Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[Sian]

I did fine on stand 6 missing the first bird of my last pair.  Stand 7 started great 2 pairs dead then missed the pair then missed the crossing clay twice but considering I hate orange and that type of clay I was happy.  The one that got me was the silly yellow bird on stand 10 I missed 3.  Lots would consider that simple but it can catch me out every time.  It’s all subjective what I find difficult others will find easy and vice versa.   I often read about shoots where some say it was hard and then another was soft and then look at my scores for them and there is sometimes nothing in it between my scores form what people are saying were very different types of shoots.  

 

[Will Hewland]

I did fine on stand 6 missing the first bird of my last pair.  Stand 7 started great 2 pairs dead then missed the pair then missed the crossing clay twice but considering I hate orange and that type of clay I was happy.  The one that got me was the silly yellow bird on stand 10 I missed 3.  Lots would consider that simple but it can catch me out every time.  It’s all subjective what I find difficult others will find easy and vice versa.   I often read about shoots where some say it was hard and then another was soft and then look at my scores for them and there is sometimes nothing in it between my scores form what people are saying were very different types of shoots.  

The yellow bird on 10? What the one that was green? I never hit the f**ker! Lost sleep ever since. 

 

[Daz W]

Was that a  R-L crosser? Missed the first one, convinced myself what I was doing was right, so I missed the second as well. Then I told myself to change something. Went maintained lead on it, and dusted it twice. Taking that as a win, because I'd normally carry on doing the same thing over and over again. Just wish I could convince myself what I was doing was wrong after the first miss.

 

[Sian]

The yellow bird on 10? What the one that was green? I never hit the f**ker! Lost sleep ever since. 

well I am colour-blind. I thought it was yellow. 

 

[Bebo]

well I am colour-blind. I thought it was yellow. 

I thought it was yellow as well. Missed the first two, stopped giving it any lead at all, shot at it and it broke twice.

 

[Richard59]

Not a reg, went to the Wye Valley Guns open day / comp at Longridge today, six stand 50 targets, two stands being three traps with A B C targets shot in a super sport style, with MrKeen and one’s brother with whom I’ve not shot with for a goodly while. Saw lots of friendly faces, some not seen for too long and yes a few from here also. Glorious sunshine, a challenging enough set of targets, yes am aware lots quarter up the hill here but one can’t be complacent at all, decent enough driven and a simo left-right to finish on that convinced plenty to re-enter, despite some roller coaster scores it was a most enjoyable affair. 

 

[Charliedog]

Barrow Sunday, splendid weather, a very enjoyable round, probably on the softer side for the ground with an overall average of 77, shot all but 1 stand ok and finished 6 above my average, great cake to finish.

 

[Bebo]

I shot Barrow as well. I shot some of it well and some of it really poorly.  Had a mare on Stands 3 to 5.  Stand 3 didn't find the crosser until last pair - miles in front.  Stand 4 I just melted down on the lower target, really struggling with right to lefts at the moment.  Stand 5 couldn't find the second bird on the sim pair.  Dug in straighted three of the remaining 7 stands and finished on 74.  Should comfortably been an 80+ with the targets there.

 

[Will Hewland]

Hornet (College Farm) today. Great overcast day, slightly cool in patches. A great course and stands positioned more nicely than their last shoot, so foliage not an issue. Quite a lot of quick medium distance quartering stuff, but plenty of other presentations so a good round. 12 stands all worth your attention (so nothing a waste of lead) and nothing ridiculously hard. A few silly misses early on, (not helped by taking a sim pair the hard way round..) then dug in well for 92. I’ve entered their SSP later this month, should be good. 

 

[Richard59]

Coleys today, on late afternoon and weather was glorious, it seems first thing it was quite chilly so picked the right time of day to fall on ones face. Bit marmite for I this one, oh yes always think I should have done better but a few targets were a bit of a lottery I felt. St2 when on a l-r crosser in the sky you could also clearly see the simo crows from St3 then when in St3 the lower rh of the two would often strike the tree canopy on way up! A rabbit on St8 was 10m away and bouncing around ( we were on of the last squads ) even the AAs in squad found dirt not clay, St9 a first target going away was throwing no birds a plenty for all. St11 a big l-r that you also got to see (when it was often missed) when calling for the l-r on St12! Yes I got stuffed by the course, did find some of the “harder” targets but my new found method of slashing the barrels around (others words not mine) ensured a day to forget, mind you I wasnt alone. 
MrMyers 95 high gun, but hes different gravy from the rest. Would add that the new building at Coleys looks rather impressive, worth a visit or re visit. 

 

[jonz]

Coleys today, on late afternoon and weather was glorious, it seems first thing it was quite chilly so picked the right time of day to fall on ones face. Bit marmite for I this one, oh yes always think I should have done better but a few targets were a bit of a lottery I felt. St2 when on a l-r crosser in the sky you could also clearly see the simo crows from St3 then when in St3 the lower rh of the two would often strike the tree canopy on way up! A rabbit on St8 was 10m away and bouncing around ( we were on of the last squads ) even the AAs in squad found dirt not clay, St9 a first target going away was throwing no birds a plenty for all. St11 a big l-r that you also got to see (when it was often missed) when calling for the l-r on St12! Yes I got stuffed by the course, did find some of the “harder” targets but my new found method of slashing the barrels around (others words not mine) ensured a day to forget, mind you I wasnt alone. 
MrMyers 95 high gun, but hes different gravy from the rest. Would add that the new building at Coleys looks rather impressive, worth a visit or re visit. 

So not really worth the £47 fee by the sound of it, you would expect that if you are paying top dollar to enter you would get top dollar targets and not be distracted by seeing birds from the next stand… or is this expecting too much As for the new building who will be paying for the investment… the customers

 

[wynno]

Coleys for me as well today, lots of no birds, and I mean lots of no birds, so much so that you were left wondering if a proper target would actually appear….

 I second Richard in saying the new clubhouse looks very impressive and food & drink is reasonably priced 

 

[Richard59]

So not really worth the £47 fee by the sound of it, you would expect that if you are paying top dollar to enter you would get top dollar targets and not be distracted by seeing birds from the next stand… or is this expecting too much As for the new building who will be paying for the investment… the customers

It’s splitting hairs but TO is / was £42, you are though correct one shouldn’t be seeing targets from other stands, and yes Roxtons will want a decent return from their “investment” hopefully over decades.

Coleys for me as well today, lots of no birds, and I mean lots of no birds, so much so that you were left wondering if a proper target would actually appear….

 I second Richard in saying the new clubhouse looks very impressive and food & drink is reasonably priced 

Fortunately all my no birds were first targets so no cartridges unnecessarily used, 

 

[paul b]

Shot super sporting for the first time in many years yesterday and found it very tedious especially when youre last in rotation,its like doing a esp and get stuck behind a 8 person squad,could be realy good with a few changes .Whilst looking at the rules i found a strange one though( maybe im reading it wrong but!
26.7 the minimum number of stands required at a registered shoot will be 7 stands with a minimum of 50 targets in total.
my maths puts 100 targets at 14stands which yes would be a lot and expensive trap wise (a extra 2)but thats the rule as i see it and most use 10 stands. If you look at esp rules min stands is 5 for 50 and 10 for 100 so multiplies up as expected.
Another odderty is the first to shoot cant see the pairs but the rest of the squad can see those infront shooting em obviously.

 

[Charliedog]

Very hot at Redricks today, good selection of targets that did not look too tricky but a couple I underestimated and dropped a few being sloppy/complacent. Have to say the squad system is still a much preferred option in my eyes and hopefully continues here. Couple of squads of superstars appeared as we were leaving, very hot but enjoyable and well worth the effort, thanks again.

 

[Martinj]

I went to Gunsite today, it was raining when I got there , it was overcast and spotting rain all day, not hot, just a nice temperature.
Although the targets change from shoot to shoot they are much of a muchness and I am in retrograde mode on the infamous long targets of which there were at least four in the 50/70 yard region, (I didn't have a tape measure but I'm not a bad judge as a rifle shooter.) I hit some of everything but did not excel (with 81.)
There were more trap problems than normal and stand 7 (the far end one) had about a half hour queue for no particular reason
It wasn't a bad shoot, it was my own performance that should have been better

 

[jon1]

High Lodge in Suffolk on Saturday for a non Reg “All round Sporting” 25 Compak, 25 Sportrap, 25 Sporting and 25 Super Sporting. Talking to Andrew there, the intention was to provide a gateway to competitions for new shooters and give a taste of some different disciplines. Prize money allocated using the Lewis system, 70 shooters divided into 7 classes of 10 by scores with each class winner getting £50. Good variety of targets, lovely squad of shooters, great fun and at 22 degrees a bit cooler than home!

 

[donna]

Owls Lodge sporting today. Wasn’t the hardest shoot I’ve ever done there but made harder but the lots of no birds thrown on stands 1, 2 and 9. Ended on an 83 which is my best score there so happy but stands 6 and 8 done me.
Stand 6 - sim pair teal (fair way out) and overhead falling quickly. 4/10 - not til last pair I realised my mistakes and ended up hitting last pair and stand 8 - another sim pair, first in and just never read the l-r midi (2nd target) properly and missed all 4 for 4/8.

Ended with 6 straights and 2 with 1 away. Last 6 stands were 6 targets dropped and 4 of them on one stand

Still, happy with the score, average was 81, nice happy squad, lovely weather and 1st in ladies.

 

[Freddypip]

Jack Pike (Sporting Targets) for me today. 87/120 - not my best as I was on them but could not maintain consistency - still nursing a rotator cuff injury (perhaps that was just an excuse). Nice layput but lots (and I mean lots) of close up stuff - less than 10/15 yards - and as someone who does not want to go down the choke changing route it was a little frustrating. Cylinder & skeet would have done the entire course bar three traps at 1/2. I may be tempted by a 12 gauge blunderbuss if things carry on in that direction.

 

[Charliedog]

Very enjoyable round at Barrow, all stands challenging but fair with no eyesight tests, great variation of targets. I did not shoot very well, no excuses, just never got any sort of momentum going, shoot average was 73 which felt about right.

 

[Sian]

Jack Pike (Sporting Targets) for me today. 87/120 - not my best as I was on them but could not maintain consistency - still nursing a rotator cuff injury (perhaps that was just an excuse). Nice layput but lots (and I mean lots) of close up stuff - less than 10/15 yards - and as someone who does not want to go down the choke changing route it was a little frustrating. Cylinder & skeet would have done the entire course bar three traps at 1/2. I may be tempted by a 12 gauge blunderbuss if things carry on in that direction.

I found myself wishing I had changed my chokes and brought a lot of 9s. So hot as well.