Sporting Shoots 2021. Reports and discussion.

[Will Hewland]

Thought I would kick off a new page for the new era.

I broke my 15 week break today at Holland and Holland, who are now doing a Challenge 100 target shoot. This one runs to 20th April and they will do a new course monthly thereafter. It’s a new venture for them, under the new Beretta ownership and it’s an amazing chance to shoot this exceptional venue for £45. (Nothing available under £120 previously I think).

Well, I didn’t feel as rusty as I had feared, but I really misjudged a few targets on two stands particularly, dropping 7. The last stand was a high tower driven with sun right in your face, so missing 4 there was something I would hope not to do on a cloudy day. A further 5 miscellaneous misses left me on 84. It’s not a brutal course, but interesting enough and just great to shoot somewhere new. They made us feel very welcome too.

 

[Bebo]

No comps booked until May.  Just had a sneaky 100 bird practice at West Kent.  Wasn't as bad as it could have been.  Managed to straight four stands and was connecting with some of the bigger targets, particularly the two different battues they put on there.

 

[donna]

Willinghurst for us today.  Started on stand 4 through to 12 then back up for stands 3,2 and 1.  Enjoyable course, only had 1 bad stand which was stand 7.  First in, 2 high r-l and only shot 1/8 Wasn’t until I stood back and watch the others shoot it I realised the targets were doing different things to what I thought whilst in the stand.  No one in our squad shot that well so didn’t feel too bad.  Ended up on a 77 which is a PB for me so was chuffed, annoyed at the 1/8 and on stand 1 our last stand, the first target was a low teal behind a bush and I kept getting no birds which made me loose concentration and I dropped 3 on that stand.  Gutted as it could have been an even higher PB.  Loving my new gun and although I’ve had it a year now it’s not had that much use but then again neither has anyone elses!!  My only little moan was standing on uneven ground on a slope, kept feeling I was going to fall backwards. Shoot well everyone. 

 

[Jonny English]

Pinewoods in Lincolnshire for us this afternoon, 225 practise clays each later and we were knackered. Run by the young Ron Chipman it's a cracking little ground local to us that puts on some good targets, nice stiff round and felt suitably challenged. Shot 100 with the new miroku 20 bore and then the rest with the dt11. All in all a decent return with just a few technical errors on teals and fast quartering away. Looking forward to the first registered at Orston in 11 days.

 

[El Spavo]

Well, VERY pleased with my return! Back to Pirbright/Mainstone Hills (which I've seen catch a lot better shooters than me out, so definitely no straw bailer for a club shoot).

Bit nervy to start, hanging around the big queues of the first day of opening, waiting to see if it's like riding a bike or whether that bike does indeed gets rusty. Straighted the first, dropped only singles here and there on the next few stands, and pretty much carried that on throughout the 14 stands. Ended up with a very respectable 79, and that would have been higher if it hadn't been for the ever despised, slightly ridiculous 2 oscillating stands (which have absolutely nothing to do with English Sporting as far as I'm concerned) which cost me 8 combined.

So overall, very happy and a very good day to take a days leave from getting cats out of trees.

Even turned round to realise the lovely Paul White was right behind us on his tod on stand 2, who it turns out has recently joined as a member, so he tagged along and was a good day out. Only thing to wait for now is for the pubs to be open in a few weeks for the afters.

EDIT: slight amendment: don't think he's on here, but I have to thank Argun Ismet for some advice he gave me in passing at Royal Berkshire last year... used it today and worked every time on birds that before would have put a bit of fear into me. Says he doesn't do coaching as he doesn't know how, but would get some lessons with him in a heartbeat if it's all like that! Thanks again Argun.

 

[SIMON-B]

Went to West Kent for some practice, 3rd time out with a new gun so didn't expect miracles. Thought I would be behind everything, instead found myself over leading and had to force myself to start shooting at stuff. I have definitely shot too much DTL lately, I kept subconsciously shooting every target as a rising bird. Like a moth to a flame I kept looking at the sun shining on top of the clay really doesn't help when the bird is dropping.

 

[Will Hewland]

EJ Churchill was a good course this morning. Not as easy as they said it might be for sure. I did well on some stands that worried me and cocked up in other places. Scraped a 90 so can’t complain. Was chilly this morning and a lot warmer this pm, so I’m sure a lot of enjoyment will be had.

My shoulder was a bit sore after first outing on Tuesday!

 

[Garwood]

Belsay Shooting Ground with a couple of pals for some sporting practice (much needed!).Good course as usual with some good long targets to test you.Blue skies,cottonwool clouds and dry underfoot ,all is well in the world!!!! Thanks to Tom & family for their hard work during lockdown.

 

[TobyM]

Hello, any recommendations for some hedge monkey action tomorrow or Monday please? I can't make anywhere Sat or Sun. Ta.

Edit: I am in Newbury but happy to travel around an hour

 

[Will Hewland]

Tomorrow is Honesberie. Monday is Southdown and Horne

 

[schmokinn]

Tomorrow is Honesberie. Monday is Southdown and Horne

Willoughby hedge as well

 

[Bebo]

Willow Farm for a 100 bird practice.  Big contrast to Wednesday - it was bloody freezing.  Good range of targets.  Struggle on a left-right that I misread, was giving it far to much respect as it was curling away a lot more than I thought.  Finished on 82/100.  Happy enough with that and the 77 I shot on Wednesday, was expecting to be considerably more rusty.

 

[Westward]

EJ Churchill was a good course this morning. Not as easy as they said it might be for sure. I did well on some stands that worried me and cocked up in other places. Scraped a 90 so can’t complain.

Be careful Will. At this rate you might just find yourself joining the superstars in AAA.  :thumbsup:

 

[Richard59]

Longridge, which is, bar Easter Sunday, open all over the long weekend, went & met the brother. Lot busier than I’d expected and all to a lady, man, lass & lad seemed really jovial, we both shot well enough for first time out and if it was a bit closer I’d most probably go again tomorrow or Monday. 

 

[Will Hewland]

Owls Lodge today. Wow that was chilly, more than the 9 degrees suggested. With wind it was way colder. 
 

Certainly one of the firmer courses I’ve shot there but all good targets so no complaints. I started off with a poor stand 1 missing three, which felt like they should have broken so I was fearing a disaster but was on good form for the rest and happy with an 88 after a bad start. 
 

One incident of note: I watched a shooter miss the first target of a pair then put the gun down and stutter that he hadn’t meant to do that (the implication being he pulled the trigger a bit sooner than intended). The ref, who was sat behind a fence panel and couldn’t see the shooter let it go as a misfire! “That can happen three times before you lose a target”. WTF? Shooter accepted this refs confusion and took pair again. Oh well.. 

 

[Fred Flintstone]

A coaching session with Tom at Martin Gorse on Thursday... first outing for what seems like years, which was great, then 100 practice at Greenfields today. Fairly quiet there, which was pleasantly surprising, but my word for the month is RUSTY!

 

[donna]

We went to Greenfields on Friday for a practice session.  Arrived about 12 ish and car park was packed, had to park in overflow car park but most people had finished and were leaving as we arrived so had a lovely pleasant afternoon walking round and picking stands we wanted to work on.  Scott said they’d been really busy so I think we timed it right!

 

[Fred Flintstone]

We went to Greenfields on Friday for a practice session.  Arrived about 12 ish and car park was packed, had to park in overflow car park but most people had finished and were leaving as we arrived so had a lovely pleasant afternoon walking round and picking stands we wanted to work on.  Scott said they’d been really busy so I think we timed it right!

It was the same on Saturday... by 11.30 most had finished and the stands were emptying out. I usually find most head there for opening time, so always go for around an hour or 2 after. 

...It doesn’t take much to make that car park packed!

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

On Monday 29th I went to Ian Coleys as a friend was picking up a gun. Glad I went as we found a much more suitable gun for him, just a shame I had to double his budget. He's bought it now and is over the moon so that's the main thing.

Then the first real shoot back was Honesberie on Good Friday. Really great to be back out! They set the course just right for coming out of lockdown. Steady but with a couple of their normal bigger targets in the bottom field to keep people on their toes. Managed 92/100 which means I've finally broken the 90 barrier after 5 years of shooting 

Ian Coleys today for their April registered. I can only assume after the last performance today will see me in the 70's!