I'm off to Toplands

I'm off to Toplands today for a guided 50 bird sporting ?

Hope you enjoyed it ?

How'd it go?

Well I didn't get to do the 50 sporting as I was hoping. Because the weather was nice a lot of members turned out today and a group of guys who'd been there on a stag do and wanted another go. Was £37,.50 for 25 clays and a box of cartridges (Cheddite 28g fibre) and use of the gun. As we'd all not shot much we were grouped together sharing 1 gun and 25 shells each. Gun wasn't a bad fit but felt small (was 28" barrel) and on the way round failed to fire quite a few times. We had 5 shots each from centre station (of 5 stands. Like DTL but fixed trap) on their pool shoot stand which was a straight away of which I hit 4. Then we went round to the Skeet range and shot 5 each off positions 5 then 4 then 1 from the high house (Low house trap broken so was closed to members). I missed 2 on 5, 3 on 4 and 2 on 1. He then gave each of us an extra cartridge and took us to stand 2 on the sporting layout for a little comp. we had 3 simultaneous pairs each. First target was a low quartering away from left to right (I hit all 3 of mine) and a battue form right to left flat on (missed all 3). I found this target very hard as after taking the first and swinging up to the second the target was just coming up to the tree in front of the stand and the target was probably 15ft behind the tree but on 5ft above it and it fell 5 ft past the tree. It really slowed down and dropped quick which made me rush the shot and with it being so close to the tree it was off putting. I won the little comp though with only the guy (I won't call him an instructor as I think he was just a guy who worked there and helped set up/clean up (but was very patient and a nice bloke)) hitting one more than me on his final shot.

Overall our group had a fun time though. After the stag do returnees had gone home I walked the rest of the layout watching the members shoot the 5 stands I hadn't seen.

Stand one was 1 following off the left shoulder from behind and going away. A pond was right in front of the stand with trees on the far bank. Both clays went over the trees in front.

Stand 2 see above

Stand 3 again had a pond in front with an on report pair. First was right to left quartering away rising to the top of the trees and then dropping. 2nd target was a mirror image but from the left.

Stand 4 had an on report pair of rabbit from right to left and a low target incoming about 5 yards to the left but straight.

Stand 5 an on report pair again of a left to right looper and an incoming high quartering to the right.

Stand 6 was between 2 burms with one popping up from in front and then the shooter would have to change stance to take the high overhead that came from 45 degrees behind, came overhead but curved to the left all the time.

So a nice little shoot open every other Sunday. Plenty of people shooting it but not overcrowded.