Originally Posted By: GCThe lead for a moving target has very little, to absolutely nothing, to do with the shot string. Time of flight for the pellets, speed of the moving target, distance to the target, angle of the target, environmental factors such as wind or intervening brush and finally the actual shooting method used determine the necessary lead. The two most basic mistakes made when shooting a fast mover with a shotgun is to look at the bead instead of maintaining a hard focus on the target and for the shooter to not have their head down on the stock in a solid and consistent mount. Look at the bead and the shooter will slow or stop the swing - guarantee a miss. A consistent and solid mount with the head on the stock is referred to as having "the Rock on the stock." Float the eye above the rib inconsistently and it's another guaranteed miss.
It's obvious you've either been reading false information or are speaking with a lack of experience. Shotstring may be 3-4 inches at 10 ft but at 40 yds on a fast swing it will be measured in feet, period. The idea here is getting as many pellets in the kill zone as possible. Much different on a target board. Any idea otherwise is the silly one. YMMV but that's my story from well over 40 years of study with some of the most well known shooters in this State and a couple of world champions, but I confess I'm not one of those champions, just friends and training parders. The top skeet and sporting clay shooters all know from life experience and the laws of physics that pellets leave the barrel in random order, many deformed by choke and other pellets which causes increased drag and causing them to deflect, hence the spread on even a target board. That phenomenon is exaggerated by the swing of a barrell. The best way to break any clay or bust a bird, even a coyote or rabbit is to understand that spread and take advantage of it. Obviously the pattern is produced by the swing only until the shot leaves the barrell, but aerodynamics take over at that point and each pellet is affected by many different factors, such as how much deformity has occurred to each pellet differently, wind, how spherical each pellet is, wind, humidity etc. Your pattern expands to the point of the loss of energy, otherwise they would call it rifle shooting, two different equations my friend. Actually, it's very simple to prove my theory, you don't need to take my word for it, prove it to yourself, then come back and humbly tell me how right I was. Go to any body of water and fire a shot out to 30-40 yds like the target is still, then fire another swinging as if you're on a bird or coyote. You'll quickly see why so much game is lost or missed due to shotstring density. It takes at least 2-3 pellets to break a clay target, I've seen them bumped and physically moved but not broken many times, why? Shotstring density. How many #4 buck in the kill zone to drop a coyote? You tell me. Use the water trick to improve your skills and you'll greatly improve your take. BTW, I agree with your description of the things that cause a miss, your spot on with those. However we're light years apart on shotstrings, I'm just sayin.
