But it seemed to work yesterday, when this Otago Daily Times reporter was invited to take a pot shot or two at the 2009 Duck Shooters Clay Shoot at Waldronville.
About 110 keen shooters - most of them experienced duck shooters - and their families had come from around Otago for the event, which has been organised by the Dunedin Clay Target Club for the past 15 years.
The event aims to promote the sport ahead of the duck shooting season, which begins on May 2.
About 30 dubious veterans seemed impressed enough when I managed to squeak out the word "pull", follow the flight of the first orange disk with my seven-shot semi-automatic Beretta and blast the orange disc to pieces.
It was the first time I had ever fired a proper gun - air rifles and paintball don't really count, do they? - and the result was satisfying.
Not that I saw it, mind you, with both eyes squinted firmly shut and a nervous shoulder braced for impact as I squeezed the trigger.
"Did I hit it?" I asked the grinning gun enthusiasts surrounding me.
The next shot was even better - I managed to catch a blurred glimpse of the disc's fragments spinning down to earth, after opening my eyes moments after the second effort also found success.
Somehow, I was two from two, and more surprised tittering from the farmer-types followed.
My instructor, Beretta and Benelli agent Chris Ziesler, of Auckland, pointed to where the next disc - a tricky ground-skimming "rabbit" - would come.
"Hit this one as well and you'll make me look like a really good instructor," he whispered.
I blasted away again and missed, of course, although someone behind me muttered "close".
And it was close enough for me - I handed back the weapon, shook hands and walked away, light-footed and with a stupid grin on my face.
Two from three.
Not bad at all, I thought.
The grin lasted about a minute, until I watched 13-year-old Greg Field, of Dunedin, handling a 20-gauge shotgun almost as big as he was.
The youngster also squeaked out the word "pull", but then efficiently blasted off two shots in rapid succession that each collected a disc of their own.
Proud father Murray Field grinned at me: "He's pretty good for his age."
Clearly I had some work to do before the real ducks would start to worry.
