Sporting shoots. Where - and how did it go?

[Will Hewland]

Barbury do seem to enjoy rubbing shooters noses in it. Not sure why..

 

[Sian]

Saturday was decent enough - had a nice relaxing round at my local club Pirbright. They had a non reg Compak comp on and I managed to win that.

Today was the complete opposite and I learnt two important lessons 1) shooting a comp after getting up at 5.30am to watch a fight does not help you 2) if you shoot terribly and one registered don't head off to another one as its unlikely to get better.

Went to Barbury for the first time. Quite a few cars there at 8.45 and a bit of a queue signing in (not long but taking forever) but I breezed around in 1hr. Unfortunately I could not hit a barn door and had a shocker finishing on 57. Should have taken that as a sign but being stubborn I headed off to Widdington which was fairly quiet - surely I could not shoot any worse? Had a few good stands with a couple of straights but again some shockers. Ended up in exactly the same score of 57 I think. One of those days I wished I had just stayed at home. 

Horne tomorrow ..

I can relate to that, try to forget it, so frustrating.

 

[Sian]

Valley View first thing, started badly didnt end much better- 73.  Just getting used to Dora, it's going to be ups and lots of downs. Went on to Westonwood, kidnapped Mary Thornett and shot with Tim and my Tony, better mindset, enjoyable course finished on a 83.  

 

[Hamster]

260+ miles and 300 reg targets all in one day   Valley View brilliant round of sensible but testing English sporting targets managed 85 despite missing 6 on the quartering rabbit stand  :wacko:  then onto Weston Wood where I had the pleasure of Nicola Heron's company, again a very good round perhaps would have done better had we not had to shoot every single stand blind as it wasn't very busy around 1.00 o'clock 80 despite missing 5 on the last stand  :blink: , then just made Dartford and carded 83 there, wasn't even tired for some reason just sloppy. 

The only thing that would have made the day better is if it hadn't been so hot, the sun on all three grounds made its presence known on some stands. 

 

[Will Hewland]

260+ miles and 300 reg targets all in one day   Valley View brilliant round of sensible but testing English sporting targets managed 85 despite missing 6 on the quartering rabbit stand  :wacko:  then onto Weston Wood where I had the pleasure of Nicola Heron's company, again a very good round perhaps would have done better had we not had to shoot every single stand blind as it wasn't very busy around 1.00 o'clock 80 despite missing 5 on the last stand  :blink: , then just made Dartford and carded 83 there, wasn't even tired for some reason just sloppy. 

The only thing that would have made the day better is if it hadn't been so hot, the sun on all three grounds made its presence known on some stands. 

Not just me on that rabbit stand then.. ?

 

[philmoss]

260+ miles and 300 reg targets all in one day   Valley View brilliant round of sensible but testing English sporting targets managed 85 despite missing 6 on the quartering rabbit stand  :wacko:  then onto Weston Wood where I had the pleasure of Nicola Heron's company, again a very good round perhaps would have done better had we not had to shoot every single stand blind as it wasn't very busy around 1.00 o'clock 80 despite missing 5 on the last stand  :blink: , then just made Dartford and carded 83 there, wasn't even tired for some reason just sloppy. 

The only thing that would have made the day better is if it hadn't been so hot, the sun on all three grounds made its presence known on some stands. 

And there was me thinking that you once said that you dont have the time or interest to travel too far to shoot !!!  :angel: :angel:

 

[chippy]

Shot highwayman's today a tough round 91 hg.  For the first time ever for me I shot the harder stands really well and messed up on the closer ones. I've been trying a new method on targets that need a big gap and it seems to be working.

 

[Hamster]

And there was me thinking that you once said that you dont have the time or interest to travel too far to shoot !!!  :angel: :angel:

I overdose once in a while when circumstances allow. 

 

[Will Hewland]

I overdose once in a while when circumstances allow. 

And that was for three shoots, not one..

 

[Will Hewland]

Horne tomorrow. Haven't been for many months. I will chase that high score that I'm supposed to hit there! (Never usually manage it)..

 

[Richard59]

Barbury do seem to enjoy rubbing shooters noses in it. Not sure why..

Ive had more shots contact me to comment about this shoot than any other that i can remember, would add to my earlier posts that Barburys club members, and a fair few of them shot the course, not many, if any of them had a happy face, couldnt see any wanting that experience on a regular basis, the ground comment that they had some positive feedback, in political speak its selective cherry picking, now if they queried the scorers, who listen to shots all day long they might well have a different viewpoint

for the record i shot a 60, so no not fantastic and a lot better than a lot of my efforts over the years, thst 60 was in top 1/3rd of C, 

260+ miles and 300 reg targets all in one day   Valley View brilliant round of sensible but testing English sporting targets managed 85 despite missing 6 on the quartering rabbit stand  :wacko:  then onto Weston Wood where I had the pleasure of Nicola Heron's company, again a very good round perhaps would have done better had we not had to shoot every single stand blind as it wasn't very busy around 1.00 o'clock 80 despite missing 5 on the last stand  :blink: , then just made Dartford and carded 83 there, wasn't even tired for some reason just sloppy. 

The only thing that would have made the day better is if it hadn't been so hot, the sun on all three grounds made its presence known on some stands. 

Hats off for the 260 miles and for three in one day, I get mentally drained shooting just the one, top man 

 

[schmokinn]

Saturday was decent enough - had a nice relaxing round at my local club Pirbright. They had a non reg Compak comp on and I managed to win that.

Today was the complete opposite and I learnt two important lessons 1) shooting a comp after getting up at 5.30am to watch a fight does not help you 2) if you shoot terribly and one registered don't head off to another one as its unlikely to get better.

Went to Barbury for the first time. Quite a few cars there at 8.45 and a bit of a queue signing in (not long but taking forever) but I breezed around in 1hr. Unfortunately I could not hit a barn door and had a shocker finishing on 57. Should have taken that as a sign but being stubborn I headed off to Widdington which was fairly quiet - surely I could not shoot any worse? Had a few good stands with a couple of straights but again some shockers. Ended up in exactly the same score of 57 I think. One of those days I wished I had just stayed at home. 

Horne tomorrow ..

You must have been queuing at Barbury when we were the group a couple in front of us seemed to take forever!

Both Barbury and Widdington both a bit stiff yesterday and i had a couple of bad stands at each randomly finishing on 70 at both class win at Barbury and joint class win Widdington.

Quartering rabbits have recently become a nightmare target for me as it seems for others to!

Picked up shells and cash at Barbury and Cash at Widdington for second months ago that i had forgotten about so all in a great day for me  :smile:

 

[P1Fanatic]

You must have been queuing at Barbury when we were the group a couple in front of us seemed to take forever!

Both Barbury and Widdington both a bit stiff yesterday and i had a couple of bad stands at each randomly finishing on 70 at both class win at Barbury and joint class win Widdington.

Quartering rabbits have recently become a nightmare target for me as it seems for others to!

Picked up shells and cash at Barbury and Cash at Widdington for second months ago that i had forgotten about so all in a great day for me  :smile:

Possibly. It did not help they were selling cartridges there and people claiming previous prizes. Wasn't too bad a wait in all honesty. It was a stiff course but then wasn't it a county champs? I just had an off day.

Today was much better at Horne. The wife must be a good luck charm as tagged along. Stand 4 I dropped 6 and the rest I dropped one here and there to finish on an 86. Only took an hour to get around and that was with queues up the top as for some reason everyone likes to shoot Horne top down even as they walk past loads of empty stands. Bumped into Will shooting solo.

 

[Bebo]

Also Horne and I think I shot behind you on almost every stand.

Finished on 77. Started out well but stuffed up a couple of targets that I definitely shouldn't have, so feeling a little disappointed.

Also spoke to Will. Thanks for the advice. You're right, I do need to slow down and be more controlled on those sort of target. I'd done well earlier not to rush the long incomers (which I normally do) and totally lost the plot on that one.

 

[Will Hewland]

Again, no mega score for me at Horne. Bright sunny day and loads of edge on clays. I was sometimes lifting my face slightly (subconscious attempt to gain better visibility) and dropped a single clay on 7 stands. Just frustrating. Then struggled as so many did on the platform, missing another 3. They were tough to see with a gun in your view..

 

[CharlesP]

Went to Pilford this morning, a favourite ground of mine. It's a monthly unregistered 40-bird Sporting that a bunch of us visit, today was a Bank Holiday extra.

Beautiful morning, a really good selection of targets, some quite testing in the light conditions, and a cleverly thought out Stand 4 with a single L-R shallow looper coming from behind the hedge being overtaken by a faster target a bit further back. I found it very challenging to concentrate on the first one once the second had appeared, despite knowing the sequence. A chum did manage to straight that stand, including a "two-for-one" on the third pair which brought a reaction from those waiting behind.

The bacon baps at Pilford are first rate, an important part of any shoot, the booking-in and admin are first-rate there, too. The super weather, minimal queueing, really nice layout and a near-complete absence of "no-birds" made for a memorable morning.

I have no idea how it was going score-wise for people generally. I ended up with a 36, happy with that.

 

[Richard59]

Longridge, fantastic weather, fair course something for everyone out there today, fairly busy and a fair few AAA and AA galacticos, both this old codger & mucker Stew Keen found some much needed mojo, yes I had a few mare stands, now Im putting it down to age to end on 71, Stew (AA) 89, Shaun Ponting 94 winning when we left, saw smiles today, yesterday it was grimaces

 

[schmokinn]

Possibly. It did not help they were selling cartridges there and people claiming previous prizes. Wasn't too bad a wait in all honesty. It was a stiff course but then wasn't it a county champs? I just had an off day.

Today was much better at Horne. The wife must be a good luck charm as tagged along. Stand 4 I dropped 6 and the rest I dropped one here and there to finish on an 86. Only took an hour to get around and that was with queues up the top as for some reason everyone likes to shoot Horne top down even as they walk past loads of empty stands. Bumped into Will shooting solo.

"people claiming previous prizes" Ah,yes that would be my fault  :angel:

Went to Pilford this morning, a favourite ground of mine. It's a monthly unregistered 40-bird Sporting that a bunch of us visit, today was a Bank Holiday extra.

Beautiful morning, a really good selection of targets, some quite testing in the light conditions, and a cleverly thought out Stand 4 with a single L-R shallow looper coming from behind the hedge being overtaken by a faster target a bit further back. I found it very challenging to concentrate on the first one once the second had appeared, despite knowing the sequence. A chum did manage to straight that stand, including a "two-for-one" on the third pair which brought a reaction from those waiting behind.

The bacon baps at Pilford are first rate, an important part of any shoot, the booking-in and admin are first-rate there, too. The super weather, minimal queueing, really nice layout and a near-complete absence of "no-birds" made for a memorable morning.

I have no idea how it was going score-wise for people generally. I ended up with a 36, happy with that.

Think you will be in second with 36,i shot a 35 but dropped a couple of easy ones...i blame last nights BBQ.

Mulliner won on 37 i think,didn't get there till late so didn't see you.

 

[CharlesP]

No we shot off to the Barley Mow, where they serve Badger Best Bitter. That's the beer that my Local tells me is a bad batch and nobody is doing it right now...

Are you doing the 100 bird ESP that allegedly might happen on Wednesday at Purbeck maybe? 

 

[Hamster]

Another great day with Southdown reg scoring 86 which I'm very pleased about because between stands 3-11 I dropped only three birds which included some good straights on birds I'm not too fluid on, unfortunately dropped 4 birds on stands 1 and 12  , the saving grace being that it was the same bird each time meaning lack of knowledge rather than mental block etc, - then went to Horne with friends around 1.30 and managed 3rd in AA with 91 despite dropping the last two pairs off the platform  , shot the rest pretty well even if they're not world class targets. 

500 reg in 2 days is the most I've done  . Oh what it must be like to be either sponsored or idle rich.  :angel: