Down The Line

[Mungler]

Okay, bunked the afternoon and went to Fyfield Shooting Ground.

 

Did some English Sporting and cleaned up - best all round effort yet from me. 200 carts fired and a hit rate of well over 90%. I was on fire.

 

Was about to pack up when I saw they had Skeet and DTL.

 

Had 50 carts through Skeet, and fair results, quite pleased once I got my eye in, and then hitting pairs nicely and instinctively.

 

Last I thought I would have a go at DTL - I wasn't going to actually have a go because I thought it would be too easy - clays going away from me in straight lines.... how easy is that? Well it was embarassing. I just couldn't and didn't get it. Not a bit. Not a little bit. Winged 2 out of maybe 50. Thank **** no one was watching.

 

So then, how does DTL work?

 

Yours,

 

Mungler the perplexed.

[Davej]

Its more about distance shooting The ground layout should be 5 positions 9ft apart in I think 16yard targets are fixed in speed & elevation but are variable from side to side a round is usualy 25.

Dont do much myself though I like english sporting.

Edited May 5, 2006 by Davej

[mag-man]

Mungler.......hiya bud, all it is........ is concentration. I shoot OT and when I struggle with it I go to DTL to get my head back on. Also though you want full chokes and at least 30" barrells.

[Zapp]

Ah yes... DTL. It can reduce otherwise good shots to gibbering wrecks because as you say, it looks, and sounds so easy!

 

I havent shot it in anger for ages, but I find the following things help:

 

1. Tight choke(s)

 

2. Thumpy cartridges (7.5s)

 

3. Keeping your head glued to the stock

 

4. Keeping the muzzle(s) low before calling

 

Get someone to stand behind you to watch for where you are shooting. The guy who taught me to shoot used to say "muzzles low, push forward while mounting, bring the muzzles up to the bird and fire as you blank it out".

 

Good luck!

 

Pete

[mossy835]

i get on better with down the line then any other.

Edited May 6, 2006 by mossy835

[blackthorn]

your not the only one, shot down the line last sunday, first 2 stands lucky if i hit it second barrel.

central and right hand side first barrel every time,went on to rising ducks 5 strate pares.

for some reason i have problems with birds from the right

[plinker]

if you are shooting it with a sporter try blanking the clays with your barrels before pulling the trigger and pulling through them there is a good chance you are shooting under them.

plinker

[Dunkield]

 

What he said

 

Sporting shotguns shoot flatter than a trap guns, so if you can see the clay when you shoot it chances are you are under it.

 

That is <one> of the excuses I have used for missing in the past, on the rare occasion I shot DTL

Edited May 6, 2006 by stuartp

[milo_05]

First, get yourself some lyalvale supercomps, then stick in 1/2 and 3/4 as that's all you'll need with these carts. Then don't get worked up about clamping your head down or getting it perfect just put your head down on the stock comfortably and call.

 

Now when the clay comes out swing up through the clay and pull the trigger as you do it. After a bit of practice it will become instinct and you will start to shoot them well. Stick to one barrel as you'll be wasting cartridges unless you can confidently have a good chance with the second barrel.

 

With a 28" gun and this setup I hit 48/50 with one barrel without too much trouble. It's not show boating I was just surprised it was easily possible with a 28" sporting gun. and GOOD LUCK. (carts are perosnal pref. but supercomps pattern very well and hit hard)

[tosspot]

DTL=

 

gun fit

 

concentration

 

choke

 

gun fit

[Tam]

Forget about chokes & concentrate on everything else, as has been said you will be shooting over the top ! I have not shot DTL for over a year & it took me 4 shots to get my head round it & start dusting them

[Lord Geordie]

DTL is one of my Favourites i do REASONABLE on it and can trot up 20 for 25 and only been doing it a little over a month now 6 times a month so about 7 to 8 trips is all i have had.

 

Grouse butt is too easy i got bored with it

 

Skeet is interesting and i like the ABT too

 

LG

[coupe312]

its weird i don't really like it but always do really well at it, use full and extra full most of the time,. i like sporting but i'm no way nere as good

[tosspot]

took a complete novice out as an anniversary present from his Mrs yesterday

 

never fired a shotgun before although had shot an air rifle

 

any way the "have a go stands" were busy so headed for the empty DTL

 

after the usual safety briefing and how to stand/hold ect

 

i stood him on station three an showed him a bird which happened to shoot out directly in front

 

popped in a cartridge for his first ever shot

 

clay went extreme left and was smoked within a split second

 

after reassurances the he really had never shot before he proceeded to smoke the next two also

 

i didn't know whether to be proud of myself as obviously i must be some coach

 

or be jealous of this ****** ******* *** ** * *****

 

he ended up with around 12 / 13 ex 25 and like a dog with two *****

 

had a round of compact after plus 100 sporting

 

he was down the local nick this morning picking up a sgc application form

 

a good day indeed

[paulos]

ive still not shot DTL, i was hoping to soon as im hoping to be entering the clubman in august if i can get fit and that includes 25 single barrel DTL

[Lord Geordie]

When i took up clay shooting i was thrown into the deep end on the DTL also i passed th grouse butt up as there was a group on there.

 

First go i got about half then the next few times i went i was ok too but then took a bad turn when i get the rizzini?

 

I tried ALL ways to up the score even took it to thimbleby and Alisons bloke used my Rizzini and was fine with it.

 

Anyway i went back to the AYA Yeoman the other day and blazed 93 for 100

 

Obv the Rizzini don't fit right or perhaps i have been brushing up with the Rizzini making it real difficult and this has helped me sharpen up?

 

Anyway i am not going to stick to the AYA and am back up again tomorrow to try again

 

LG

[arjimlad]

Concentration, practice, reactions. I used to enjoy DTL immensely. When I had a first barrel hit, I would often shoot at the biggest piece of clay for extra practice (probably not strictly in accordance with the rules I know !)

[Lord Geordie]

Terrible

 

Did 40 for 50

 

Not as good as last week but hey it's better than missing them all i guess.

 

Sporting layout at Steve smiths tomorrow so off again

 

LG

[the last engineer]

i think its been covered but the best way to see is lay a sporting gun down next to a trap gun, look at the rib configuration, the trap gun will have a high rib with a long drop off, this will keep the barrels ahead of the target, back to your sporter with the lower/flatter rib, this config will make you shoot under the target, as has been said, you need practice in seeing the broken target and matching muzzle picture to target.

 

the game of trap/dtl is also a mind game, i have watched top guns shoot 3/4/500 straight in comps then sudenly loose the plot and miss 2/3 birds, the ability to blank outy the outside world and shoot through the tunnel is the key.

 

 

Martin

[Lord Geordie]

I blame the wind as i did SO well last week and the sun wasn't out either

 

LG

[Zapp]

LG

 

40/50 isnt bad at all! Were you doing single barrel?

 

Mind you its those last 10 which really make the difference! The ones where you think "damn, I should have hit that!".

 

I find that because DTL is quite "samey", the temptation is to rush your setup pre shot. The guns ready, you go through yor "ritual" (mine is brushing stones and spent shells off the stand with my feet), you call, and stab at it, probably missing underneath.

 

Its a killer, but I get around it by getting myself set, and instead of calling as soon as I am completely ready, I count two seconds (in my head) one, two..pull

 

This way I am consciously setting my rhythm, forcing myself to take each shot in a premeditated way.

 

Give it a try, it works for me!

 

Pete

[Lord Geordie]

Will give it a go

 

The sporting was VERY interesting as the wind was 35mph and the birds were climbing to 70 feet or so then they simply took a dive of 35 feet in under a second

 

Still did ok so i was happy

 

My mate is a real good shot (better than me) and i shot 4 times more than he did so i was REAL happy

 

LG

[Whitebridges]

 

What he said

 

Sporting shotguns shoot flatter than a trap guns, so if you can see the clay when you shoot it chances are you are under it.

 

That is <one> of the excuses I have used for missing in the past, on the rare occasion I shot DTL

 

 

Spot on Stuart. I shot a Browning 525, for pigeons and sporting it's a belter. I can shoot 80-90 on most sporting layouts. I went to High lodge SG for a few DTL and had ten shots and missed every one. This is not a new thing to me. I soon started to blot them out and was creaming them, loads of guess work though. The upshot is that you can't consistently shoot targets you can't see. The gun is great for swinging targets but not DTL. Shooting fast going away targets requires a proper trap gun IMHO.

[Zapp]

The sporting was VERY interesting as the wind was 35mph and the birds were climbing to 70 feet or so then they simply took a dive of 35 feet in under a second

 

I was on the skeet range at Sporting Targets the other day and the wind was RIPPING through. The high birds were diving for the ground at a rate of knots, and twice the low bird got caught by a really strong gust and went up like a teal, before going back almost behind the low house!!

 

Makes it more fun though!

 

Pete

[ROB REYNOLDS UK]

99 /297 is the best i have ever shot for dtl i missed my 92 bird out i was dreaming of the big cup that the winner was getting at nottingham , i was beaten by 0ne point and it was my 8th time that i had entered comp,my mate was rated number 4 in britan for dtl some 15yrs back and is coming back on the sceen after 11yrs years off and got a 100-296 the other day and won his A class nis name is colin heathcote and is trying to get back in the british team ,his score before this was a 99-297 so it wont be long i think ,nottingham and ranton shooting ground in staffordshire are good grounds, run by good people but you will not beat the tea and cakes,sarnes at ranton on taste and prices 2 teas 2 cakes 2 sarnes call it £1.20 she says eat like a king :o ranton nr stafford