Shoot reports and news 2024

[Westward]

Coley's for me too. Nice to see Donna and Phil for a quick chat before starting my first shoot for 3 months. Definitely a mostly steady course but a couple of testing stands. I was pleased to straight stand 2, especially as there was a AAA and a AA in the squad. The sim pair on stand 4 were a bit too speedy for an out of practice oldie like me but at least it was only 3 pairs. Topping the squad again with a comfortable 7 on the big crossers on stand 5 absolutely made my day, although one guy in the squad blanked it which was a shame. The rest was 1s, 2s and 3s dropped so a not a memorable score, but great to feel the confidence coming back after 2 and half years and definitely looking forward to getting out again.

 

[wynno]

Coleys as well for me, quick chat with Phil and Donna on stand one. I thought the course was pitched perfectly, some long range stuff, some short range and a few with deceptive angles.
Had a brain fart on stand 2, missed a complete pair in the middle, old age and stupidity to blame.
Good turnout again, just shy of 170 shooters on a Wednesday, they must be doing something right

 

[donna]

Coley's for me too. Nice to see Donna and Phil for a quick chat before starting my first shoot for 3 months. Definitely a mostly steady course but a couple of testing stands. I was pleased to straight stand 2, especially as there was a AAA and a AA in the squad. The sim pair on and 3 were a bit too speedy for an out of practice oldie like me but at least it was only 3 pairs. Topping the squad again with a comfortable 7 on the big crossers on stand 4 absolutely made my day, although one guy in the squad blanked it which was a shame. The rest was 1s, 2s and 3s dropped so a not a memorable score, but great to feel the confidence coming back after 2 and half years and definitely looking forward to getting out again.

It was great to see you and looking so well too, well done on the shooting.

 

[donna]

As above, good shoot at Coleys, right balance I though. Phil had wanted to try the KRIEGHOFF X and they had a demo one which they set up. He shot first three stands, dropped 9 targets and said it felt awful. Quickly ran back to car and got his own gun out and shot the rest well. It was an itch that needed to be scratched and he’s settled now! I fell down on the midi and looper, dropping 5 but apart from that a few straights or 1 and 2 away mostly. Enjoyable shoot. Great seeing everyone.

 

[Westward]

Thanks for the kind words Donna. I suppose looking well is fairly relative as I'll be 78 tomorrow...
It's probably all down to Mrs Westward's legendary smoothies.

 

[donna]

Thanks for the kind words Donna. I suppose looking well is fairly relative as I'll be 78 tomorrow...
It's probably all down to Mrs Westward's legendary smoothies.

Happy birthday for tomorrow, certainly don’t look 78! She’s doing something right!

 

[Westward]

Happy birthday for tomorrow, certainly don’t look 78! She’s doing something right!

It's a team effort. She looks 15 years younger than she is, even after 51 years married to me.

 

[TerryTibbs]

Shot the English Open at Doveridge today, it was my first competition event of this kind outside of the standard registered shoots. I’m a C class shooter with an average of 60%, so I was happy to walk away with an 83.

Targets were fun, I enjoyed the driven stand where I hit 7 and the final stand where I managed a 6. Had a few straights in between that helped keep the card strong. Still need to fill some gaps but with less than a years shooting I’m happy so far. Refs were brilliant and so were the ground staff.

 

[jonz]

Shot the English Open at Doveridge today, it was my first competition event of this kind outside of the standard registered shoots. I’m a C class shooter with an average of 60%, so I was happy to walk away with an 83.

Targets were fun, I enjoyed the driven stand where I hit 7 and the final stand where I managed a 6. Had a few straights in between that helped keep the card strong. Still need to fill some gaps but with less than a years shooting I’m happy so far. Refs were brilliant and so were the ground staff.

Yes I did it earlier this week, was definitely a good event, they have certainly put a load of work into getting that course set up. The whole thing ran very smoothly and the refs are ground staff were brilliant. Top marks to all involved

 

[Bebo]

Only Saturday and my competitions this week are done.

EJC on Thursday. Started solidly, straight on 3 of the first 4 stands, just the 2nd bird on the scaffold catching me out, dropped 3 not giving it enough in front. Then the mini-meltdown started. Tricky sim pair on 5, dropped 3. Stand 6 I missed what looked like a soft teal 3 times. Started stressing about not being able to afford many more misses, slowed right up and missed the first pair on Stand 7, gave myself a ralking to but still managed to drop two more. Dug in and only another 2 away on the last five stands. Happy to finish on 85, but could have been a PB without the brain fart in the middle.

Kibworth yesterday. Forecast was for rain, but it held off until five minutes after our squad finished and I avoided a soaking. My meltdown was earlier on this one, had a similar teal, hung on to it for an age and ended up doing the same, dropping 3 untill I attacked the last one on the way up. Dug in after that stand, straight on the next two, survived the Valley of Doom only dropping 3. Some silly misses on the next couple of stands, dropping the last driven target and the last pair on the next stand, but finished with a straight on 13. Happy with another score starting with 8 in the same week, finishing on 82.

Seem to have found a bit of confidence back and the slow creep up back to where I was 18 months ago continues.

 

[Freddypip]

Did we chat at Kibworth as you were making you way to be first on the driven stand (10) ??.

My 'problem' stand was 12 the rabbit and midi - messed up a decent card by dropping 4 (3 of the midi) and ending up on 85. Dropped 5 silly ones going round so i should have been in the money (!!!).

My daughter shot well but had a 1 on stand 12 to make a 73.

The teal on stand 3 was a clever bird - Daughter attacked it and dropped 1 and I waited and got them all. Not saying my way was best but that it worked for me with the first one and I was able to rinse & repeat after that.

 

[Bebo]

We did! And it worked, let my heart rate drop before I had to get in the stand.

The pink one I was taking late, which is what I'd usually do, but pretty sure I was over the top on it. Hit it by pushing the gun to it before it peaked.

That second target on 12 was a 70mm, even smaller than a midi. I dropped two of them. I'd put money on you missing in front, quite a few on my squad overlead it. Top scorer on the squad hit a 91 and he missed all four of those.

 

[Freddypip]

I was underneath it with it curving away. Pushed the lead out thinking I was short, then a bit more again, then a rethink and hit it. Another learning curve !!!

 

[Jonny English]

English open at Doveridge for me yesterday. Great competition, excellent targets in a fantastic setting, my first time at Doveridge. Round went like clock work, no delays, no queues and very few no birds. Thought the targets were excellent, nothing too stupid but plenty of testing birds. Very well balanced round for all abilities. JBD's 117 is a fantastic score though. For me though bit of a poor day at the office. Finished on a 92 ex 120 in AA which was at least 10 light of being repectable. Never straighted a stand after stand 5, just bled single targets and more away all the way round the last 10 stands. Missed a large portion of my targets in front for some reason, just lost control of the muzzle somehow, mostly after I had already hit the targets. Targets missed in front:

St3 rabbit x 1
St4 B x 1
St7 second bird x 1
St8 B x 1 (final bird)
St9 A x 1
St10 B x 2
St11 Looper x 4 crosser x 1 (complete disaster)
St12 Midi x 1
St13 A x 2
St14 B x 3
St15 Rabbit x 2 Crosser x 1

Think thats 21 birds missed in front and only 3 were the first targets. Definitely something that I need to work on. Great day out though and really enjoyed the course, all credit to Doveridge and the cpsa for a fantastic event.

 

[chippy]

English open at Doveridge for me yesterday. Great competition, excellent targets in a fantastic setting, my first time at Doveridge. Round went like clock work, no delays, no queues and very few no birds. Thought the targets were excellent, nothing too stupid but plenty of testing birds. Very well balanced round for all abilities. JBD's 117 is a fantastic score though. For me though bit of a poor day at the office. Finished on a 92 ex 120 in AA which was at least 10 light of being repectable. Never straighted a stand after stand 5, just bled single targets and more away all the way round the last 10 stands. Missed a large portion of my targets in front for some reason, just lost control of the muzzle somehow, mostly after I had already hit the targets. Targets missed in front:

St3 rabbit x 1
St4 B x 1
St7 second bird x 1
St8 B x 1 (final bird)
St9 A x 1
St10 B x 2
St11 Looper x 4 crosser x 1 (complete disaster)
St12 Midi x 1
St13 A x 2
St14 B x 3
St15 Rabbit x 2 Crosser x 1

Think thats 21 birds missed in front and only 3 were the first targets. Definitely something that I need to work on. Great day out though and really enjoyed the course, all credit to Doveridge and the cpsa for a fantastic event.

I shot it yesterday great conditions to shoot in. I enjoyed the round but I thought it was a little on the soft side for a championship. We had a slight delay when a muntjac deer decided to walk into shot and wouldn't move. The ref on stand 15 was sitting the wrong side of the stand so couldn't see the rabbit being shot late and because it was an eyesight test it was difficult to shoot earlier. I ended on 103 which was good for me.

 

[donna]

Southdown today for the super sporting. Was a tad wet! Don’t think it stopped raining until 2nd to last stand! Started off very well with a 10/10 then stands 2, 3 and 4 a poor 6, 5 and 6 respectively but did find the green targets hard to see and sim pairs tricky. Picked up from there with another straight and 9’s and 8’s to end up with a 78, a few above the average. Mixture of targets with some quite fast and a nice low fast driven. Good squad but a few break downs which was a pain. Nice to come home and find Phil had 2nd in class despite dropping 5 on both stands 2 and 3

 

[wynno]

Barbury yesterday for their supersporting, a well thought out course with some tricky sim pairs, stand 10 ,the skeet stand caught me out, I dropped 5 there, didn’t touch the r-l rabbit and kept on shooting over the top of the white going away

 

[donna]

Barbury for us too and thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I struggled seeing some targets in the grouse butts. Ended up with an 80 despite only shooting a 3 on stand 11, only hit the ducks, those effing close things do my head in. I’ve got so much better at the close stuff but in that stand they do me every time. Wish I lived nearer to there so I could just go and sort them out. Pleased with my 80 but could’ve been a bit more!

Was so nice to shoot in the lovely sun and not have to wear waterproofs!

 

[chippy]

Shot the express masters today. It wasn't the best round to use fixed 3/4 full trap gun but I enjoyed it. Shot the longer stuff well and finished on 99.

 

[Cuffers]

Barbury for me yesterday for the Super Sporting, my favoured discipline!

Some good technical birds with some big rangy stuff thrown in up in the top field. Overall a great course, as always at Barbury, which was only let down by my ability to actually straight a stand! I'll take 83/100.