Cawdor118 Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Evening all, I'm heading to Westlands with the missus in a couple of weeks. Are any of you fine people planning shooting it on Sunday 17th Nov? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cawdor118 Posted November 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2019 Planning Auchterhouse 15th, Auldgirth on Saturday 16th, Westlands 17th - get in touch if you are planning of them. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 9, 2019 Report Share Posted November 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Cawdor118 said: Planning Auchterhouse 15th, Auldgirth on Saturday 16th, Westlands 17th - get in touch if you are planning of them. Cheers! Have you been to Auldgirth before? If not then be prepared for the road into the ground to give you a good bone shaking, but it's perfectly passable in a regular car. Davie has the potential to throw some really big doos as the ground sits in a natural valley so plenty elevation. It's not a place like Auchterhouse, NSC, Cluny, Braidwood or Westlands where there are well established facilities, it is a static caravan with a lean too off the side, but the Collins family who run it are great people. I'm assuming that you have accommodation already booked otherwise could have recommended a great B&B on a working farm near Auldgirth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cawdor118 Posted November 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2019 30 minutes ago, grrclark said: Have you been to Auldgirth before? If not then be prepared for the road into the ground to give you a good bone shaking, but it's perfectly passable in a regular car. Davie has the potential to throw some really big doos as the ground sits in a natural valley so plenty elevation. It's not a place like Auchterhouse, NSC, Cluny, Braidwood or Westlands where there are well established facilities, it is a static caravan with a lean too off the side, but the Collins family who run it are great people. I'm assuming that you have accommodation already booked otherwise could have recommended a great B&B on a working farm near Auldgirth. Never been before, in fact i have never been in that part of the country before! I'm staying at Westlands for a couple of days so have it covered. Really looking forward to it too. Looking forward to new birds and something different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 18, 2019 Report Share Posted November 18, 2019 How was the Grand Tour of shooting grounds in the South West? Did you manage to get to all the places you hoped? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cawdor118 Posted November 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2019 5 hours ago, grrclark said: How was the Grand Tour of shooting grounds in the South West? Did you manage to get to all the places you hoped? Brilliant thanks, unfortunately never made it to Auldgirth as we made other plans. I thoroughly recommend the Westlands cabins, however 3-5 hours of jacuzzi each day has taken its toll on me - my skins now like leather ha-ha. I dropped in by NSC on Friday and met Stuart who kindly gave me a shot of his Parcours - Lovely beast, but just too light for me. I think I'm still in the market for a K80 though as they are things of beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 18, 2019 Report Share Posted November 18, 2019 2 hours ago, Cawdor118 said: Brilliant thanks, unfortunately never made it to Auldgirth as we made other plans. I thoroughly recommend the Westlands cabins, however 3-5 hours of jacuzzi each day has taken its toll on me - my skins now like leather ha-ha. I dropped in by NSC on Friday and met Stuart who kindly gave me a shot of his Parcours - Lovely beast, but just too light for me. I think I'm still in the market for a K80 though as they are things of beauty. The Parcours is a fast handling gun for sure, far too quick in the barrels for me. Glad you had an enjoyable road trip too and slightly poached after jacuzzi indulgence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 Mate and me had a trip up to Westlands today despite a horrendous weather forecast. We often take two guns each and go round twice just for a bit play. Took my Gamba choked at 3/8th and 5/8th and my Perazzi at skeet and half. Cartridges were Cheddite Smart Strike 7.5 28grms in fibre, although you can use plastic if you like. Despite the strong winds I straighted the first tower stand and missed one from the second tower stand with the Gamba, and was chuffed to discover that even the midi from the second tower stand can be killed consistently with a skeet choke. Struggled on stand 8 to begin with until I realised a much faster gun speed took care of the crosser and shooting well below the looper took care of the report bird. There was a noticeable delay between firing and the clay breaking, and I always find this disconcerting. The rabbits were the usual fun they always are, and don’t have much of a problem with them, but still manage to shoot right between the two ( missing both cleanly ) as they cross as a simultaneous pair whilst trying to kill them both with one shot! Mate does it no problem. 🙂 The skeet layout was being battered by the wind and rain on our second round and I shot abysmally, even with the right tool for the job! Repeatedly uprighting the spent cartridge bins as the wind blew them over was a pain! 😀 Mate did better than me with his 20 bore! Didn’t do much better at DTL, and the stand next to it was a waste of time as the wind drove the report bird into the ground as soon as it appeared! Enjoyed ourselves in the Sporttrap layout, just playing. The bird from trap D was lifted like a kite in the wind, and was quite erratic as it rose and dropped, rose and dropped, before sailing back over the roof to disappear behind you if you missed it. This might explain a bore sized hole in the horizontal beam supporting the roof directly above the centre stand! 😳 Have a look next time you’re there. It wasn’t us, honest! If anyone reading this ever gets the chance to shoot this ground, then go, you’ll enjoy it. There are targets for everyone at any level, from slow rising incomers that you can turn into dust, to far away loopers which you are lucky to chip, and if you have a bogey bird you can spend all day on it if you want, until you get it right. The staff are very friendly and the cheese burgers are good, but be wary of Lucy the Vizsla, she likes burgers too! 🙂 Steel work and some retaining walls of new clubhouse /restaurant /gun room is now complete and roof is going on; it’s only going to get better. We’ve found Jct 21 is the better exit if coming via the M6; Westlands being only 2.25 miles away by this route. For those interested there is a local driven syndicate notice looking for new members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 Thanks Scully.. will definitely have a day or two there in the spring. would also like to get some tuition/lessons if they do them. have looked at their accommodation, which looks good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 (edited) 31 minutes ago, islandgun said: Thanks Scully.. will definitely have a day or two there in the spring. would also like to get some tuition/lessons if they do them. have looked at their accommodation, which looks good You won’t be disappointed. They have qualified coaches I think. Prices are on their website, but I don’t know how they compare. I thought prices for a round were reasonable. We paid £107.00 for 400 clays, which obviously works out at £26.75 per 100. I pay £35.00 per hundred at a ground closer to me. I don’t know if this is expensive in others experience. Edited December 5, 2019 by Scully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 29 minutes ago, islandgun said: Thanks Scully.. will definitely have a day or two there in the spring. would also like to get some tuition/lessons if they do them. have looked at their accommodation, which looks good This is my local ground. If you want lessons call Ian Furness direct on 07510419915. He is a really nice guy and you will get on with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 Great Report again Scully as usual . Do they still have the stand at the far end were you go up the wooden steps , with the trap under the platform . With the Tiny clay , and the other that shoots of to the left between the trees , loved that one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 14 minutes ago, johnphilip said: Great Report again Scully as usual . Do they still have the stand at the far end were you go up the wooden steps , with the trap under the platform . With the Tiny clay , and the other that shoots of to the left between the trees , loved that one . Thanks. Yes, unfortunately that trap is no longer below the platform though. This was the stand I referred to when I mentioned a bird being driven into the ground. It now consists of a quartering right to left bird which was easy enough to hit, and an on report midi which just dived into the ground shortly after appearing. I couldn’t get to grips with it at all. Like you, I really enjoyed it when that bird took off from directly below! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 53 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said: This is my local ground. If you want lessons call Ian Furness direct on 07510419915. He is a really nice guy and you will get on with him. cheers will save this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billytheghillie Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 2 hours ago, Scully said: Mate and me had a trip up to Westlands today despite a horrendous weather forecast. We often take two guns each and go round twice just for a bit play. Took my Gamba choked at 3/8th and 5/8th and my Perazzi at skeet and half. Cartridges were Cheddite Smart Strike 7.5 28grms in fibre, although you can use plastic if you like. Despite the strong winds I straighted the first tower stand and missed one from the second tower stand with the Gamba, and was chuffed to discover that even the midi from the second tower stand can be killed consistently with a skeet choke. Struggled on stand 8 to begin with until I realised a much faster gun speed took care of the crosser and shooting well below the looper took care of the report bird. There was a noticeable delay between firing and the clay breaking, and I always find this disconcerting. The rabbits were the usual fun they always are, and don’t have much of a problem with them, but still manage to shoot right between the two ( missing both cleanly ) as they cross as a simultaneous pair whilst trying to kill them both with one shot! Mate does it no problem. 🙂 The skeet layout was being battered by the wind and rain on our second round and I shot abysmally, even with the right tool for the job! Repeatedly uprighting the spent cartridge bins as the wind blew them over was a pain! 😀 Mate did better than me with his 20 bore! Didn’t do much better at DTL, and the stand next to it was a waste of time as the wind drove the report bird into the ground as soon as it appeared! Enjoyed ourselves in the Sporttrap layout, just playing. The bird from trap D was lifted like a kite in the wind, and was quite erratic as it rose and dropped, rose and dropped, before sailing back over the roof to disappear behind you if you missed it. This might explain a bore sized hole in the horizontal beam supporting the roof directly above the centre stand! 😳 Have a look next time you’re there. It wasn’t us, honest! If anyone reading this ever gets the chance to shoot this ground, then go, you’ll enjoy it. There are targets for everyone at any level, from slow rising incomers that you can turn into dust, to far away loopers which you are lucky to chip, and if you have a bogey bird you can spend all day on it if you want, until you get it right. The staff are very friendly and the cheese burgers are good, but be wary of Lucy the Vizsla, she likes burgers too! 🙂 Steel work and some retaining walls of new clubhouse /restaurant /gun room is now complete and roof is going on; it’s only going to get better. We’ve found Jct 21 is the better exit if coming via the M6; Westlands being only 2.25 miles away by this route. For those interested there is a local driven syndicate notice looking for new members. That's a long way to go, Jct 21.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 Depends where you live! 🙂 It’s only 40 odd miles from me. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billytheghillie Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 Jct 21, M6 Liverpool, Southport. Jct 21 A74 is a better way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 5, 2019 Report Share Posted December 5, 2019 (edited) Sorry, my mistake! I forgot the M6 becomes the A74 (M) around Gretna! My apologies. Edited December 5, 2019 by Scully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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