Mixed chokes

[Geordieboy]

So then, I shot Steve Lovatts targets at westfields yesterday and it provided some really rather challenging targets.  Some stands appeared to be straight forward but the 2nd bird catching you out with angles.  Great targets though and a good challenge for me.  I definitely made a humungus cock-up however on a stand that had a full fat face std R'L bird (Trap on the left) followed by a cracking Battue at 60yds (Trap firing high and to the right).  Now I don't change chokes that often...rather I change shells instead.  However as I had to change my feet to the right and shoot the battue I opened up to True Cyl and 9's to shoot the R/L crosser and put in a 7 shot cartridge to shoot the Battue.  So then......the crosser was obliterated every time with my first shot, but I never touched the battue........  I asked the trapper if I could shoot the battue on its own to try and find it and I hit it square on with my next two shots????  

That was when I realised that I had got my barrel selector set wrong and I had been firing 9 shot through the Cylinder choke at the battue...... DOH!!!!  Numpty!  I cost myself a number of targets because of that.  But it did confirm that with small shot and no density of pattern, the chances of a break on a long bird are severely diminished.  Battues are notoriously flimsy targets and as such break much easier.  But that combination certainly didn't help!!!!!

Thanks goes to Steve for another really tough shoot to get to grips with!

 

[DolphinCTC]

Personally I prefer to use tight chokes for everything and usually 7,5 shot then I can focus on the clay without all the choke dilemmas on every stand. It gives great satisfaction and confidence to smoke the closer stuff and the distance targets are covered.

 

[Geordieboy]

Personally I prefer to use tight chokes for everything and usually 7,5 shot then I can focus on the clay without all the choke dilemmas on every stand. It gives great satisfaction and confidence to smoke the closer stuff and the distance targets are covered.

Errrr...so do I.  But I twiddled a bit to give me a chance to get onto the Battue quicker.  I got on to it alright but I shot dust at it!!!!!  Pillock I am!  8-D