FITASC - What would get you back / to try again

[Richard59]

There is a online FB thread discussing how long a typical FITASC shoot takes and possible “solutions” Now I used to dabble and it was a combination of 1) the time a shoot took, 1/2 day 2) I’m rubbish that dulled the attraction and I simply stopped. What’s took my eye today though is the shoot that was the spur for the thread was that each day the shoot started at 9 and ended around 6, however which way it’s dressed up that’s a long day, fair play to all for having the endurance required. I do fear though that those type of long days may make FITASC less appealing, ESP seems to be having a bit of a surge numbers wise and FITASC can be tapping into that. 
Me, would I dabble again, a two parcours back to back shoot yes, if that went well for me longer yes but at present I’d probably steer clear, and yes in few years I’ll regret that stance. 

 

[tiptop]

Never shot FITASC, when I go shooting I want to shoot. Never really been interested in sitting about all day drinking tea.  If I wanted to do that I would go to the local cafe. 

 

[Garwood]

Always been intrigued by FITASC but never seen it shot! 9 hrs does seem far too long for a clay shoot though !!!

 

[jonz]

Don’t see any enjoyment in taking 8 hrs to shoot 100 clays regardless of what discipline it is. It would have to be done in a few hours to get my interest.

 

[Deleted member 753]

Surprising how many people feel the time to shoot FITASC appears to take so long. Yet I know shooters who will sit in a car for 2.5 hours to travel to a 100 bird ESP Registered. FITASC is my second discipline which I do enjoy, but you do need to wipe the day out. I have been shooting the ESP registered circuit for many years now and have become friends with many of the disciples of that discipline. Shooting FITASC for the last 3 years also, I have met so many new people who shoot only FITASC. They are a very relaxed and welcoming bunch, who get the maximum out of the day, with both shooting and the social interaction.

If you have not tried it ever. Give it a go just once. Some of the targets are very challenging, and the discipline does actually show you how much time you actually have to acquire the target. At least you can say you've tried it.

 

[tiptop]

Surprising how many people feel the time to shoot FITASC appears to take so long. Yet I know shooters who will sit in a car for 2.5 hours to travel to a 100 bird ESP Registered. FITASC is my second discipline which I do enjoy, but you do need to wipe the day out. I have been shooting the ESP registered circuit for many years now and have become friends with many of the disciples of that discipline. Shooting FITASC for the last 3 years also, I have met so many new people who shoot only FITASC. They are a very relaxed and welcoming bunch, who get the maximum out of the day, with both shooting and the social interaction.

If you have not tried it ever. Give it a go just once. Some of the targets are very challenging, and the discipline does actually show you how much time you actually have to acquire the target. At least you can say you've tried it.

The thing that would do my head in is, 90 minutes between each 25 bird parcours, as was the apparent situation this weekend. If it was 50 break 50 then maybe I might have a go at it.

 

[Deleted member 753]

That is why the events at Nigel Harts at St. Dials are so appealing TipTop. Turn up, shoot 50, 45 minutes for tea and bacon, shoot 50 more, your done.

 

[Jonny English]

Orston used to run their fitasc straight through, you would get shot in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours hours if I recall.  The Long brothers at Park Lodge used to do something similar but with a half hour break at half way so was about a half day job. Both very manageable time scales. We used to shoot Grimsthorpe and it was a proper full day out, but we'll worth it for the targets they used to set.

 

[donna]

When we started shooting the first time around (25 years ago roughly) we would get up super early and drive from Kent to Derbyshire or down to Somerset to shoot fitasc and think nothing of it.  It was “old” style so you would shoot the one layout from 3 different pegs.  It was always shoot a layout, 45 minute gap then off to shoot the next layout, and so on.  Yes it did take  all day but it was enjoyable. Most of the “older” friends I see shooting are old fitasc  friends, it was a chance to meet different people from all over the country as everyone seemed to do it and because you stayed in that squad and had the same break times etc you ended up having your coffee/lunch all together and have a chat.   I don’t like the new fitasc style where it’s completely different targets on each layout and as so many people are doing it it takes forever.  Roads and traffic are a factor too, I just don’t want to spend half my day on the motorway.  I will do it for a major, ie Barbury for the English Open and as much as I love that ground I would not want to travel that distance week after week.  It’s hard to get the mix right, fitasc was always a set amount of shooters/squads and you had to be booked in unlike sporting (at the time) so once it was full that was it,  no more and you knew what time you started and finished because you could calculate it, 4 layouts, approx 45 mins per layout plus 45 mins in between, very rarely did you end up running late! 

 

[leighH]

As Donna highlights, to shoot 4 No 25 bird FITASC sporting layouts in 6 person squads will take 45 minutes per parcour so 3 Hours of actual shooting per shooter and 9 hours for all competitors to go through. Traditionally for a days shoot (old system) this is arranged around a rolling rotation of 3 sets of squads, so a max 12 squads with 72 shooters and a scheduled down time of 90 minutes between layouts or 4 ½ Hours in total. This does include the walk/ride to and from clubhouse/car park and getting to the waiting point 10 minutes early before starting next layout. This will require a minimum of 20 traps and 4 Refs plus relief.

To shoot 2 back to back layouts before say a 30 minute break and shooting the next 2, means in reality 4 squads in the morning and 4 squads in the afternoon so a total of 48 shooters through in 7 hours. Again 20 traps and 4 Refs.

What has been successful is the Hybrid system where the 1st squad shoots peg 1 and moves on (as in new system) to pegs 2 & 3 (which are old system). This means that subsequent squads will be completing a layout every 30 minutes. So if pushed it would be possible for 2 sets of squads to shoot back to back with a natural 15 minute break to move between layouts and 100 targets could be completed in 3 hours 45 minutes per squad. So 8 squads in the morning and 8 in the afternoon means 16 squads (96 shooters) can go through in 8 Hours 15 minutes. However this will require  a total of 36 traps and 8 Refs plus reliefs.

The other way of speeding shooters through would be to cut squad sizes to say 4 so they could go through each layout in 30 minutes, but the rules specify the discipline is to be shot in squads of 6 so this should not be classed as registered FITASC sporting.

To me a good layout takes all the concentration a shooter can muster not something that can be rushed through.

Regards

Leigh

 

[Fred Flintstone]

As Donna highlights, to shoot 4 No 25 bird FITASC sporting layouts in 6 person squads will take 45 minutes per parcour so 3 Hours of actual shooting per shooter and 9 hours for all competitors to go through. Traditionally for a days shoot (old system) this is arranged around a rolling rotation of 3 sets of squads, so a max 12 squads with 72 shooters and a scheduled down time of 90 minutes between layouts or 4 ½ Hours in total. This does include the walk/ride to and from clubhouse/car park and getting to the waiting point 10 minutes early before starting next layout. This will require a minimum of 20 traps and 4 Refs plus relief.

To shoot 2 back to back layouts before say a 30 minute break and shooting the next 2, means in reality 4 squads in the morning and 4 squads in the afternoon so a total of 48 shooters through in 7 hours. Again 20 traps and 4 Refs.

What has been successful is the Hybrid system where the 1st squad shoots peg 1 and moves on (as in new system) to pegs 2 & 3 (which are old system). This means that subsequent squads will be completing a layout every 30 minutes. So if pushed it would be possible for 2 sets of squads to shoot back to back with a natural 15 minute break to move between layouts and 100 targets could be completed in 3 hours 45 minutes per squad. So 8 squads in the morning and 8 in the afternoon means 16 squads (96 shooters) can go through in 8 Hours 15 minutes. However this will require  a total of 36 traps and 8 Refs plus reliefs.

The other way of speeding shooters through would be to cut squad sizes to say 4 so they could go through each layout in 30 minutes, but the rules specify the discipline is to be shot in squads of 6 so this should not be classed as registered FITASC sporting.

To me a good layout takes all the concentration a shooter can muster not something that can be rushed through.

Regards

Leigh

My head hurts even trying to work that lot out! Well done 

 

[Sian]

I love Fitasc but only do about 3 a year if that.  I could quite happily just shoot a 100 through.   I like 50 short break 50 as well.  I can’t handle 1 or 2 hours between layouts, at best 30 mins would be a comfortable maximum break between.   I simply cannot switch off.  

Interesting the Fitasc should be only be shot in squads of 6 because the three squads before us at the Worlds were squads of 5, 4 and 3.

 

[El Spavo]

It's hard enough keeping concentration to your absolute, maximum best when it takes 3+ hours at 100 ESP... this would be mindnumbing for me, and I suspect many others. I wonder if I did it, if I'd feel frustrated that the mental effort involved when I'm never going to win anything at the best of times would simply be too much to justify?