Shoot reports and news 2025

[leighH]

Shot the Feb edition of the Winter FITASC at Roundwood on Thursday. Had to switch from a.m. to p.m. and there was drizzle/light rain but dryer than the morning rotations.

Started badly on Towers, nothing too difficult on Peg 1, but let 3 / 4 go. Stand 2 had a driven off the top of the tower (160 feet) also shot as a rafale pair in the double, only hit the 2nd rafale and missed single and double both a quartering away battue and a very straightforward R -L midi. Peg 3 had another high tower target, this time going away overhead. I held the gun well out and thought I had missed underneath at about 12+ feet, but it broke well. Could not repeat in the double but hit only once by the rest of the squad. Finished on 14 for the layout.

Rifle range next, missing a high tower L-R midi on Peg 1. Peg 2 had very similar targets to previous month but shot from lower platform with all targets below. Missed the R -L both times, and the incoming single. Reduced lead on incomer in double and it broke, but then took aim 5 times at the report gravity rabbit before missing in front.

Peg 3 we had another overhead away high tower bird which went untouched by the whole squad. Dropped the single L – R rising battue but cut lead back in double and broke it well. Finished on 16.

Quick cup of tea and onto the Clubhouse Layout. Dropped another L – R battue and a very hittable L – R single and a quartering away midi chandelle both single and double on Peg 1.

Peg 2 had a very quick L-R standard (although looked more like 70mm), missed as a single but cut back lead in the double and hit it, but then missed the slow dropper on report as well as the slow incomer with the simo rabbit. A fast quartering target kept flying on Peg 3 but all the crossers were scored, including a rafale midi.

Onto the field where the wind was up and making the targets appear quite edgy before stalling and opening out as they dropped, like battues really. Shot the singles reasonably well, mainly 1st barrel but far too many /0 s in the doubles trying to measure as they stalled, finishing on another 17.

Overall a bit trickier shoot this month, the high tower birds were stiffer, did not miss so many ‘easy’ targets but there was not as many to miss!

Regards

Leigh

 

[Bebo]

First time at AGL for yesterdays Reg Comp in about 8 months. Targets had a different feel to them from my previous experiences there. A couple of very edgy quartering one and lots of tricky angled, curling and dropping targets. Definitely not a course that beat you with distance.

Not the softest start, straight in with 5 sim pairs. Dropped three, rushed one of the first birds and then two of the overheads came through much lower and faster than the others, didn't get on and under them quick enough. Straight on the next stand and a couple of sloppy misses on the third. Then came two stands with tricky first targets, the first was a quartering in lr and the other was a rl looper that you couldn't see until it was on the way down. Only connected with either of them once. Straight on the next sim pair and then it was a case of one or two away until the grouse butt, where I was all over the first pair then lost my way on the midi-looper - too much thinking about it resulting in hanging on and measuring. A bouncing rabbit cost me one on the next stand and overled a couple on the last sim pair.

Finished on 77 and was a little disappointed, felt that I could have been half a dozen more if I'd managed to switch my brain off a bit more. Looking at the scores afterward I realised that maybe I hadn't done too badly after all, only two score in the 90s out of over 120 shooters and a shoot average of 71% indicates to me that it was a little on the tough side.

 

[Daz W]

First time at AGL for yesterdays Reg Comp in about 8 months. Targets had a different feel to them from my previous experiences there. A couple of very edgy quartering one and lots of tricky angled, curling and dropping targets. Definitely not a course that beat you with distance.

Not the softest start, straight in with 5 sim pairs. Dropped three, rushed one of the first birds and then two of the overheads came through much lower and faster than the others, didn't get on and under them quick enough. Straight on the next stand and a couple of sloppy misses on the third. Then came two stands with tricky first targets, the first was a quartering in lr and the other was a rl looper that you couldn't see until it was on the way down. Only connected with either of them once. Straight on the next sim pair and then it was a case of one or two away until the grouse butt, where I was all over the first pair then lost my way on the midi-looper - too much thinking about it resulting in hanging on and measuring. A bouncing rabbit cost me one on the next stand and overled a couple on the last sim pair.

Finished on 77 and was a little disappointed, felt that I could have been half a dozen more if I'd managed to switch my brain off a bit more. Looking at the scores afterward I realised that maybe I hadn't done too badly after all, only two score in the 90s out of over 120 shooters and a shoot average of 71% indicates to me that it was a little on the tough side.

I thought that was one one of the toughest shoots at AGL for a while. Looking at the classification scores, around 50% of shooters finished below their current classification band.
Starting off with 5 sim pairs was a bit of a wake up call. Luckily there was two up before me, so I managed to spot where the mistakes could be made. Couple of chippy breaks, but a 10 on the card.
St2 should have been a gimme. Pair dead x3, then for some idiotic reason I moved too early for the last B bird, and what should have been a swing through shot, ended up as maintained lead. First miss of the day. Clean sweep on st3.
Stand 4 was where it stepped up a gear. I was chatting to one of the instructors there, and he said the A bird (1/4ing in L-R) was originally set even tougher. He saw what had been set, and got them to ease it up!!! Managed to only drop 2 on there.
It was st5 that done me, the far R-L in between the trees. Never hit it once. Couldn't tell whether I was in front, behind, over, under or inside out. I think out of my squad it may have been hit once or twice. Another 4 away.
Then missed two midis on st6 by rushing the first shot of the sim pair.
Straighted the tower, then 2 more away on each of st8, 9 and 10. Overleading stuff mainly. Cleaned up on 11, then rushed the first of a sim pair on st12.
Ended up with an 84, which I'm not disappointed with. Could've done without the silly mistakes, but we (mostly) all suffer from them.

 

[Freddypip]

Shot Northampton today. The first part of the layout was straightforward and I was 4 down after 46. The second part much harder than normal, and I ended up on 76. I lost my motivation after stand 10 and would estimate I lost 10 due to my own errors and particularly on Stand 12, a lack of interest. There were some nice clays but also some tough stands and some real card wreckers. I have been mindful that Sporting Targets has been very tough of late and Northampton easier so I wonder if there is a realignment going on – I was 89 at Sporting a fortnight ago.

There were two very hard right to left crossers (stand 6 or 7 and stand 12) which were mixed with challenging left to right crossers which slowed and quartered making the gun transition (both in judging lead and controlling swing speed) quite hard.

My lack of interest was driven by two factors. Quite a few no birds and unclear refereeing in calling them. I dropped at least four calling ‘pull’ and then after a decent period lowered my gun waiting for the clay only for it to be triggered and/or arrive some time after the call and when my timing had been lost. The ref was pressing the button but was too inexperience to call no bird with an consistency. It was also noticeable (on a still day) just how varied the traps were and it raised the question within our squad as to when the variation was such as to be a no-bird. With the two sim clays on Stand 9 – one of us hit them with one shot whereas for me they might as well have been singles. The simple going away on Stand 10 was all over the place height wise. On stand 11 there were a sim pair of R to L crossers and when I had a ‘look see’ I picked the lower one first (and picked my hold point) only to find that the lower one changed as the traps cycled. Maybe that was deliberate. I think all of the above is a learning curve for me but I did come away thinking it was one I couldn’t be bothered with !! - which is shame.

The scores have yet to be posted.

I would also say that’s three comps without practice for me and that’s the limit. I need to enjoy my shooting and have some fun & a giggle.

 

[Charliedog]

I shot Northampton for the first time today, I think the topography has some potential. Enjoyed the round but agree some investment in traps looked needed. Shot the longer stuff well but missed a few of the gimmies. I will return.

 

[MDP]

I also shot at Northampton today, mostly quite straightforward (although dropped more than I should have) and did ok on the long stuff. Finished on 82 which was reasonable for me.

 

[donna]

So after 3 hectic weeks of getting ready for a move up to the East Midlands and not shooting for a while and then settling in we ventured to the East of England shooting ground for their 100 sporting on Weds. Really enjoyable round, missed a few of the easier looking targets but had some good scores on the long battues and the sim pair of the tower etc. Never been there before but some really good targets to be had. Finished on a reasonable score which got me 2nd in B then yesterday we ventured to another new ground, Lakeside for the 100 sporting.

Again, another really nice ground and good targets. Should’ve tried to get in on an earlier time as quite a few of the stands were very sun affected and for the first time in a long while I blanked a stand! A r-l blaze looper over the pond with a very fast edgy blaze r-l. I just couldn’t see that target at all until the end which was too late. Should’ve really double barrelled the first target but didn’t think about that until I got out the stand .

Had a score I want to forget, it was like I’d never shot before and it was a disaster BUT nevertheless I really enjoyed the round.

Both new venues for us, enjoyed both of them and the food wasn’t too bad either! Great sausage roll at EofE and a lovely cake at Lakeside!

Going to go to Orston in the week for a practice round, again never been there before so looking forward to that. So many more grounds up this way, spoilt for choice!!

 

[Charliedog]

Always have a good round at East of England, its an hour and half for me but we get to Most Sunday shoots. Grimesthorpe worth a visit for practice.