Shoot reports and news 2024

[Charliedog]

Cheddite yesterday, really is one of the best shoots of the year, well balanced round, no eyesight tests, great beer and burgers, very enjoyable

 

[Martinj]

I shot Hangman's stone today, it was a lot different to Barbury Shooting school on Wednesday with fine weather, stand 4 fast left to right midi still outfoxed me as I dropped all four but at the end of the day I put in an above average score and I came away with the warm glow that keeps us coming back. It's a well run shoot with no breakdowns.
Average score 79%
High gun 98 (Richard King)

 

[instructor_max]

I am very surprised that a few thought it was a difficult layout. I didn't think there was much on the course that I would have struggled with had I not been using a gun that still feels completely foreign to me. The low looper on stand 3 and the teal on stand 4 were tricky targets with one or two others in the deer park but there was plenty elsewhere to flesh out a good score. I would have expected to come away with a low 80's which is a little above my average.

The weather was a pain with a cold wind and just enough rain to ensure that your glasses were completely covered by the second pair of targets. A few squads with just two or three people in following us around so I would assume that a lot people chose to remain in bed rather than get soaked.

There were two AA class shooters in my squad that finished on 90 & 91/100 that were very disappointed and thought there was at least another 3/4 targets out there for them.

I personally didn't think it was that easy, less technical than the month before though.

You had to shoot stands 1-5 very well, then head into the deer-park and finish off the job, and that battue on stand 8 was no gimme target, so the task of finishing off the job is easier said than done.

The weather didn’t help of course, but I was out at 4.20pm and still couldn’t break the 90

I’d have been happy with the 94!

Well shot, & hopefully your new gun becomes less alien soon!

 

[Daz W]

Cheddite Championships at Barrow (Hunston Woods) for me yesterday. This has got to be my favourite shoot of the year. It's well laid out, and a good variety of targets from monstrous crossers, to little floppy clays at the end of your gun. I did hear a few people moaning about the close in target on st6. I'm assuming they missed it.
Only the 2nd time out with the new stock on the DT, so wasn't expecting a stellar performance. Nice and easy intro on stand 1, then hurried the overhead on st2, dropping 3. Possibly the only stand of the day I walked out of thinking "you pillock". Straighted st3, then out to the field for st4. Big sim pair. Luckily wasn't on first, so I watched a few of the squad over lead the furthest bird by a lot. Walked out of that only dropping 1. It might have sliipped through the 1/4 choke pattern, as I thought I shot at it in exactly the same spot every time.
Dropped 2 pairs on the next one. Saw a few walk out of that with a 0 on the card.
Dropped the occasional 1 or 2 on a few other stands, then got to st13. Last year this stand bit me hard, walked out with a 0. This year was much better. Watched some others mess it up by getting their hold point too close to the trap, then the target was miles away before they even started swinging the gun. Took my hold point way out and straighted it. May have even had a little skip and a dance out the stand.
Straights for the final 2, resulting in a 100ex120. Happy with that, just above my average.

 

[Sian]

Cheddite Championships at Barrow (Hunston Woods) for me yesterday. This has got to be my favourite shoot of the year. It's well laid out, and a good variety of targets from monstrous crossers, to little floppy clays at the end of your gun. I did hear a few people moaning about the close in target on st6. I'm assuming they missed it.
Only the 2nd time out with the new stock on the DT, so wasn't expecting a stellar performance. Nice and easy intro on stand 1, then hurried the overhead on st2, dropping 3. Possibly the only stand of the day I walked out of thinking "you pillock". Straighted st3, then out to the field for st4. Big sim pair. Luckily wasn't on first, so I watched a few of the squad over lead the furthest bird by a lot. Walked out of that only dropping 1. It might have sliipped through the 1/4 choke pattern, as I thought I shot at it in exactly the same spot every time.
Dropped 2 pairs on the next one. Saw a few walk out of that with a 0 on the card.
Dropped the occasional 1 or 2 on a few other stands, then got to st13. Last year this stand bit me hard, walked out with a 0. This year was much better. Watched some others mess it up by getting their hold point too close to the trap, then the target was miles away before they even started swinging the gun. Took my hold point way out and straighted it. May have even had a little skip and a dance out the stand.
Straights for the final 2, resulting in a 100ex120. Happy with that, just above my average.

We were there yesterday. I always enjoy it but I don’t shoot it well. Stand 6 annoyed me as when you’re in the stand and you are short you just don’t get to see a lot of that second bird. The ones I hit were me just throwing my gun in the general direction and hoping. The stand after that I missed the first two pairs, unforgivably missing the first one but then I got two pairs so was happy enough. I get tired by the time I get to 13 and royally messed up 14. Got to 15 and my heart sank two coloured teal which I hate but just dropped one. The longer it went on the less I saw them . A lovely squad a father and his two sons.

 

[Daz W]

We were there yesterday. I always enjoy it but I don’t shoot it well. Stand 6 annoyed me as when you’re in the stand and you are short you just don’t get to see a lot of that second bird. The ones I hit were me just throwing my gun in the general direction and hoping. The stand after that I missed the first two pairs, unforgivably missing the first one but then I got two pairs so was happy enough. I get tired by the time I get to 13 and royally messed up 14. Got to 15 and my heart sank two coloured teal which I hate but just dropped one. The longer it went on the less I saw them . A lovely squad a father and his two sons.

Unfortunately there's a lot of shoots where even though they take into account wind and sun position, they don't take into account diffences in the shooters height. Occasionally I get hampered by the opposite. Shooting from within a treeline on a high target it can get obscured by the tree canopy because of my height. A shorter person can get better visibility in that situation. It doesn't happen as often as often as the shorter shooters get hampered, but it does happen.

 

[Bebo]

I shot the Cheddites on Saturday. Woke up with a bit of a sore throat and sinuses, but felt ok so headed out for my 12.50 squad. Started well, missed the first bird out on 1 rushing it, straight on 2 and dropped two incomers on 3. Then the big targets started. Last up on 4, got the timing spot on for my maintained lead style, smashed the first pair and went through the stand straight. Stand 5, I couldn't find the low crosser, think it might have been line that fooled me as I tried lots of different leads, happily hit all of the distant battues though. Straight on 6, then a long wait on 7 to watch an awful lot of midi targets sailing away unscathed. Missed the first two of those, but changed to swing through and hit the third one, but that was it for a 5 on that stand. Missed the second target on the first pair on the next two stands and was fairly happy with 12 away after 9 stands and thought I might be on for at least my CPSA average. Wrong!

Long wait on 10 and I was first up. I hate dropping targets and completely imploded for a 2! Unforgiveable as there was no reason to miss the first bird apart from panic. Bit of hanging around for 11 and started struggling, back had been aching for a while and I realised I was generally starting to feel a bit achy all over. Shot it with just one away, then on to the sim pair on 12, feeling pretty rough by this point and wishing I'd bought a folding seat around with me. Missed the first pair and never found the closer target for a 3. Complete meltdown on 13 (close rabbit, close quartering crosser). Missed three pairs, slowing the gun up every time. Shot 14 poorly, only hitting one midi and dropped 2 of the second teal on 15. Finished on 84, at least 10 short of where I should have been with that disastrous last few stands.

Drove back, spent most of the next 48hrs in bed or in a nest on the sofa. Feverish, aches, swollen glands, sore throat, headaches and earache. Not covid (I tested) but a nasty bug that thankfully hasn't lasted long.

Overall, I think it probably is the best shoot of the year. It's a lovely location that you never get to see any other time, it has a huge range of targets, some challenging by distance, but more by speed / angle / line. I'd happily shoot that course again next weekend!

 

[SBL]

A beautiful day in Durham and an 86/100 on the sporting. That’s my highest score so far and still a few that should have been made. Very happy.

 

[Clear Miss]

I went along to the Welsh ESP qualifier at Dovey Valley shooting ground yesterday.

I'd spent the week doing some work on the garden and was aching, sore and tired. We'd pulled 7 consecutive 12-14 hour days digging clay, mixing concrete and building block walls. Hats off to anyone who does this full time as my squishy office worker body was completely worn out by end of play Saturday.

Anyway, following a real ball ache of a 2 and 1/2 hour drive through mid Wales, which is an awful drive for anyone who knows it, I got to the ground and took half hour to chill out before starting. I eventually finished on a 78/100 which is still below my average but getting better. There was a 60+ yard battue on one of the later stands which I managed to get 3 out of 5 that I was quite happy with. Some shooters in the squad in front including some big names didn't get anywhere near it. I dropped 5 targets over the first three stands which, as anyone who shot it will tell you, should have been three straights. Could have easily finished on an 83-85 if it weren't for a few mistakes on the earlier stands. The 694 is a very agile gun (compared to the prosport) and is taking some getting used to but I do think we're starting to get there.

Apart from the drive there and the drive home it was an enjoyable day.

 

[Martinj]

Could have easily finished on an 83-85 if it weren't for a few mistakes on the earlier stands.

We all have shoots like that - "if only!" one day you will hit them

good luck with the 694, I was mooching round a gun shop recently, taking a casual look at a 694, was nearly tempted when the guy got it down for me. It felt so good!

 

[chippy]

Redricks today. A good round I really enjoyed it, most targets under a full spring so some good gaps needed. I hit 85.

 

[SBL]

Strong winds and with that, quite cool in Durham on Sunday morning.
Shot 100 sporting and finished on 74/100. A bit disappointing after last weeks high point but given the wind, not really so surprising and being honest, there were a bunch of clays that I missed that I would never normally do. I guess I just wasn't so "on it" today.
We've always had a few no birds during the round but got to say that over the last month, it seems to be increasing week on week. Broken clays, unresponsive traps etc. Fingers crossed the organizers are taking note and trying to resolve the issues. We're a good sized club but ran by volunteers as opposed to one of the large pro outfits so not wanting to be too hard, but we pay our money,,,

 

[instructor_max]

Shot 96/100 @ Gunsite on Sunday.

Shot it in the afternoon, so it was a little bit less busy, still got a good enough chance to watch the clays.

I always find Sean’s clays presentable and shootable, but still had plenty of clays there to trip you up if you weren’t paying attention.

Looking forward to the Hodnet challenge and Jack Pyke this weekend!

 

[Charliedog]

Owls lodge Saturday, first visit on what was a stiff round of clays. Very enjoyable, all clays visible and there to be hit, hitting them consistently was more of a challenge. It was a long way to travel but the round flowed much quicker than expected, shoot average was a low 68, I did manage to beat that and win my class, not sure when I will get back to pick up my winnings, great to test yourself on a very good course.

 

[Martinj]

(Gunsite) I sat on a bench and had a brief chat with a guy from Wales at stand 11 one of a group of three or four, I wonder if . . .
I didn't shoot well, too many ones and two's lost and I didn't ever find the High R to L midi on stand 9 so that was 4 away thank you! probably missed in front.
I shot some good targets and dropped some easy ones for example I missed two rabbits on stand 12 but hit the long R to L crossers. I ended up with a disappointing 81, it was still an enjoyable shoot, the average was 80%

 

[instructor_max]

Owls lodge Saturday, first visit on what was a stiff round of clays. Very enjoyable, all clays visible and there to be hit, hitting them consistently was more of a challenge. It was a long way to travel but the round flowed much quicker than expected, shoot average was a low 68, I did manage to beat that and win my class, not sure when I will get back to pick up my winnings, great to test yourself on a very good course.

I shot 83 on the Thursday, it took me a while to settle and relax (wanted as fewer points for England selection as possible )

It was a great course, stand 11/12 being the slightly easier stands, but by that point the damage is done!

 

[instructor_max]

(Gunsite) I sat on a bench and had a brief chat with a guy from Wales at stand 11 one of a group of three or four, I wonder if . . .
I didn't shoot well, too many ones and two's lost and I didn't ever find the High R to L midi on stand 9 so that was 4 away thank you! probably missed in front.
I shot some good targets and dropped some easy ones for example I missed two rabbits on stand 12 but hit the long R to L crossers. I ended up with a disappointing 81, it was still an enjoyable shoot, the average was 80%

I was very weary of that Midi on stand 9, I walked past it as their was no one shooting, came back when there were a few people there just to get a better look at it.

I straighted it (to my surprise), but it really didn’t take a lot of lead once it was over half way.

 

[Jonny English]

I shot Blyton on the staurday. Very nice round again with a couple of tougher stands, dropped all 4 A birds on stand 1 which pretty much tore the arse out my card before I got started. After a busy week my mind wasn't on it and finished on an 80, that should have been a 90 without too much bother. Great set if targets that was a pleasure to shoot, if only I'd switched on. Excellent score from Joe Emmett on 98 to take high gun though, that was outstanding shooting.

 

[instructor_max]

Two good days of shooting.

The Hodnet challenge @ West Midlands shooting ground was absolutely amazing, the ground itself was immaculate and the targets were even better, something worth putting in the diary for next year.

I shot a 108/120, I shot it better than expected, I haven’t been there for nearly 10 years. It was won on 116/120 (amazing score) by Tom Youngs from Scotland.

Secondly, was the The Jack Pyke at Sporting targets.

I found it more enjoyable than previous years, the targets were still close, fatigue got the better of me after Hodnet, dropping some early, then having to straight the last few stands (the more difficult stands) to come anywhere close. I dropped 6 on the last 3 stands, but already dropping 4 early ones which was fatal.

I finished on 109/120, it was won on 114/120 by Martin Warmsley.

English Open Supersporting this week at Barbury.

Hope you all had a good weekend.

 

[Bebo]

Kent Super Sporting Championship on Saturday. Least said the better, I think it's given me PTSD.