little Louis money. Doesn't hurt to get home either. So little gas money, little gas money, you know, little, little, little pizza money. But we appreciate all the questions that you guys send in. Please keep sending them and we're gonna get you some more content asap. This is a lot of fun. We had a great time and we got a lot more stuff coming down the pipe for you. So we appreciate it.

[Rick Marshall]

See you next time.