Q&A with World Record Holder Dave Miller

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n5A1YjKBn4Y9QqwV8qn-kYi8prX_YH6Q2zDrjw-F7g4%2CdU64FHdc0I6zqi24t3fa40MwLHjsttI__WIfMWu1pLULast year, Dave Miller, Shotgun Product Manager & Pro-Shooter for CZ-USA, set a new Guinness World Record for “Most Sporting Clay Targets Shot In One Hour.” With hunting season beginning, Dave joined CFM for a Q&A session on how get ready for the upcoming seasons:

Following nearly a year off for most wing shooters, what is the number one tip you would give for individuals who haven’t picked up a shotgun all year?

Get your hunting gun out of the safe and go out and shoot some sporting clays. Remember your training for your upcoming hunt so start with the gun in a low ready position with the muzzle up and the safety on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMLXOj6rtuM

Please explain the difference between trap, skeet and sporting clays. What do you recommend for getting back to hunting?

Sporting Clays is going to give you a variety of target presentations, which are very similar to what you would encounter out in the field, so my recommendation is to go to your local club and working quartering and crossing shots.

American Trap is a great game but unless you start with the gun down it’s not the best training exercise. It would however be beneficial if you can move closer to the trap house and not shoot from the 16 yard line.

Skeet is a good choice to because you can train on quartering targets from both the left and right side. I would especially encourage folks to work on high house targets from post 2 & 3 and low house from post 5 & 6.

These are shots one would certainly encounter in the dove field, in the duck blind, and for sure on an upland hunt.

Dove season opened on September 1st. What is the one mistake most wing shooters make dove hunting and how can it be corrected?

Doves do not fly straight, they are moving up and down, and left to right constantly. This is hard to see because they are small and are typically shot at while in open sky which provides very little reference of their actual flight lines.  In addition to that they are fast with an average speed of 30 to 40 mph, if I were to point out the one or two common mistakes made by hunters in the dove field it would be A. not having proper body position set up for the shot and B. mounting the gun to soon on your potentially good shot opportunity.

Missouri has a rich history of both upland hunting and waterfowl hunting. With such different style of shots (up-away for upland and incoming-down for waterfowl), what is best way to learn to transition between the two?

To be confident in any physical move it requires some skill, to develop such skills one must train on these moves, here is the definition of training (  train·ing ,  noun : the action of teaching a person a particular skill or type of behavior. )

Once again, incoming shots can be simulated on a sporting clays course and with a little imagination one can be shooting incoming ducks / geese by just calling PULL!  The key here is to do your work, remember like any sport you only get out of it what you put into it.

Many individuals will be bringing their children into the field for the first time. What tips do you recommend for parents getting their kids outdoors for the first time?

I strongly recommend starting all new shooters regardless of age out with a dove hunt. This is because its much easier to control than upland hunt where there are dogs and people moving about. Dove hunting is generally done from a stationary location and safe shoot zones can be established and reinforced by the mentor. It’s easy to do and doesn’t require a lot of special equipment either. Missouri has thousands of acres of public land managed for dove hunting so finding doves are generally pretty easy.

What is your go-to gauge for the following:

Dove: I prefer my CZ 12ga for doves, in fact I usually shoot my competition shotgun(s). *

Quail: For the past 10 years I have only used my CZ 28ga guns for quail, it’s the perfect choice.

Teal: Since we have to shoot steel shot on teal, I typically shoot my CZ 12ga waterfowl guns

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz around the 28 gauge. Why has this this gauge been enjoying a renewed interest in the hunting community

I believe hunters and shooters are looking for alternatives to the same old thing and the .28ga in a refreshing change. Its standard ¾ ounce load is a perfect combination through its .550 bore diameter making a 30 yard kill on a pheasant quite easy plus there is very little recoil. Shell manufactures are producing more options therefore making it easy for folks to purchase .28ga ammo. I have shot the .28ga for many years and have complete confidence it its capabilities. Do I take 45 yard shots on roosters? No, I limit my shots to 30 yards on all birds and by doing that I rarely have my dogs chase cripples.

CZ-USA is a business alliance member and conservation supporter. For more information on products, please visit: www.cz-usa.com

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