EdLyons
Well-known member
I've only shot two reg DTL prior to this and each time i learned something new.
Firstly, when shooting at Normanton in the sleet and a blizzard, be very grateful to hit 88, or, stay in the clubhouse! More importantly, be aware that wind etc needs to be compensated for.
Second, shooting at Normanton again, don't plug "Northampton" into the sat nav. If you do, don't expend too much effort shouting at the steering wheel as it makes precious little difference to your current location. Also, when on the pegs, take your TIME and do not get distracted by pigeons, floating dandelion clocks or the fascinating trousers of the adjacent skeetist.
After making some adjustments to my rather wobbly comb last week and testing it for the first time on a pattern card, my gun is now shooting where I'm looking, which is handy.
So, discovering i had an unexpected Saturday off, I booked onto the DTL Grandmasters at Degla last night, and managed to join a squad at 10 am this morning, on peg five, keen to try out the new fit.
So, first layout, 25 kills, one barrel - too busy thinking about the back slapping i was about to achieve with a 25/75.
Second layout - i looked at the targets and they were markedly low, a VERY different elevation. Having processed that information, i subsequently ignored it and missed a bird straight over the top. Bang goes my 100 and Target Only glory. Bugger.
I then decided that it was sheer chance that i missed, a dodgy cartridge load perhaps, didn't you see that 25 on layout one?! I then proceeded to miss another, over the top.
Only 98 left now, 98's rubbish. Lets just get the gun up quickly and get this over with…loss.
It was then time to pull myself together or get a hopeless score. I had noticed earlier that one of the chaps on the squad had a very distinctive call, much like a friend i have shot with before, so i thought about that and the good times we've had shooting.
Totally changed my mood and helped me fill in the last fifty, all bar a bad call from the ref which taught me to question losses at the time, not afterwards.
So, finished on an "adjusted" 97/284 and eager to get the last three birds that refused to be where i was shooting on layout two!
Firstly, when shooting at Normanton in the sleet and a blizzard, be very grateful to hit 88, or, stay in the clubhouse! More importantly, be aware that wind etc needs to be compensated for.
Second, shooting at Normanton again, don't plug "Northampton" into the sat nav. If you do, don't expend too much effort shouting at the steering wheel as it makes precious little difference to your current location. Also, when on the pegs, take your TIME and do not get distracted by pigeons, floating dandelion clocks or the fascinating trousers of the adjacent skeetist.
After making some adjustments to my rather wobbly comb last week and testing it for the first time on a pattern card, my gun is now shooting where I'm looking, which is handy.
So, discovering i had an unexpected Saturday off, I booked onto the DTL Grandmasters at Degla last night, and managed to join a squad at 10 am this morning, on peg five, keen to try out the new fit.
So, first layout, 25 kills, one barrel - too busy thinking about the back slapping i was about to achieve with a 25/75.
Second layout - i looked at the targets and they were markedly low, a VERY different elevation. Having processed that information, i subsequently ignored it and missed a bird straight over the top. Bang goes my 100 and Target Only glory. Bugger.
I then decided that it was sheer chance that i missed, a dodgy cartridge load perhaps, didn't you see that 25 on layout one?! I then proceeded to miss another, over the top.
Only 98 left now, 98's rubbish. Lets just get the gun up quickly and get this over with…loss.
It was then time to pull myself together or get a hopeless score. I had noticed earlier that one of the chaps on the squad had a very distinctive call, much like a friend i have shot with before, so i thought about that and the good times we've had shooting.
Totally changed my mood and helped me fill in the last fifty, all bar a bad call from the ref which taught me to question losses at the time, not afterwards.
So, finished on an "adjusted" 97/284 and eager to get the last three birds that refused to be where i was shooting on layout two!
