Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[Will Hewland]

Hangmanstones for me yesterday. A very full shoot. Cars parked in the field. A limit of 160 supposedly but a ref told me over 200. Took us 3 hours to get round, with a queue of 25 on our last stand. A good course though with several proper long targets and the 98 HG was very impressive.

I had a day of moaning to myself about 4 stupid/ unlucky losses. An impossible bounce rabbit, a bloody eyelash sticking at the wrong moment, (seriously). Then a bit of an off-course going away, so I got frustrated and missed two on the easiest stand. Finished on frustrating 89 for third shoot in a row.

Bit of slight comedy / karma on last stand we shot. (Stand 1). My shooting buddy is terrible for wanting to see me miss and occasionally he beats me. (Yeah I know, I should find another mate, but he’s my neighbour and we share travel ). He was 1 target ahead of me going on to last stand. He was rubbing his hands because there was a pretty good teal featured, which he tends to like while I do not. His schadenfreude smug grin was very evident as he told me what the targets were. So I had a bloody good study of the target then powdered them all while he only hit 1. Frosty journey home.

 

[Charliedog]

Barrow today in glorious weather, the round felt softer than normal and the average stats at 78% backs that up, dropped 5 on stand 1 (it was very straightable) but shot the rest pretty well and finished well above both mine and the course average, lots of good conversations with shooting pals and a dollop of cake and a cold drink to finish.

 

[wynno]

Shot coleys monthly sporting today, it was HOT, in the shade of the trees a perfect summer day, in the open, like a furnace.
A good testing course with a few stands to catch you out.
dropped to many single birds to really make a difference
nice to see westward ( John ) wielding a gun again

 

[Richard59]

Another at Coleys, bit too hot in the open, thankfully the exposed refs had some shade. Shot 9/12 stands well enough, imploding on just three, didn’t seem to be as busy as previous shoots.
Hgun Andy Moon 98 and he was chased to the end by a good many.

 

[donna]

Thought about doing Coleys but I’m there on Saturday for the ladies day and we are staying over and shooting Westfields on Sunday. Looking forward to Saturday, not done a ladies day before.

 

[Westward]

nice to see westward ( John ) wielding a gun again

Nice to see you again Wynn - and your gang too. As you noticed I was struggling with the change in temperature between the shaded and open areas. I'm okay in the open in these temps and okay in the shade or indoors but my regulation is buggered by the hormone treatment.

Should have stayed at home but it's good to get out and meet people even if "wielding" is about all I can mange with a shotgun these days.

 

[Bebo]

Been in the doldrums a bit of late, but things might have started to turn a corner.

Churchills Thursday, had two poor stands in the middle, but the rest it was no more than two away. Managed to dig in and stop the little voice on my shoulder that tells me to be careful not to miss (and makes me miss) from taking over and was straight on the last three stands. Put in an 82, my best score for quite a while.

Saturday did the Ladies Comp at Coleys. Really good squad, all having a laugh, not taking it too seriously and encouraging each other to shoot well. Missed a couple of silly ones early on, but then a series of straights not even thinking about how I was doing. Shot stand 10, dropping 1, and suddenly realised that I was only 5 away. Squeaky bum time started a bit, but mostly mastered it - managed to drop a silly one with a trigger freeze and had an unlucky bounce on a rabbit on the last stand, but got a new competition PB of 93.

Sunday local ground open comp and shot an 85 for a ladies win, again could have been better as I let that little voice make me start measuring and slowing up on a crosser on the last stand costing me three I shouldn't have dropped, but still better than I've been doing of late.

Amazing what a return of confidence can do. One reasonably decent performance and all the issues with measuring and slowing the gun etc seemed to melt away for the next two.

 

[donna]

Well done Jenny, you shot well on Saturday. I may have done a bit better if it hadn’t have taken us over 4 hours to get there due to motorways being closed etc and arriving with 10 mins to spare! Enjoyable day and lovely gift bags etc and pleasant atmosphere all round.
We stayed over and shot Westfield on Sunday, we both felt a but “off” and not with it, not sure if we had a touch of sunstroke as it was 33 on Saturday and although I had factor 50 on I kept wiping my face! Westfields was another good course but very muggy and the rain was most welcome as we finished.

 

[Bebo]

Well done Jenny, you shot well on Saturday. I may have done a bit better if it hadn’t have taken us over 4 hours to get there due to motorways being closed etc and arriving with 10 mins to spare! Enjoyable day and lovely gift bags etc and pleasant atmosphere all round.
We stayed over and shot Westfield on Sunday, we both felt a but “off” and not with it, not sure if we had a touch of sunstroke as it was 33 on Saturday and although I had factor 50 on I kept wiping my face! Westfields was another good course but very muggy and the rain was most welcome as we finished.

We had a similar issue, left home before 8am, satnav was saying less than 3 hrs. A40 closure and we got there just after 12, with a 12.15 squad start time. Maybe not having time to worry about it helped! Long day, ended up home at about 7.30pm - must admit I was knackered with the heat and all the driving. Enjoyed it, but not sure I'll do it again next year.

 

[Charliedog]

Barrow again yesterday, again a very enjoyable round, many variations but nothing that could not be hit, shoot average again suggests on the softer side at 78%. Felt I shot it pretty well and only really disappointed with what felt the easier bird of the pair missing the first bird 3 times on one stand (The A bird on stand 7). I managed to comfortably pass the average which seems to be my barometer for progress these days.

 

[chesterse]

Sporting Targets on Sunday and what an excellent shoot that was! All geared up with my cyl chokes and 9s going on former trips there but could not have been more wrong. Great mixture of long and mid range targets with a few close ones thrown in.
It had been the Home International there the day before and suspect the difficulty level had been left on.
Personally I shot badly, the worst for some time 59 but really enjoyed it all the same.

 

[donna]

We shot the super sporting at Barbury on Weds. Left super early after problems last weekend and got there almost 2 hours early . Saw Josh who told me they had put pallets around the grouse butt areas for us shorties which I thanked him profusely for but everyone was using them. Only one sim pair I couldn’t see but I’ll take that. Had a really nice squad, shot with people never met before and I really enjoyed it. Fair bit of close stuff but getting to grips with that a bit more now so not all bad, just felt timing was spot on and only dropped one last pair but that was the sim pair stand 4 and the second target (l-r) just disappeared behind the mound so didn’t get a shot off. Very hot and muggy and saw some ladies from Coleys Ladies day.
Looking forward to Westfields this Saturday.

 

[donna]

Westfields today for the Gamebore Cup and Ive got to say it’s probably the best shoot I’ve done this year. Something for everyone. 160 targets in all shot in 2 layouts of 80 with a break in between layouts. A few layouts with 3 traps shot super sporting style, another stand which had 3 x l-r crossers in air at once - you pick which two you want to shoot at, another of sim pair of high incoming crows, no calling of “pull”, ref sends targets as soon as you close the gun and a teal flurry - 3 types of teal, first pair were on report, remaining 3 pairs were pot luck! Some sim, some on report and you didn’t know what you were going to get or even which targets but it was fun and same for everyone. Thoroughly enjoyable day and we had a good journey home too which makes a change.
Good luck anyone shooting tomorrow.

 

[Sian]

Shot Owls today last squad out. Started badly on stand 1 missing 5, the first bird was sun affected and the second away was too hard to see against the background for me. I rallied did okay until I got to the last three stands missed the bunnies so that was 8 in all and the stupid going away close one on the second to last stand You just can’t get 3/8 on a few stands and expect a high score. High point though was the yellow clay that was hard to see which I left to the end of its journey and got all of them so a straight on that stand to the surprise of my squad! A poor 72.

 

[Will Hewland]

Shot Owls today last squad out. Started badly on stand 1 missing 5, the first bird was sun affected and the second away was too hard to see against the background for me. I rallied did okay until I got to the last three stands missed the bunnies so that was 8 in all and the stupid going away close one on the second to last stand You just can’t get 3/8 on a few stands and expect a high score. High point though was the yellow clay that was hard to see which I left to the end of its journey and got all of them so a straight on that stand to the surprise of my squad! A poor 72.

Started with a daft last pair lost on stand 1. The yellow on stand six was a killer for me. Never hit it. It was almost invisible when I shot. Thought it was further out and was in front every time. Finished 88 but felt a big score should have been possible.

 

[Martinj]

I shot Hangman's stone on Sunday, I haven't been to one of Sean's shoots for a while and it showed, I dropped 7 over 8 stands which means most of the damage was done on the remaining 4 stands,
dropped 4 on stand 7 (cant remember what it was)
3 on stand 10 (the far out teal)
5 on stand 12 (5 pairs) a long R to L curling away, (I wish I'd hit one just to find out where it was.)
there were other misses but the above were the stands that I had most trouble with.
Although my scores could have been better I really enjoyed the shoot and still had a sense of achievement at hitting some of the targets which were quite challenging for a mere mortal. Must do more to keep my eye in.
Recently this shoot has often been very busy but thankfully Sunday was quite bearable and queues were tolerable

 

[Charliedog]

Barrow again yesterday in unseasonably mild conditions, good turnout and as usual all flowed well despite being busy, jumped around stands a bit and felt the variety of targets on show were excellent. The round, to me felt softer than the average of 76 suggests and scored well past this and should have had a few more. Planning on slowing down a bit for the next few months as traditionally would travel to one reg comp per weekend but just going to choose local and fine weather shoots to see how that pans out and pick up again in the spring.

 

[Bebo]

Barrow for me as well. Shot the first two stands well, Stand 3 I could only find that battue once, but I'm not going to complain, it was a big target. Wobbled on stands 4 to 6, dropping 10 in total. They weren't that difficult, I think I started trying too hard after missing the battues and slowed the gun as a result. Kick up the bum time and I straighted 7, 8, 9 and only dropped 1 rabbit on 10. 11 I missed a random pair as well as a one of the easier first targets. 12 I dropped the first and last going aways - too much down the right hand side. Finished on 79, above the shoot and my current average. Would have been happier with something starting with an 8, but could have been much worse.

 

[Charliedog]

I find there are always lots of angles on the targets at Barrow and for me limited gun movement is key. I missed the first Battue on 3 in front, it needed less than I thought initially and did take away a 7, very chippy on the A birds which really surprised me. I dropped 2 of the A birds on 4 which I thought was the easier bird of the pair and dropped my 10th bird on 5 which was frustrating, still lovely to be out.

 

[Bebo]

I find there are always lots of angles on the targets at Barrow and for me limited gun movement is key. I missed the first Battue on 3 in front, it needed less than I thought initially and did take away a 7, very chippy on the A birds which really surprised me. I dropped 2 of the A birds on 4 which I thought was the easier bird of the pair and dropped my 10th bird on 5 which was frustrating, still lovely to be out.

Agree with the angles, there's rarely a crosser or looper that isn't slightly quartering or curling somehow.

Smoked the first birds on 3, also dropped 2 of the A birds on 4 and first of the 2nd ones. I think I was probably being overly careful on the first as I didn't see any lead at all on the first one that broke, slowed and was probably just behind as a result. Stand 5 I dropped the last pair!