How many rounds a year does an A Class+ shoot

Hi

I’m just getting back in to shooting clays and I’m really enjoying it this year. I’d love to hear how many cartridges a year our A class and above sporting shooters typically shoot at this level.

I’m aspiring to reach this level over the next few years and would love to know what it takes in terms of practice and investment.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. 
 

safe shooting..

I'm AA . Around 87% average. I shoot one registered a week. 100 targets. I try to shoot lots of different  grounds. No practice. Occasionally shoot a mid week comp if I've got holiday to take. Sometimes i miss a week if I've got work. But that's it. Been shooting at various levels for 30 years (on a budget) Started off shooting 50 target straw bailers once a fortnight. That was good enough for me for approx 15 years. I've had two hours coaching in my life. But with who I consider one of the best coaches ever. Carl Bloxham.  

They(?)said it couldn't be done (AA) on that few targets. 

Love to prove folks wrong. 

Pretty sure someone will come on and say you need xx amount of targets and shoot 3-4 times a week to get serious.

But by the same token its no good practicing wrong.

You will need a very good BS filter. 

Watching with interest. 

Jasper. 

Great feedback, like you I’m super interested to see the range of shooting that our top shots are doing each week at this level.

I also take your point about the quality of your practice. 

I'm A class, average about 82%. I shoot decent practice at a good ground once a fortnight and do around 100 to 125, and then do a 25 to 50 at a local straw baler where I take my son to have a few once or twice a month which is a bit more relaxed. I've done 4 registered this year, Lincolnshire championships, English open, British open and East Midlands inter counties.

Great standard to be shooting to on a pretty modest amount of shooting @Jonny English

A class 83/84% average I do a registered shoot every Sunday and a couple of rounds of skeet every Wednesday.

A friend of mine asked me what makes a good shot. I said experience. I can think of very few exceptions to this. I reckon I got better over the first 12 years I shot. I always did about 1000 a month. Pretty sure I’d be better if I had done 2000 per month. 
 

The best shots have released an incredible amount of lead into the air. Some very well funded youngsters have shot 100,000 shells in just the first few years. I’ve heard incredible figures about what the top names shoot. When I coach I tell people not to expect a huge instant gain from a two hour session. The gain will come from practicing. Coaching teaches you what to go and practice. If that weren’t true, you’d just read a leaflet and be British champion the next month. 

@Will Hewland this aligns to my experience so far in that the biggest improvement I’ve seen in my shooting has been when I’ve had the opportunity for some top class coaching follow by some intense practice. 
 

I had the good fortune earlier in the summer where I was able to get a great coaching session with Dave Ferriman and then was able to shoot each day for the following week and made some massive gains in my shooting. 

Read the book Outliers. It's really interesting and proves the point that no person who is elite at anything got there without 10,000 hours of practice. And no one who put in 10,000 hours of practice failed to be elite. Talent is a myth.

I guess it depends on what you class as Elite. It really is a good book. He covers everyone from Bill Gates to the Beatles. 

So the more you can practice, the better you will get quicker. 

Scotty said:

Read the book Outliers. It's really interesting and proves the point that no person who is elite at anything got there without 10,000 hours of practice. And no one who put in 10,000 hours of practice failed to be elite. Talent is a myth.

I guess it depends on what you class as Elite. It really is a good book. He covers everyone from Bill Gates to the Beatles. 

So the more you can practice, the better you will get quicker. 

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I think for sports some natural talent and then coaching/practice will get you to 'Elite athlete' standard far quicker imho.

Practice and plenty of it will get you better no matter what you do in life.

I'm in AA, when I started I was doing quite a bit; 2 caddied rounds at Churchills most Saturdays then a registered on Sunday's with a bit of sportrap and compak, this was after having coaching with Ed and I wanted to put in to practice the changes and methods that we worked on.

Now I rarely practice as it bores me, and apart from having some coaching three or four times a year I shoot competitions.  Last couple of years I've packed mine during the better weather.  This year for example I didn't start until end of April but have been doing a competition each Sunday, mid-week at Churchills 1st & 3rd Thursdays, College Farm & Owls Lodge when they are on Saturdays.  Shall keep going until end of December then have a break until March/April.

Scotty said:

Read the book Outliers. It's really interesting and proves the point that no person who is elite at anything got there without 10,000 hours of practice. And no one who put in 10,000 hours of practice failed to be elite. Talent is a myth.

I guess it depends on what you class as Elite. It really is a good book. He covers everyone from Bill Gates to the Beatles. 

So the more you can practice, the better you will get quicker. 

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Thanks I’ll take a read..

bisondan said:

I'm in AA, when I started I was doing quite a bit; 2 caddied rounds at Churchills most Saturdays then a registered on Sunday's with a bit of sportrap and compak, this was after having coaching with Ed and I wanted to put in to practice the changes and methods that we worked on.

Now I rarely practice as it bores me, and apart from having some coaching three or four times a year I shoot competitions.  Last couple of years I've packed mine during the better weather.  This year for example I didn't start until end of April but have been doing a competition each Sunday, mid-week at Churchills 1st & 3rd Thursdays, College Farm & Owls Lodge when they are on Saturdays.  Shall keep going until end of December then have a break until March/April.

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I think an off season is vital at any sport your purse at a high level to unload the brain and body, it’s certainly worked for me in other sports where I’ve worked with top level coaches so why should shooting be any difference. 
 

i was also told the off season ends when the hunger is back rather than it being a set period of weeks or months..

rookyshot said:

Thanks I’ll take a read..

I think an off season is vital at any sport your purse at a high level to unload the brain and body, it’s certainly worked for me in other sports where I’ve worked with top level coaches so why should shooting be any difference. 
 

i was also told the off season ends when the hunger is back rather than it being a set period of weeks or months..

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Yep, for me I knew it was time to stop first week in January this year after a very cold and windy day at Southdown which I didn't enjoy one bit.  

I spent the next 3 months watching my local football team, socialising, and relaxing in my spare time, plus Feb & March is year end for the company I work for so it's a busy time and lots of my focus & energy goes towards that.

rookyshot said:

Great standard to be shooting to on a pretty modest amount of shooting @Jonny English

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Thanks, even at that standard and amount of practise I get a couple of decent results a season.

It's not all about how much you shoot at times. I'm reading articles daily, watching youtube videos, watching Bens subscription channel, working things out and trying to improve or maintain my standard away from the shooting ground where i can. Shooting is a passion of mine, and my gun is something that I appreciate, rather than viewing it as a tool to break clays. I'll get her out the cabinet several times a week while watching TV and have a dry mounting session, practice some movements etc.