Claymate Now @ Blackpool gun club

[Gordon R]

I received this private mesage from Blackpool Gun Club - or so it says.

 

 

I am very sorry that you feel that way about the clay mate system at Blackpool. The intention is not to steal from customers but to ensure that you are shooting the correct number of birds. You will find that you are allowed one pair on each stand per group and allowances are in place for no birds.

 

If you knew the clay pigeon shooting business so well you will find that clays went up in price four times in twelve months to the club and if you recall the prices went up only once to you.

The system can not and will not cheat or steal from customers it will only effect the people who have been abusing it. For the last however many years the ground has stood the FREE clays. The only thing that will effect the prices at the ground will be the increase of clays and cartridge and I think you will find that this will effect every ground not just Blackpool.

 

If you feel so strongly about the ground I assure you your type will not be welcome and I would personally advise you not to waste your petrol in getting your free round as this is only intended for honest and loyal customers.

 

Thank you for your previous business

The Management Blackpool Gun Club

 

 

 

My response is:-

 

I do not like Clay counters, because of experiences at Worsley. I did not imply that you would steal from me. I am not sure what you mean by "my type", but as "my type" are not welcome, I will take my business elsewhere. I have been honest and loyal, but I will take your advice and save my petrol. I think that is four customers just lost.

[webber]

Kelbrook introduced Claymate a few tears ago. I may be wrong, but I think that the price was actually reduced slightly.

 

Its not rocket science for a ground manager to calculate the number of poached clays, and therefpre calculate the cost and money saved by introducing counters.

 

I personaly have no problem with Claymate provided it is properly administered, which I believe it is at Kelbrook.

 

I do get the impression that the Blackpool managements concience may have been pricked. I dont think that it was the wisest of business decisions to introduce a new system and a price increase simultaneously. Alienating loyal customers who have voiced an opinion is not the best of business decisions, as others will doubtless follow suit, and vote with their petrol and wallets.

 

I know from experience that a good reputation is very hard won, and all to easy to trash.

 

Nowhere throughout this debate has anyone moaned at the cost of clays, yet there are some vast differences being charged in the North West. The best that I have found is at Lupton. £7 for 50, no claymate, shooting how it used to be, a cracking bunch of chaps. I only wish I could go more often.

 

Mr. Blackpool Management could turn this situation to his advantage, but given the manner of the response, I doubt that he will be able to see the way through the red mist!

 

webber

[BlaserF3]

I also shoot at Lupton and I keep asking if he would open on a Sunday as well as Saturday.

But he won't because he does not want to upset the other local grounds.

It's like webber said "clay shooting as it used to be".

 

When Kelbrook installed Claymate some shooters were never seen again,speaks for itself really.

[Gordon R]

Webber - details about Lupton would be welcome.

 

As for Blackpool - I have enjoyed many shoots there and have always thought they were decent people. Some of the clays have become a test of eyesight recently, but I can live with that. However, I draw the line at the response I received. I am a customer (albeit a former one now) expressing an opinion. I shoot with three others - sometimes more. No-one amongst us likes claymate or claycounters - not because we abuse the club. We do not. It is a fact that whenever we have used the system, at Worsley, we have ended up out of pocket. At Worsley because you can't see the clays on a sunny day. At Kelbrook, we have lost clays because the traps were so close together, we didn't know who they belonged to. Kelbrook is okay when it is not busy. The response from Blackpool is odd. The member has only joined today. It is either someone having a laugh at my and Blackpool's expense or a hasty reply. I will not visit Blackpool again, nor will my son, nor will any friend of mine that I am aware of.

[jayward]

My first post was merely to start discussion on claymate not the reputation of any club to be perfectly honest there response of(if its genuine and not a hoax) “You will find that you are allowed one pair on each stand per group and allowances are in place for no birds.†to Certainly goes a long way as to show there fair and from my point of view you can’t really ask for more than FAIR … my point was is it fair CLAYMATE not the club I found them to be warm and welcoming and I will still frequent the club... It’s obvious they had a problem as mentioned it’s not hard to keep a count of what’s paid for and what’s not.

So there claymate will solve this and the Allowances will keep it fair …

What more could you really ask for?? As said above and in other posts some clubs don’t even do 10% so Blackpool is leaps ahead with a pair and ya no birds

[webber]

Gordon R

 

I agree with the occasional problem at Kelbrook. I have shot mid week no problem. I also go on a Sunday, but dont do a score card, as I am only interested in practice, so if a problem occurs I either wait or move off, so it doesnt really affect me.

 

Lupton is easy to find:

M6 to junction 36

take signs for Skipton

after a mile or so, there is a pub on the right called the plough.

immediatley opposite on the left is a lane.

follow the lane, enter farm yard at top, and follow sign.

 

They shoot on Wednesdays, starting at 5pm untill dusk or ?? in the winter as I believe that they shoot with floodlights, but I have not tried that.

 

Saturday, I believe the start time is 11am untill 3pm

 

webber

[Chard]

Six of us shot a 100 bird members competition at Worsley today. We were one of the last groups to go round and some of the last few stands (high tower etc) were getting very empty towards the end. Consequently, we had a bad session of no birds clocking up on the Claymate. In order to test out management response, we just kept hammering the button till we got the birds, and ended up shooting 600 between us, with about 80 "no birds" :( :drinks:

There was no problem at all, we just paid for 100 each. A great day in great company and busier than I've seen it for a while

[Hunter_zero]

Have a read of this:

 

You will lose some customers BUT seeing as these guys never paid for their targets anyway, they will find another ground to sponge from.

If by chance YOU are the closest shooting ground to that one that has just installed Claymate, get ready to be very busy. Don't expect to earn a lot of money though.

 

Taken from :

 

www.blntechnicalsvcs.com/why.htm

 

John

[chrisv]

I'm not a fan of claymate particularly, but I think on some grounds it's a necessary evil.

PW members seem to be an honest bunch and I don't think they would cause problems for any grounds.

 

Having helped run a small local club a while ago, I have seen it from both sides. We had a sport-trap setup and a "walk-up" practice stand. The walk-up was great for beginners to have a go without feeling foolish in front of an audience. Most weeks there was a club member buttoning and taking the money, but if there were a few members missing, the stand was run on an honesty basis. The number of pinched clays on one day wasn't tens of clays, but boxes!! The result- no practice stand, so the people we want to come into shooting didn't have a practice/have-a-go stand any more.

 

However, I've never been asked for a deposit for claymate, let alone car keys (don't like that idea!)

[sodit]

I would not leave car keys or SGC as "deposit" for a Claymate (are these machines my mate) counter and if the ground objected then I would not shoot there sod em.

At Braintree its name and phone number, at Essex Shooting Ground you fill a card in with name and address etc including your SGC number, which is returned to you on return of Claymate counter.

Never had trouble with claiming no-birds at Braintree and there is a 10 bird allowance at ESG and if the no birds came to more than 10 then I would ask for a refund on the extra. Not had to do that yet.

From what I have read in various forums Lakenheath will not be getting my custom, but it is encouraging to read about High Lodge as I intend to spend a midweek break there for some shooting etc.

The thing to remember is we are the customer and they are suppling a service you can always vote with you feet. And always let them know your doing it and why. Trust is a wonderful thing but the grounds do have to make a profit if commercially run so I do understand the use of Claymate and so far had no problems with it.

[peter-peter]

Me and the other 1/2 are both new to shooting and they have just put claymate in at our local, Now I have read the threads on in it and tbh I do think its penny pinching tbh but I still I reserve judgment/condemnation just yet We do only take as many shells as we are going to shoot normally just a 100 on wed and 150 on a weekend

so after we have used the shells that’s it job done now I do like to see a pair or even a single before I shoot as there’s many variables trap position ,wind , me lol so tbh its quite necessary at the moment having said that I could just follow some one round the ground preff a party of 4-8 lol so I we get our time @ the stand but that’s not really practical and that is tight and I go to all the easy stands first to make me feel good

:( now we went tonight and shot 75 shells them the light began to fail and them black beggars are hard to see in the dark

our counter read 90 but ya get 10% at the ground and it spat a few pairs when I wanted just the one so they charged for 75 which I think if fair ishh , now tbh I prob would have looked @ a few more birds maybe like 10 out off a 100 £2.20 cost to me or say 50-60p cost to the ground so my normal £22 0r £33 spend will now be £24-25 and £35-36 respectively

my opinion is claymate not about the ground saving money by keeping the people they claim to shoot 200 and pay for 100 OUT its actually about making more money from the honest shooters .

I pay for what I shoot I have never taken a few extra carts and would not Now (how can I put this without a silly debate about paying to see a pair) before the ground had no problem and in fact made an allowance for us a we are new which I thought was nice lol anyway most people would see a pair in fact you would call it **Common Practice at the ground ** BUT now you get 10% so ya can see a pair and pay for your no birds etc or the other way round . We had 4-5 out of 75 nobirds so not actually 10% but either way its going to cost more now for the same amount of clays I would normally shoot /see ,

I will see how it pans out for us there as tbh I don’t like the idea of having to explain myself every time I return the counter it makes you feel like your trying to blag a few free clays

I may just offer a body and bag search before I enter the ground to show how many shells I have taken to the ground lol there’s not much joy in just watching them fly is there !!!! no tbh honest im just not sure it’s a good thing or not but I do take on board the owners words “im not steeling anything am I “ meaning hes providing a clay you pay / not directed @ me but just in general !!

And agree its wrong to take the **** and pay for less than you shoot but common ground regarding what’s on the counter and what you shoot should be implemented if im forced to pay for what ive not shot say what used to be common practice at the ground i.e. a free pair and nobirds go free... I may have to find new ground time will tell lots are talking about finding new grounds based on the fact you should see a pair free and not pay for no birds they are experienced shooters and regulars the above are just my thoughts and im not claiming to be right or wrong as I said im am new to this game.. what do you think ?

J get your bum into your car and vistit greystone wood sat 20th.

good shoot no pressure nice people.

see my website for details.

its not that far from blackpool and worth the trip.

its 70 mile round rip for me and I never miss a shoot,

[oozelumbird]

Coniston use ClayMate for there sporting traps and Compaq. No big issue realy as i dont use more clays than i should do, if a clay brakes i just pull an extra. I think Claymate works best when the shooting ground use common sense and the shooter does the same. I know what Gordon is saying though, but sadly the honor system is out dated as too many people just simply steal, but Claymate is here to stay so we may as well get used to it now. Gordon, i would just ignore Blackpool for what they have said, they were totaly out of order.

[Gordon R]

A fellow poster has mentioned the PM to the owner of Blackpool GC, who denies knowledge. I said originally that it purported to be from Blackpool, but I also said it didn't sound like the owner. I had always thought he was a decent bloke. Probably someone's idea of a joke, albeit a bit juvenile.

 

Still no fan of Claymate. I have always made a loss on them, because of no-birds or targets we couldn't see. I accept that they may be the future and I may have to get used to them, but I find them a pain.

[Zapp]

I for one have no problem with claymate providing the club has a no quibble policy on no birds. At the end of the day, the club owners are only trying to make a living, and if people are taking the ****, I dont blame them. My uncle is the owner of Sporting Targets, and I know that they took on the system having shot for years prior to opening the club and seeing t*ssers ripping other shoots off. Yes, trust and honesty does count for a lot, but not all shooters are as honest as they should be. Sad, yes, but a fact no less.

 

ZB

[Psyxologos]

I was down to Blackpool gun club today. Shot 200 cartridges, the electronic meter displayed just over 250 due to no birds. I paid for 200 after I explained. Simple as that. Andy is a great guy and will show you trust. It is up to the client to be honest. Mind you, Andy is not stupid, if people try to abuse his trust he will know.