RobertBeard
Moderator
My son and I went to Southern Counties for our first time ever to have a practice shoot. New hotel on the way in, caravan site and go-carting track as well as all the shooting facilities, Sportsman Gun Centre shop and cafe.
We started in the shop as Philip would have bought some plastic shells but the cheapest shells were Eley First Fibre at £168 and Eley Olympic Blues at £181 for plastic. We caught them at a low point with no value shells available. There was 25% off Musto clothing but we didn't need anything.
We picked up a clay mate counter in exchange for a name and phone number and got some rough directions to the sporting layouts when we said we had never been before.
We started at stand three and the first trap added two to the counter with no clays in sight. We shot the other trap as singles. Stand 4 was the same with one trap not working but at least not adding to the clay count. Stand 5 traps didn't want to play! After that things improved at last and we shot every stand up to 14 and then went back to find stands 1 and 2. Stand 2 was great but stand 1 had no button pusher.
We broke for lunch and had a full English breakfast each with coffee which were both freshly cooked and great.
After lunch we had a go at the two grouse butts which were good fun but nowhere near as challenging as RBSS, which was what I was hoping for but the traps all worked faultlessly and the birds were good.
We finished up on the Sportrap layout which had five stands and 8 traps which again all worked faultlessly. Whilst there were descriptions of each of the 8 targets there were not menus in each of the cages to give a selection of targets, pairs etc so you need to make up your own sequence.
When we go next we will start on the Sportrap as these stands were easier than anything else and would be a good warm up. The grouse butts were also great fun and the best sporting test of the day.
Hopefully the sporting stands will receive the maintenance and attention that they are in need of before the registered shoot this coming weekend!
Clays are charged at 30 p each and we were allowed deductions for all the no birds and US traps where birds had been counted on our clay mate.
Wellies not required as the puddles were all avoidable and the ground is either tarmac or hard gravel paths. Disabled access would not appear to be a problem apart from one raised stand with access from stairs on either side.
We started in the shop as Philip would have bought some plastic shells but the cheapest shells were Eley First Fibre at £168 and Eley Olympic Blues at £181 for plastic. We caught them at a low point with no value shells available. There was 25% off Musto clothing but we didn't need anything.
We picked up a clay mate counter in exchange for a name and phone number and got some rough directions to the sporting layouts when we said we had never been before.
We started at stand three and the first trap added two to the counter with no clays in sight. We shot the other trap as singles. Stand 4 was the same with one trap not working but at least not adding to the clay count. Stand 5 traps didn't want to play! After that things improved at last and we shot every stand up to 14 and then went back to find stands 1 and 2. Stand 2 was great but stand 1 had no button pusher.
We broke for lunch and had a full English breakfast each with coffee which were both freshly cooked and great.
After lunch we had a go at the two grouse butts which were good fun but nowhere near as challenging as RBSS, which was what I was hoping for but the traps all worked faultlessly and the birds were good.
We finished up on the Sportrap layout which had five stands and 8 traps which again all worked faultlessly. Whilst there were descriptions of each of the 8 targets there were not menus in each of the cages to give a selection of targets, pairs etc so you need to make up your own sequence.
When we go next we will start on the Sportrap as these stands were easier than anything else and would be a good warm up. The grouse butts were also great fun and the best sporting test of the day.
Hopefully the sporting stands will receive the maintenance and attention that they are in need of before the registered shoot this coming weekend!
Clays are charged at 30 p each and we were allowed deductions for all the no birds and US traps where birds had been counted on our clay mate.
Wellies not required as the puddles were all avoidable and the ground is either tarmac or hard gravel paths. Disabled access would not appear to be a problem apart from one raised stand with access from stairs on either side.
