Decided to enter this months fitasc at Southdown in order to see what the shoot was like now Shaun Peckham has left, but also to get a little practice in before the GB selection at the end of March.
I can honestly say, I have never shot a course or shoot that was border line ridiculous, and it has been many years since I saw so many low scores across 14 squads of shooters. The atmosphere was terrible, large number of no birds and traps not operating properly meant for a long day, we started shooting at 9:30 and finished at 4:30!
There were plenty of excellent target presentations but due to the position of the hoops made these targets extreme and quite frankly ridiculous, one going away target launched from the top of a cherry picker was 70 yards by the time the gun was shouldered, the trap spring muct have been on its limit!!
Each layout was tough and there was no let up, when a shoot is won on 79 and the next highest score was 75 (A class), you have to seriously ask yourself whether the course might have been too tough, especially when you consider there was no wind and bright sunshine all day.
The saddest part of the day was a couple (who can shoot), overheard to say they won't be back or doing fitasc again! So Shaun Miller, if you do read this forum maybe you need to rethink who sets your courses, because unfortunately you do not have the skills or the experience to set them. And would it kill you to get someone in who knows how to repair traps?
I could take you through each target and layout but I don't want or need the mental scarring that only copious amounts of JD could remove, I will finish up by saying, if Southdown do not invite a recognised course setter to set up the GB Selection shoot at the end of March, I definitely will not be shooting that or any other shoot at Southdown.
I can honestly say, I have never shot a course or shoot that was border line ridiculous, and it has been many years since I saw so many low scores across 14 squads of shooters. The atmosphere was terrible, large number of no birds and traps not operating properly meant for a long day, we started shooting at 9:30 and finished at 4:30!
There were plenty of excellent target presentations but due to the position of the hoops made these targets extreme and quite frankly ridiculous, one going away target launched from the top of a cherry picker was 70 yards by the time the gun was shouldered, the trap spring muct have been on its limit!!
Each layout was tough and there was no let up, when a shoot is won on 79 and the next highest score was 75 (A class), you have to seriously ask yourself whether the course might have been too tough, especially when you consider there was no wind and bright sunshine all day.
The saddest part of the day was a couple (who can shoot), overheard to say they won't be back or doing fitasc again! So Shaun Miller, if you do read this forum maybe you need to rethink who sets your courses, because unfortunately you do not have the skills or the experience to set them. And would it kill you to get someone in who knows how to repair traps?
I could take you through each target and layout but I don't want or need the mental scarring that only copious amounts of JD could remove, I will finish up by saying, if Southdown do not invite a recognised course setter to set up the GB Selection shoot at the end of March, I definitely will not be shooting that or any other shoot at Southdown.