Shoot reports and news 2025

[instructor_max]

I don’t personally get enjoyment out of shooting big scores anymore, I’d much rather enjoy the course, and whether it ends up being a low score or a high score I’m not too fussed, I want to come away thinking that was a good course.

Coleys was a little bit softer this month, with stand 2 and stand 10 being the decider, I thought it was “slightly” tougher the month before and that was still won on 97.

Barbury last month was tougher, especially with the bad fog, but it is going to vary every month, I’d never lump Barbury into the soft category, but if you shoot enough you are going to learn grounds, but it’s not an automatic big score, and that goes for any ground.

 

[vmax1010]

You also have to look from the grounds point of view they don't want to alienate the "fun shooters" as if they don't turn up money isn't made and we lose another ground

 

[Bebo]

It is a tricky issue but I think your first suggestion is all that would be needed. If a reg ground is consistently posting class winning scores that are in excess of the corresponding cut offs then our governing body should have a quiet word. The threat of a three month registered suspension would soon pull them in to line.

You are showing a basic lack of understanding of statistics. About 50% of the time you will shoot a higher score than your average, about 50% of the time it will be lower than your average - that's what an average is. If the winning score was within the classification band at every shoot then you would end up with the band limits getting lower in every cut-off period.

There was a prolonged discussion on this is the 2021 shoot reports thread.

 

[Bebo]

E J Churchills for me last Thursday. Interesting set of targets, nothing at extreme range, but tricky none the less. I had one of my days of hating right to lefts that needed minimal lead - managed to drop 8 of them on Stands 1 and 10. Would have been a respectable score if I hadn't done that as I shot some of the trickier stands well - a sim pair of low quartering away from the left and a rl looper that was dropping by the time you got to and a report pair of a dropping 70mm and a distant limited window lr midi I only dropped one on each stand. Finished on 76, three and a bit below my average, but four above the shoot average, so not a complete disaster.

 

[Freddypip]

Grange Farm (Desford) for me on Sunday. 77/100.

Dropped 13 out of 14 on two stands (4 & 13). Should have focused more on one and I’m sure if I had done that I would have picked up another 4 or 5 and been on average. The last stand 13 was a horrible, simo pair of fast left to right crossers (midi and standard) and 1 out of 8 for me. I wish it had been earlier in the round as I got into the car feeling a bit rubbish.

Real credit to Adam Curtis in that the ground encourage juniors and ladies etc and my daughter came away with a 67 and a decent smile.

 

[SBL]

Does anyone bother with the shooting show? I’m from the Northeast so a bit of a track. I’d be interested in opinions if it’s worth the drive?

 

[jonz]

Does anyone bother with the shooting show? I’m from the Northeast so a bit of a track. I’d be interested in opinions if it’s worth the drive?

I’ve never been and thought I would give it a try this year, but everyone I have spoken to has said it’s not worth the money. So saving my time and money again this year

 

[Ewor]

Depends on what you want from the visit, I have been to the shooting show and the game fair which in my opinion is a much better day out-with many more shotguns/rifles on sale. You can also shoot in a comp too if you choose to. Lots more happening, animals, fishing, good food, art and it’s outdoors in nice surroundings.
The shooting show is indoors in one NEC hall, more of a trade show with prime manufacturers on flashy stands with a few demo guns and independents who have brought the main elements of their shop with them.

 

[Clear Miss]

Westfield yesterday for the registered 100 ESP.

Ended on 80/100 which above my current average and enough to get some money back from my competition entry but I wasn't particularly happy with how I shot overall. I feel that I'm doing a lot of things well and improving overall but there's still some issues which mean that an 85-90/100 performance keeps evading me. Looking back over my score card there was two stands which were a 7/8 and 9/10 and another two which were a 6/8. There's no reason why these shouldn't be an 8/8 and 10/10 and an 86/100 overall score.

Main issue seems to be around long and slow targets which I can't seem to grasp. Stands 4, 8 and 11 did a lot of the damage to the score having dropped 11 targets on these three stands. 4 and 8 both featured a long and slow target. Stand 4 first target was high R-L crossing target at around 40 yards but it was in the air a while paired with a driven 1/4ing L-R. I managed to get one of the first targets but it wasn't repeatable. Similarly with stand 8, the second target was a high and slow R-L going over the rear of the pond paired with an incoming sitter. Again, I managed to get one but not repeatable and to add to insult I missed one of the incoming sitters and did not think to take a second shot at it and ensure I got a least one of the targets in the bag.

What is really bugging me with these is that the sight picture seemed to be the same for all 8 of the long and slow targets and I couldn't pick up on what was going wrong and what was different on the two targets that were hit. Something to work on with a coach once the weather improves and coaching resumes.

Stand 11 had a lightening quick 1/4ing incomer L-R which was easy enough paired with a high and fast 1/4ing R-L going away from a tower which was a very well set target and certainly caught me out with the angle which was set as such that you couldn't rely on the natural drop of the gun in your hands as you would a overhead duck target but neither was it a crossing target. Having thought about it, I should have let the target get 15-20 yards further along its path and straighten out before shooting it.

I feel it was a tougher course overall than the shoot prior with a high gun of 95 vs 97 a couple weeks back.

 

[instructor_max]

Westfield yesterday for the registered 100 ESP.

Ended on 80/100 which above my current average and enough to get some money back from my competition entry but I wasn't particularly happy with how I shot overall. I feel that I'm doing a lot of things well and improving overall but there's still some issues which mean that an 85-90/100 performance keeps evading me. Looking back over my score card there was two stands which were a 7/8 and 9/10 and another two which were a 6/8. There's no reason why these shouldn't be an 8/8 and 10/10 and an 86/100 overall score.

Main issue seems to be around long and slow targets which I can't seem to grasp. Stands 4, 8 and 11 did a lot of the damage to the score having dropped 11 targets on these three stands. 4 and 8 both featured a long and slow target. Stand 4 first target was high R-L crossing target at around 40 yards but it was in the air a while paired with a driven 1/4ing L-R. I managed to get one of the first targets but it wasn't repeatable. Similarly with stand 8, the second target was a high and slow R-L going over the rear of the pond paired with an incoming sitter. Again, I managed to get one but not repeatable and to add to insult I missed one of the incoming sitters and did not think to take a second shot at it and ensure I got a least one of the targets in the bag.

What is really bugging me with these is that the sight picture seemed to be the same for all 8 of the long and slow targets and I couldn't pick up on what was going wrong and what was different on the two targets that were hit. Something to work on with a coach once the weather improves and coaching resumes.

Stand 11 had a lightening quick 1/4ing incomer L-R which was easy enough paired with a high and fast 1/4ing R-L going away from a tower which was a very well set target and certainly caught me out with the angle which was set as such that you couldn't rely on the natural drop of the gun in your hands as you would a overhead duck target but neither was it a crossing target. Having thought about it, I should have let the target get 15-20 yards further along its path and straighten out before shooting it.

I feel it was a tougher course overall than the shoot prior with a high gun of 95 vs 97 a

Westfield yesterday for the registered 100 ESP.

Ended on 80/100 which above my current average and enough to get some money back from my competition entry but I wasn't particularly happy with how I shot overall. I feel that I'm doing a lot of things well and improving overall but there's still some issues which mean that an 85-90/100 performance keeps evading me. Looking back over my score card there was two stands which were a 7/8 and 9/10 and another two which were a 6/8. There's no reason why these shouldn't be an 8/8 and 10/10 and an 86/100 overall score.

Main issue seems to be around long and slow targets which I can't seem to grasp. Stands 4, 8 and 11 did a lot of the damage to the score having dropped 11 targets on these three stands. 4 and 8 both featured a long and slow target. Stand 4 first target was high R-L crossing target at around 40 yards but it was in the air a while paired with a driven 1/4ing L-R. I managed to get one of the first targets but it wasn't repeatable. Similarly with stand 8, the second target was a high and slow R-L going over the rear of the pond paired with an incoming sitter. Again, I managed to get one but not repeatable and to add to insult I missed one of the incoming sitters and did not think to take a second shot at it and ensure I got a least one of the targets in the bag.

What is really bugging me with these is that the sight picture seemed to be the same for all 8 of the long and slow targets and I couldn't pick up on what was going wrong and what was different on the two targets that were hit. Something to work on with a coach once the weather improves and coaching resumes.

Stand 11 had a lightening quick 1/4ing incomer L-R which was easy enough paired with a high and fast 1/4ing R-L going away from a tower which was a very well set target and certainly caught me out with the angle which was set as such that you couldn't rely on the natural drop of the gun in your hands as you would a overhead duck target but neither was it a crossing target. Having thought about it, I should have let the target get 15-20 yards further along its path and straighten out before shooting it.

I feel it was a tougher course overall than the shoot prior with a high gun of 95 vs 97 a couple weeks back.

In regards to the sight picture part, it’s not just about getting to the destination, the journey has to be consistent and the same each time.

well shot, I wanted to shoot it, but I decided on lessons instead!

 

[Bebo]

What he said. You can hit a target, then reduce your gun speed on the next one and see exactly the same gap but miss it behind. Same applies the other way, if you use more gun speed than when you broke it and see the same picture you'll miss in front. Similar relates to using different methods - you'll need to see a bigger gap on a crosser to break it using maintained than you will if you swing through it. If I'm struggling on a target I often find more success with changing method than with just trying to alter the lead with the same method - but then I'm a shocker at defaulting to maintained, when I know it doesn't work consistently for me on limited lead targets.

 

[Clear Miss]

In regards to the sight picture part, it’s not just about getting to the destination, the journey has to be consistent and the same each time.

well shot, I wanted to shoot it, but I decided on lessons instead!

What he said. You can hit a target, then reduce your gun speed on the next one and see exactly the same gap but miss it behind. Same applies the other way, if you use more gun speed than when you broke it and see the same picture you'll miss in front. Similar relates to using different methods - you'll need to see a bigger gap on a crosser to break it using maintained than you will if you swing through it. If I'm struggling on a target I often find more success with changing method than with just trying to alter the lead with the same method - but then I'm a shocker at defaulting to maintained, when I know it doesn't work consistently for me on limited lead targets.

Thanks both. I'd like to think I have the fundamentals down and have a good idea of pick up, hold and shoot points before I start shooting and am able to adjust on the fly when it doesn't go to plan.

I'm clearly doing something wrong with these types of targets or I'd have got them all. Something to work on I guess.

@instructor_max I'm very envious of you being able to make a career of doing something you love. I'd trade missing the odd registered shoot for that.