sporting shooting

[iraq sniper]

i was shooting sporting yesterday and one of the stands had a two clays coming towards myself,

 

The first came straight at me from the 12 0,clock which was no problem but the second came from the 2 o,clock from a high bank it gained approx 50ft in height and it dropped approx 20ft in front of me.

 

I decided to shoot it as it was coming down on its ark just in front of me which i did .

 

My question is one of my shooting colleges said that it was not the correct way of shooting the clay and that i should shoot it before the clay starts its decent.

 

Can anyone tell me if this is true

[MC]

There is no right or wrong way, shoot it when you are happy you will hit it.

 

Technically it will be harder the nearer it gets to you as the pattern will be tighter but if you were killing them then don't worry. Chances are your mates were missing them further out.

[Maiden22]

In general, I think that birds are harder when they're dropping. They're normally considered easier to hit when they're rising or peaking. But as Martin says, the best way to shoot them is when it suits you to do so.

 

Robert

[2shots]

I was doing the same on a sporting shoot in penrith shooting the clay just above

the ground on the second barrel shot and every time the marker stopped me and

called a no bird, when I asked why he said the bird simulated pigeons dropping

in front and would dissapear into the crop cover before my shot hit them so I

had to shoot them higher up in the air,when I told him in my mind I was shooting

on stubble he asked me to leave the stand and refused to score the card plonker.

[MC]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

[2shots]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

 

CPSA shoot

[bob300w]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

Yep, me too, and as said earlier, shoot them where you can hit them. If your shot breaks a clay it's a kill, wherever.

Slightly off topic, a shooting ground owner told me last week that they do not have driven birds any longer, as clubs have been sued by people being hit by broken clays.

[Chard]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

Yep, me too, and as said earlier, shoot them where you can hit them. If your shot breaks a clay it's a kill, wherever.

Slightly off topic, a shooting ground owner told me last week that they do not have driven birds any longer, as clubs have been sued by people being hit by broken clays.

 

Worsley still has driven birds, but they're higher than they used to be

 

I used to have a big problem hitting dropping birds, but I've suddenly got much better at it - don't know why :blink:

 

I still find them easier rising or peaking, though

 

I think some scorers try it on, if you shoot clays late, as they struggle to tell whether you hit it, or it broke on the ground. I think a lot of top shots cheat like this. I was refereeing once and there was a highish fast going away bird that had been stupidly set, so that it eventually hit a tree, if left or missed. The ideal kill point was half way to the tree, but some of these sneaky **** were leaving it till the last second and claiming a kill, whether they hit it or not

 

I had a few arguments that day

Edited July 17, 2008 by Chard

[2shots]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

Yep, me too, and as said earlier, shoot them where you can hit them. If your shot breaks a clay it's a kill, wherever.

Slightly off topic, a shooting ground owner told me last week that they do not have driven birds any longer, as clubs have been sued by people being hit by broken clays.

 

Yes heard this and our little local club has had to put out marker pegs for spectators to stand behind

as a safety measure from broken clays at a request from the insurance company.

[2shots]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

Yep, me too, and as said earlier, shoot them where you can hit them. If your shot breaks a clay it's a kill, wherever.

Slightly off topic, a shooting ground owner told me last week that they do not have driven birds any longer, as clubs have been sued by people being hit by broken clays.

 

Worsley still has driven birds, but they're higher than they used to be

 

I used to have a big problem hitting dropping birds, but I've suddenly got much better at it - don't know why

 

I still find them easier rising or peaking, though

 

I think some scorers try it on, if you shoot clays late, as they struggle to tell whether you hit it, or it broke on the ground. I think a lot of top shots cheat like this. I was refereeing once and there was a highish fast going away bird that had been stupidly set, so that it eventually hit a tree, if left or missed. The ideal kill point was half way to the tree, but some of these sneaky **** were leaving it till the last second and claiming a kill, whether they hit it or not :blink:

 

I had a few arguments that day

 

Cheat I just cant see them quick enough anymore B) blind as a bat

[Mungler]

I am not sure if you mean a rising then falling incomer or some sort of incoming looper / chandelle (at an angle).

 

My top tip for anything that flies straight, peaks and then falls is wait for it to peak and then just shoot anywhere between 6" to 2' under it (depending on distance and speed). Lots of people shoot them on the rise or just as it peaks - for this you have to give it lead and make an assessment as to when you think it will stop - far too tricky.

 

Essex Masters 2008, 2nd leg, first stand - long way off incomer that peaked high and then fell about 35 to 40 yards out. I hit everyone - waited for it to stop and shot 2' directly under it. Boomshanka.

[bob300w]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

Yep, me too, and as said earlier, shoot them where you can hit them. If your shot breaks a clay it's a kill, wherever.

Slightly off topic, a shooting ground owner told me last week that they do not have driven birds any longer, as clubs have been sued by people being hit by broken clays.

 

Worsley still has driven birds, but they're higher than they used to be

 

I used to have a big problem hitting dropping birds, but I've suddenly got much better at it - don't know why :blink:

 

I still find them easier rising or peaking, though

 

I think some scorers try it on, if you shoot clays late, as they struggle to tell whether you hit it, or it broke on the ground. I think a lot of top shots cheat like this. I was refereeing once and there was a highish fast going away bird that had been stupidly set, so that it eventually hit a tree, if left or missed. The ideal kill point was half way to the tree, but some of these sneaky **** were leaving it till the last second and claiming a kill, whether they hit it or not

 

I had a few arguments that day

Yeah, right, when did you last have a bird peaking?

[Chard]

Essex Masters 2008, 2nd leg, first stand - long way off incomer that peaked high and then fell about 35 to 40 yards out. I hit everyone - waited for it to stop and shot 2' directly under it. Boomshanka.

 

Boomshanka (allegedly) means : "May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman"

 

'Ave a banana

[Chard]

I think it that situation I would have asked him to produce the rules where it states that it is a no bird.

 

He must have been a traffic warden in a former life, not from Suffolk was he?

Yep, me too, and as said earlier, shoot them where you can hit them. If your shot breaks a clay it's a kill, wherever.

Slightly off topic, a shooting ground owner told me last week that they do not have driven birds any longer, as clubs have been sued by people being hit by broken clays.

 

Worsley still has driven birds, but they're higher than they used to be

 

I used to have a big problem hitting dropping birds, but I've suddenly got much better at it - don't know why

 

I still find them easier rising or peaking, though

 

I think some scorers try it on, if you shoot clays late, as they struggle to tell whether you hit it, or it broke on the ground. I think a lot of top shots cheat like this. I was refereeing once and there was a highish fast going away bird that had been stupidly set, so that it eventually hit a tree, if left or missed. The ideal kill point was half way to the tree, but some of these sneaky **** were leaving it till the last second and claiming a kill, whether they hit it or not

 

I had a few arguments that day

Yeah, right, when did you last have a bird peaking?

 

Don't they all? :blink:

 

[iraq sniper]

I am not sure if you mean a rising then falling incomer or some sort of incoming looper / chandelle (at an angle).

 

My top tip for anything that flies straight, peaks and then falls is wait for it to peak and then just shoot anywhere between 6" to 2' under it (depending on distance and speed). Lots of people shoot them on the rise or just as it peaks - for this you have to give it lead and make an assessment as to when you think it will stop - far too tricky.

 

Essex Masters 2008, 2nd leg, first stand - long way off incomer that peaked high and then fell about 35 to 40 yards out. I hit everyone - waited for it to stop and shot 2' directly under it. Boomshanka.

 

Sorry it was an incoming looper does that make any differance to weather i can shoot the clay where i perceive it to be correct.

[beretta]

personally, i dont mind dropping targets.

always like a bird that goes down on me :blink: :lol: :lol:

[iraq sniper]

personally, i dont mind dropping targets.

always like a bird that goes down on me :blink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

wahey joke of the night joke of the night

[clayman]

If the clay is in sight and in flight its a legitimate target, and whether broken early or late, on the way up or down, its counted if you break it. If the shoot operator wants to contain the shooting into a certain sector, this is usually done with swing limitation on the cages ( although a Rabbit may have markers, bales / trees etc, to show the earliest / latest points of fire).

 

The safety of driven clays is another matter. All commercial enterprises should have conducted a risk assessment ( it will be part of their conditions of insurance, and its a H&S requirement in law for any business), and we all know that clay shards from incomers can and do cause injury to both shooters and spectators. An insurance company could deny a claim on the basis that all that is reasonable and practical to mitigate risk has not been done ( ie compulsory eye and head protection - targets set so shooting them deflects shards away, screening for waiting shooters / netting for spectators etc etc).

 

Shoot ground operators should set driven with care, they can be safely set so as to minimise risk, but if you as a shooter come across inherently dangerous driven flight lines ( i.e. straight at you so that clay shards run back over you and the waiting squad / spectators), you should refuse and ask for the target to be reset. If the targets run a few yards to the side of the stand, but overhead, or are high above, shards will usually travel safely away from all at risk.