Shoot reports and news 2024

I went to Garlands today for the first time, lovely clean ground all laid out well and presented tidily.

Course was challenging, start was straightforward but this soon changed. Middle section had some fun targets that played with angles, made lead hard to judge. End section was where speed came into play, and low birds (shooting downwards) not something I have down a great deal of so struggled a bit.

Finished on 51, met some good shots who I squadded with halfway around. After we finished we went to the cafe for some food and chat and exchanged contact info.

Has a well stocked shop, so bought some single boxes to try out without the annoying slab plunge.

Only downside was no gun stands on the pegs.

I have a lesson booked in on the 26th with someone who came recommended. Which I’m looking forward to, hopefully help break this annoying 50 range I'm stuck in.

50 ESP and another 39. A little frustrated with the silly misses on easy targets but all part of the learning, I guess.

East of England today a really good round I hit 81some nice longish crossers, a fast report pair of driven off the tower and some interesting SIM pairs. Well worth a visit if you haven't been.

chippy said:

East of England today a really good round I hit 81some nice longish crossers, a fast report pair of driven off the tower and some interesting SIM pairs. Well worth a visit if you haven't been.

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Same for me, great round, decent weather, my shooting left a bit to be desired, my lad shot the course well, must have suited a left hander, always friendly in the clubhouse and the sausage and bacon bap was much better than my shooting

Gunsite today and again in parts not unbearable weather but in other parts it got cold. Big turn out and went out at 12.45 and finished around 4.00. By the last stand I was very achy and had enough. We seemed to be unlucky at least 4 if not 5 break downs. The cold getting to the batteries and one fill up so a bit of waiting there. Only one stand we didn’t wait but the rest 10/12 shooters. It was a good course and I couldn’t help wishing it had been a nice Spring or Summer day where waiting is less painful. Shot some well but only one straight for which I got a cheer and clapping as it was a tricky first bird. Another was a big battue I smashed but the little one on the last stand I had nothing left to give. Now sitting on the sofa thawing out.

I shot Star Gun club 1 mile north of M25 J9, a non registered shoot which some of our members might be interested in. A friend who only comes out once in a while wanted something that was not too taxing and this filled the bill. You can shoot 60, 80 or 100 clays which I'd classify as soft to medium.
We had a fun morning, my mate shot 74 where his average would be mid 50's in a registered shoot, so he was pleased with himself which was the main point of the exercise.
I shot above my average, what can you do? I was aiming for a personal best but didn't achieve it due to some early misses before I got into the groove.
Although a club they allow non members to turn up with no pre-booking, they have nice grounds and a club house selling ammo, bacon butties etc.

Went out to a local shoot Sunday, I've had a lot of trouble with driven lately so when I got to the stand I told my mates that this was going to be a disaster but no I hit the lot, one on a wobble one screamer on report, you can guess the comments from them, couple of stands later a pair of driven hit 9 so finished up with an 86 very pleased with that, oh and i still can't hit driven

I took a weekend away from the registered shoots and went out to a local 100 bird sporting on Saturday and a 50 bird sporting on Sunday with the aim of figuring out some consistency issues. I finished 100 bird on 76/100 which is thereabouts my average and the 50 bird on 43/50 with 3 x 9/10, a 10/10 and a 6/10 on the last stand. A few 8/10's and 9/10's on the 100 bird course which should be straights.

Scoring 6/10 on the last 50 stand doesn't bother me too much. It was a simo pair of fast, going away, high quartering birds which I have traditionally struggled on and thankfully don't come across too often in registered shoots.

The 3 x 9/10's are what gets me. It quite easily could have been and should have been a 46/50. More often a miss on the second or third pair for a reason I cannot figure out. I made a conscious effort to lock in the hold, pickup and shoot points. Remained steady in the stand and didn't rush. I don't have all that much of a pre shot routine other than to load, mount at the hold point, look back to the pick up point and call pull.

I guess aiming for constant improvement is what keeps us coming back. Repeat 100 straights would get boring after the first few.

Cancelled Northampton tomorrow looking at the 55mph wind forecast yesterday. Of course it’s improved a bit now.. Will be interesting to hear how people get on with the wind.

Will Hewland said:

Cancelled Northampton tomorrow looking at the 55mph wind forecast yesterday. Of course it’s improved a bit now.. Will be interesting to hear how people get on with the wind.

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I was going to Northampton but decided to give it a miss for the same reason. I hate shooting in strong wind when it's pushing your gun around.

Will Hewland said:

Cancelled Northampton tomorrow looking at the 55mph wind forecast yesterday. Of course it’s improved a bit now.. Will be interesting to hear how people get on with the wind.

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Were you in a 0900 squad? As i may of pinched your space. I have had an in week so some fresh air will do me good. Low expectations for tomorrow shooting wise but hoping it’s dry.

Will Hewland said:

Cancelled Northampton tomorrow looking at the 55mph wind forecast yesterday. Of course it’s improved a bit now.. Will be interesting to hear how people get on with the wind.

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Went to Waresley (near St Neots) this morning. Winds less than half of that throwing the clays all over the place. Reckon I dropped 6 or 7 through gusts. Not booked in for any registered shoots tomorrow either, going to give Codicote a go.......

MerryClayMiss said:

Were you in a 0900 squad? As i may of pinched your space. I have had an in week so some fresh air will do me good. Low expectations for tomorrow shooting wise but hoping it’s dry.

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No I was later. 9am looks best time tomorrow, before the nasty winds at lunchtime. Good luck!

Barrow yesterday, steady breeze but the course had been well thought out to take the strengthening wind into account, steady round, an average of 76 that I managed to exceed by a few. Always good variation of targets, nothing at extreme distance and won by a young lad with a fantastic 96, some great young shooters coming through in East Anglia.

My usual shooting friends decided to stay warm and dry so I decided to venture on to the DTL layout for 50. I’ll not say I wished I hadn’t as I’d rather be out shooting than not but to say it was tough would be an understatement. Clays being launched into the wind and they were dancing all over the place. I was not the worst shooter in the conditions and still only hit a paltry 20. First time in 20 years but that was tough. Room for improvement would be a fair description.

Charliedog said:

Barrow yesterday, steady breeze but the course had been well thought out to take the strengthening wind into account, steady round, an average of 76 that I managed to exceed by a few. Always good variation of targets, nothing at extreme distance and won by a young lad with a fantastic 96, some great young shooters coming through in East Anglia.

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Young Henry has only recently started shooting sporting, he was only shooting skeet before that.

Shot Barbury this morning. Weather looked Ok but it was way windier and gustier than the forecast suggested. Met a mate in the car park who is usually very laid back about courses, but told me to brace myself. It sure was tough and felt like it had been set up on a non windy day and not adjusted. General standard of clays was firm with one or two medium stands, 2 really simple stands and the rest all a strong test, so the course as a whole was “character building”.

Lots of dazed looks and light head shaking. Part of me says it was enjoyable and it’s great to be clinging on by the fingernails on so many stands and part of me says a lot of people paid for entertainment and the smile meter was reading a bit low generally. Personally I would have eased three stands off to make the shoot of wider appeal, but still good. JMO. I am imagining a shoot average today of about 66-68?

I missed 12 clays over 3 stands in first half of shoot, then ones and two elsewhere, scraping 82.

I was also at Barbury today and the wind sure did make a few targets interesting. It is what it is, my score was rubbish but I enjoyed the day, and it’s nice to bump into and chat with others

Barbury for us too and I thoroughly enjoyed the course even though it was windy which made it a tad hard on a few stands for us shorties as it was pushing everything down. Was shooting really well until stand 6 which was the simo pair from left (the lovely Fred’s stand). Was completely different when you got into the stand and missed the first pair completely as they were low and went behind the hedge. Ended up just taking the std really early to make sure of getting 1 but ended up only hitting 3. Next stand the away on right again was dropping too quick but straightened 8 and 9 and came unstuck on the driven only hitting 2 . Last stand on platform was so windy I actually had trouble holding my gun still before calling for target and I was trying to go 1 way and the wind was taking my gun the other way!!
Overall average was 68 and the fact that there was only 1 shooter in the 90’s (92) shows how affected it was. Just grateful it wasn’t raining too

Hangman’s toughened up today. I guessed Sean had taken some flack about his shoots being high scorers and he reacted. He then admitted as much when I saw him at the end. It was good. I’d describe 6 of the targets being particularly worthy of mention, when maybe 4 would have been enough.

I started a bit messily, dropping 9 in first 6 stands. Then did really well in second half missing just 1 until last stand where I just never hit the long midi. So annoying as watched many shoot it and could tell exactly when they were right or wrong. Downbeat end, 86. I really don’t reckon today will produce 30 people in the 90s like usual though.