CharlesP
Well-known member
On Wednesday I attempted the FITASC at Purbeck. It all came as a bit of a culture shock.
Every now and then there's a "Farmers' FITASC" held sometimes at Purbeck, sometimes elsewhere, which I thought might be a gentle introduction to a different form of clay shooting. So I entered this week's competition, warning the organiser that it would be my first attempt, so please could he put me in a squad that was likely to be more tolerant of a bumbling newbie. I wasn't at all confident about a number of aspects, mostly the bit about not moving your gun until the target is in sight.
He was as good as his word, and I was squadded with a great bunch who were not just tolerant, but were friendly and helpful. Thanks guys!
I must say that I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. The actual procedure of four or five singles followed by a couple of doubles I grasped immediately, but the "free use of gun" is so completely alien to me that on more than one occasion after an early miss I was being prompted to "have another go!" by the rest of the squad. I said they were helpful, didn't I? And one gentleman went so far as to point out on two occasions that the bird I was confidently expecting to appear over there from that tree was in fact merrily soaring away from a completely different spot. Thanks Patrick. The "second shot syndrome" will take a bit of getting used to, and I must take care not to forget when I'm shooting ESP.
I did find the rule about keeping the gun still a real challenge; the squad watched like hawks at first and the referee did point out my straying from the path of FITASC rightfulness in the early stages, but as it became rapidly apparent that I wasn't going to be endangering anyone's place on a podium they treated me gently. It must have been that, I'm sure I was on a sort of autopilot for most of the day and I'm convinced that my gun was twitching like a dog with fleas the moment I called "pull".
After last month's registered FITASC at Purbeck - where the High Gun went to a chap who managed to score the only 100 straight registered FITASC score since the CPSA's digital records began - I was a bit surprised at the machiavellian nature of some of the targets, with lots of variations of speed, direction, distance and trajectory. There were groans from most of the squad when one bumble bee sized clay shot out of the gorse into the trees, groans when two "opposition pair" pheasants from high towers were presented as a simultaneous pair, and various other targets designed to challenge. It was not an easy layout in any sense of the word. Naturally that didn't stop a few very respectable scores; wherever you go and no matter how challenging the birds there are always people who seem to take them in their stride. I have posted on this forum recently that my own performance at the moment is dire, but I did manage a few and even though my score is well short of what I would like I was OK while my energy lasted. But the morning porridge didn't last long enough!
I wasn't prepared for the amount of time it takes to get round. With a squad of eight, and swapping after the singles then doing the doubles (even with a crunchy bunch who weren't faffing about) did take longer than I expected. I had forgotten to take something snacky to sort out blood sugar, and I was might relieved when we broke off for lunch. That was a surprise, too. I simply hadn't cottoned on to the fact that the entry fee included a sit-down lunch, which was lasagne and chips with salad followed in most cases with apple crumble and custard. Brilliuant! A reservation that evening for dinner in Poole meant I had to say no to the pudding (dammit) but I was most impressed that Purbeck Shooting School managed to put what seemed like an awful lot of lunches in front of a lot of hungry shooters in such a short time. Well done guys.
I shot really badly down in the valley at Windfall, and badly after lunch. But I really enjoyed the experience, and when (not if) I do it again I promise to try very hard to keep my gun still. I will also try very hard to hit a few more!
Brilliant fun, a great day out, with proof if proof were needed that I'm getting old. Well done Purbeck Shooting School, and well done Richard Pike for arranging it all. Thank you
My fatigue was such that at the dinner later I had insufficient remaining strength to stop the wine waiter refilling my glass. Several times.
Every now and then there's a "Farmers' FITASC" held sometimes at Purbeck, sometimes elsewhere, which I thought might be a gentle introduction to a different form of clay shooting. So I entered this week's competition, warning the organiser that it would be my first attempt, so please could he put me in a squad that was likely to be more tolerant of a bumbling newbie. I wasn't at all confident about a number of aspects, mostly the bit about not moving your gun until the target is in sight.
He was as good as his word, and I was squadded with a great bunch who were not just tolerant, but were friendly and helpful. Thanks guys!
I must say that I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. The actual procedure of four or five singles followed by a couple of doubles I grasped immediately, but the "free use of gun" is so completely alien to me that on more than one occasion after an early miss I was being prompted to "have another go!" by the rest of the squad. I said they were helpful, didn't I? And one gentleman went so far as to point out on two occasions that the bird I was confidently expecting to appear over there from that tree was in fact merrily soaring away from a completely different spot. Thanks Patrick. The "second shot syndrome" will take a bit of getting used to, and I must take care not to forget when I'm shooting ESP.
I did find the rule about keeping the gun still a real challenge; the squad watched like hawks at first and the referee did point out my straying from the path of FITASC rightfulness in the early stages, but as it became rapidly apparent that I wasn't going to be endangering anyone's place on a podium they treated me gently. It must have been that, I'm sure I was on a sort of autopilot for most of the day and I'm convinced that my gun was twitching like a dog with fleas the moment I called "pull".
After last month's registered FITASC at Purbeck - where the High Gun went to a chap who managed to score the only 100 straight registered FITASC score since the CPSA's digital records began - I was a bit surprised at the machiavellian nature of some of the targets, with lots of variations of speed, direction, distance and trajectory. There were groans from most of the squad when one bumble bee sized clay shot out of the gorse into the trees, groans when two "opposition pair" pheasants from high towers were presented as a simultaneous pair, and various other targets designed to challenge. It was not an easy layout in any sense of the word. Naturally that didn't stop a few very respectable scores; wherever you go and no matter how challenging the birds there are always people who seem to take them in their stride. I have posted on this forum recently that my own performance at the moment is dire, but I did manage a few and even though my score is well short of what I would like I was OK while my energy lasted. But the morning porridge didn't last long enough!
I wasn't prepared for the amount of time it takes to get round. With a squad of eight, and swapping after the singles then doing the doubles (even with a crunchy bunch who weren't faffing about) did take longer than I expected. I had forgotten to take something snacky to sort out blood sugar, and I was might relieved when we broke off for lunch. That was a surprise, too. I simply hadn't cottoned on to the fact that the entry fee included a sit-down lunch, which was lasagne and chips with salad followed in most cases with apple crumble and custard. Brilliuant! A reservation that evening for dinner in Poole meant I had to say no to the pudding (dammit) but I was most impressed that Purbeck Shooting School managed to put what seemed like an awful lot of lunches in front of a lot of hungry shooters in such a short time. Well done guys.
I shot really badly down in the valley at Windfall, and badly after lunch. But I really enjoyed the experience, and when (not if) I do it again I promise to try very hard to keep my gun still. I will also try very hard to hit a few more!
Brilliant fun, a great day out, with proof if proof were needed that I'm getting old. Well done Purbeck Shooting School, and well done Richard Pike for arranging it all. Thank you
My fatigue was such that at the dinner later I had insufficient remaining strength to stop the wine waiter refilling my glass. Several times.
