Sporting Shoots 2020

[Salopian]

Without a shadow of doubt we must shoot registered shoots or premier ground type targets to hone our skills .

If you are going through a slump in performance then it does pay to shoot club shoots to help to regain your confidence .

I hardly shoot clays at all now and it shows , I am certainly struggling . Went to Shatterford yesterday , happy that no presentation beat me but I haemorraged targets regularly due to lack of concentration and application, numerous   no birds didn't help though .

 

[El Spavo]

And that’s why it’s definitely the answer to do registered shoots rather than stay in a comfort zone. A BIG part of the thrill and skill in Sporting shooting is the evaluation of a pair of targets before you shoot the first pair. You did a great job on this stand against more experienced people and it was a chance to confirm your theory. All good. 

It's such a strange sport... Guy on our squad blanked the rabbit stand on 7 but I hit 6 and silly mistakes cost the other 2. Near targets though,my thing. 

 

[Sian]

Oddly enough, I didn't find that stand horrific but I shot them high bird first as you could see the whole face and still had plenty of time to pop the dropping low bird,... Or at least I would have done more than twice if I was a better shot! 

I tried that twice but kept losing the low bird as it was hard to see so changed and just shot the high one way out

 

[Will Hewland]

Contrasting couple of days! Shot RBSS yesterday. Brain was very elsewhere with work issues and if I hadn’t been booked in and paid I would have skipped it but went along and regretted it. I found it an odd and tough course, but loads of targets that “should have broken“ just didn’t. My poorest result in a long time.

EJC today and I was thinking I shouldn’t go because my brain was likely not in the right place, but I did and told myself to be very methodical, focus well and not be emotional. The course was good and varied, possibly not as tough as recently because two tough parts of the ground were used for STR today and weren’t on the ESP course. Anyway finished on 94 and that included a flinch miss on an easy target. What a head game this sport is. 

 

[Bebo]

EJC today and I was thinking I shouldn’t go because my brain was likely not in the right place, but I did and told myself to be very methodical, focus well and not be emotional. The course was good and varied, possibly not as tough as recently because two tough parts of the ground were used for STR today and weren’t on the ESP course. Anyway finished on 94 and that included a flinch miss on an easy target. What a head game this sport is. 

Gutted to miss EJC today, but too busy with work. Hopefully I'll be able to make both the November ones.

 

[Will Hewland]

Gutted to miss EJC today, but too busy with work. Hopefully I'll be able to make both the November ones.

Did the 50 STR afterwards too. First layout was really tough, 5 distant tricky targets. Second layout firm but fair. 

 

[donna]

Contrasting couple of days! Shot RBSS yesterday. Brain was very elsewhere with work issues and if I hadn’t been booked in and paid I would have skipped it but went along and regretted it. I found it an odd and tough course, but loads of targets that “should have broken“ just didn’t. My poorest result in a long time.

EJC today and I was thinking I shouldn’t go because my brain was likely not in the right place, but I did and told myself to be very methodical, focus well and not be emotional. The course was good and varied, possibly not as tough as recently because two tough parts of the ground were used for STR today and weren’t on the ESP course. Anyway finished on 94 and that included a flinch miss on an easy target. What a head game this sport is. 

2nd overall, well done Will

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

Longridge today for the registered. They're being run over 3 days now and it seems to work really well.

Steady shoot, looked tricker than it shot by the looks of the scores. As usual an enjoyable shoot and I was pleased with an 87. 5 of my misses were in the final pair of stands so maybe a tad more concentration could have lead to a better card!

 

[Sian]

Nothing for me today.  Sent Tony off to Southdown Fitasc whilst I spent the day in hospital being treated for a dodgy tooth which over Saturday and Sunday made one side of my face swell massively.  By this morning I could open my eye well so off I went.  Intravenous antibiotics and a referral to the surgery assessment unit.  Luckily seeing dentist tomorrow for hopeful extraction and clearing of infection.  A very horrible day for me.  Although amazed one of the Drs I saw was a doctor, vet and dentist!!!   Anyhow I hope to get sorted tomorrow and I’ve strong antibiotics to take.  

 

[bisondan]

Meadowcroft this morning which didn't start especially well with someone screaming my name as my squad was ready with 20 minutes still to go, and despite someone who I was shooting with telling her "he's in the car park getting ready, I can see him from here" she continued, uncessercarily.

That annoyed me then I had a pretty bad start, measuring stuff out again missing 12 over the first 5 stands then I started just shooting with a controlled aggression and missed 8 over the next 8 stands for 80 which wasn't a disaster. 

 

[chippy]

Everything local was fully booked so we went to kegworth roads were quiet so beat the sat nav time by 48 minutes. A good round with all clays fully visible and some nice crossers. They have a strange system of refs on each stand and a score card on each stand so not quite sure what a scored I think it was 88 or 89

 

[GT2]

Longridge today. As Doug said, squadded 3 day format works really well, got round the course in about 90mins.

Good steady course, perfect weather, couple "technical" stands to make you rush when you don't need too. 

Shot 94/100 which I was pleased with, changed gun last month and scores have taken a real kicking (10%+), including an awful 75 at Coley's last week. This was the first time I've shot the gun and felt comfortable and in control with it.

Couple misses were on fairly simple quartering away birds which I rushed.  

Hopefully over the blip now!

Shot the Fitasc at Westfields on the Saturday, 2nd time at the discipline. First two layouts shot terribly as I have been for the last month-confidence very low, 2nd half things finally clicked with the gun and finished reasonably well which made me feel better coming into this one. 

 

[wynno]

Another enforced lockdown continues, no shooting for me since mid September, and none planned until hopefully Barbury on the 11th November, that is assuming our lords and masters aka, the Welsh assembly and aka, as complete bunch of idiots, doesn’t enforce more lockdowns.

I miss the smell of cordite in the morning......... that with a crispy bacon sarnie covered in tomato sauce mmmm

 

[Westward]

Yep, it's a real bummer Wyn. What happens when the lockdown ends? 10:1 it'll take off again, so it's all pretty pointless. As someone said recently: "All they're doing is kicking the can down the road". 

Meanwhile the "scientists" seem to be competing with each other to see who can make the most alarming predictions and thereby keeping half the country and all the politicians paralysed with fear. 

 

[Sian]

Been off all week on the sofa getting rid of a tooth abscess with a lot of antibiotics so just  had to get out.  Went to College Farm for Fitasc which was quite hard made more so with very heavy winds and rain.  I enjoyed it but I was rubbish .  I missed whole pegs of singles and then would get the simo or on report pairs!   Slept  all the way home.  

 

[bisondan]

Bit of a strange morning at Hangmans Stone, this was Four Counties and has been recently taken over by Sean Ponting, so a local one for me.

Nice to see a fair bit of work has been done to the ground, opening up a couple of areas which he can make good use of.

The shoot itself felt fairly tough from about the 4th stand onwards; couple of long fast midis and even longer looper and battue.  Bit disappointed with the 2nd target on stand 2 going behind the tree (sim pair of crows) just where you wanted to shoot it and the 2 pinks on stand 10 were impossible to see with the sun being so low.

One unfortunate moment was where I had to stop a lady shooter in our squad who loaded her gun outside the cage then walked in, she was there with her husband and they were both new to the sport and didn't know any different.  Personally I feel there should be some sort of safety/competence test before being allowed out in the field.

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

Bit of a strange morning at Hangmans Stone, this was Four Counties and has been recently taken over by Sean Ponting, so a local one for me.

Nice to see a fair bit of work has been done to the ground, opening up a couple of areas which he can make good use of.

The shoot itself felt fairly tough from about the 4th stand onwards; couple of long fast midis and even longer looper and battue.  Bit disappointed with the 2nd target on stand 2 going behind the tree (sim pair of crows) just where you wanted to shoot it and the 2 pinks on stand 10 were impossible to see with the sun being so low.

One unfortunate moment was where I had to stop a lady shooter in our squad who loaded her gun outside the cage then walked in, she was there with her husband and they were both new to the sport and didn't know any different.  Personally I feel there should be some sort of safety/competence test before being allowed out in the field.

I'm looking forward to making a return to 4C. Seems like a few mistakes that Sean doesn't normally make so hopefully just teething issues with the new ground. 

There really should be some basic certification before heading out, I fully agree! Well done for setting them straight, I imagine some would just ignore it. 

Today was a trip out to Honesberie and from the off it had been turned up a notch! I was 11 clays away by the time I got in to the field. Straighted the field and next two stands. Then a few more 1-2 away. I think I ended up on 81 which, considering the sloppy start, was about right!

 

[bisondan]

I'm looking forward to making a return to 4C. Seems like a few mistakes that Sean doesn't normally make so hopefully just teething issues with the new ground. 

There really should be some basic certification before heading out, I fully agree! Well done for setting them straight, I imagine some would just ignore it. 

It wasn't a complete disaster, just felt like a couple of the stands could have been backed off.  I'm sure he needs a bit of time to put his own stamp on it, just didn't feel like one of his shoots.

Saldy she got a bit upset and I questioned myself after but what is worse; that or someone getting shot.

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

It wasn't a complete disaster, just felt like a couple of the stands could have been backed off.  I'm sure he needs a bit of time to put his own stamp on it, just didn't feel like one of his shoots.

Saldy she got a bit upset and I questioned myself after but what is worse; that or someone getting shot.

I'm pretty sure you were polite! It will have been a matter of hurt pride, but as you say that's better than an accidental discharge!

 

[Will Hewland]

Hangmanstone (4C as was) for me too. I also feel that this could have been better and I’m hoping the very capable Sean Ponting develops it further. It was 11 stands which isn’t ideal.
 

I did a ridiculous thing, missing all the rabbits on stand 3. Bizarre really. That aside I agree the shoot was just rather tough. I was messy in first half of shoot and didn’t do badly in the tougher second half but still a disappointing 79. I hit 8/10 on stand 9 and stand 11 which were tough. 

Lots of top shots there so scores will look ok at the top, but it felt a bit gruelling otherwise. 
 

update.. I hear Richard King HG on 96 which is very good.