Next years PW charity shoot.

[Dunkield]

I think Chards comments are a personal "Mid Life Crisis" on this forum,

I am not sure what the sound of nail being hit on the head sounds like, but that has to come pretty close.

Maybe time to learn a foreign language/learn to play the guitar/'discover yourself' :blink:

In my day people wore rollneck jumpers and bought Triumph Stags

Lighten up Chard, it is just a phase all forums go through...

[Bagsy]

I'll be attending the next event if it goes ahead - hell, I'll even share a room with Mung again and listen to his outrageous snoring all night! I didn't think anyone had been out of order about the last one, let's face it, if the South had won the banter would've probably been a lot worse!

 

Chard - you know you'll be there mate, better bend over though 'cos you're gonna get it big style this time

[Paul223]

Yes it was a fantastic day and I'm looking forward to the next one :blink:

 

IMHO Hodnet is the place to go, central to the masses and such a good ground, i think it would be a big mistake to go to a lesser ground :(

 

I don't mind helping out where ever possible, plus i'll run the sweep and I have a picture saved for a 'spot the clay' comp already been thinking about it :(

[Mr Potter]

I've read and re-read the posts on this thread and find myself nodding in agreement to them all :blink: :(

 

I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the level of banter twixt North & South, prior to the great day I found everything acceptable but the bragging did go a bit OTT after the event. I was going to say the Southerners took defeat very magnanimously but could that be considered gloating?:(

 

Anyway this gloating/banter/bragging business shouldn't and wont detract from the fact that the 2010 N v S shoot was a resounding success and our collective aim should be to make it bigger and better in 2011. I think it will be hard to make it much better (unless someone can control the weather 'cos that could hardly be any worse). Making it bigger won't be easy either, we could aim for more shooters and a bigger charity donation but I feel both goals will take some doing.

 

For what it's worth here are my thoughts for 2011.

 

When: Try and avoid a B/H weekend for the reasons already stated, hotels are dearer, roads are busier and quite a few people have family commitments on B/H weekends. Aim for around the same time of year say between end April and early June, any later and you're starting to clash with holidays and much earlier and the potential for rain is theoretically greater.

 

Where: This is the most difficult one in my eyes, Hodnet was brilliant as it always is, you will struggle to get better targets, better presented anywhere in the UK and it is reasonably central. There were one or two things that weren't A1 in my opinion, I thought they were £5 too expensive, I'm sure I had seen them advertising open days incl. a bacon butty for £35 but when I tried to find it couldn't. They didn't provide enough refs and, as it was for a charity, they could have provided a small gift (WMSG cap or similar) for the raffle, they did take in over £3k after all.

If it wasn't for one important thing I would propose Kegworth SG, targets not as good but it's 2 minutes off junction 24 of the M1, much easier I would have thought for those unfortunates (sorry) who live in the South East, less milage for the even more unfortunates(sorry) from Yorkshire & the NE. It's a no no though because the cabin can only hold about a dozen. If there are any other Midlands grounds that close to a motorway that has a clubhouse of a suitable size they should be considered.

 

Who: ME, supported by Nick Beardo, Pete the Geek, MM, Paul223 and others did a fantastic job and I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping he will reprise that role for next year. If he can't I will support anyone who steps up to the plate and assumes the mantle.

 

Other Thoughts : Agree wholeheartedly with Cat, squads should be drawn at random alternatively from the North & South, if anyone has a compelling reason eg partners or parent & child (note non sexist terminology!) that can be arranged and as above either enough refs to ensure manageable squad sizes OR more money for the charity by not having refs and each squad marks their own, with an equal number of Northern & Southern shooters on each squad there shouldn't be any "creative accounting"

I think that there should be some form of handicap system used, not specifically a North or South thing but based on the lines of predominantly clay shooters v predominantly pigeon/game shooters. One idea is that all shooters start off scratch but anyone with a CPSA classification has a negative handicap, C class -1, B class -2, A class -4 and AA class -5. this to apply irrespective of which disciple the classification is in. Anyone who has had a classification in the past but is no longer a member of the CPSA should declare and use that classification. Don't get me wrong I don't like the idea of using the CPSA system but I think it might even things up a bit. It's a very one sided contest when one team is predominantly regular (registered) clay shooters and the other is predominantly pigeon/game shooters. Now before I get flamed this is only a suggestion, I know there are exceptions to my generalisations but lets open a healthy debate!!!

 

Charity : They are all good causes, GOSH was an inspired choice last year but I think it should be a different cause each year. Every charity clay shoot mentioned in the shooting press appears to be for Help for Heroes so, again I think we should do something different, my choice would be the British Heart Foundation but as long as it's not an Al Quida fundraiser I'll support it.

 

Food for thought or a crock of ****?

 

Mr Potter

[poontang]

I would agree with almost everything Mr Potter has said.

 

I would think the best way to score the day is EVERYONE'S score counts.

 

If we look at the averages for the 2010 shoot they were: North 61.05 and South 59.25 a much closer result than the top ten scores would indicate. I think that if everyone knows that their score counts towards the final figure it would make them feel more 'involved'. I'm sure there were a lot of people who knew they wouldn't make the top 10 of their team, surely doing it this way everyone would be involved in the winning/losing?

 

Thoughts?

Edited September 20, 2010 by poontang

[Zapp]

I have a picture saved for a 'spot the clay' comp

 

I thought Peter-Peter was running with that....

 

Sorry Peter, I couldnt resist

[Mungler]

I am genuinely surprised how many people are het up with the scores and scoring.

 

Aside from some inter regional betting and score settling (see ME's footer for example) the South's team shooting "plan" started the day before with a dozen pints and a very late night

 

There is a competitve element to clay shooting and the North has good numbers of regular CPSA shooters; No matter what hokey scoring, classification or points system you use, you can't beat the fact that the North has more people than the South who can shoot and who shoot well.

 

I just don't see what the big deal is or what the problem is. The more I read this thread the more I think there must be an elite huddle of precious cry baby nancies and no, they don't appear to be Southern softies

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

My trip round hodnet was a great joy and has encourage myself to go do more clays as this was the first time I have done clays bar a day in the field when I was 11 years old .

 

I have only done one day since with somebody I was grouped with and I he is coming down to my perms for a bit of pigeon shooting soon.

 

I also meet some other great members who PM me ,and that was for me was what the day was all about fun and charity with a little bit on compettion which either team could of lossed.

 

Yes as Mungler says they where some top CSPA clayshooters from the north which effect the top ten score as I was surprized to be joint 5th in the south team.

 

My only shock was the reaction of a guy teamed with me from the north who it was clear I was giving a run for his money. Though out the morning he was swearing evertime he missed chucking his empties out like toys from a pram.

 

Very odd all his actions got worst as the young ref kept highligting the fact that I was a clay virgin .

This is and not what the PW charity shoot is about.

 

Kind regards OTH

Edited September 20, 2010 by Over the hill

[MC]

I have to add that in reading all this the ACTUAL shooting was insignificant and it was the afternoon/evening before that really made (Or broke) that weekend for a lot of us.

 

Meeting up in the pub the day before, getting ******. All having a meal together and the banter that went with it. Seeing Stealth Stalker devote his entire undying love to Darcy the waitress at silly o'clock. Watching Fatcatsplat drink the Norths alcohol surplus ensuring none went to waste, along with himself and ME drinking the pub out of tequila so they had to lower themselves to drinking sambuca.

 

It really wouldn't have bothered me if the shooting had been cancelled when we got to the ground, for me the weekend had already been a blinder. I understand that the CPSA registered elite shooters only want to shoot clays that are at least 50 yards out and will not even raise a gun to one that is slower than 75MPH but what they really need to remember is that there were 74 people attended that shoot and all put money into the raffle etc and they also want to hit clays. Whilst I thought it was an excellent ground with superb birds my only critisism for the entire weekend is that the shoot was too hard for the average shooter. Noone would have cared in the slightest if Cat, Beretta, Mr potter etc had scored high 90's. But what you need to cater for is everybody, not just the elite.

 

I sincerely hope it does go ahead again and I am prepared to step up to the mark again and help out where I can, BUT I believe we should not go back to Hodnet, we need to move it around. Why not sporting Targets at Riseley? We have a personal contact at that ground and yes it will be further for some people and nearer for others. The year after it could be Southdown or somewhere further north. It really makes no odds to me, if it was held at the Fennes I would still book into a travelodge and end up on the beer the day before.

Edited September 20, 2010 by MC

[ME]

I have to add that in reading all this the ACTUAL shooting was insignificant and it was the afternoon/evening before that really made (Or broke) that weekend for a lot of us.

 

Meeting up in the pub the day before, getting ******. All having a meal together and the banter that went with it. Seeing Stealth Stalker devote his entire undying love to Darcy the waitress at silly o'clock. Watching Fatcatsplat drink the Norths alcohol surplus ensuring none went to waste, along with himself and ME drinking the pub out of tequila so they had to lower themselves to drinking sambuca.

 

It really wouldn't have bothered me if the shooting had been cancelled when we got to the ground, for me the weekend had already been a blinder. I understand that the CPSA registered elite shooters only want to shoot clays that are at least 50 yards out and will not even raise a gun to one that is slower than 75MPH but what they really need to remember is that there were 74 people attended that shoot and all put money into the raffle etc and they also want to hit clays. Whilst I thought it was an excellent ground with superb birds my only critisism for the entire weekend is that the shoot was too hard for the average shooter. Noone would have cared in the slightest if Cat, Beretta, Mr potter etc had scored high 90's. But what you need to cater for is everybody, not just the elite.

 

I sincerely hope it does go ahead again and I am prepared to step up to the mark again and help out where I can, BUT I believe we should not go back to Hodnet, we need to move it around. Why not sporting Targets at Riseley? We have a personal contact at that ground and yes it will be further for some people and nearer for others. The year after it could be Southdown or somewhere further north. It really makes no odds to me, if it was held at the Fennes I would still book into a travelodge and end up on the beer the day before.

 

 

As a previous organiser I would only go back to Hodnet for the scenery and clubhouse but nothing else. Without saying too much on a public forum they didnt deliver on their part of the shoot - which was supposedly sorting out the squads of 6/7 shooters, providing enough scorers and avoiding the backing up of squads and waiting around. I was VERY clear with them as to our expectations and they didnt deliver. (they admitted it and did apologise)

 

I would rather that we tried somewhere else and my experience of Sporting Targets was very positive when we went there. Like MC I enjoyed the weekend for the people I met and the laughs above anything else.

[Paul223]

As a previous organiser I would only go back to Hodnet for the scenery and clubhouse but nothing else. Without saying too much on a public forum they didnt deliver on their part of the shoot - which was supposedly sorting out the squads of 6/7 shooters, providing enough scorers and avoiding the backing up of squads and waiting around. I was VERY clear with them as to our expectations and they didnt deliver. (they admitted it and did apologise)

I would rather that we tried somewhere else and my experience of Sporting Targets was very positive when we went there. Like MC I enjoyed the weekend for the people I met and the laughs above anything else.

Given another chance they may come up with the goods

[MC]

Given another chance they may come up with the goods

 

 

Why give them a chance to take more money and run? I would give someone else the chance and make it clear to them that it is an annual event and if they deliver we will return.

 

Hodnet obviously weren't interested, They admitted to their failing yet how much cash did they hand back? I didn't see anything on the final tally, like someone lese has said they could have offered a raffle prize.

 

A good ground is one thing, Customer satisfaction is EVERYTHING.

[Paul223]

It really wouldn't have bothered me if the shooting had been cancelled when we got to the ground, for me the weekend had already been a blinder. I understand that the CPSA registered elite shooters only want to shoot clays that are at least 50 yards out and will not even raise a gun to one that is slower than 75MPH but what they really need to remember is that there were 74 people attended that shoot and all put money into the raffle etc and they also want to hit clays. Whilst I thought it was an excellent ground with superb birds my only critisism for the entire weekend is that the shoot was too hard for the average shooter. Noone would have cared in the slightest if Cat, Beretta, Mr potter etc had scored high 90's. But what you need to cater for is everybody, not just the elite.

:blink: In march I picked up my gun with the idea of shooting clays for the first time in 18 or so years with the thought of going to the PW charity shoot spurring me on, I found myself looking forward to the standard of targets we would have they were very good, some were easy even I managed to straight two stands, some were harder but very enjoyable, I think to easy a set up would not be as appealing, sure the day, having a laugh, meeting people and raising funds for a charity are all important but what can help make the day is a touch of something different to the normally practise clays, being able to shoot at what could arguably be the best sporting clay ground in the country, in some of the best countryside, at some of the best sporting clay targets I can’t see how going to a lesser ground could make it any better

[MJN]

Please can we cancel the rain next time !.

 

I had a great time at this event, (apart from the continuous rain affecting my composure), as for banter, that is all it was, and as for next time I'll be there.

 

 

Whoop Whoop.

 

M.

 

p.s. drinking heavily the night before is like not sleeping and driving up on the day, not the best for concentration. I think the southern team manager should apply a drinking ban for the night before :-) (and no sex either)

Edited September 20, 2010 by MGMan

[MC]

Noone mentioned an easy set up, but what needs to be remembered is a lot of people on here do not shoot clays very often. Some don't at all, yet they all stumped up the cash and came shooting.

 

You really only need one or two stands on a course to sort the elite out for the rest of us. I personally believe that anyone should be able to get 50% on a course unless they have not shot before obviously.

 

There were too many score lower than half and most people only want to break clays, they are not interested in the willy waving that someone managed to hit a 60 yard crossing midi at 300MPH.

 

You could have half the course as dolly droppers as it was shown on the thread about the British Open they can also be missed.

 

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the shoot. The birds presented were 1st class, I just feel it should have catered more for the average shooter and not the world standard one. After all the world standard shooters are in the minority.

[MC]

Please can we cancel the rain next time !.

 

I had a great time at this event, (apart from the continuous rain affecting my composure), as for banter, that is all is was, and as for next time I'll be there.

 

 

Whoop Whoop.

 

M.

 

p.s. drinking heavily the night before is like not sleeping and driving up on the day, not the best for concentration. I think the southern team manager apply a drinking ban for the night before :-) (and no sex either)

 

 

I think he (Catamong) did mention something about not drinking, we just ignored him

[Paul223]

Why give them a chance to take more money and run? I would give someone else the chance and make it clear to them that it is an annual event and if they deliver we will return.

 

Hodnet obviously weren't interested, They admitted to their failing yet how much cash did they hand back? I didn't see anything on the final tally, like someone lese has said they could have offered a raffle prize.

 

A good ground is one thing, Customer satisfaction is EVERYTHING.

not everything goes as planned MC, dispite the few quirks the day went very very well, the staff at hodnet will now have a better understanding of what WE require (as were not a bunch of clay shooters turning up and disapearing after the shooting and a cup of tea).

[shaun4860]

I have to add that in reading all this the ACTUAL shooting was insignificant and it was the afternoon/evening before that really made (Or broke) that weekend for a lot of us.

 

Meeting up in the pub the day before, getting ******. All having a meal together and the banter that went with it. Seeing Stealth Stalker devote his entire undying love to Darcy the waitress at silly o'clock. Watching Fatcatsplat drink the Norths alcohol surplus ensuring none went to waste, along with himself and ME drinking the pub out of tequila so they had to lower themselves to drinking sambuca.

 

It really wouldn't have bothered me if the shooting had been cancelled when we got to the ground, for me the weekend had already been a blinder. I understand that the CPSA registered elite shooters only want to shoot clays that are at least 50 yards out and will not even raise a gun to one that is slower than 75MPH but what they really need to remember is that there were 74 people attended that shoot and all put money into the raffle etc and they also want to hit clays. Whilst I thought it was an excellent ground with superb birds my only critisism for the entire weekend is that the shoot was too hard for the average shooter. Noone would have cared in the slightest if Cat, Beretta, Mr potter etc had scored high 90's. But what you need to cater for is everybody, not just the elite.

 

I sincerely hope it does go ahead again and I am prepared to step up to the mark again and help out where I can, BUT I believe we should not go back to Hodnet, we need to move it around. Why not sporting Targets at Riseley? We have a personal contact at that ground and yes it will be further for some people and nearer for others. The year after it could be Southdown or somewhere further north. It really makes no odds to me, if it was held at the Fennes I would still book into a travelodge and end up on the beer the day before.

 

 

sounds like a plan

 

Even though i dont drink....lol

 

shaun

[ME]

Given another chance they may come up with the goods

 

They had months to organise scorers and I was told that they "didnt turn up". From the "best ground in the country" and with us spending the amount with them that we did, that is very lame.

[Paul223]

They had months to organise scorers and I was told that they "didnt turn up". From the "best ground in the country" and with us spending the amount with them that we did, that is very lame.

:blink: thing is despite the few niggles it worked and it worked well, whats to say that had it been held at another ground things could have been much much worse, yes they were short on markers but did it really matter?

[MC]

:blink: thing is despite the few niggles it worked and it worked well, whats to say that had it been held at another ground things could have been much much worse, yes they were short on markers but did it really matter?

 

 

If you went into a pub and paid for a pint of beer and only got 3/4 of a pint would that matter? If you bought a car and it only had 3 wheels when it was meant to have 4 would that matter?

 

I am sure you wouldn't be so quick to defend Hodnet if it wasn't on your doorstep, but maybe you ought to be quick to organise next years shoot. Because if I decide to do it then it ain't going to be there.

Edited September 20, 2010 by MC

[beretta]

well this is turning out nice and friendly

[Catamong]

I think he (Catamong) did mention something about not drinking, we just ignored him

 

Yes, that was clear from the obscene text messages I received on the evening before the event whilst supping my mug of cocoa and reading another chapter of the New Testament.

 

Like a lot of people, I couldn't care less about the targets, I thought Hodnet would be a good choice because it would give those who don't shoot clays regularly a taste of probably the best targets anywhere in England.

 

Also, re Poontangs comments about the scoring, it was my suggestion to ME that the top 10 scores should count, I did that on the basis that I assumed, (wrongly as it turned out), that the South would considerably outnumber the North, as it was suggested to me by some that Northerners would begrudge paying more than £15 to shoot 100 birds and would not support the event, preferring to spend their easily earned giro money on booze, fags and scratchcards, well, fortunately this turned out not to be the case, and the teams were pretty evenly matched, therefore we could have extended the scoring to include all contestants.

 

As for another ground, yes, Keggy is a non starter due to lack of facilities, I'm not a great fan of Sporting Targets which is basically a flat field with a few earth mounds, but, on the plus side, does have a good size clubhouse and friendly management, but it's a bitch to get to from the South, being miles from the M1.

 

Fauxdegla would be great, (if you could guarantee the weather, which you couldn't), and how about Shugborough..??

 

I think for ease of access, Doveridge would take a lot of beating, probably 75% of those taking part would never have shot there before, it's got to be worth considering...?? :blink:

 

Cat.

[Paul223]

If you went into a pub and paid for a pint of beer and only got 3/4 of a pint would that matter? If you bought a car and it only had 3 wheels when it was meant to have 4 would that matter?

 

I am sure you wouldn't be so quick to defend Hodnet if it wasn't on your doorstep, but maybe you ought to be quick to organise next years shoot. Because if I decide to do it then it ain't going to be there.

Keep yer knickers on MC :blink: hodnet is not on my doorstep, catton is so much closer, Llandegla would be better, and then we could really show you some rain, wind and hard to hit clays :(

 

anyway I thought the deal was for the north to organise for this year ( tis the reason for mm starting the thread i thought)

 

 

might just end up at spennymoor

 

Can pete the geek do an interactive map where we can pin our whereabouts to get a better idea

[Mungler]

Despite the rain and the queues I enjoyed Hodnet and it was by far the nicest ground I have ever shot. Indeed, if it wasn't for the PW day, I would never have bothered driving all the way up there to shoot it.

 

Indeed, unless the PW day is re-scheduled there, then I doubt I will ever get round to shooting it again - I'm not that fussed; there are other grounds to shoot and it's about shooting it on the day with mates and having a giggle.

 

If you wanted an interesting handicap system, we should all swap guns on the day. So, if I brought a pump action then that would be swapped with someone else, who in turn might have brought a hammer gun. As long as all the guns are in proof, legal and can fire two shots on the trot then it could be a grin.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Mungler