Sporting Shoots; where- and how was it? (2018)

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Went up to the Midlands yesterday and had a play on the sporting, abt and skeet at Edgehill Shooting Ground. Stayed over and shot Honeberie for the first time ever. Was in good form to start with, only dropping 2 over the first six stands. Wobbled on a pair of driven targets and then took a while to stabilise myself, finally getting back on it by the last stand, which I straighted.  Finished on 79, but could have been considerably better.

Popped in to Horne as we passed it on the way home. Fairly solid start, but was definitely tiring and concentration going by the end. Dropped 10 on the last 3 stands to finish on 77. Pleased to straight the platform which had a tricky to see second bird.

 
Westfield, not been for quite a while as it usually clashes with other events where ones chums have a fondness of, today Bunter was, well me too on a bit of a clockwatch so as Westfield is on ones doorstep it became our choice for the day. Started on St11 went in reverse back to clubhouse. Not my finest hour here nor by far my worse old long seated problems with l-r haunted ones shooting and despite finding more of the distant targets than I expected too one cannot expect to put in a score of any note whilst allowing the l-rs to virtually reach next county before I pull trigger. Bunter shaded family honours just 2 targets in it today, everyone though was finding it "tricky" (Steve Lovatts own description also) and HG was sub 90 when I left (12.00).
Was due to go, but mind elsewhere this last week, haven’t shot for a little while, didn’t sleep well at all and just opted to stay home and watch F1 build up instead. My mates that went both did badly and said it was tough. RBSS on Wednesday will be the rust-shaking shoot for me.

 
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Started at Grange shooting by 9:45 and flew round, no waiting at all. Fairly tidy card apart from one 5 pair simo stand where I dropped 7 (completely addressed them wrong - down side of being first in to a stand!). Finished up on 81.

Down to Honesberie and felt like everything had clicked (must have been the McDonalds breakfast wrap before Grange). Some very close fast targets and some pretty big (and fast) targets. Ended on 87 which hopefully will be enough for a class win as I'd like to qualify for the series final!

 
Orston sportrap for a mate of mine and myself, not shot in 2 1/2 week's since the Jack Pyke so was expecting to be a little rusty. Only went and beat my personal best at sportrap by 5. Mate and myself did 89 and 88 to get 1st and 2nd in B class. Definetly one of our better days shooting beating a lot of shooters better ranked than us, and finally starting to find my feet with sportrap.

 
Royal Berks today, for their annual registered shoot. I hadn’t shot for 2 weeks so was glad to straight stand 1 (which rest of squad didn’t). As I suspected, RBSS set a testing course. They aren’t in the business of registered shoots and are more used to setting repeat entry “showcase” events, which is how this felt, indeed it was harder. I enjoyed it and the targets were great mainly. Only 1 easy stand with everything else ready to catch you out. I felt a pratt missing about 8 of what I did, finishing on 78 (8 below my average). It seemed to shoot harder than it looked for our whole squad. Three AA shooters on it and 81 was highest. 

Stand 12 made for a brutal finish. A 70-80 yard high l-r midi crosser and a 60-70 yard slower / even higher one. I bested our squad by hitting 4/8. Not your normal reg shoot stand, but a great challenge. 

 
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College Farm today. Great shoot as ever but I thought it was pretty tough. I’m amazed at Nick Portlocks 96 from yesterday.

I finished on 86 and didn’t do many “silly” misses; they just caught me out. I went the first six stands just 1 away before suffering a bad middle where it ramped up. I missed 5 on the tower, shooting very tricky edgey quartering aways, a long way out, below the feet. 

Lovely day, made me really concentrate.

 
Just got back from  Owls Lodge (horrendous traffic as per usual), nice shoot with a few closer targets which I missed 😆  carded an OK 90  :)

Nice to see some forum members including Zella who was kind enough to come over for a chat. 


 



 
Went to Owls, drove down from Bedford the M1, M25 & M3 at times gridlocked, nowhere near as badly as the opposite lane though, the M25 anticlockwise was all lanes crawl, didn't see any incident, do wonder without the M25 where this traffic would all go.

A very cherry squad, in short five superstars and me, Im not fond of orange & green targets, well it looks like I must be as I seem not to hit many of them and as we stared on st6 an orange teal & orange crosser and we had lots in our first seven stands - card wrecked. 

Think I was the only one in said squad to straight the driven, and pleasingly did straight st1 also, wobbled on st2 and car crash on the simo overheads finished off a lacklustre day for me on a course with a fair few of my problem targets.

Squad scores were though quite impressive, TimmyT 86, Kev the Captain 91, Nick Sparky Portlock 91 & Grant WelshWonder Pendleton 92.

 
Made the journey up to Garlands today for the 120 bird semi auto shoot combined with a normal 100 bird registered.

Shot the auto shoot first as wasn't feeling great so wanted to do the fun one in case I didn't feel up to both. It was really great fun! I ended up on 99/120 which (when I handed the card in) was 6th overall and 18 clear of the second person in B class. Hopefully that stuck. Ideally there would be more of these shoots, and hopefully at Westfields to save the extra travel.

Then I got the OU out and shot the sporting course. Stands I straighted with the auto (not even needing full use) I struggled massively on. Seems to have a really very different sight picture? I seemed to be shooting in front of stuff with the OU. Ended on 72, so the wheels had definitely fallen off!

 
Nice cheap days shooting, took my son for his 2nd Sunday scoring duties and decided to follow friends round without shooting due to a headache which I didn't want to aggravate, pity as even the big names were off their usual pace. Back at the log cabin noticed a score of mixed varieties of chokes all priced at £10 each ! 2 Briley extended 1/2's and a 3/4 took my notice and just couldn't turn them down for £20 😁  😛

 
Stayed closer to home today after last week's gallivanting. Court Farm. Nothing needing much lead although I found the line of one of the targets deceptive. Run of fairly decent form continues and I finished on 87.

 
After reffing duties at the British fitasc at Westfield, the world fitasc at E J Churchill and yesterday at St Dials for the last welsh selection shoot, it was time to make amends to my wife, so the gun stayed in the cabinet and we had lunch in a cracking restaurant overlooking Swansea bay, the sun was warm and the wine chilled.

Sometimes you just have to....

 
I went to AGL early today and just about to go out when I received a call telling me my longest standing friend had passed last night and had been found this morning.  I don’t know the details as yet, it certainly wasn’t expected although she had not been healthy for a while.  She’d had her knee done several months ago and due to being overweight and that physical problem she had been bent over and walking with a stick for a while.she was only 52.  I felt shell shocked and unable to cry and I went shooting.  Shooting for me is a way of escaping sometimes   I did well except for the on report driven dropping 7 and the simo teal (they like to call them going away) losing 6.  Odds and sods around lost but a hopeless score of 73.   No matter I don’t care today.  By the time I got finished I was ready to cry and I did.  I had known her for 42 years, we went to school together and for the past 23 years worked together.  She was a daily part of my life .

 
Good to see you at AGL Sian, sorry it wasn’t a happier day for you.

It was a good course, very varied with plenty of new stands. No totally easy stand. A sensible challenge everywhere. A long battue was perhaps the biggest worry (hit 2 missed 2). I was using my Perazzi for the first time in 3 years really, so I started badly mainly thinking about it before settling in. I missed a couple of simple aways near the end because it responds differently on quick stuff, but finished feeling I could shoot it. Ended up on 85, having tossed 5 away on first few stands.. Enjoyed the shoot.

 
My condolences Sian.

Shot AGL this afternoon on our way to a cottage we've rented for a couple of days as a base for visiting the game fair. I think it's commendable how they've been making the effort to vary the shooting positions for their Reg shoots. Really enjoyed this one. Straighted all the sim pairs, which is amazing as they are usually my bogey. Only hit one of those battues, but got all of the low pink that accompanied it. My run of decent form continued and I finished on 83. 

 
I went to AGL early today and just about to go out when I received a call telling me my longest standing friend had passed last night and had been found this morning.  I don’t know the details as yet, it certainly wasn’t expected although she had not been healthy for a while.  She’d had her knee done several months ago and due to being overweight and that physical problem she had been bent over and walking with a stick for a while.she was only 52.  I felt shell shocked and unable to cry and I went shooting.  Shooting for me is a way of escaping sometimes   I did well except for the on report driven dropping 7 and the simo teal (they like to call them going away) losing 6.  Odds and sods around lost but a hopeless score of 73.   No matter I don’t care today.  By the time I got finished I was ready to cry and I did.  I had known her for 42 years, we went to school together and for the past 23 years worked together.  She was a daily part of my life .
My condolences Sian. Such a shock and so young. It makes you feel grateful to be alive and for everything we have. You will probably find you’ll be shooting ok then it will pop into your head and you’ll be a wreck.  Take time to grieve. I’m afraid in my job I hear this all the time, I normally loose “elderly” clients every so often but the last few years I’m afraid I’ve lost more clients younger than me (58) than older ones which is quite worrying. 

My heart goes out to you but I’m sure Tony will give you a cuddle! Might see you Sunday at Southdown. Take care. 😘

 
My condolences Sian. Such a shock and so young. It makes you feel grateful to be alive and for everything we have. You will probably find you’ll be shooting ok then it will pop into your head and you’ll be a wreck.  Take time to grieve. I’m afraid in my job I hear this all the time, I normally loose “elderly” clients every so often but the last few years I’m afraid I’ve lost more clients younger than me (58) than older ones which is quite worrying. 

My heart goes out to you but I’m sure Tony will give you a cuddle! Might see you Sunday at Southdown. Take care. 😘
Thank you Donna.  Afraid not we will be in Wales as we are shooting the Perazzi and staying with my parents which I’m so glad about.

 
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