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

[Doug Pinnegar]

The usual monthly visit to Ian Coley's yesterday for me.

Really enjoyable course and, thanks to a couple of B/O entries I ended up with some winnings with 81/100.

Very pleased to only drop one of the big crossers on stand 3 and take a 7.

 

[Bebo]

Just finished at EJC. Fairly gruelling round with some long waits in the sun. Hit some of the big targets well and fluffed some of the simpler stuff, especially the sim pairs. Finished on 63. I take some consolation from hitting every one of the big crossers on Stand 8.

 

[Will Hewland]

Just finished at EJC. Fairly gruelling round with some long waits in the sun. Hit some of the big targets well and fluffed some of the simpler stuff, especially the sim pairs. Finished on 63. I take some consolation from hitting every one of the big crossers on Stand 8.

Another GD course I gather. It all feels very fiddly and not rewarding to shoot. Hard to see, not much time, edgey. I shot badly and didn’t enjoy it much.. 89 was leading when I left..

 

[Bebo]

Another GD course I gather. It all feels very fiddly and not rewarding to shoot. Hard to see, not much time, edgey. I shot badly and didn’t enjoy it much.. 89 was leading when I left..

I completely screwed the overheads on Stand 9 I think was. Hit the second pair and that was it. Couldn't find a comfortable hold point and seeing the mini was a struggle.

I really need to do something about my inability to do well on sim pairs. Cost me a lot of targets today.

 

[Will Hewland]

I completely screwed the overheads on Stand 9 I think was. Hit the second pair and that was it. Couldn't find a comfortable hold point and seeing the mini was a struggle.

I really need to do something about my inability to do well on sim pairs. Cost me a lot of targets today.

I hit 3 on there! The first target screamed through the sun and the second, the mini, no birded most times. When it appeared it was anywhere within a 20 foot wide area. And I wasn’t very chuffed before I walked in to shoot it.. Apparently the minis had melted. They sorted it later. 

 

[Hamster]

I shot 3 magpies and 7 crows with the rimmie, I thought Churchill's was next week   .

 

[chippy]

A tip for everyone. Don't shoot a fairly tough sporting with a 27" sxs that you haven't shot for two years. 55 my lowest score since I started shooting.

 

[Markh701]

Can only get better !

 

[Will Hewland]

Seeing as I rarely shoot FSP and haven’t shot it at all for 15 months, the England Selection shoot at Valley View was always going to be a big ask.

A long day made a bit longer by melting clays causing no birds. Worked hard at coolest clothing solution and had a big cold box so I had chilled water ready all day. It was hot and the last layout was without shade. The lady ref looked like a lobster.

I started on plantation layout, which was fairly tame for this level I thought. Hit 22 and should have done more. 

Second layout, Sequoia, was a mass of long targets. It looked very tough but went better than I thought for me with another 22. Highlight of my day.

Third layout was Valley View, which was very edgey. Here the wheels fell right off. I discovered that when shooting gun-down, something very odd is going on with me and I can’t hit a simple (if quick) looking going-away target. And there were many, so an awkward 15..

Last layout (I forget name) was the one that was scoring lowest for most. Very tricky stuff, one or two long ones too, finished on 18, a bit disappointed with 77 total but enjoyed the experience. FSP does need to be shot 50, break then last 50 to speed up the day though..

 

[wylye]

Last layout (I forget name) was the one that was scoring lowest for most. Very tricky stuff, one or two long ones too, finished on 18, a bit disappointed with 77 total but enjoyed the experience. FSP does need to be shot 50, break then last 50 to speed up the day though..



Before Fitasc became a numbers game when it started to deliberately attract Eng. Sporting shooters it was a wonderful, leisurely day out amongst good friends and like minded people. It took from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, three quarters of an hour break between layouts to drink tea and reflect on your success/failures and time for a decent bite to eat at midday. Then 'new system' and 'a mixture of old and new system' came along to push through sporting - like numbers during a short day shooting what was essentially a version of super sporting. Spoiled it in my opinion and in the opinion of others too. There no doubt grounds made money out of it and sporting shooters had no reason to moan about the time taken to shoot a competition. But........ and its a big but. -  its not Fitasc. Personally  I don't enjoy it and the prospect of shooting 100 so=called Fitasc straight through without a break fills me with dread and foreboding. But then nostalgia isn't what it used to be is it?

 

[Will Hewland]

Last layout (I forget name) was the one that was scoring lowest for most. Very tricky stuff, one or two long ones too, finished on 18, a bit disappointed with 77 total but enjoyed the experience. FSP does need to be shot 50, break then last 50 to speed up the day though..



Before Fitasc became a numbers game when it started to deliberately attract Eng. Sporting shooters it was a wonderful, leisurely day out amongst good friends and like minded people. It took from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, three quarters of an hour break between layouts to drink tea and reflect on your success/failures and time for a decent bite to eat at midday. Then 'new system' and 'a mixture of old and new system' came along to push through sporting - like numbers during a short day shooting what was essentially a version of super sporting. Spoiled it in my opinion and in the opinion of others too. There no doubt grounds made money out of it and sporting shooters had no reason to moan about the time taken to shoot a competition. But........ and its a big but. -  its not Fitasc. Personally  I don't enjoy it and the prospect of shooting 100 so=called Fitasc straight through without a break fills me with dread and foreboding. But then nostalgia isn't what it used to be is it?

I think all-day Fitasc is a weird drawn out escape for old boys who obviously don’t enjoy being home with their wives. But we all have our own view..

 

[wylye]

Yes but at least we do have wives who also appreciate being left alone for a few hours to do the things they enjoy and none of us really give a flying ****  about averages and classifications, unlike some. Then we all have our view don't we?

 

[schmokinn]

For me i shot my first the other week that was pretty much straight through and i enjoyed it not sure i would enjoy 6 hours of it but i guess i will see at some point.

Surely it would be possible to shoot at both speeds over the same course with a little bit of thought into the planning you could fit other squads into the gaps?

Would satisfy in several ways people who want to shoot straight through would be happy and the ones who want a gap would be able to berate them over their tea  :biggrin:

 

[donna]

Last layout (I forget name) was the one that was scoring lowest for most. Very tricky stuff, one or two long ones too, finished on 18, a bit disappointed with 77 total but enjoyed the experience. FSP does need to be shot 50, break then last 50 to speed up the day though..



Before Fitasc became a numbers game when it started to deliberately attract Eng. Sporting shooters it was a wonderful, leisurely day out amongst good friends and like minded people. It took from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, three quarters of an hour break between layouts to drink tea and reflect on your success/failures and time for a decent bite to eat at midday. Then 'new system' and 'a mixture of old and new system' came along to push through sporting - like numbers during a short day shooting what was essentially a version of super sporting. Spoiled it in my opinion and in the opinion of others too. There no doubt grounds made money out of it and sporting shooters had no reason to moan about the time taken to shoot a competition. But........ and its a big but. -  its not Fitasc. Personally  I don't enjoy it and the prospect of shooting 100 so=called Fitasc straight through without a break fills me with dread and foreboding. But then nostalgia isn't what it used to be is it?

When Phil and I started shooting first time around many, many years ago Fitasc was an all day shoot but it was GREAT.  We met so many people who have become friends over the years as in between layouts you sat, had a chat, coffee, etc and talked!  I suppose it’s different for us as we both shoot or, when I didn’t shoot much I was very happy to tag along with him and meet up with friends,  I usually got talked into running the pool shoot or scoring etc but I loved it.  Wylye is right, what you are shooting now is not the fitasc of old and in my opinion is not as enjoyable.  I just loved the system of one layout shot from 3 different stands.

 

[Will Hewland]

Westfield today, Gloucestershire champs. Steve Lovatt felt it was easier than the last few shoots, but I would say it was different. Maybe not as many longer targets but more tricky stuff. As ever a pleasure to shoot there. Trashed my card on stand 2 missing 4. Just brain fade as it was perhaps the easiest of the course. Finished on 86 which felt 6 or 7 light if I add back in the daft misses today.

Long weekend of shooting over. BBQ evening here I come..

 

[wylye]

For me i shot my first the other week that was pretty much straight through and i enjoyed it not sure i would enjoy 6 hours of it but i guess i will see at some point.

Surely it would be possible to shoot at both speeds over the same course with a little bit of thought into the planning you could fit other squads into the gaps?

Would satisfy in several ways people who want to shoot straight through would be happy and the ones who want a gap would be able to berate them over their tea  :biggrin:

Mark, when you shoot fitasc over four layouts its only possible for four squads to shoot at the same time. The other four squads have to entertain themselves for 45mins. 'New system' tried to overcome the gaps by having three separate pegs with three squads shooting one layout. Hence 'super sporting".

 

[Will Hewland]

Mark, when you shoot fitasc over four layouts its only possible for four squads to shoot at the same time. The other four squads have to entertain themselves for 45mins. 'New system' tried to overcome the gaps by having three separate pegs with three squads shooting one layout. Hence 'super sporting".

Morning and a pm rotation. 50, break 50. Never heard a shooter reckon this wasn’t good..

 

[wylye]

How much Fitasc do you shoot Will?

 

[Will Hewland]

How much Fitasc do you shoot Will?

Not much. It’s awful. 

 

[Clynt]

I used to enjoy Fitasc , rules have been eased , see alot of gun creep , has it not now become a numbers game , ?? some very mediocre targets ??? when it was at it's best 36g was used , 3 pegs shooting targets from traps where the art of the game was positioning the stds , if my memory serves me right , a shooter should be able to get two barrels off at any single , nothing inside a range that would make any live quarry uneatable ? no changing of chokes once shooting a parcours started ?? grounds want numbers through to make it more profitable ? a certain amount of   dilution seems to have turned it into something it was surely not meant to be ??? I know shooters seem of a higher level , but when I shot the World championship in Villamoura ( many moons ago haha ) there were cars up for prizes on two parcours if straighted  !!! and nobody moaned it was too hard , think it was won with scores under 180/200 ?? no eye sight tests , some big old targets ,and plenty of variation , you put your gun into the on-site gun room , were given a tag and the gun was presented to you next day cleaned and oiled , nice touch ,and made you feel like a customer being appreciated ....