"The weak link in being self-taught is the teacher."
It’s not that we men aren’t smart—because we are. After all, if you’ve been bringing home pheasants, quail, and ducks for years, good shooting feels like a given. So when faced with your first clay bird, the response is predictable: “Yeah, throw me a target. Watch this.”
It’s a bit of jock mentality. We may be washer-and-dryer challenged, but we can shoot a shotgun.
A while back, if it had feathers, you could count on me to fill the game bag—usually accompanied by modest tales of extraordinary shooting prowess. Back then, I didn’t have the first clue how I dispatched pheasants so quickly in Pennsylvania and Iowa—but I did.
My old 20-gauge side-by-side typically delivered when it counted. Later, for reasons I couldn’t explain, the little 20 wasn’t nearly as reliable on the clays course as it had been over the dogs. Never doubting my ability, I knew a new gun would fix the problem.
Which it did—until the gun du jour figured out who was shooting it and became unreliable as well.
Undaunted, I kept buying. That is, until my accountant suggested I figure out how to put an X on the score sheet—consistently.
That lesson came dear, paid for one missed target at a time.
When we first step into the box—unguided and armed with colossal expectations—sporting clays is a blast. Minis, battues, and rabbits confound us at first, but through trial and error, one shell at a time, targets begin to break.
Instinct is the method of choice—and for good reason. It’s worked before, so why not now? Targets are breaking. Life is good.
Then comes the score sheet.
Keeping score introduces disappointment and unmet expectations. That’s okay—we like a challenge. Empty hulls pile up. Practice adds an X here… an X there.
As long as scores feel acceptable, shooting errors remain camouflaged and unimportant. No harm. No foul.
Until the shooter plateaus.
That’s when improvement stalls. Measurable progress comes late—if at all. Targets suddenly seem harder. That's because target setters lie awake nights plotting against us.
So why isn’t performance improving?
Because yesterday’s self-taught success has reached its limit.
Unknown, deeply rooted setup and swing inconsistencies are now causing every miss. And until those inconsistencies are addressed, nothing truly changes.
Stepping away from what’s familiar—what we trust—is never easy. But good shooters have already done it.
After enough trial and error, they recognized something had to change. They read. They sought counsel. They learned what was inconsistent in their game. And by adopting methods proven over and over again to be more reliable, they became more consistent on all targets.
By adding technique and precision to instinct, their setup and swing finally delivered what they were seeking: consistency.
Instinct will always matter. We never want to lose our natural ability to point a shotgun. But instinct alone can only carry a shooter so far in the clay target sports.
That’s where Book I, Take Your Best Shot and Book III, Beyond the Target can help tremendously. Wingshooters will especially appreciate Book II, To the Target.
Your bloody game bag may still earn well-deserved bragging rights at the dinner table—but will it be enough on this true pair?
Wiser now, I finally understand: my 20-gauge SxS never let me down after all.
Daniel L. Schindler's 3-Book Collection: Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target offers excellent advice, field-tested teachings, and tips for sporting clays, skeet, trap, wingshooters, and coaches from all walks of life and skill levels. Schindler's books provide the clearest and most dependable system for building shooting excellence. Extremely valuable for SCTP and ACUI Shooters and Coaches. (Shipped to 29 countries). Shooters rave about these books!
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👤 About Dan Schindler
Dan Schindler is one of only 35 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and an NSCA Level III Instructor since 1995. He founded the Paragon School of Sporting with a mission: deliver the simplest, most effective, and practical instruction for Sporting Clays and Wingshooting.
Dan helps shooters break more targets, call and correct their own misses, and replace frustration with confidence—all in just minutes. Lessons are fun, enlightening, and results-driven.
📚 Dan Schindler’s Books
Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, coaches, instructors, and parents of youth shooters.
Trusted by shooters around the world, these books are a true investment in good shooting. Written in plain, uncomplicated language, they strip away the mystery and lay a rock-solid foundation for improving scores and building consistency.
Take the mystery out of missing targets and feathers with Dan’s simple, easy-to-understand books. These bestsellers are your roadmap to more Xs on your scorecard—and in the field.
⚠️ Shooters say, “If you lend these books out, you may never get them back. Some say they’d give up their spouse before giving up these books.”
- 📘 Take Your Best Shot (Book I)
THE gold standard primer used by shooters and shooting teams worldwide. Solid fundamentals that help shooters of all skill levels break more targets with less guesswork.
Testimonial: “The best clay and wingshooting primer on the market... The brilliance of its simplicity aids successful shooting for ANY shooter.” – David T. Dobson
- 📗 To The Target (Book II)
Builds on Book I and emphasizes Gun Management and developing a trustworthy swing.
Clay Shooting USA: “One of the most innovative and important books yet published on the art of shooting clay targets.”
- 📕 Beyond The Target (Book III)
Want to take Dan Schindler home with you? This third volume delivers unmatched insight, humor, and practical solutions that stick—on and off the course.
Randy Lawrence: “The second-best thing to booking a lesson with Dan Schindler. A clear and proven blueprint for breaking more targets—with great heart.”