Old framer's 2 word critique changed how I set my nail gun depth

Last month on a job in Tacoma, this older framer walked by while I was shooting off some blocking. He just said 'too deep' and kept moving. I was irritated for a second but checked my depth and yeah, I was sinking the heads almost a quarter inch into the studs. I always set it by feel and never really thought about it. He came back later and showed me how he sets his depth with a scrap piece, one quick shot, then adjusts so the head sits just flush or a hair proud. Saves sanding time later and keeps the wood from splitting around the nail. I've been doing it that way for about 3 weeks now and it feels way more solid. Anyone else get a tiny piece of advice like that that just stuck with you? What was it?

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patricia_gonzalez1mo ago

Quarter inch deep on every shot, that's a lot of wood you're chewing through without noticing. I would've had to pull out a tape measure to believe that myself.