Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[Daz W]

AGL today. They cranked that one up a bit! A lot of people had their pants pulled down I fear. 128 entries, which is a large turn out. Wetter than forecast as well. Cheery start 

4 stands gave me a good seeing to:

Stand 2 on the platform - stupid mistakes, wrong hold point, shot in front, dropped 4.

Stand 6 -  last second jump on a couple of the bunnies, and overlead 2 of the  R-L. 4 more down

Stand 8 - big crossing midi, slower than I thought, shot in front and missed the B bird once. Another 4 gone

Stand 10 Grouse butt - in front of one of the driven, and missed 3 of the big crossers. Guess what? 4 more.

On the plus side, told I was the only person to straight stand 9 all day. Sim pair - semi quartering teal and R-L looper. Left the teal until really late and ambushed it at the peak. Not much time to get the looper, but chippy is still dead.

Finished on 80, which I'm pretty happy with compared to some of the other scores. HG was 94, with only one other in the 90's. 

 

[Richard59]

Westfield, SuperSporting. 10 stands, 4 traps on each, throwing 4 singles, two report pairs one simo pair, forty different targets, blew my tiny brain, messed up most if not all, had a bit of a mare really, dont think it was overly difficult just managed start badly then get worse, however didn't get too cold, was with a nice set of chums, pre shoot had decent cup of tea then afterwards a more than passable latte, the latter probably highlight of my day, hope everyone else fared better.

 

[Sian]

Hangman’s for us today shooting with Tash (for those who know her) and her partner Martin.  Have to say she was shooting so well and then on our last but one stand which was the horrible rabbit down hill, she lost the plot and missed 6 on that stand!  I shot okay for me and due to my mother breaking her shoulder joint, have been playing nurse for a while so not shooting.  I had one disaster which was the sim going away pair and couldn’t see the right hand bird so missed all four and one of the left ones to boot.  It was well attended, took a good while to get around and was very cold.  Really fancied a bacon sarnie after but there wasn’t any food left. Good job I always pack a picnic.  Enjoyable shoot though.  

 

[Martinj]

I did Hangman's too, my bugbear was, and always has been, stand 4, the first out in the field. I cannot connect with that L to R crosser, any clues? I dropped all four. I scored 78 and could have done with those 4 points.

Tash was not the only one missing that incoming, downhill rabbit, I saw a few people struggling with it yet it looked so simple, HA!

Yes it was cold and it took me 3 hours to get round from a 10am start

 

[Will Hewland]

Another one admitting to a poor performance at Hangmans. I just mis-read a couple of crossers that looked simple and my score was trashed. It was very cold and as I was packing my stuff away I realised I hadn’t done stand 12 (notorious rabbit stand, where I was watching people miss so much) and there was an hour queue for it. Sat in the car a while.. The only good news is I’m fine on rabbits so had ten balls of soot there. Shame about the rest.. 

 

[donna]

We done Owls on Thursday and that was bitterly cold too so we gave this weekend a miss as shooting Coleys tomorrow.  I mucked up stand stand 10, the l-r crosser and lower l-r battue, my worst stand never hitting any of the battues, didn’t go much on the two sim pink pairs stand 12 either!  Shot just below my average but my score was the average for the shoot.  Never seem to shoot that place very well!! 
Looking forward to Coleys tomorrow just hope we have a decent journey!

 

[Martinj]

Another one admitting to a poor performance at Hangmans.

yes I suppose so, I like to do Sean's shoots, he puts on some testing targets and if we don't practise on those how will we improve eh? however I did think it was relentless on Sunday and I did not come away with a warm glow (and not just because of the temperature.)

It wasn't all hard work, there were some softer stands if you kept your wits about you but overall a bit on the firm side 

 

[Will Hewland]

yes I suppose so, I like to do Sean's shoots, he puts on some testing targets and if we don't practise on those how will we improve eh? however I did think it was relentless on Sunday and I did not come away with a warm glow (and not just because of the temperature.)

It wasn't all hard work, there were some softer stands if you kept your wits about you but overall a bit on the firm side 

I would agree but then you see how many people did very well and I have to put my hands up to a bad day. 

 

[Richard59]

Coleys today, was supposed to be on at 2ish, overnight changes meant work gets in the way so not wanting to lose the entry fee raced up for a 9am start, still putting on leggings (was nasty drizzle at time which did stick around) mucking about with boots / finding cartridges as about to enter 1st stand was not ideal prep, am too old to race around and it showed.  The ongoing building work had been tidied up for the day, and the course shot on decent mostly footpaths so not a bog as feared. Found imaginative ways to drop some not overly difficult clays that even I should have hit.  Course felt that it needed a couple or more harder / bigger targets, oh please don't be fooled by my errant efforts am sure a raft of larges scores will pour in throughout the day, there will be lots of happy smiling faces. Despite my brain fades one ended on my RAW average but felt as if I really messed up a chance for a "big"score, maybe I should not have expected too much after a bit of a break, but I really should have "done better" maybe next time.

 

[Will Hewland]

Coleys today, was supposed to be on at 2ish, overnight changes meant work gets in the way so not wanting to lose the entry fee raced up for a 9am start, still putting on leggings (was nasty drizzle at time which did stick around) mucking about with boots / finding cartridges as about to enter 1st stand was not ideal prep, am too old to race around and it showed.  The ongoing building work had been tidied up for the day, and the course shot on decent mostly footpaths so not a bog as feared. Found imaginative ways to drop some not overly difficult clays that even I should have hit.  Course felt that it needed a couple or more harder / bigger targets, oh please don't be fooled by my errant efforts am sure a raft of larges scores will pour in throughout the day, there will be lots of happy smiling faces. Despite my brain fades one ended on my RAW average but felt as if I really messed up a chance for a "big"score, maybe I should not have expected too much after a bit of a break, but I really should have "done better" maybe next time.

I cancelled going today for a few reasons. Bloody heck, if I had wanted to boost my average I should have gone. Average score of 81 and 45 shooters on 90 or more! I’m entered for their next one. I do hope they don’t overreact to todays scores and make it brutal, which is what some course setters do. “You don’t have to toughen all 12 stands”!

 

[Charliedog]

I cancelled going today for a few reasons. Bloody heck, if I had wanted to boost my average I should have gone. Average score of 81 and 45 shooters on 90 or more! I’m entered for their next one. I do hope they don’t overreact to todays scores and make it brutal, which is what some course setters do. “You don’t have to toughen all 12 stands”!

Not sure if there is a record but that must be right up there for percentage of entrants scoring 90 plus

 

[Will Hewland]

Not sure if there is a record but that must be right up there for percentage of entrants scoring 90 plus

There was a good amount of AAA / AA shooters, which always helps.. But the average score was 81. I think since we’ve had these CPSA stats displayed it is accepted that a good shoot is around 75-77. Much either side of that and it’s a bit firm or a bit soft 

 

[donna]

Coleys for us too, fairly steady trip there and had plenty of time to have a coffee etc.  had a great squad, including 2 guys who shot a 96 and 95 . It wasn’t an “easy” shoot, still lots of “fiddly/close” stuff and some nice longer targets but everything just felt “right” about today.  There was something for everybody and I felt it was more about concentration today which I held onto more today than any of the shoots I’ve done recently.  Thoroughly enjoyed it, saw the lovely Fred, all refs in a jolly mood.  My only one gripe, stand 12 (again - sorry). Second target l-r crossing, low and dropping, the wooden structure in front of you is so high for us shorties, I missed it as my arms were literally hitting the structure which stopped me swinging.  Stepped back in the cage and hit the rest but it’s a pain.  I finished on 84 which is my best score there I think and to top it off we had a good trip home.  

 

[jonz]

Not sure if there is a record but that must be right up there for percentage of entrants scoring 90 plus

Looks more like Skeet results not sporting, is this what the majority of shooters want these days?

 

[Richard59]

Looks more like Skeet results not sporting, is this what the majority of shooters want these days?

Majority most probably yes, they had 151 entries for a mid week shoot in winter, absolutely staggering numbers, not long ago 50 was seen as good, and most of those 151 will return. Will add there’s a bit on FB about this and other high scoring shoots which has seen polar responses. 

 

[jonz]

Majority most probably yes, they had 151 entries for a mid week shoot in winter, absolutely staggering numbers, not long ago 50 was seen as good, and most of those 151 will return. Will add there’s a bit on FB about this and other high scoring shoots which has seen polar responses. 

Well for me I would rather go to a tough course and come away with hitting 75 hard targets than go to an easy course and walk away with a 90 having missed 10 easy ones, but I have been shooting for 40 years so perhaps you could say I’m old school  

 

[Richard59]

Well for me I would rather go to a tough course and come away with hitting 75 hard targets than go to an easy course and walk away with a 90 having missed 10 easy ones, but I have been shooting for 40 years so perhaps you could say I’m old school  

That very point has been / was / is being raised, whilst not wishing to take anything away from those who are good enough to bang in these big scores grounds are different business models these days. Coleys, well Chatcome as it was started in the 80s out of a portakabin, now undergoing a major refurbishment it will have to be paid for. 

 

[Charliedog]

Looks more like Skeet results not sporting, is this what the majority of shooters want these days?

25 people scored 94 plus, I think the occasional shoot being easy is acceptable but these scores should not be the norm

 

[wynno]

As has been mentioned before, it was a fiddly shoot. Only two targets could be called difficult out of the entire shoot.

Nevertheless, you had to concentrate to build your score, Andy Moon ( a top shot ) dropped 3 simple incoming orange clays on stand 5

if Josh can tweak it slightly for next month, say two more distant targets then I think it will be spot on…. Just my opinion of course

 

[jonz]

That very point has been / was / is being raised, whilst not wishing to take anything away from those who are good enough to bang in these big scores grounds are different business models these days. Coleys, well Chatcome as it was started in the 80s out of a portakabin, now undergoing a major refurbishment it will have to be paid for. 

I understand that the investment will have to be paid for but the return of money can be made by those who want testing targets just as quickly as those who want targets on the end of the gun. My point is what does putting on competitions like this do for the sport? Scores like that should be for skeet or DTL