2014 aims - update from "2014 plans" thread

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ehb102

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Sep 18, 2012
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Cambridgeshire
In the thread 2014 plans '&do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> we were asked how we were planning to achieve our goals.I said I was only committing to six months of plans.Six months is nearly up so here's my update.
 
Split my shooting budget between registered competitions, practice and social shooting. I need all three kinds and I need to do some social shooting with different people. I want to know how to be a good shot more than I want to prove it in competition, but I want to enjoy shooting most of all.
 
I'm still doing this although possibly there has been more social shooting than practice. Dabbling with skeet has been helpful in terms of learning how to be a better shot, but I can't say I'm overly enamoured of the competition scene. I'm down to shoot the inter counties again though. The social shooting is fabulous. I haven't been to a registered for a couple of months because of all the social shooting.
 
Find a shooting coat to wear so my gun mount can be consistent. 
 
I actually got the stock changed on my gun. Apparently I need a lot of right hand cast. Since that was sorted for me (Thank you Martin Barker of Nuthampstead for identifying the problem and Justin Risby for kindly providing me with an adjustable back plate for the stock) my gun mount is much, much easier. I do have a nice tweed coat as well, but I'm mostly seen out and about in my old clay shooting coat. 
 
Learn to accurately assess distance in yards by eye, by marking out measured distances with chalk and actually seeing it. Or visit a nice pattern plate with marked out distances. 
 
I was thinking about this the other day. Where the heck does one find chalk these days? Never mind, it will soon be summer and Tesco will stock it again. I also keep meaning to visit the pattern plate at Sporting Targets because apparently that's nicely marked out. but they never seem to have any of the paper thingies you need to shoot at. So I have to mark this one "ongoing".
 
Thoroughly learn my sight patterns for crossers, hopefully up to 60 yards. I keep giving them too much lead, mostly because I don't really know what I'm shooting at in terms of distance. 
 
Having reached the point where I was so frustrated I was about to explode it turns out that I'd managed to teach myself swing through, which in itself is fine but if you shoot the same bird with different methods you need a different amount of lead. No wonder things never seemed the same twice. Now I am conscious of the difference and pick one method or the other to use on one bird. It took a lesson to work that out - well, actually it took Coach Ed ten shots on three different crossers, so about ten minutes including time moving between stands. I haven't managed the sixty yard crosser yet, so more to aim for.
 
Use my chokes properly. I rarely change them, but did for the 40 yard tower on Saturday and broke lots of clays. 
 
Not a lot of point when I haven't done the bit about learning to estimate distances yet. I have changed up to half and half rather than quarter and quarter all the time, and have been known to look at really far away sport trap and put in a three quarters, but only because I couldn't find my second half that day. Also Coach said "Change chokes, I'll break your fingers" and given he proved to me my gun with two quarter chokes and 21g can break clay at 60 yards I can't get too worked up about it. Ongoing, although it seems such a shame to have a double set and never use most of them.
 
Teach myself to shoot birds on the drop. It's a really useful skill. 
 
I have played with this a little, but got a bit distracted by really far away teals. The timing of the 80 yard teal needs more work, I managed it once.
 
Practice rising going away birds. I hate them most of all. A pair will beat me.
 
I'm definitely better at these, although sometimes I don't quite get whether I should pull the gun through or bring the gun up to just underneath them. I reckon this will always be ongoing.
 
Twist the arm of the ladies who keep promising to take me to shoot trap to make it actually happen. We only have DTL at my local club. 
 
I shot OT at Nuthampstead. It was great fun, even though I was using a borrowed gun, and I want to do it again.
 
Not say anything about how a stand looks really hard when I get there. Apparently it's doubly annoying if I can hit them after all. That's a bad habit I need to stop in its tracks, even if I genuinely don't know how to shoot them when I get there. 
 
Done. 
 
Get a Chelsea Bun Club straight. I've hit 29/30 and bottled it because of the adrenalin rush. The birds are harder now so I might not be able to make it happen, but it's an aim, and practising consistency is good for me. 
 
Ongoing. Every time I have hopes there's a really good reason why it's not happening that day. Gives me something to aim for.
 
Kill a pigeon with a shotgun. If these numerous but nebulous invitations to shoot pigeon don't come off I'll hire a pigeon guide.
I won the pigeon shooting in the silent auction recently. I'm looking forward to a day in the field. 
 
Shoot the British Side by Side championships, or a county one if it's in a difficult location for me.
 
I've had the stock altered on the side by side (a Baikal known affectionately as "Boris") and have a lesson booked to help me with translation between that and the O/U. I spent more than a box of cartridges on a rabbit that I killed straight off with a borrowed O/U so I'm obviously doing something wrong now I've had the stock altered. I don't know what you all have against Baikals, mine is lovely. Anyway, the AGL SxS championship is in my diary and I'm hoping that I'll have some ladies to squad with me. 
 
Shoot the Fenland show and place in ladies' class, re-entering if necessary.
 
Fenland show isn't until August, but I shot Kelmarsh and won ladies'. That'll do me.
 
Shoot my County's ESP qualifiers.
 
They are next month.
 
Keep shooting as fun as it has been this year.
 
So far, so good. More to learn, more to do, more to shoot.
 
The important thing that did happen that wasn't included in my aims is that I think the Nuthampstead gunsmith Justin Risby solved the intermittent firing problem on y 425. I was convinced there was a burr somewhere on some bit of the mechanism that was having an impact and Justin, who works with vision enhancers, confirmed that there had indeed been a small metal burr that may have been responsible for occasional failure to fire. I am very impressed with Justin, especially as other highly esteemed gunsmiths did not work at this level and the problem continued. Justin has also taken the lead out of my stock on my request as not only was my gun now so bloody heavy my arms ached after a dozen birds, but it was suggested that this might responsible for me feeling that I'm being punched in the teeth every time I use a 28g cartridge. We'll see. If I had my time again I'd have shorter (or lighter) barrels, but you know, gun goes bang, it's not the issue.
 
 
Liz. With regards to the chalk, you could struggle, but try your local tyre fitters. They use a yellow waxy sort of crayon thing for marking tyres and tubes. I feel certain that they would part with one of those to you.

An excellent post and I wish you all of the best in achieving your personal goals. Make em ave it Girl !

 
Having read and been suitably impressed by the above from Liz, it has reduced my blood pressure considerably. Perhaps I should explain. I have just returned from my usual Sunday morning Pesioners meeting at the local clay ground. I had spent yesterday afternoon running a 'have a go' stand at a local private function where I had instructed some 40+ people in the basics of shotgun shooting. With my Beretta auto and 24 grams of felt wads, each getting 5 shots it passed without incident and EVERY single person hitting a simple slow incomer with some aplomb. I then go to my local ground this morning to witness Mr. Macho and his 2 Female companions. I have encountered this 'coach' before. The last time was when he managed to give himself a black eye by getting his face a bit close to the ejection port on an 1100. However, there he is today, using a side by side and an O/U and 'coaching' the 2 young Females. After seeing the first girl get smacked in the face by the SxS (head lifting, stock too low) and then the other girl with the O/U which was out on her upper arm due to stock length,  get knocked all over the place, i picked up one of the ejected shells .........................30 grams 6 shot clear pigeons. (I should have realised by the leather cartridge bag on the floor). I offered the use of my Beretta auto, which was declined "no, these guns are fine". Mr. Macho promptly went on to show how it should be done. It was nice to learn that it was the high wind affecting the clays that was causing him to miss. I could not take any more and had to walk away. Problem is, that is probably 2 young Ladies who will never go near a gun again. So, thank you Liz,  it was a treat to learn some Ladies go about things in the correct manner and avoid the 'Richard Head' Instructors out there.

 
So, thank you Liz,  it was a treat to learn some Ladies go about things in the correct manner and avoid the 'Richard Head' Instructors out there.
Thank you, Westley. I've just returned from the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club conference. There were a hundred women there, the majority of whom are still new to shooting, so rest assured there are lots of us out there, spreading the word. 

I do like to get the chance to distribute the odd pair of 21g cartridges for other ladies to try. Gave a nice lass at Nuthampstead a pair of 20G 21g and she said that she hardly felt them. I will convert the world!

 
Liz, I love your structured approach to your shooting and your very clear aims of where you want to be with your sport.

If any other ladies, juniors or basically any new shooters who may be a little unsure of things are reading this, please,please,please take Liz's approach on board, and particularly read and take in Westley's post about "Mr Macho" the instructor. I know it will be difficult to tell the difference from Westley to the "wrong" instructor, but if your first experience is not good, try someone else as it doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience.

These people know what they are talking about.  :biggrin:   Shooting is s great sport, it is not a form of punishment.

 
Liz, I love your structured approach to your shooting and your very clear aims of where you want to be with your sport.
Thanks, No.1topdog. It's hard not to get swept up in competition fever, but I'm resisting. I like the fact shooting is a sport you can be really bad at without affecting anyone else's enjoyment. Shooting is mixed groups isn't a problem. 

 
Thanks, No.1topdog. It's hard not to get swept up in competition fever, but I'm resisting. I like the fact shooting is a sport you can be really bad at without affecting anyone else's enjoyment. Shooting is mixed groups isn't a problem. 
And thank something or other for that!

As someone who is 6 months into their SGC, and shoots with you from time to time, I really should take a leaf out of your book for the structured approach.  Sadly, I'm still at the "stick go bang, sometimes small whizzy thing smash; what fun, do it again!!!" stage to be quite as organised, but I'll manage one of these days! 

If you want to go and hang out at Nuthampstead sometime let me know, will make a change from CGC.

 
An update to this:

 
Kill a pigeon with a shotgun. If these numerous but nebulous invitations to shoot pigeon don't come off I'll hire a pigeon guide.
I bought the pigeon day in the silent auction. I had a lovely time and did manage to bring down a couple of birds, and breast and cook them later. I'm going out again next week with a nice gentleman from another forum who has offered to host me on his permission. It makes me wish I'd got better at those far away crossers though!
 
 
Learn to accurately assess distance in yards by eye, by marking out measured distances with chalk and actually seeing it. Or visit a nice pattern plate with marked out distances. 
Well, I've got the chalk now, and I've found a nice straight path to use. I might measure out 10 yards of string and use that as a guide. 


 
Shoot my County's ESP qualifiers.
I did this. It was horrendously hot and I put in my lowest score for a year. I still managed to make the County sporting team though. This means I get to wear my nice County skeet vest to Barrow Heath on 21st September and impress people who don't shoot.

 

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