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

[Bebo]

Another weekend without a Reg shoot for me while the OH is getting used to his new gun.  Shot the open comp at Willow Farm yesterday.  Good course considering they had to cram it into two-thirds of the space they usually use as the rear part of the ground was flooded.  I managed to stuff up a sim pair of overheads, dropping 6, and missed a few easy ones that I shouldn't have to finish on 78.  Particularly frustrated at dropping 6 over the last two stands primarily through carelessness.  It was enough to take the ladies prize anyway, but reckon I could have got into the mid-80s with a little more thought.

Back to the Reg shoots this weekend as off for a trip in the camper.  AGL Friday and probably Orston Sunday.

 

[chippy]

As for the gun theft issue - it definitely makes you think. Sure I would not leave mine in a rack but how many of us put our slip down whilst queueing at a stand and then see a friend, have a chat and dont look back for a few mins? Unless you keep it on your shoulder from start to finish then there is always a chance some scrote can steal it.

Iam sure that everyone on this site has done this at some time. Busy stand, bag down gun in slip on top, go and put your card in or have a look at the targets.

 

[antse7en]

Day of practice and lesson scheduled tomorrow with RF at Owls. Looking forward to it. 

 

[Lloyd]

Iam sure that everyone on this site has done this at some time. Busy stand, bag down gun in slip on top, go and put your card in or have a look at the targets.

Sounds plausible. 

I was taught gun safety in the military. The rifle was either in your hand/sleeping bag or in the armoury. 

My shotgun is either in my hand or in the gun room at the grounds. Though I do have a gun safe both at home and in my car, my gun is safest in the gun room at the grounds. In my hands I would say is the next best situation. Anything else is a risk in my eyes

 

[Richard59]

Oxfordshire today, drove down from Wakefield in some dreadful weather which disappeared as I crossed M40, really was grim up north. Ground as as boggy as Id ever seen it and was thankful the wellies were in car and soon on feet. Thought a few too many edge on targets, one stand a simo l-r pair of rockets, a full orange clay chased and overtook by a midi that appeared & disappeared like a dot at light speed, most probably ruined a card or lots Id imagine, if on report it would still have been a challenge to the many. It was again evident that the ground are making new shooting positions and beginning to open up previously unused areas. Shooting wise apart from two stands of of brain farts and a change of approach (which did not work) on a rabbit, got more right than wrong. It was a most enjoyable afternoon out with some very pleasant people, the heavy rain started as soon as I began the drive home, appears is also grim down south too.

 

[P1Fanatic]

Nice trip to AGL this morning. Checked my scores and last time I shot the ground was in January so its been a while! Lovely day for shooting and warmer than forecast. Was busy first thing so picked my way around the stands to avoid too much queueing. Pretty decent round straighting 6 stands. Didn't even scare the battue on stand 4 so dropped all those. Only other bad stand was 9 with the sun in your eyes. I moved too far left in the stand to block the sun so my barrels were too close and distracted me. Dropped 4 there also. Final stand with the hoop I stupidly took the driven as a crosser before realising I could move my feet. Ended on an 86 which I was pleased with. Bumped into Will on the way around.

 

[antse7en]

80 for me at AGL. As the old saying goes could so easily have been more. Sloppy! Shot with @Spr1985 which was an absolute pleasure, also seeing a number of familiar faces.

As I said to somebody earlier I might have done better throwing a stone at that stand 4 battue

Still, very much looking forward to tackling 2020 as I move into year #2. 

 

[Will Hewland]

Stupid Battue at AGL. I calculate 740 were launched today and it was hit 35 times. I won’t comment further or I will remind myself why I don’t allow myself to go on forums and FB much anymore.

 

[Lloyd]

Honesberie today. Change of scene from my usual Friday afternoon at Sporting targets. Threw me a little, miss judging lead on the target presentations. Took a little while for it to dawn on me what I was doing wrong and was sort of ok after that, but once again, I was checking the a sight picture and stopping the gun! 

I know my hand/eye co-ordination is good. My line and speed is good and movement smooth. My pre shot planning and reading of the target is much improved, yet hit a target and then miss due to checking if I’m doing the same thing the second time or missing and checking on the next shot what I need to adjust. I’m really struggling to break out of this habit. 

On the whole though, I’m not ashamed of myself as I have still yet to shoot my 1,000 clay. Still, it’s frustrating. 

 

[Bebo]

Stupid Battue at AGL. I calculate 740 were launched today and it was hit 35 times. I won’t comment further or I will remind myself why I don’t allow myself to go on forums and FB much anymore.

I managed to hit one of those battue. Was so shocked I missed the easy following bird!

Other than Stand 4 I had two other shockers - 6 and 8. Could not hit the dropping targets on either of those. Might have been too far under the one on 6, but no idea where I was missing the one on 8. Dropped 12 on those two stands, another 4 on Stand 4. Shot the rest pretty well to finish on 76.

 

[chippy]

What was the problem with the battue.  Distance or visibility? I didn't do the shoot just interested

 

[antse7en]

What was the problem with the battue.  Distance or visibility? I didn't do the shoot just interested

My view: it was fairly far out, moving on an arc left to right coming from behind the trees. It was also angled away so it was gone in no time. I saw it hit twice (both JBD) from something like 8 shooters. 

There was a very noticeable visual ‘delay’ between the shot and the break backing up the distance. 

If I could shoot it again I’d go maintained lead and reduce my hand speed. 

Edit: to add I don’t believe visibility was an issue, it wasn’t an eye test IMO. 

 

[Will Hewland]

What was the problem with the battue.  Distance or visibility? I didn't do the shoot just interested

It might have been fine if the trap had been further left. As it was, trap was only just to the left, up a bank. So on full spring it went L-R, slightly away. Once it had stopped being a blur it was already to your right, needing 25 feet lead and then starting to drop and go edge on. Now 100 yards. Other than that it was a doddle. 

As Ant says, it was visible but still daft. 

 

[Hamster]

We need more big targets. Not.

 

[chippy]

It might have been fine if the trap had been further left. As it was, trap was only just to the left, up a bank. So on full spring it went L-R, slightly away. Once it had stopped being a blur it was already to your right, needing 25 feet lead and then starting to drop and go edge on. Now 100 yards. Other than that it was a doddle. 

As Ant says, it was visible but still daft. 

sounds easy enough. my method would have been. place the gun on line,pull the trigger and call pull.

 

[Richard59]

Owls last Thursday, as ever I was in very good company, the company was the highlight of my day as alas did not fare too well, not a case of "must try harder" as it was more a case of trying too hard if you get drift. JBDay was HG youngster seemingly in very good form as of late (mind you when is he not) 

Went to ICS saturday to banish some demons, was handed a prize form a summer reg, a placing in that was one of a few summer highlights as today duly drop a class as a reflection of my summers efforts. 

Not out sunday, it was very very chilly walking dog first thing, hope its not cold enough to spoil anyones day.

 

[antse7en]

Just shot Horne - I shouldn’t have bothered due to the time. 7 stands in direct sun - I just threw the gun and hoped as just couldn’t see them. Lesson learned - go in the morning. And maybe but some 10ED. An embarrassing score, practically straighted all the other stands. Oh well purged from memory onto the next.

 

[Hamster]

Just shot Horne - I shouldn’t have bothered due to the time. 7 stands in direct sun - I just threw the gun and hoped as just couldn’t see them. Lesson learned - go in the morning. And maybe but some 10ED. An embarrassing score, practically straighted all the other stands. Oh well purged from memory onto the next.

Oh yes Court Farm, I got caught up in a pathetic set up a while back, can’t see the clays you can’t shoot them. 

 

[Bebo]

Orston. Shot sh*te, random missed targets and dropped pairs all over the place. All my own fault, just letting the gun drift and not finishing my shots properly.

There was one piss poor target. A high mini going right to left, straight through the sun just about where you would expect to pick it up.

 

[Jonny English]

Orston. Shot sh*te, random missed targets and dropped pairs all over the place. All my own fault, just letting the gun drift and not finishing my shots properly.

There was one piss poor target. A high mini going right to left, straight through the sun just about where you would expect to pick it up.

Orston was hit with more disaster today as well. Gun stolen last week, this week blue Nissan navarra with a dog in the back taken from the car park. Big push on social media to try and get the dog back which is recovering from recent surgery.