Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[Will Hewland]

Finally Honesberie took place! A few puddles to avoid but otherwise OK underfoot. It got very warm and humid actually. 
 

A great course I thought. Maybe didn’t need any more tough stands. In fact I’m not sure I’d classify any stand as a card filler and about 5 of them definitely were on the tough side. 

I was doing OK until I misread a target on stand 6 which wasn’t actually 60 yards, so missed three in front. A decent show on some of the tougher stands, hitting 3/4 of the long orange battues on 2 stands. (Bloody no-birds cost me concentration on one).

So was happy enough walking onto the last stand 10 away and then had a disaster missing 4 including the last pair. Shame, finished 86. Only myself to blame. Shot with big Daz W which is always good. 

 

[Sian]

Drives me/you and all short people mad!  Cannot be that hard surely?  Well shot though xx

Thanks Donna

 

[Jonny English]

English open at eriswell for me on Saturday. Shot ok, didn't disgrace myself but also didn't tear up any trees. Finished on 94/120 in A class, should really have been 100 plus. A decent course with not too many card filling stands, nice to see a good distance bird here and there. Bit disappointed they didn't make use of the cherry picker a bit more on stand 13 and wind the spring up some more to throw a good long high crosser under power. Couple of breakdowns here and there but still got round in 3 hours, plenty of benches at each stand for gear and to rest your legs a bit though. Richards 11 stands straight to finish is just awesome shootingfor 115, the man's a machine. Really good event and well worth the trip.

 

[Charliedog]

English open for me on Sunday, all going pretty well although some targets quite variable due to the wind on the back half, and by variable the same bird could land 30m apart on the ones launched up into wind, as I say all going well until stand 12, dropped 15 targets on 12,13 and 14 which made a good card, decidedly average. Great targets i thought, amazing clubhouse (next level really). Watched some really good shots look average around the course which was actually quite refreshing from a there only human afterall perspective

 

[Will Hewland]

Hornet / College Farm yesterday. A tough shoot which was exacerbated by the place being really overgrown. It’s always very tight amongst planting there, but they needed a day of pruning and strimming. Many stands very hard to see targets before you were shooting. Fast targets appearing “through a letterbox” and leaves tickling my neck. Also scratched my car badly on a big bramble driving in, so mood wasn’t in great shape. A disappointing 81 for me. JBD leading on 92 after two days.

Barbury today. Lovely weather indeed and nice to not fear shooting Tarzan as he swings past, after yesterday. A great varied course and using a different section of ground, new to me. Not a really tough shoot, but I was happy to be 1 away after 6 stands. Then of course I went into score-protection mode. Started being careful, hanging on etc and dropped another 8 on the run to the finish. Shame, felt like I really could have been up there with the great names today but I wasn’t! Very enjoyable day. 

 

[Daz W]

The track to College Farm ground is the only thing that stops me shooting there more often. I don't want to replace my cars sump & suspension after every shoot. It's definitely a case of "Fancy shooting Hornet?", "That depends, who's driving?"

 

[Will Hewland]

The track to College Farm ground is the only thing that stops me shooting there more often. I don't want to replace my cars sump & suspension after every shoot. It's definitely a case of "Fancy shooting Hornet?", "That depends, who's driving?"

I had the ground clearance covered. Wasn’t expecting a side attack!

 

[Richard59]

Another that went to Barbury, yes lovely weather, arms quite red this evening which for me is a most rare occurrence. 1pm start, already a AAA had made it known he thought it was "steady", well steady for AAA most probably yes, this old duffer soon made a hash of things. The one stand that really did for me was a five pair simo of l-r lots of belly showing looping / crossers, one black one orange, different speeds so the first clay (black) slowed to be overtaken by the orange, the three chaps in front of I (AA AAA AA) shot it as black/orange the next orange/black then the one just before I shot it both ways!! what is a duffer to do? Well I proceeded to shoot slap bang between both targets, sadly only finding one!!, what a way to destroy a sad enough card. The next shot managed to kill most pairs with one cartridge which really rubbed salt into my gaping wound. Still it was a pleasant enough day out with chums, and as the singer Yazz keeps telling us "the only way is up"

 

[Will Hewland]

That simo stand was interesting. Video is my last pair. It only makes sense if you know what I was doing; which was going for the black clay first, then the (harder to see and faster) orange battue. Here I went for the black clay, but the battue had caught it up as I shot. The battue breaks unexpectedly and I’m shocked for a moment as I wasn’t going for it, plus the black didn’t break. I then had to wake up and chase black to hit the pair. Look at my open mouth.


2DB49551-7A78-44D7-9999-38555504B69F.mov

 

[Richard59]

Well MrH as that simo pair outfoxed a wily old AA such as yourself you can imagine the faces us duffers pulled

 

[Will Hewland]

Well MrH as that simo pair outfoxed a wily old AA such as yourself you can imagine the faces us duffers pulled

I only missed 1 in fairness, on first pair. As ever, the rule is look at and shoot at 1 at a time. (Happy coincidences of breaking both with one shot are just that). 
 

 

[chippy]

Shot the cheddite today. Rather odd round, everything was either 20 yards and under or 45-50 yards and over. I shot the close stuff quite well and ended up on 100.  115 is leading but I think that may get beaten.

 

[donna]

Southdown today, lucky not to loose any teeth getting to the ground once turned off the main road as there was sooo many craters to drive over.  Shoot was ok, not the best I’ve ever done and loads of “no targets” for the whole squad of 4 of us!  Lots of little squads out today, squad in front of us was a 2 man squad.  Stand 10 done for me, only 1/6, sim pair l-r fairly low but was shot in the grouse butt and when I got into stand could barely see the targets being short.  I really don’t mind missing targets if they’ve beaten me or I’m not good enough but getting a bit fed up of missing them because they don’t cater for us shorties.  Might have to give that ground a miss for a while I think as it winds me up so much. 

Finished on a 79 which won ladies and 4th in B - done targets only though!  Overall average was 70 so was pretty happy with the score.

 

[Charliedog]

6 hour round trip to churchills today, have to say I thought it was the poorest set of registered targets I have ever shot at, felt like a practice round, if this is typical, then I feel very fortunate with the quality of targets on offer in East Anglia. 

 

[jon1]

Poor in what way??

 

[Charliedog]

Poor in what way??

2 moderately interesting stands (4 and 5), the rest felt like basic card fillers, I didn't shoot particularly well but ended up with 8 over my average. Little imagination in target setting, pretty repetitive targets (low crossers and floaty gimmies), won't be rushing back. Felt like a claymate practice session with a ref (who was very pleasant)

 

[Will Hewland]

2 moderately interesting stands (4 and 5), the rest felt like basic card fillers, I didn't shoot particularly well but ended up with 8 over my average. Little imagination in target setting, pretty repetitive targets (low crossers and floaty gimmies), won't be rushing back. Felt like a claymate practice session with a ref (who was very pleasant)

I know what you mean, but didn’t find it that bad. Granted there were a few simpler looking stands and I’m distressed since, because I face-planted on some of them, can’t think why. (Straighted 4 and 5). Poor score for me, felt like a wasted opportunity. Just proves closer stuff can catch you out. 

 

[Daz W]

2 moderately interesting stands (4 and 5), the rest felt like basic card fillers, I didn't shoot particularly well but ended up with 8 over my average. Little imagination in target setting, pretty repetitive targets (low crossers and floaty gimmies), won't be rushing back. Felt like a claymate practice session with a ref (who was very pleasant)

4 & 5 were 2 of my best stands!! Dropped some stupid ones on the other stands, and 4 on st7 (sim L-R quartering & looper?). Should have shot the 1/4ing earlier to give me more time on the dropping looper.

I always judge the difficulty of a shoot by how many A & B entries finish above their classification compared to how many finish below. Using that as a basis, it was on the somewhat on the softer side, but still a fair shoot I thought.

If it felt like a practice session could that mean you were actually in the right frame of mind and shooting well, rather than a unimaginative/easy layout?

 

[Will Hewland]

4 & 5 were 2 of my best stands!! Dropped some stupid ones on the other stands, and 4 on st7 (sim L-R quartering & looper?). Should have shot the 1/4ing earlier to give me more time on the dropping looper.

I always judge the difficulty of a shoot by how many A & B entries finish above their classification compared to how many finish below. Using that as a basis, it was on the somewhat on the softer side, but still a fair shoot I thought.

If it felt like a practice session could that mean you were actually in the right frame of mind and shooting well, rather than a unimaginative/easy layout?

That stand 7 sim pair did for me too. Only pair I hit, I did looper first!

 

[Bebo]

Stands 6 and 7 wrecked my card.  Stand 6 I was all over the 70mm crosser, but couldn't find the other one!  Stand 7 I dropped 8