Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[chippy]

East of England today. A great round but the weather was awful constant heavy rain. They are making good use of their new tower with clays off all four sides. Quite pleased with 82 scores are slowly creeping up.

 

[Martinj]

I shot Gunsite in the wind and rain today
I quite enjoyed it, I really don't mind shooting in bad weather, I guess that years of pigeon shooting have conditioned me to it. The worst part of it is having to keep my glasses clear enough to be able to see the targets. I'm sure that the weather forecast kept a lot of people away as the numbers were just about right.

I thought I'd do badly because of the weather but things were going OK, I dropped 4 on stand 2 but most were struggling on this one. There was a monster right to left curling away on stand 6? which I've had trouble with in the past, I dropped the first one and realised I was behind it so just picked a spot 10 feet in front and three feet below, that's all there was time for and thereafter it went like clockwork.
I had a major aberration on stand 8 where I went in cold and dropped 6/8 on a fairly simple pair, morale hit rock bottom but fortunately, things picked up and I finished with an average score for me, I could have done without stand 8 but there's always something I guess.
A good day! Christmas traffic was mad in Marlborough and on the M4 but worth the effort

 

[Westward]

Good review Martin, thanks for that.

I like Gunsite and I've known Sean for years but I don't drive a 4X4 and the few hard standing areas for parking are always full. Since I don't enjoy sliding cars around in muddy fields anymore and, not for the first time, I reluctantly gave it a miss. Roll on better weather!

 

[Martinj]

Good review Martin, thanks for that.

I like Gunsite and I've known Sean for years but I don't drive a 4X4 and the few hard standing areas for parking are always full. Since I don't enjoy sliding cars around in muddy fields anymore and, not for the first time, I reluctantly gave it a miss. Roll on better weather!

There were plenty of spaces in the first grassy area on the right as you approach the shoot but it was very wet. I do recall thinking that I was glad I have a 4WD, I was also glad that the person who parked next to me had one!

 

[Cuffers]

Cefn Tilla yesterday for their Super Sporting. Rob & Bob put on a fantastic shoot. A great mix of close, rangey and technical targets on offer. they definitely make the best use of the space available. The only downside was the weather, which was awful. Heavy showers and strong winds definitely make the course just that little bit harder than it already was! finished on a satisfying 80/100 to take joint 3rd in class.

 

[Cuffers]

Royal Berkshire today for their quarterly CPSA 100 bird ESP. I'm usually the type that will have a go at any target that is presented to me and if I miss, I miss...but today was just silly. The first 3 stands were fine, as you would expect from a CPSA registered shoot. Then it started to get a little silly…I'm not going to go through stand by stand but needless to say, when High Gun is 86...

 

[jonz]

Royal Berkshire today for their quarterly CPSA 100 bird ESP. I'm usually the type that will have a go at any target that is presented to me and if I miss, I miss...but today was just silly. The first 3 stands were fine, as you would expect from a CPSA registered shoot. Then it started to get a little silly…I'm not going to go through stand by stand but needless to say, when High Gun is 86...

Nothing wrong with a shoot being won with a 86, that was the norm before social media and keyboard warriors all wanting to show off with their PB’s
An average of 86 would still put you in AA …. Learn to shoot the tough targets was what I was told when I started over 40 years ago

 

[Jonny English]

Nothing wrong with a shoot being won with a 86, that was the norm before social media and keyboard warriors all wanting to show off with their PB’s
An average of 86 would still put you in AA …. Learn to shoot the tough targets was what I was told when I started over 40 years ago

When I first started shooting in the mid to late 90's as a teenager Grimsthorpe was our closest ground. Just had a look back with the scores function on my profile on the cpsa and their shoots were mostly won with scores 90 or below. The statistics function on the cpsa states a lot of shoot averages around 65% back then, where as these days it's mostly around 75%. Shoots were tough back then, my aim in C class or juniors was to get above 50% at any shoot and that didn't always happen.

 

[Will Hewland]

When I first started shooting in the mid to late 90's as a teenager Grimsthorpe was our closest ground. Just had a look back with the scores function on my profile on the cpsa and their shoots were mostly won with scores 90 or below. The statistics function on the cpsa states a lot of shoot averages around 65% back then, where as these days it's mostly around 75%. Shoots were tough back then, my aim in C class or juniors was to get above 50% at any shoot and that didn't always happen.

I’ve certainly shot shoots with average of 68 and enjoyed them but RBSS really don’t get competition course setting in my previous experiences. Varies all over the place and shows they don’t consider the course as a whole. Often, the issue is they put in a monstrous stand of tower crossers that are good for extreme game shoot training but most of us clay shots are left guessing a bit.
Word of caution looking at any historic shoot results. The CPSA don’t show any current members so it’s not a full scores list. Privacy nonsense they tell me.

 

[Cuffers]

Nothing wrong with a shoot being won with a 86, that was the norm before social media and keyboard warriors all wanting to show off with their PB’s
An average of 86 would still put you in AA …. Learn to shoot the tough targets was what I was told when I started over 40 years ago

There are tough targets and there are targets that are unhittable.

 

[Richard59]

Am off in morn to Coleys for the 2nd “winter series” of Saturday registered shoots, the weather rather thankfully looks fair as am bit fed up with the cold & rain, just took a peek at entries, virtually sold out, near 180! Thats quite a feat that. Do feel a bit for those starting after 1 as if cloudy the place can get a bit dark & gloomy soon after 3 this time of year

 

[donna]

Am off in morn to Coleys for the 2nd “winter series” of Saturday registered shoots, the weather rather thankfully looks fair as am bit fed up with the cold & rain, just took a peek at entries, virtually sold out, near 180! Thats quite a feat that. Do feel a bit for those starting after 1 as if cloudy the place can get a bit dark & gloomy soon after 3 this time of year

Might see you there Richard. We are starting at 1, didnt book til this week as looking at weather and it’s a long trek for us so don’t like a too early start! Good luck.

 

[Richard59]

Coleys, well my forecast looked well off as got up to miserable drizzle which hung around all morning, must be same the 10 miles up road, thankfully not, but it did get chilly and quite blowy for second half of our 12.30 squad. Car park rammed, the tarmac area full of mostly pristine 4x4s, most looked as if they would probably have a deep shag pile carpets, not for getting dirty these, parked with the other hatchbacks / saloon & sportscars in the adjacent field.
Martyn Myers had already shot a 96, hard to beat even without the latter wind toying with more than a few targets. Despite not having shot for 5/6 weeks one got off to a decent start, dropped a couple of nasty flat edgy speedy teal on St4 and kept shooting straight at a distant l-r midis until found the last, but after 6 stands I was happy enough, my “luck” though ran out second half of course, a r-l high midi then a l-r edge on exocet missle being blanked, then st9 a horrid r/l wabbit with a l-r low, far too low battue, everyone we saw shoot at it struggled with the battue, most blanked it, i settled for just shooting the wabbit, once just feet from trap, it gave a warm feeling on an otherwise chastening stand. St11 a simo low l-r with flat incomer due to wind became a lottery, one felt sorry for anyone under 6ft as it was a target for the tall.
Now will add that even if I was shooting far more regular than just once/twice s month a fair few of todays targets would still have been too good for me.
So no I doubt no-one will catch that 96 for high gun.
Bumped into the lovely Mr & Mrs Moran, hope you had a pleasant and safe drive home.
Me, well best I make time to shoot a bit more because some of today was simply pants.

 

[donna]

It was great to see you Richard. We had a good journey home until A21 at Sevenoaks (4 miles from home) where we crawled along but seeing the 2 accidents that had occurred with fire engines, numerous ambulances and police we were greatful to be crawling anywhere.

I enjoyed the shoot and started off very well but found the teal on 4 hard to see and only hit 1, was pleased with the driven, hit them all and was chugging merrily along until the rabbit and battue stand. I was in first and dropped the first 3 pairs then had a little think, cut back on lead for both and hit last pair.

Stand 11 simo pair - honestly, I stood back as far as I could without being in the road , hit the first target quickly but missed a couple of the 2nd targets as I just couldn’t see them, actually took out some of the bank with a few shots which may have made it slightly easier for the next squads, and struggled to see the targets on last stand as it was getting quite dark by then. But, nevertheless we enjoyed the day, had a loverly squad and bumped into a few people we knew (inc Richard)

Looking forward to Westfields super sporting next Saturday

 

[jasper]

Coleys, well my forecast looked well off as got up to miserable drizzle which hung around all morning, must be same the 10 miles up road, thankfully not, but it did get chilly and quite blowy for second half of our 12.30 squad. Car park rammed, the tarmac area full of mostly pristine 4x4s, most looked as if they would probably have a deep shag pile carpets, not for getting dirty these, parked with the other hatchbacks / saloon & sportscars in the adjacent field.
Martyn Myers had already shot a 96, hard to beat even without the latter wind toying with more than a few targets. Despite not having shot for 5/6 weeks one got off to a decent start, dropped a couple of nasty flat edgy speedy teal on St4 and kept shooting straight at a distant l-r midis until found the last, but after 6 stands I was happy enough, my “luck” though ran out second half of course, a r-l high midi then a l-r edge on exocet missle being blanked, then st9 a horrid r/l wabbit with a l-r low, far too low battue, everyone we saw shoot at it struggled with the battue, most blanked it, i settled for just shooting the wabbit, once just feet from trap, it gave a warm feeling on an otherwise chastening stand. St11 a simo low l-r with flat incomer due to wind became a lottery, one felt sorry for anyone under 6ft as it was a target for the tall.
Now will add that even if I was shooting far more regular than just once/twice s month a fair few of todays targets would still have been too good for me.
So no I doubt no-one will catch that 96 for high gun.
Bumped into the lovely Mr & Mrs Moran, hope you had a pleasant and safe drive home.
Me, well best I make time to shoot a bit more because some of today was simply pants.

The rabbit/battue was stand 10 Rich. Jim's stand was 9.
The rabbits/ battue would have been vastly improved/fairer by simply moving the shooting position to the right. Simples. Unsure as to whether it was set like that on purpose or just a mistake by the setter. Same with stand 11 the sim pair. Not good for shorties or with the wind. But overall it seems to be improving at coleys.

 

[Richard59]

The rabbit/battue was stand 10 Rich. Jim's stand was 9.
The rabbits/ battue would have been vastly improved/fairer by simply moving the shooting position to the right. Simples. Unsure as to whether it was set like that on purpose or just a mistake by the setter. Same with stand 11 the sim pair. Not good for shorties or with the wind. But overall it seems to be improving at coleys.

Ah it was St10, you are indeed correct, for me that battue as it was so low the canopy of the trees also made it / caused it to be seen late, yes moving right further into the covered tarp house would have been the idea.

 

[wynno]

It was St Dials for me yesterday, my first trip out since surgery. A good stiff shoot with the wind pushing some targets around made for a very interesting mix. My score of 69 was pretty rubbish,but at least I managed to make it around the ground and best of all stayed on my feet. One happy bunny here

 

[Westward]

I bet you just scampered round like a 10 year old Wyn

 

[Clear Miss]

It was St Dials for me yesterday, my first trip out since surgery. A good stiff shoot with the wind pushing some targets around made for a very interesting mix. My score of 69 was pretty rubbish,but at least I managed to make it around the ground and best of all stayed on my feet. One happy bunny here

Fairly sure I was out on the same squad as you Wynn at 11:00. The wind made conditions fairly tricky with a lot of targets swirling about the place, incomers not incoming, loopers not looping etc.. The wind also had a cruel chill to it which took some of the enjoyment away.

I shot fairly well at 78/100 which had I gone competition entry would have placed me 1st in B class by a good margin.

Rather disappointingly I was 1 away on (I think, I didn't capture an image of my card) 4 different stands which should really have been straights. 2 stands I had a miss on one target of the last pair which is doubly frustrating. I must remember to stay out of my own head and concentrate on the shooting. I also lost my way on the first of the multi target stands we shot in the woods with a 4/8.

Had I been able to remain consistent and straight the 1 away stands then I would have left with an 82/100 and placed in the top 10.

Rhys Powell shooting really well at the moment with a HG 88/100 and 24/25 on the pool.

 

[wynno]

I bet you just scampered round like a 10 year old Wyn

More like a 100 year old John