Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[Will Hewland]

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 

Let’s not assume this is an actual strategy from the ground. They have a new target setter this year and they may just not have the experience to set the course correctly. This is why I fear an overreaction and that the next shoot could go too far the other way.

West London did four shoots for the Premier League a while back. The first one was the nastiest thing I have ever shot. The next year it was a doddle. They just didn’t know what they were doing. Getting the balance right is the skill. Any fool can set too easy or too hard. 

 

[Bebo]

West London did four shoots for the Premier League a while back. The first one was the nastiest thing I have ever shot. The next year it was a doddle. They just didn’t know what they were doing. Getting the balance right is the skill. Any fool can set too easy or too hard. 

Other way around, the first one was really really soft.  The second one was a nightmare.  The following ones were a bit more balanced, but still had some iffy target setting.  I shot the final one first thing and there were several targets thrown right into the sun.

Firs one had two 100 straights:



Second one was much tougher.  HH of 89 and an average of 60.

 

[Will Hewland]

Other way around, the first one was really really soft.  The second one was a nightmare.  The following ones were a bit more balanced, but still had some iffy target setting.  I shot the final one first thing and there were several targets thrown right into the sun.

Firs one had two 100 straights:

View attachment 9271

Second one was much tougher.  HH of 89 and an average of 60.

View attachment 9272

Ah didn’t realise the 2015 one happened. The 2016 horror was won on “89” but I saw the winner miss several and a blind ref that I don’t see around anymore scored them as kills. Trust me it was 86 or 87 in reality. Yes the last couple were nearer to being good courses. Well I have to say that, I got HG in 2018.

 

[wynno]

Ah didn’t realise the 2015 one happened. The 2016 horror was won on “89” but I saw the winner miss several and a blind ref that I don’t see around anymore scored them as kills. Trust me it was 86 or 87 in reality. Yes the last couple were nearer to being good courses. Well I have to say that, I got HG in 2018.

A blind ref Will, I thought Ray Charles hung up his marker pen long ago

 

[Bebo]

Ah didn’t realise the 2015 one happened. The 2016 horror was won on “89” but I saw the winner miss several and a blind ref that I don’t see around anymore scored them as kills. Trust me it was 86 or 87 in reality. Yes the last couple were nearer to being good courses. Well I have to say that, I got HG in 2018.

The 2016 one was my first one at West London and I was very early in my Reg comp journey. My lowest Reg score ever and it was nearly enough to put me off completely.

 

[Richard59]

Let’s not assume this is an actual strategy from the ground. They have a new target setter this year and they may just not have the experience to set the course correctly. This is why I fear an overreaction and that the next shoot could go too far the other way.

West London did four shoots for the Premier League a while back. The first one was the nastiest thing I have ever shot. The next year it was a doddle. They just didn’t know what they were doing. Getting the balance right is the skill. Any fool can set too easy or too hard. 

Having a day or two for reflection and far more chin wags about the day your bit about experience just about nails it, the new lad is young, hard working and very keen and am sure he will learn each and every day, lord knows the place has had old hands previously who also got it slightly ( and massively ) “wrong” on the day. Yes in hindsight a few tweaks / turns / tilts of traps may have made a difference, me I wouldn’t want a course setters job, not a chance, too tough an audience, hats off to those that do it

 

[Will Hewland]

Having a day or two for reflection and far more chin wags about the day your bit about experience just about nails it, the new lad is young, hard working and very keen and am sure he will learn each and every day, lord knows the place has had old hands previously who also got it slightly ( and massively ) “wrong” on the day. Yes in hindsight a few tweaks / turns / tilts of traps may have made a difference, me I wouldn’t want a course setters job, not a chance, too tough an audience, hats off to those that do it

I’m sure it was just in need of two stands stepping up to get it right. So many courses just need two stands tweaking up or down a notch to be spot on. 

 

[Westward]

On Wednesday I picked up my rain jacket and moseyed over to Coley's for the reg Supersporting. I've reffed it a few times when Longridge ran a short series of open SSP but this was my first time shooting it. The drizzly rain started just as we were walking up to the start!

Although the course was perhaps a bit above my present pay grade, it was a well thought out set of fairly testing targets. My only minor criticism was that every stand was 2 singles and 4 pairs, some o/r and some simo. I would have preferred 4 singles and 3 pairs so that you get to shoot every target at least once as a single. Others in the squad agreed but as SSP is a bit of a free for all target wise, it is what it is as they say.

I've no idea why but I've never been comfortable shooting at Coley's so I suppose it plays on my mind and I did not shoot at my most confident, but strangely, my best stand was everyone else's worst which is odd.

 

[Richard59]

On Wednesday I picked up my rain jacket and moseyed over to Coley's for the reg Supersporting. I've reffed it a few times when Longridge ran a short series of open SSP but this was my first time shooting it. The drizzly rain started just as we were walking up to the start!

Although the course was perhaps a bit above my present pay grade, it was a well thought out set of fairly testing targets. My only minor criticism was that every stand was 2 singles and 4 pairs, some o/r and some simo. I would have preferred 4 singles and 3 pairs so that you get to shoot every target at least once as a single. Others in the squad agreed but as SSP is a bit of a free for all target wise, it is what it is as they say.

I've no idea why but I've never been comfortable shooting at Coley's so I suppose it plays on my mind and I did not shoot at my most confident, but strangely, my best stand was everyone else's worst which is odd.

Have only shot this the once, Westfield and it was a four trap per stand set up, yes mind boggling for I, it was though most enjoyable, ran smoothly / quickly and despite my brain fades can see why, with the variety of targets it’s getting popular. Agree that some tweaks to the “number of traps” rule may be required, Just the two throughout seems a bit “nervous” on the grounds part.

 

[Westward]

I wasn't complaining about the set up at Ian Coley As I said, just a minor point. I have to be careful what I say having been banned from Coley's once before for suggesting that a particular stand could have been more imaginatively set.

I haven't looked up the rules for SSP - if there are any - but I'm pretty sure that in Fitasc, any target used in the pairs must have been shot as one of the singles. 

IIRC Steve Nutbeam used 4 traps per stand for the Longridge SSP series and 4 singles, which seems the most sensible for the shooters but obviously more work and more expensive in clays and trap maintenance.

 

[Garwood]

I read this week that new CPSA rules require minimum of 3 traps per stand for Super Sporting now.

 

[Richard59]

I read this week that new CPSA rules require minimum of 3 traps per stand for Super Sporting now.

You are correct- Rule 26.3 effective 1st March

 

[Westward]

From the shooter's point of view I still think 4 traps and 4 singles is a better setup, simply because 3 traps is an odd number, meaning the setter is limited to just 2 singles and either 3 or 4 pairs.

 

[wynno]

John, don’t think of it as fitasc, think of sporting, but on steroids

 

[Scotty]

Came 3rd in my club shoot. It was only a fun shoot of 50 sporting, 25 DTL and 25 Skeet. Maybe only 50 shooters there, but I had a great day out and chuffed at a result like that for my 2nd real comp. There were a lot better shooters than me in attendance and my assigned handicap is what put me in the placement. I'm not thrilled at that, feels like a participation medal.

Really makes me want to push myself though and see just what I'm capable of with more practice.

 

[donna]

Came 3rd in my club shoot. It was only a fun shoot of 50 sporting, 25 DTL and 25 Skeet. Maybe only 50 shooters there, but I had a great day out and chuffed at a result like that for my 2nd real comp. There were a lot better shooters than me in attendance and my assigned handicap is what put me in the placement. I'm not thrilled at that, feels like a participation medal.

Really makes me want to push myself though and see just what I'm capable of with more practice.

Well done, practice makes perfect so they say!  Keep it up.

 

[Bebo]

Back on the Reg comp circuit last week, after a 6 month break from it.

Churchills on Thursday.  Started OK, little wobble on the platform when I started overleading the 2nd target after hitting the first two. Wheels came off a bit on Stand 6.  On the 3rd pair had a rabbit that broke as I shot, ref fired off the second bird, called no bird on the first while I was in the process of shooting the 2nd target, which I missed.  He then called pair again, 2nd bird established as a miss! I didn't challenge it, but I should have especially as I killed the pair on the retake, it annoyed me and stayed with me the rest of the round.  Shot the rest OK, apart from Stand 10, where I struggled a bit.  Finished on 77, not a disaster but could have been better.

Doveridge on Saturday. Never shot a comp there before, lots of big names out and I was a complete bag of nerves. Let myself down badly, dropping loads on the easier early stands and wobbling all the way around the course.  Only stand I straighted was the last one.  Finished on a dismal 61. Went because it's been suggested I need to get out of my comfort zone and I certainly was!

Barrow yesterday.  Started fairly well on the first 5 stands, apart from not being able to find the 2nd target on Stand 4.  Then the wobbles came back, misread a lot of the targets overleading and not changing what I was doing.  Terrible run through the middle before picking up again in the last few stands. 64.  Going through it in my head after the shoot there were at least 8 targets dropped where I was on them and then because I was struggling on one of the pair I started dropping the other that I was hitting.  Head definitely wasn't in a good place.

Not the best start back, but just need to work through it.  Out again at AGL on the 31st.

 

[paul b]

Bebo i was on stand seven at doveridge and most of the top scorers misses saturday were lost in the first 6or7 stands so the early ones must of been quit tricky,and for the exceptional top shots to be low 90s tells you itll shoot a little lower than you would be used to.

 

[chesterse]

Bebo you were not the only one. I missed 5 on the first stand and thought may as well go home now - set the tone for the shoot and finished on 64.

Difficult to put a finger on it but different terrain to what I’m used to. Although there was a big turn out I unfortunately timed it so that I was straight on to about the last half a dozen stands.

Final excuse,I changed the trigger on my Browning to the canted one and didn’t like it at all. Changed it back to the thin one and that’s where it will stay.

 

[wynno]

Churchills on Thursday.  Started OK, little wobble on the platform when I started overleading the 2nd target after hitting the first two. Wheels came off a bit on Stand 6.  On the 3rd pair had a rabbit that broke as I shot, ref fired off the second bird, called no bird on the first while I was in the process of shooting the 2nd target, which I missed.  He then called pair again, 2nd bird established as a miss! I didn't challenge it, but I should have especially as I killed the pair on the retake, it annoyed me and stayed with me the rest of the round.  Shot the rest OK, apart from Stand 10, where I struggled a bit. Finished on 77, not a disaster but could have been better.

well the ref certainly messed up that call