Learning curve

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CharlesP

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
557
Location
Hamworthy, Poole
This year I will be doing a lot of pottering and practice, all at sporting targets. Every week or so I'm beginning to see signs of improvement at some of my 'bogey' targets, and every week I see a little better consistency at the others. 

I will be receiving occasional coaching, and by the middle of the year will start to enter informal FITASC days.

I actually don't know what averages I'm scoring. I do attempt to keep count, but of course it's not comparing like with like as some days the more difficult stands are not available, or the perticular trap needs refilling.

I won't be making any changes just yet either to the fit of my 20g Urika, nor to the choke, which I 'run on four star' (!) as it were.

I am determined to find a reasonably priced 24 gram cartridge that will reliably cycle in my gun, and I have no plans to change the weapon itself.

As soon as I have established a fair approximation of an average score I'll tell you what I'm aiming for. But for the moment there are three or four on the layout that give me huge problems; mostly going away. There are two quartering/crossing things that scream out of the trap a nearly Mach 1 that I can't hit, both are the size of bumble bees. There'a another little one crossing at low level way in the distance which my old eyes have immense trouble seeing in the first place, never mind me trying to hit the thing.

Those are the ones I can almost never manage to hit. The others I can, but only sometimes.

The only way is up, as they say

 
Good, keep it up as apparently we all get better in the end - I'm still waiting.

 
Every now and again you reach a plateau which it takes time to cross before you can start on the upward track again!

 
I'm going to be doing something similar, now that I'll be doing less rifle shooting this year. 

However, I have watched others on their path to improving their clay shooting and what I'll be doing is this -

  • Finding a coach who is good but (almost more importantly), is on my 'wavelength', and sticking with them through the good time and the frustrating times.
  • Forget about my gun.  Clean it but accept that it shoots better than me and 1/4 choke will do for most things in a 12b.
  • Get some mental training by someone who knows what they're doing.  But perhaps, even more important as you become more experienced.  Read some of the great books on this in the meantime.
  • Always focus on the clay, not the gun.  Particularly difficult for me as a rifle shot .
  • Shoot a lot, an awful lot.  (Change jobs to earn more money as it won't be cheap!!)
  • Find a ground on which I can practice the targets that cause me difficulty.  And not leaving that stand until I can hit those clays!  When I can, then in time, do it again with tighter chokes.
  • Get onto the registered shoot circuit asap - but only when I'm 'reasonably competent' on shooting school layouts.

Good luck!

 
I'm going to be doing something similar, now that I'll be doing less rifle shooting this year. 

However, I have watched others on their path to improving their clay shooting and what I'll be doing is this -

  • Finding a coach who is good but (almost more importantly), is on my 'wavelength', and sticking with them through the good time and the frustrating times.
  • Forget about my gun.  Clean it but accept that it shoots better than me and 1/4 choke will do for most things in a 12b.
  • Get some mental training by someone who knows what they're doing.  But perhaps, even more important as you become more experienced.  Read some of the great books on this in the meantime.
  • Always focus on the clay, not the gun.  Particularly difficult for me as a rifle shot .
  • Shoot a lot, an awful lot.  (Change jobs to earn more money as it won't be cheap!!)
  • Find a ground on which I can practice the targets that cause me difficulty.  And not leaving that stand until I can hit those clays!  When I can, then in time, do it again with tighter chokes.
  • Get onto the registered shoot circuit asap - but only when I'm 'reasonably competent' on shooting school layouts.

Good luck!
Pop down to Owls Lodge....il happily stick on any bogey targets Duncan :hunter:

 
Pop down to Owls Lodge....il happily stick on any bogey targets Duncan :hunter:
Thanks Chris, may be a while before I even know what I can't hit but I hope to take you up on that offer maybe later in the year.  Very kind, thanks! :)

 
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