Sporting Shoots 2021. Reports and discussion.

[bisondan]

Bit of a tough day at Owls yesterday, picked up a stomach bug that has been going round work which had me up a few times during the night, should have stayed at home really but as I'd booked and it was the Hampshire Championships I went along.  Really good course, with some testing birds but I was way off the pace with the worry of possibly having to find the nearest can at short notice and tiredness.  75, home by 12 and in bed for the afternoon.

After lots of rest and a really good night sleep I went to Willoughby Hedge this morning, did ok and it wasn't as firm as Owls but being well obviously helped.  Steady 89, just a shame that the stand that had a really good long crosser on kept on throwing no-birds and ideally you need the repetition to get in to it properly.

I did have to wear my passive ear-plugs and my electronic cans today, found that I'm getting distracted by lots of chatter around me last few shoots.  Personally I try not to talk when I'm out the cage and wait until walking between stands before talking.  

 

[Jonny English]

First time for me at Kegworth today for the east mids inter County champs. A very pedestrian 79.  Still trying to work out a few gremlins, not always choosing the correct kill point or mount technique for each bird. Also miss read a few birds today that cost me a reasonable score.

 

[Richard59]

Coleys today, 2.45pm start time, was working from home most of day and watching the heavy rain batter everything I did think of staying in, the sodden road & verges gave way to dry roads and sunshine on the short drive to ground. Squad of usual Coley shoot chums, our 2.45 start did slip, and storm clouds gathered. was first up on St1, not a fan of being first up in like for like company let alone a squad full of very good shots. St1 looked a straightforward enough, a r-l rabbit and l-r 1/4ering incomer, had a plan "pair lost" It was a pattern than chased me around the course, simply not with it / not my day, heavens opened when on St6 and we all thought of the delayed start and a trap breakdown meant we all got a lot wetter than needed, nowt wrong with targets, the chap that shot 10 stands in front of I shot a 91 the chap following me a 90 and yes I hit 23/24 (a longish l-r looper being the unbroken one) of the targets thrown but not enough of them even for me, a day, after cleaning and drying off everything Im just going to park away.

HG was shared Dorian Evans & Julian Morris on 94

 

[Richard59]

Oxfordshire today, nice & dry and pleasantly warm. Place felt vibrant, think it’s the tea in a China mug and the stunningly good cakes Usual Oxfordshire squad though joining us was a young lad, well say young as he was defo the youngest in squad by a decade I should think, he shot well, that’s kids for you rock up & easily blast everything going. This old un had a really decent start only for wheels to come off rather badly, thought a few too many edgy left - rights today and they always trash my card, overall I bled 22/45 targets that were thrown from the left, bogey doesn’t do the problem justice.

No idea on scores none displayed and squads still going out when I finished off another tea and cake and left to join the 1000s of other cars on road.

 

[Will Hewland]

Also OSS, nice to see you briefly Rich. 
 

A steady first half I thought then it got a bit trickier half way round. I win the d*ckhead award today. I was two away until the last stand of sim pairs, on which I managed to miss half the clays. D’oh. 93 but was looking so much better until then..

 

[Richard59]

Also OSS, nice to see you briefly Rich. 
 

A steady first half I thought then it got a bit trickier half way round. I win the d*ckhead award today. I was two away until the last stand of sim pairs, on which I managed to miss half the clays. D’oh. 93 but was looking so much better until then..

Was good see you smiling MrH, that said I saw and wagged chins with a few chums, place is getting busier & it does have a very friendly atmosphere, the latter is missing at a few grounds

 

[Richard59]

Gunsite, dropped MissP off for some much needed TLC yesterday so rather than cancel thought Id take out my old MK38, (shot in once in four years) being an old fool Id forgotten Id shortened the stock to suit my 5'6" daughter, that bombshell dropped as I took it out of slip at ground,  its also over 1lb lighter, not really with it I didn't think either would make much of a difference, sadly it did. Bumped into Sian who along with hubby Tony looked to be in fine spirits and although went on tod was squadded with a old work chum from the 1980s so we had lots to gas about. St1 a 1/4ering away l-r & a straightish going caused me a few troubles but they were not the least of these as I simply didn't get anything right nor did anything I try "work" In short a truly dreadful day on my part, yes some of the targets were a challenge I should though have been able to shoot with these far better than I did. For me the too short & too light MK38 will be returned to the cabinet and won't see light of day until daughter wants to use it. Finished around 1pm and far too many on course & awaiting too be sure of any scores.

 

[Sian]

Gunsite, dropped MissP off for some much needed TLC yesterday so rather than cancel thought Id take out my old MK38, (shot in once in four years) being an old fool Id forgotten Id shortened the stock to suit my 5'6" daughter, that bombshell dropped as I took it out of slip at ground,  its also over 1lb lighter, not really with it I didn't think either would make much of a difference, sadly it did. Bumped into Sian who along with hubby Tony looked to be in fine spirits and although went on tod was squadded with a old work chum from the 1980s so we had lots to gas about. St1 a 1/4ering away l-r & a straightish going caused me a few troubles but they were not the least of these as I simply didn't get anything right nor did anything I try "work" In short a truly dreadful day on my part, yes some of the targets were a challenge I should though have been able to shoot with these far better than I did. For me the too short & too light MK38 will be returned to the cabinet and won't see light of day until daughter wants to use it. Finished around 1pm and far too many on course & awaiting too be sure of any scores.

Lovely to see you Rich.    Well I shot with a gun that is supposed to be mine but didn’t shoot at all well.  Very enjoyable course but I had nothing to give today and 3 stands got 2/8!   Then because I obviously wasn’t feeling enough shame I went on to Westfield, another fine course, shooting with Steve’s partner (who shot extremely well) and bombed there as well.   It’s never coming back.   Might take up train spotting.

 

[donna]

Lovely to see you Rich.    Well I shot with a gun that is supposed to be mine but didn’t shoot at all well.  Very enjoyable course but I had nothing to give today and 3 stands got 2/8!   Then because I obviously wasn’t feeling enough shame I went on to Westfield, another fine course, shooting with Steve’s partner (who shot extremely well) and bombed there as well.   It’s never coming back.   Might take up train spotting.

Bless you Sian, you’ve had a long week, you need another ice cream! 

 

[Sian]

Bless you Sian, you’ve had a long week, you need another ice cream! 

I’ve had a long 18 months.   This was my first holiday since 3 days last August and before that December 2019 and what do I choose  to do?   Traipse round fields shooting at things. I had ice cream tonight xx

 

[Bebo]

Good to see you back on the forum Sian, I've missed your posts.

EJC for me today.  Started well, had dropped five targets by the halfway point. Mini-meltdown over the next three stands dropping 4, 4 and 5!  Couldn't hit the first target on Stand 9, think I must have been in front. Picked up on the last three stands for a 79.

 

[donna]

EJC for us too, we only had a 3 man squad so not ideal, didn’t get to watch targets enough!  First 3 stands let me down which is not acceptable but my new glasses not arrived yet and I’m struggling to see targets which is not great.  Had some good stands that I straightened and some not so good so a mixed bag for me.  Got home to write up my notes to review and I had that duh what a Wally moment - and I realised what I had been doing wrong so hopefully next time out I won’t make that mistake again.  

 

[Bebo]

Hornet today. Second visit to the ground and it confirmed my thoughts from the first - good targets. No silly eyesight tests, anything edgy you have plenty of time to see it.

Mucked up stand 2. Couldn't find the high midi looper. Missed the first one, thought "I'll give it more". Missed thd 2nd one, repeat and so on. Reckon I must have been missing in front from the start. Other than that, I had a pretty good day. Finished on 84.

 

[Bebo]

Redricks this morning. Targets were good, but it was too hot for me to say I'd honestly enjoyed the morning. Didn't shoot well, randomly dropping pairs, often for no reason other than thinking, "I've got these" and then just slowing up. Oh well, after a good couple of scores it was time for a less good one. 70.

 

[bisondan]

Had Thursday and Friday off work to get some shooting in.

Started at EJC registered on Thursday, shot ok for 86 but a bit untidy in places, missed a crow on the first stand and a floppy teal on the last, then headed to Sporting Targets for a bit of a practice.

Stayed in Peterborough overnight and shot at East Of England first thing, my first visit to this ground and I wasn't very impressed; very tidy and a good course set by John Lee.  I started ok but faded in the middle for 81, got the hump with one target that went straight through the sun.  Headed to Grimsthorpe in the afternoon to meet a mate, and shot a round of Sporting really well for 93 then we had a play on the towers.

Overnight stay again last night and up early to get to College Farm for 10, didnt start well, missing 7 over the first 6 stands then straighting 7-12 for 93.

Meadowcroft in Bath today where it was absolutely scorching, and I shot very similar to yesterday but made it interesting by missing 12 over stands 2, 3, 4, and 6 but then went straight from 7-13 for 88.

 

[Jonny English]

Orston today for the sportrap. Nice course with everything hittable and some sim pairs that made you think. Finished on an 89 which I was pretty pleased with. After making a few gun mods that didn't work out, I've reset the gun to where I had it 6 months ago and starting to feel some form returning.

 

[Sian]

No shooting  for me today.  Too hot and my second *** on Friday made me feel so tired. Tony took himself off to Garlands and Northampton.  

 

[donna]

Barbury for us yesterday for the semi auto masters and what a shoot it was. A mixture of targets, 3 in air at once, and some simultaneous in air too!  I love these shoots, they’re good fun. Stand 9 was a mini, a midi and a standard all coming from right simultaneously!  That was my bad stand, and stand 12 I think it was, 3 singles all on report, a rabbit r-l, standard from left and an incomer from right. The rabbit came out on a higher tier than the stand and being short I could only see literally the top of the rabbit from where we stood so was an eyesight test.  The auto only comes out once a year and every year I say I must get it altered, it’s far too long for me to shoot comfortably and it gets put back into the cabinet.  This year it will be changed!  Well done Barbury once again. 

 

[Richard59]

Hangmans today, sadly MissP still away so MK38 had another outing, albeit with my butt plate now reattached. Booked a late start then sadly a breakdown on St2 caused a bit of a jam, all told took three hours to get around, thankfully overcast & cool so comfortable getting round. Bit of chatter about two stands St4 a r-l rabbit that dropped into a hollow o/r a decent teal, saw lots drop shedloads there, hit 3/4 bunnies “off the trap” and 2/4 teal my 5 was a score many would take. St9 (think) a very quick r/l simo pair (5 pairs) into the tree canopy, a monster q of at least 20+ most of which struggled badly, missed first pair, walk away with a 7/10, big that then went as couldnt hit barn door thereafter, had better dsys, had worse too, to be out & about too. Looked like RF high gun 98, me I wasnt too far behind Master Faulds, Charlie not Richard

 

[bisondan]

Hangmanstone for me as well today, second squad out so missed the breakdown and got round in less than 2 hours.

Missed last teal on stand 4, and was really happy to straight the sim pair on 9, and did ok on the rest for 87, one away on a few and missed 3 of the longer looper on 7, and kicked myself for missing 3 of the going away tower birds on 8; came back miles too far with the gun.