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

[Bebo]

Practice round at Willow Farm yesterday and I tried to implement a pre-shot routine to help me be more consistent and stop myself overthinking things between pairs.  Seemed to work well so I tried it again this morning at Gatton Bottom.  Had a little wobble in the middle and kept slowing up on teals (let 5 of those get away over two stands), but otherwise shot it well, finishing on 79.

 

[antse7en]

73 at GB, first reg since March after house purchase. Predictably dropped silly things but happy enough after the long break. Look to build on it next weekend and I’m back with RF on 30th. 

 

[Sian]

Four counties and Gatton Bottom for us today.  Was going well at Four Counties shot in order missing 6 on my first 7 stands, 3 on stand 6 alone which was 5 pairs but they were a nasty pair, edgy.    Stand 8 missed 4 floppy sim pair up in the trees and kept losing the second one in the tree line,  stand 9 missed 1, stand 10 missed 4 but two teal, one black and the orange further away on report, up through the greenery to emerge in cloud - got one of the orange but this will always get me.  Stand 11 down by pool shoot high crossing midi and closer left to right missed 1.  I was happy with 84 and doing well on most stands especially as 6 were 5 pairs.  Then to Horne where I finished on 80 but just sloppy on some.  Missed 1 on stand 1, 3 on stand 3, the last pair on stand 4 up the stairs, stand 5 hit the first 4 missed 3 and got the last one!  Stand 6 and 7 missed the second bird on first two pairs, stand 9 missed the first and last bird and a pair in the middle and then stand 12 that blinking rabbit missed 3.    I think I just need to concentrate a bit more sometimes, light was not to my liking at Horne, dull greedy/grey.   Bonus journey home was quick for once on M25.

 

[Bebo]

Four counties and Gatton Bottom for us today.  Was going well at Four Counties shot in order missing 6 on my first 7 stands, 3 on stand 6 alone which was 5 pairs but they were a nasty pair, edgy.    Stand 8 missed 4 floppy sim pair up in the trees and kept losing the second one in the tree line,  stand 9 missed 1, stand 10 missed 4 but two teal, one black and the orange further away on report, up through the greenery to emerge in cloud - got one of the orange but this will always get me.  Stand 11 down by pool shoot high crossing midi and closer left to right missed 1.  I was happy with 84 and doing well on most stands especially as 6 were 5 pairs.  Then to Horne where I finished on 80 but just sloppy on some.  Missed 1 on stand 1, 3 on stand 3, the last pair on stand 4 up the stairs, stand 5 hit the first 4 missed 3 and got the last one!  Stand 6 and 7 missed the second bird on first two pairs, stand 9 missed the first and last bird and a pair in the middle and then stand 12 that blinking rabbit missed 3.    I think I just need to concentrate a bit more sometimes, light was not to my liking at Horne, dull greedy/grey.   Bonus journey home was quick for once on M25.

Well shot.  My worst stands were 5 and 6.  Hit the first pair on 5 then didn't connect with the teal again.  I'd normally take a teal like that on the way up, but the movement from the first bird didn't lend itself to that and I'm pretty sure I shot under them at the top. Stand 6 missed the first pair due to poor hold on the first bird and then shot over the top of another of the going away pink things.  Also managed to randomly drop a pair on the sim on stand 3.  Other than that it was one or two away on most of the others.

 

[Jonny English]

Orston for the Lincs champs and a premier league shoot. Not the easiest course in the world, plenty of stuff that needed your full attention. Had one of my better days for a while turning in an 86, following my average of 75 for last period and due to go down into B class from A next week I was pretty pleased. Good turn out and everything went pretty smooth. Looking forward to the English on Friday now.

 

[Martinj]

Four counties and Gatton Bottom for us today.  Was going well at Four Counties shot in order missing 6 on my first 7 stands, 3 on stand 6 alone which was 5 pairs but they were a nasty pair, edgy.    Stand 8 missed 4 floppy sim pair up in the trees and kept losing the second one in the tree line,  stand 9 missed 1, stand 10 missed 4 but two teal, one black and the orange further away on report, up through the greenery to emerge in cloud - got one of the orange but this will always get me.  Stand 11 down by pool shoot high crossing midi and closer left to right missed 1.  I was happy with 84 and doing well on most stands especially as 6 were 5 pairs.  Then to Horne where I finished on 80 but just sloppy on some.  Missed 1 on stand 1, 3 on stand 3, the last pair on stand 4 up the stairs, stand 5 hit the first 4 missed 3 and got the last one!  Stand 6 and 7 missed the second bird on first two pairs, stand 9 missed the first and last bird and a pair in the middle and then stand 12 that blinking rabbit missed 3.    I think I just need to concentrate a bit more sometimes, light was not to my liking at Horne, dull greedy/grey.   Bonus journey home was quick for once on M25.

Well done Sian, top shot in Ladies in both shoots and top in B class at Four counties, I call that a good weekend!

 

[Geordieboy]

Shot Doveridge. Tricky and very testing course. But the hill at the end with 100 shells and a heavy gun and bag killed me.  

I dropped 14 targets over 4 stands and ruined my card.   That bloody hill!!!!!!

I'll remember that for next time.  I must lose 2 stones and get really fit before I go back

 

[Sian]

Well done Sian, top shot in Ladies in both shoots and top in B class at Four counties, I call that a good weekend!

Thank you.  Yes happy with the results and second week on the trot to have a class win!  I think it is the universe's way of saying "here have this on me because when the classification changes it'll never happen again"    I was particularly pleased with prevailing against some very good ladies.  

 

[Markh701]

“here have this on me because when the classification changes it'll never happen again”

welcome  to my world 

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

Went to Longridge to shoot the 'Super Sporting' on Saturday. Really enjoyable course that was certainly a couple steps up from a normal registered. Some targets that needed quite a gap. If you shoot the more long range pool shoots there then you will know the sort of big long crossers I'm talking about.

I finished up on 75 which was enough to take joint 2nd in class. Pleased with that as some of the targets took some shooting.

 

[paul b]

Shot Doveridge. Tricky and very testing course. But the hill at the end with 100 shells and a heavy gun and bag killed me.  

I dropped 14 targets over 4 stands and ruined my card.   That bloody hill!!!!!!

I'll remember that for next time.  I must lose 2 stones and get really fit before I go back

Try the hill stands form a wheelchair!that was bloody hard work but the targets were great.Ive not shot much sporting lately probably 300reg over the last 2 years,but my lad wants to start so ive got to start going round some sporting shoots with him.Was happy enough with 78 about half a dozen lost down to the stands being uneven and lost balance.

 

[Sian]

We decided to go to Hamcross Shoot - Will Thatcher’s shoot at Teffont.  Absolutely beautiful area to live in and the shooting ground was very pretty and the targets good.  Tony hadn’t been for about 15 years and I have never been.  It took 3 hrs to get there due to traffic but much better going home.  Squad of 3 and our ref was Tony Axcell whom many will know.  Such a fun afternoon even if my score was pants.  Lovely shoot barn with cake, crisps, chocolate, tea, coffee and soft drinks.  Have to say best ladies I’ve ever seen as well.  Saw Jes and Arnie from Southdown reffing and old Fred “last pair coming”.   A god mix of targets.

 

[schmokinn]

We decided to go to Hamcross Shoot - Will Thatcher’s shoot at Teffont.  Absolutely beautiful area to live in and the shooting ground was very pretty and the targets good.  Tony hadn’t been for about 15 years and I have never been.  It took 3 hrs to get there due to traffic but much better going home.  Squad of 3 and our ref was Tony Axcell whom many will know.  Such a fun afternoon even if my score was pants.  Lovely shoot barn with cake, crisps, chocolate, tea, coffee and soft drinks.  Have to say best ladies I’ve ever seen as well.  Saw Jes and Arnie from Southdown reffing and old Fred “last pair coming”.   A god mix of targets.

Shot there yesterday as well,beautiful place with great targets.

 

[Will Hewland]

Widdington today. Always look forward to these, with beautiful scenery and great target setting. I hadn’t shot for a while and was feeling rusty and unsettled. I think this was the toughest one I’ve shot there. 6 or 8 properly tough stands and the rest were no card fillers. Magnificent really, but as a course it was a bit relentless. I just didn’t touch two targets and didn’t really try enough change to find them, so that was 8 away very abruptly. Otherwise I just struggled a bit almost everywhere, finishing on 80, 6 below my average. A great shoot really, but I would have eased three stands off a bit.

Good to meet MartinJ.

 

[Bebo]

Started off today at Dartford.  Good course, only two stands I seriously under performed on.  The worse of those was a sim pair of low driven targets that I dropped 5 on.  Very pleased to straight a sim pair of rabbits, the first person of the day to do so.  Finished on 74, pretty much in line with my current average.

Then on to Court Farm.  Shot most of it steadily, with only three stands more than two away.  The worst of those was a following teal.  Missed two pairs in the middle, being cautious and trying to take them as they slowed towards the top.  Dropped my hold and shot the last pair on the way up - powdered them.  Kicked myself for not changing earlier.  Finished on 80, which was sufficient for ladies this week.

 

[jonz]

Widdington today. Always look forward to these, with beautiful scenery and great target setting. I hadn’t shot for a while and was feeling rusty and unsettled. I think this was the toughest one I’ve shot there. 6 or 8 properly tough stands and the rest were no card fillers. Magnificent really, but as a course it was a bit relentless. I just didn’t touch two targets and didn’t really try enough change to find them, so that was 8 away very abruptly. Otherwise I just struggled a bit almost everywhere, finishing on 80, 6 below my average. A great shoot really, but I would have eased three stands off a bit.

Good to meet MartinJ.

Which 2 was that? Stand 3 the right to left was the only one I had trouble with, thought the rest pretty steady 

 

[Martinj]

Widdington today. Always look forward to these, with beautiful scenery and great target setting. I hadn’t shot for a while and was feeling rusty and unsettled. I think this was the toughest one I’ve shot there. 6 or 8 properly tough stands and the rest were no card fillers. Magnificent really, but as a course it was a bit relentless. I just didn’t touch two targets and didn’t really try enough change to find them, so that was 8 away very abruptly. Otherwise I just struggled a bit almost everywhere, finishing on 80, 6 below my average. A great shoot really, but I would have eased three stands off a bit.

Good to meet MartinJ.

It was a pleasure to meet you too Will.

It was our first time at Widdington and we thought the site was very nice nestling in a valley in Salisbury plain, not far from mystical Stonehenge and all the other world famous archaeological sites in the area.

As for the shoot itself we struggled, as you said at the time it was relentless, other than stands 1 and 14? it was moderate to tough, shooting on sloping ground also played havoc with the footwork. Having said that all targets were hittable although some a bit extreme, I lost the plot somewhat with a score of 70, Phil shot 73 so we were maybe 12-14 below average.

Nice club house, friendly staff, first class bacon bap :thumbsup:

Highclere 60 birder fun shoot tomorrow

 

[Will Hewland]

Which 2 was that? Stand 3 the right to left was the only one I had trouble with, thought the rest pretty steady 

Stand 3 r-l I didn’t find. Think I was over doing it. then stand 4? L-r looper. 

 

[jonz]

Stand 3 r-l I didn’t find. Think I was over doing it. then stand 4? L-r looper. 

Thanks Will

stand 4 I hit the first 2 l-r looper then started to measure it and missed the last 2 any scores published for the shoot?

 

[Bebo]

Southdown this morning.  Mixed bag for me, shot some stands well others not so good.  Particularly peed off about my last 3 stands, where I managed to drop 11 clays, primarily by trying to be too careful - chucked away a couple of first pairs slowing the gun right up.  High point was Stand 13, where I learnt from yesterdays quickish teal error and hit all four by taking them a bit more aggressively.