It took me a while to finally get into clay shooting as I didn't know anyone that shot and didn't really have the time, I had done a couple of corporate days and really enjoyed them but didn't know where to go; long story short I had a second motorbike accident and broke all the ribs i didn't the first time so decided enough was enough and to stop riding. Round about the same time a colleage had just got his SGC and took me out and I loved it, didn't hit much but pulled the trigger and it went bang, despite getting knocked about by a very badly fitting gun and being given Kent Velocities which knocked me about even more I wasn't deterred
My colleague took me to the local gun shop one lunch time and I got my SGC application forms (owner gave me 3, assuring me I would mess up at least 1 which I did) got them filled in, pictures done etc and posted it off, cheque cashed a week afterwards.I bought the BASC book of the sporting shotgun and studied it every day, after 14 weeks I got my interview, FEO was very impressed by the level of knowledge, that i'd had a couple of lessons, joined BASC etc cabinet inspected and 2 weeks later my SGC arrived, within 24 hours I owned 2 guns (more advice, don't buy a 3 gun cab, go for at least a 5 when you first start) A Baikal IZ-27 OU horrible and only used if I want to feel like i have done a few rounds with Tyson and a Browning 525 Sporter 30" MC which I stuck with for about 8 months having got to the point of hitting low teens I had a coaching session with Dan Archer at Bisley who was excellent and spotted straight away i was cross dominant, added an Easy Hit and after a couple of months getting used to it I was hitting 1920 but not consistently, one day I was shooting skeet with a friend who had just bought a Beretta AL391 Urika Teknys for his other half and I was shooting really badly so the Browning went back in the rack after station 3 and I buttoned for them, at the end of the round he said here, try this, showed me how to load it and away I went, killed the singles on 4, missed the second on the pair as the action startled me and hit everything else. I called GMK the next day and got a stock number for the last one they had, called William Evans to get a price from them and ordered it then picked up the following Saturday.I shoot much better with the auto, I suspect because there is less barrel going on, it's been modified but after another 3 months I had shot a load of 23's then a week after I came out of hospital following an emergency op I was shooting with a couple of friends who I had met since starting shooting and was told to get your first straight in under a year was pretty unlikely..... The next round I shot my first 25 straight, man that feeling was fantastic.I love my shooting even on the bad days and am now trying more disciplines but i'm going to master Skeet first
so now been shooting just over 2 years, have qualified as a CPSA Safety Officer and ESKSKD Referee and have won a few club trophies and a little bit of cash along the way. My first straight in a registered was an awesome achievement for me personally, I look at my 25 Straight badge every time before I go out as it's stuck to the fridge, it was the first thing I had won and at a rough calculation cost me somewhere in the region of £7500 to win a £4 badge ..I have since learnt to make a small fortune in shooting you need to start with a large one
Jon.