Can A VR Game Make You A Better Shooter? Trap & Sporting Clays Training

Shotgun Discipline You NEED To Try | What I Learned Shooting FITASC

Today, we're answering that question by immersing ourselves in Clay Hunt's virtual world of trap shooting, sporting clays, pheasant hunting, and numerous other shotgun disciplines. To do this the right way, Texture VR sent us their Real Stock Pro, which elevates this VR game into a more realistic and beneficial experience.

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The Setup

The Real Stock Pro

This thing is incredible. Winters are long and cold here in Minnesota, so it's fantastic to be able to use this stock to do some dry-fire practice inside. The stock is completely adjustable. You can also get a weight kit to replicate the weight of the shotgun you use in the real world. We based our dimensions and weight on the Beretta 694 Pro Sporting TSK. To make the VR stock feel very similar, we traced the 694 on a big piece of cardboard and adjusted the Real Stock Pro accordingly. We then added weights and slit them moved them on the rails to get a similar balance as the 694.

Intro to the Game: Clay Hunt VR

The Clay Hunt VR game is very well put together. It offers many fun clay discipline and hunting options. For clay shooting, there is trap (American, Doubles, Handicap, international), skeet (American, International, English, Doubles, etc.) sporting clays (Challenges, Full Courses, Practice), and a creative option to configure a custom 5-stand and throw the targets you want to see. This is an excellent option for those specific targets that you need to work on. (Shown below: Main Menu)

There are a number of hunts to do as well. There is a duck hunt, a pigeon hunt, a pheasant hunt, and a boar hunt. Our favorite, by far, is the pigeon hunt. (Shown below)

Is This Valuable for Teaching and Training?

Absolutely! This VR experience has many specific details that make it a great training tool. However, to use this game as a serious training tool, you will absolutely need to use the Real Stock Pro. Let's talk about a couple of those little details that make this VR experience phenomenal.

• Ability to fully customize the shotgun - As we mentioned, the stock is extremely adjustable, making it reasonably feel like you're handling your shotgun. Likewise, inside the game, you can change the specs of your gun, such as rib height, choke tube, and ammo, among many other options. These changes have a real effect on your shooting, just as it would in real life.
• Full Shot Analysis and Shot Tracing - To simply call this a "game" is a gross understatement. As a high school trap coach, I experimented with displaying Clay Hunt VR on a TV to watch my son shoot a round of trap. By doing this, I was able to see his gun path, hold point, and trigger pull immediately on screen while utilizing the game's shot analysis feature. This is an incredibly beneficial tool for off-season practice, as well as introducing younger shooters without the fear of recoil. 
• Multiple Discipline Options - Speaking of coaching, this game is a fantastic way to introduce new shooters to how a specific game works so they can get comfortable with the shooting process and general flow of a new discipline. For example, I plan to shoot international trap in the near future. I have never shot this game before, but I will be able to use Clay Hunt VR to shoot international trap and make myself familiar with this discipline. The "Creative" gameplay is another great way to customize targets and familiarize yourself with difficult or uncommon target presentations.
• It Is A Lot Of Fun—Besides being a good training option, Clay Hunt VR is undoubtedly a very engaging and enjoyable experience for all. If you value family fun, this setup may be a great idea for the entire family.

Other Considerations

I've always been skeptical of VR/Simulator-type mediums as a valid training tool. This game has certainly changed my mind a bit. However, there are some other things to consider. Firstly, as I mentioned, my son and I love to shoot the pigeon hunt. I am a right-eye shooter, and he is left-eye shotoer. Therefore, to take turns, we have to change out the Real Stock Pro's handles to accommodate. We'd recommend getting two stocks if you have multiple shooters with varying handedness. Our 2nd Real Stock Pro is on its way as we write this.

One thing that this stock can't simulate is recoil. As shooters know, recovering from recoil to get on follow-up shots is part of the challenge when practicing your discipline. Regardless, there are still a lot of fundamentals that this game can be used for. 

Conclusion

We have been won over by the Clay Hunt VR/Real Stock Pro combo. Not only is it a ton of fun, but it can be a valuable training option if you get the Real Stock Pro, and set up the game to represent your shotgun setup. We've barely scratched the surface of all the options within Clay Hunt VR. We highly recommend you check out the video to see some actual game play. So whether you're just getting into shooting, have been shooting for a long time, or just want to have some VR fun, we'd highly recommend you check out Clay Hunt VR and pair it with the Real Stock Pro.

Whether our targets in the field or our targets in life, we will only hit what we are focused on, so live the #targetfocusedlife