Anyone shooting the British Open?

[Peter De La Mare]

Bagsy, it good easily have been a lot higher. I was basically just making noise for the last couple of stands, not being able to stand/turn correctly, and not caring either sulking like a big baby.

 

You and I could have shot a strong mid - high 70s.

 

There's a well stocked shop at the ground, although you'll probably pay above internet prices for most stuff.

 

Cat.

 

I wish I'd listened to your advise. The shop there is huge, and is also selling Litts stuff at around a quarter of the price tag. Saw a nice waterproof suit with the tag cut from £150 down to £45. Jackets that were £300 marked up at £200.

[Peter De La Mare]

Looking at the results for day 1. Only 10 people scored over 80.

 

Brett Winstanly on 70. Lowest AAA result was AF Cobb on 48.

 

Joint 98th out of 350. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all, I wish I'd manned up a little at the end instead of sulking like a big baby.

Edited September 6, 2008 by Peter De La Mare

[Catamong]

Well, I've got to say I was quite heartened by the weather on the way down there, nice & sunny, OK a stiff breeze but not a howling gale, entered the "Somme Mudbath" at 1.00pm, got off to a truly "Essex"stat, absolutely diabolical.. , missed the first pair out of overhead midis, then let another slip away to finish on 5 ex 8 on the very first stand, I could almost hear Diggy breathe a sigh of relief..!! :blink:

 

Anyway, pulled my socks up a bit after that as we worked our way through the valley, dropped the odd one or two but at least the weather held out.

 

As soon as we reached the top stands (10 - 15), the heavens literally opened, and it was heavy driving rain right in yer face, absolutely no fun at all, I reckon I missed 5 or 6 birds up there due to the pounding wind and rain, as we got back to stand 1 behind the shelter of the trees it eased a bit, but, lo & behold, there were 4 squads waiting to shoot, and there were loads of no birds on the rabbit, so we waited about 35 minutes to shoot, it shouldn't be like that at the British Open.

 

We finished on the teal stand, dropped one there to finish on an 83, I could have, (and should have) shot a bit better, but when I look at the scores, there were plenty of fancied names that shot today who screwed up.

 

The guy who won Doveridge last weekend with a stunning 95 could only manage a 74, how strange is that..??

 

It wasn't a particularly hard layout, Martin Myers is currently leading on a 92, I reckon that could be beat tomorrow if the weather calms down and we don't get any rain, I've got to say it's not a shoot that will linger in my memory in terms of target quality, it was pretty poor, the sort of layout you'd expect at a Country Fair, not the British Open.

 

It's small wonder the entries are well down, I'm afraid Southern Counties have confirmed what I and many others have said, it's just not a "Premiere" ground for Sporting, why on earth don't they take a trip up to Hodnet to see how a proper shoot is run..??

 

Good luck to anybody shooting tomorrow.

 

Cat.

[Catamong]

Forgot to mention, another PW Forum member was there today, also shooting at 1pm, (Paulos), I heard he was going like a train, very steady, powdering most of the targets, until, like me, he got caught in that awful downpour.

 

Not sure where he finished, but whatever he did, it was a damn good effort and another page to write into that "Book of Experience".

 

Well shot Matey.

 

Cat.

[Peter De La Mare]

Cat, 83 is ******* awesome. There aren't many returning scores in the 80s at all.

 

Not wanting to harp on and on about it, but that heavy shower you experienced was more or less constantly there on Friday. Stand 1 was giving a lot of no birds (or no bunnies) on Friday as well, and helped cause our 90 minute wait for it. I still think they went slightly overboard on the loopers as well.

[Mungler]

Okay, they can't control the weather but a 90 minute wait for any stand is outrageous. I don't do waiting around doing nothing very well and after any period you get out of the swing of it. I would rather wet weather then long waits. Both however amounts to a real bumm3r.

 

Peter, it sounds as though the day was a bit of a "Mare" <wokka wokka>

 

Actually it sounds like a bit of a "Western"........... "A Super Mare" <I am Mungler and I am here all week, good night>

[Catamong]

Cat, 83 is ******* awesome. There aren't many returning scores in the 80s at all.

 

Not wanting to harp on and on about it, but that heavy shower you experienced was more or less constantly there on Friday. Stand 1 was giving a lot of no birds (or no bunnies) on Friday as well, and helped cause our 90 minute wait for it. I still think they went slightly overboard on the loopers as well.

 

Yes, that rabbit stand was throwing a lot of no birds, it could so easily have been sorted by somebody who knew what they were doing.

 

I remember about 6 or 7 years ago the held the British on those same fields, it was held in mid May that year, and I remember commenting just how lucky they were with the weather, as if it had have been wet and windy, (as it was the week after), it would have been a nightmare. They weren't so lucky this time around. The course was extremely dull, a real wasted opportunity on a potentially lovely bit of ground, just think what a good course setter like John Dyson or Dave Peckham would have made of it.

 

I don't know why they didn't hold it within the confines of the ground, they've plenty of room behind the go kart track, and with a bit of imagination, they could have put on a good layout, with all stands on hardstanding. The Sportrap could have been staged on the Skeet / Trap layouts with everybody shooting under cover.

 

And why oh why were there 2 stands with looping rabbits, I can't work that one out, rabbits are for rolling along the ground, not for throwing into the air, they're twice the price of a standard clay and a real sod to break when thrown as a looper, so many were hit but not broken, it leads to no end of aggro with the scorers who may not see the tiny chips being knocked off them.

 

I hope the CPSA learn from this and pick a better venue for next years event, the trouble is that most of the CPSA Board members are skeet and trap shooters, which I always think is rather odd, bearing in mind the overwhelming majority of members only shoot Sporting.

 

It's a bit like asking the Chinese to run the British Legion.

 

Cat.

[Chard]

Cat, 83 is ******* awesome. There aren't many returning scores in the 80s at all.

 

Not wanting to harp on and on about it, but that heavy shower you experienced was more or less constantly there on Friday. Stand 1 was giving a lot of no birds (or no bunnies) on Friday as well, and helped cause our 90 minute wait for it. I still think they went slightly overboard on the loopers as well.

 

Yes, that rabbit stand was throwing a lot of no birds, it could so easily have been sorted by somebody who knew what they were doing.

 

I remember about 6 or 7 years ago the held the British on those same fields, it was held in mid May that year, and I remember commenting just how lucky they were with the weather, as if it had have been wet and windy, (as it was the week after), it would have been a nightmare. They weren't so lucky this time around. The course was extremely dull, a real wasted opportunity on a potentially lovely bit of ground, just think what a good course setter like John Dyson or Dave Peckham would have made of it.

 

I don't know why they didn't hold it within the confines of the ground, they've plenty of room behind the go kart track, and with a bit of imagination, they could have put on a good layout, with all stands on hardstanding. The Sportrap could have been staged on the Skeet / Trap layouts with everybody shooting under cover.

 

And why oh why were there 2 stands with looping rabbits, I can't work that one out, rabbits are for rolling along the ground, not for throwing into the air, they're twice the price of a standard clay and a real sod to break when thrown as a looper, so many were hit but not broken, it leads to no end of aggro with the scorers who may not see the tiny chips being knocked off them.

 

I hope the CPSA learn from this and pick a better venue for next years event, the trouble is that most of the CPSA Board members are skeet and trap shooters, which I always think is rather odd, bearing in mind the overwhelming majority of members only shoot Sporting.

 

It's a bit like asking the Chinese to run the British Legion.

 

Cat.

 

There won't be any grounds left in the country doing big comps soon :blink:

 

Not worth the grief

[Catamong]

I reckon Worsley could have put on a better layout, it's the organisation that they lack.

 

Cat.

[tosspot]

Cat, 83 is ******* awesome. There aren't many returning scores in the 80s at all.

 

Not wanting to harp on and on about it, but that heavy shower you experienced was more or less constantly there on Friday. Stand 1 was giving a lot of no birds (or no bunnies) on Friday as well, and helped cause our 90 minute wait for it. I still think they went slightly overboard on the loopers as well.

 

Yes, that rabbit stand was throwing a lot of no birds, it could so easily have been sorted by somebody who knew what they were doing.

 

I remember about 6 or 7 years ago the held the British on those same fields, it was held in mid May that year, and I remember commenting just how lucky they were with the weather, as if it had have been wet and windy, (as it was the week after), it would have been a nightmare. They weren't so lucky this time around. The course was extremely dull, a real wasted opportunity on a potentially lovely bit of ground, just think what a good course setter like John Dyson or Dave Peckham would have made of it.

 

I don't know why they didn't hold it within the confines of the ground, they've plenty of room behind the go kart track, and with a bit of imagination, they could have put on a good layout, with all stands on hardstanding. The Sportrap could have been staged on the Skeet / Trap layouts with everybody shooting under cover.

 

And why oh why were there 2 stands with looping rabbits, I can't work that one out, rabbits are for rolling along the ground, not for throwing into the air, they're twice the price of a standard clay and a real sod to break when thrown as a looper, so many were hit but not broken, it leads to no end of aggro with the scorers who may not see the tiny chips being knocked off them.

 

I hope the CPSA learn from this and pick a better venue for next years event, the trouble is that most of the CPSA Board members are skeet and trap shooters, which I always think is rather odd, bearing in mind the overwhelming majority of members only shoot Sporting.

 

It's a bit like asking the Chinese to run the British Legion.

 

Cat.

 

There won't be any grounds left in the country doing big comps soon :blink:

 

Not worth the grief

 

How many do you think you would've shot Chard?

[Chard]

Cat, 83 is ******* awesome. There aren't many returning scores in the 80s at all.

 

Not wanting to harp on and on about it, but that heavy shower you experienced was more or less constantly there on Friday. Stand 1 was giving a lot of no birds (or no bunnies) on Friday as well, and helped cause our 90 minute wait for it. I still think they went slightly overboard on the loopers as well.

 

Yes, that rabbit stand was throwing a lot of no birds, it could so easily have been sorted by somebody who knew what they were doing.

 

I remember about 6 or 7 years ago the held the British on those same fields, it was held in mid May that year, and I remember commenting just how lucky they were with the weather, as if it had have been wet and windy, (as it was the week after), it would have been a nightmare. They weren't so lucky this time around. The course was extremely dull, a real wasted opportunity on a potentially lovely bit of ground, just think what a good course setter like John Dyson or Dave Peckham would have made of it.

 

I don't know why they didn't hold it within the confines of the ground, they've plenty of room behind the go kart track, and with a bit of imagination, they could have put on a good layout, with all stands on hardstanding. The Sportrap could have been staged on the Skeet / Trap layouts with everybody shooting under cover.

 

And why oh why were there 2 stands with looping rabbits, I can't work that one out, rabbits are for rolling along the ground, not for throwing into the air, they're twice the price of a standard clay and a real sod to break when thrown as a looper, so many were hit but not broken, it leads to no end of aggro with the scorers who may not see the tiny chips being knocked off them.

 

I hope the CPSA learn from this and pick a better venue for next years event, the trouble is that most of the CPSA Board members are skeet and trap shooters, which I always think is rather odd, bearing in mind the overwhelming majority of members only shoot Sporting.

 

It's a bit like asking the Chinese to run the British Legion.

 

Cat.

 

There won't be any grounds left in the country doing big comps soon :blink:

 

Not worth the grief

 

How many do you think you would've shot Chard?

 

 

 

 

99 minimum - with the Mossburglar

Edited September 7, 2008 by Chard

[paulos]

???

 

Well. That was disappointing.

 

Well shot Cat, 83 was a fantastic score

 

Being new to big shoots I have little experience of these events, however I do know that I will not be rushing back to Southern Counties in a hurry. I can see how a rabbit clay in the air may be a bit novel and may catch a few people out, but it should be at a range which shall allow it to be broken without the need for hellish choke and a big shot. Two other rabbit stands were also badly set up, the first throwing out about 5 no birds per person and on the second stand they were bouncing so furiously that you would think they were made of rubber. I shot very bady yesterday, but as I went there knowing fine well that I would not be challenging Faulds and Digweed, the only thing that is bothering me is the time and money spent shooting a course that I found particularly unenjoyable.

 

Furthermore, I thought when organising a major championship, they had to take into consideration certain criteria - catering, toilets etc. I can't see how southern counties can qualify when all of these facilities are a bus journey away

 

Rant over

[Peter De La Mare]

What was your result Paulos?

[MC]

I thought that under the english sporting rules only 10% of the birds thrown could be "Specials" ie rabbits and battues or has that changed?

 

 

 

Surely having 3 rabbit stands albeit 1 airbourne lacks a little imagination. 1 surely would suffice.

 

 

OH and Cat,

 

Don't worry about the 83, i would have thought you could have done better but you are getting old now. It won't be long until the vets class is calling. I reckon I would have shot an 84 going on current form but never mind.

Edited September 8, 2008 by martincavie

[Catamong]

MC,

 

I think you'll find it's 20%, I still can't get my mind around what sort of idiot would throw a looping rabbit at say 20p a target, when a looping standard at say 10p a bird would do just as well, and also break cleanly when hit. Whatever feckwit set out that course seemed to have a fixation about loopers, one on virtually every stand.

 

Yes, my score wasn't brilliant.. , I ended up in joint 27th place out of 758 entries, a poor show when compared to some of the results I got back in the good old 90's, but hey ho, life goes on, as for the Veterans class, I've still got another 7 years yet, I reckon you'll be there long before me..!!

 

Cat.

[MC]

Blimey,

 

Even if they start the veterans class at 45 you will still get there a year before me. I just had a hard paper round.

 

Isn't the looper in fashion at the moment? like you say though why throw a rabbit clay? a standard or midi works just as well and breaks when hit.

[paulos]

What was your result Paulos?

 

I didn't bother counting my score when I was done, but having just looked on the website I finished on a 62. My worst ever score on a registered shoot Still, onwards and upwards. I know I can do better so will be back with a vengeance for southdown

[Peter De La Mare]

What was your result Paulos?

 

I didn't bother counting my score when I was done, but having just looked on the website I finished on a 62. My worst ever score on a registered shoot Still, onwards and upwards. I know I can do better so will be back with a vengeance for southdown

 

So, you had as bad a day as I did. In some way that makes me feel better, thanks!

 

What's the forecast for this weekend ? I'm back as a confirmed fair weather shooter.

[Catamong]

Guess what...on Sunday they're forecasting rain.

 

There ain't a lot on this Sunday, if you're after Registered Sporting, then Barrow Heath's possibly your best option from East London, I may do Westfield and then Hornet, but then again, if there's plenty of Pigeons about locally, I might settle for some fun over the decoys. :look:

 

Cat.