ESP targets

So here’s a question from someone who has never shot live targets...never done any game shooting or rough shooting for no reason other than it’s not appealed to me and just for the record I don’t have any problems with anyone who does. 

My understanding of English Sporting was that it is meant to replicate live shooting and presumably pigeon, pheasant, rabbits etc?

Having just shot the British Open where I encountered (and enjoyed I must add!) the challenge of some really rangy targets it has made me wonder just how ‘representative’ current ESP targets are of shooting the ‘real thing’?

I know it was the Open and it’s got to be challenging and sort themen from the boys etc, etc - I get that, so this is not about complaining but rather trying to understand if the current ESP targets have actually, perhaps through necessity, become more distant than you would attemp to shoot live quarry at, in order to achieve the required level of difficulty?

As I’ve stated this isn’t a ‘moan’, I’m just curious to know what you all think.

PErsonally I think the days of replicating live things is well and truly over.  I don’t have an issue either just stating what I think is fact.

No no no we have moved on clay shooting is a competition not a SIM day and doesn't replicate live shooting.

I think Sian has it right, it may well have started out as a means to practice presentations very similar to those encountered in the field but man's competitive streak has evolved it into what it is today which patently isn't anything like live game. In the field we try our very best to kill game outright whereas in clay shooting merely injuring it is good enough to score a kill. 

To be fair even at the beginning there would have been some stark differences such as the fact we address the known direction of the target and call for it in our good time compared to the unpredictability of a typical hunting shot.  We also typically repeat the same shot several times over which simply never happens in the field. 

Hamster ,

 Maybe you have just come up with the magic formula?

Every stand has eight traps .Computerised random release sequence so every competitor gets the same target flight but un predictable? After every stand we eat sausages and drink sloe gin . Ten or fifteen stands and the Winner will be whoever hits the most targets and drives home with out being arrested for drink driving .

Salopian said:

Hamster ,

 Maybe you have just come up with the magic formula?

Every stand has eight traps .Computerised random release sequence so every competitor gets the same target flight but un predictable? After every stand we eat sausages and drink sloe gin . Ten or fifteen stands and the Winner will be whoever hits the most targets and drives home with out being arrested for drink driving .

Click to expand...

Nah, too close to Fitasc.