Our paths probably crossed more than once, we started around the same time and tolerated the queues on stands 1 and 2, we found they thinned out rapidly as people saw more choice of stands. I messed up the sim pair too, hitting all the nearer ones and missing all the far crossers. I was giving the long R to L 12+ feet maintained lead (I'm still in imperial.)
Coleys on Wednesday! I’m so glad I booked a hotel for tomorrow night as last year we got stuck in traffic and made it with minutes to spare and after the fiasco with the slow drivers today at least I know we shouldn’t be late Weds.
So hopefully a nice relaxing drive and day out tomorrow. Barrow is my local ground and stand 7 hurt a lot of cards, to be fair I was not really sure whether to take the low or high battue crosser first, i went for the lower even though the higher was clearly in view first. Me and my lad both scored ok with a 7 and an 8 but we had to shoot the low bird quickly and then flash up into the second. Another chap i spoke to had only dropped 1 bird up until 7 and then dropped 5 on it.
Tried taking the low one quickly on the first two pairs, I just couldn't generate enough lead quickly enough. At least taking it later I managed to hit one on each of the last three pairs.
Coincidentally I was a College Farm with Cheryl on Thursday for a couple of hours. Agree she's really good. Made me realise I need to stop being a one trick pony and start using swing through on some targets again. I shot everything swing through when I started, but moved away from it seeking to be more consistent. I need to get back to practicing it on quartering and smaller lead crossers and learn to trust my timing again.Good to see you too Donna. Neither Tony or I shot well. He’s just knackered basically but he enjoyed it. My card looked very akin to when I first started shooting. I could have become completely despondent but I didn’t. I’m trying a few new things having spent a couple of hours with Cheryl at college farm on Friday which I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact so much I seriously considered just shooting with her having lessons and bugger everything else. My bead sheered off years ago but the screw bit is still in there. On my lesson she made a temporary one out of a bit of orange ear plug sponge and sticky tape but that disappeared before I got to the first stand at Barbury inside my slip never to be seen again. I’m resourceful so used a bit of chewing gum which I removed each Stand and put back in my mouth. She warned me it would probably be a bit of a disaster and it was. My anxiety was off the scale trying to remember everything and there wasn’t a lot to remember but change is painful for me even when I can see it work. There were a few stands where I could see what I was supposed to do actually work. I think I’ll end up a bit of me and a bit of Cheryl’s teaching and I have got to figure out which bits. On my lesson I hit things I would never hit usually, notably a rather nasty hidden teal that just showed at the top of a tree line momentarily and I hit it consistently and as pleasurable as that was I was highly anxious about it. I can’t explain it. She was extremely patient with me. The bead has a place and in certain circumstances it was very beneficial. I shoot gun down and I tried a lot more gun up and that is probably the most uncomfortable change for me. We are going to see how that goes, maybe a bit of both. I’m going to see her again end July and I’m looking forward to it. Anyway my score was horrific, I managed to get the first very long crosser, missed the stupid rabbit. Sorry I rambled. She also tweaked my stock slightly as my rib was on a slant which I hadn’t noticed.
How funny! When we started shooting first time round we were taught maintained lead so I have no fear of long targets but put a run of the mill crosser etc in front of me and I would shoot in front of it every time. Now after having lessons with Ben I mix them about, swing through, pull away, slice etc, you have to be able to use them all. I can hit close targets now thankfully, just get flustered when you’ve only got a second to shoot it!
Maintained or start in front and pull away are my usual approach to crossers / loopers / battue. I'm fine with sharply quartering stuff that you can get away with shooting at, it's the quicker stuff that just needs a little bit of lead. I'm either way out in front or off the back from slowing and measuring. I was shown last week that controlled swing through with a bit of aggression resulted in me smashing things I'd normally struggle with. Just have to practice it until it becomes natural, I keep dropping into default mode at the moment.
SuperSporting has been a registered discipline for few months, the Owls event, like a few others around at mo are dropping registering the shoot and enhancing the prize fund accordingly.
My mate shot IC and said it was great. Actually not as tough as some of their reg shoots have been he felt.
We shot yesterday, good targets, and a wide variety. My only gripe was it took an hour to do the first three stands! We shot stand 1, got to 2 and had to wait as they were filling up traps, shot 2, went to three, shot that then on 4 had to wait as they were filling up traps! Was an hour and we hadn’t even shot stand 4! First 5 stands fairly close together and annoyingly clays from one stand was coming across into other stands, also a friend had to ask the helpers to turn radios down as they were very annoying and loud when shooting. Stand 7 seemed to muck people up but it was stand 8 that done me, a big fat zero which has not happened to me for a while. But still an enjoyable day out. Can’t seem to find scores anywhere though. Good luck.
Up to 12 stands, had a mare 
on two, set up wrong on one and the other a going away wabbit followed by a low orange crosser bemused me totally, shedded 10/16 on these two. Did though get far more right 
than wrong, plenty of l-r stuff today and thankfully found most of them. Saw plenty of friendly regular on circuit faces, MrHewland inc, felt that I shot it well (well for I) then had tea in a china mug a smashing piece of cake and avoided the traffic, a good day all told.
Hi Rich, great to see you and many other friendly faces. They do a great sandwich! It was the best shoot I’ve done there, now featuring 12 stands. Made my usual messy errors (including a pair away on the very simple stand 3 FFS) but rescued an 88. Will return.Have I upset you at all, apols if so
Oxfordshire today, earlier than expected so bumped forward into a squad of three to make a four, I was the blagger here, (as everywhere really) Lovely weather, not a cloud, not a breath of wind, lots of tree cover to keep cool(ish) under and no clay going through not turned invisible by radiant sunshine
Well shot Richie. :clapping: You'll be in A class before you can say Caesar Guerini.
Thank you but I think the giddy heights of A are not for me, more than a Stewards Inquiry if that ever happened. Barbury today for our County Sportrap, again glorious weather in a lovely setting. The three layouts in the open took its toll on our mature (OAPs) squad. Target wise have always felt its a tough gig there and did find more so today, but thats me, as do struggle on the edgy angles that they use to bewitch many and Im easily fooled, or based on today, Im an easy fool.
