Masters done

After some good practice on friday afternoon I was feeling fairly confident for the Masters however I was disappointed to wake up to horrendous weather. It was raining heavily .

I started on the Black course which I had heard was slightly harder than the red , however started well with an 8 . I then went onto miss a few early on on some straightable stands however shot some of the tougher stand okay. I finished on the extreme stand shooting 3/4 which left me on 73/100. 11 clays better than last year so far.

After a very short break and a squad split I started on Red course and started a bit slow with a 6. However I steadily improved up until the driven where I kissed a couple of birds then missed 3 on a simmo pair of incoming orange birds .

I then picked up again missing the odd one right up until stand 13 where I only shot 1/4. This left me on 82 which I was pleased with.

155 total meant I was just outside B class prizes ; twelve was joint on 160. 

Realistically with some better weather I think I could have shot another 6-8 clays in total but I am pleased with how I shot and my progress over the last few months .

Next competition is the Suffolk skeet championships at Eriswell Lodge. I would  like to put in a decent score there to attempt to make the Suffolk squad . Last year I missed out because I was on holiday .

Masters prep

So my London working week is finished , a day and a half to go before prep starts. 

The last two years I have shot 142 at the masters . I am setting out to shoot well and feel confident . Leading B class is 170, technically two 85s.  Tough yes but definitely not impossible with my recent form .

I'm heading over to Eriswell Friday afternoon to just get swinging the gun before I head down to shoot it Saturday morning .

I look forward to seeing one of my sponsors Gamebore down there and thank them and GBS builders in advance for their support . 

Update

So after a poor run of form through the Autumn I have found a bit of form the last couple of shoots and shot an 82 and an 80 both at Barrow Heath .

GBS have kindly sponsored me again this year as have Gamebore and look forward to repaying them with more good scores and hopefully some medals.

I have now booked the world sporting and sportrap and will shortly be booking the Essex masters and the Cpsa skeet and sporting majors .

Roll on Sunday for another trip to Barrow.

Happy shooting !

Sam

British open skeet and DSG Cambridge

Wow what a weekend of shooting!

Friday afternoon Adrian and I headed to bisley to shoot the British skeet . I started a bit slowly missing 3 on my layout . I was well aware that C class was being won on 96 and had in my head I would like to get near to that . 

The second layout I picked up my performance and really focused shooting a 24 . I was then in the zone and was feeling very confident.  I then went onto shoot the next 25 straight. The first time I had shot a 25 in an English skeet which was registered . I was now in reach of a good score if I could hold my nerve and I did just that. I shot another 25 meaning I had shot my first 50 straight and finishing on 96.

I was really pleased and very emotional , I also was even more pleased that Adrian also shot his first 50 on exactly the same clays . It was great to shoot with Adrian and Neil . Neil kept me on my toes to start and finished on 85 and Adrian on 93.

The day was topped off with being offered a part sponsorship by tom starkey of Starkey Headsets for some Pilla lenses . He kindly allowed me to wear some during the shoot.

On Saturday we travelled to Cambridge for the DSG monthly shoot and to contest for the high lodge challenge shields. We started on the skeet and I let myself down a bit only shooting a 22 however the slight delay on the traps was a hinderence. I woke up when we got to the dtl and managed a 24. 

We finished on a tricky sporting and a took a while to get going . Stand 1 and 2 I dropped 2 clays on each . Stands 3 and 4 I straighted then I completed on stand 5 just dropping one clay . It was enough to secure the standing title in 71/80 . Darrel win the sitting in an identical score.

I got back Saturday evening to look at the skeet scores and saw that 98 was winning class . It was a relief to be honest as I was unlikely to make it Sunday. Sunday came and there was a further 98 . It meant I was equal third in class . I won the disabled standing which I was delighted to retain the title . Adrian won the sitting for the first time also.

Thank you to everyone for their support including joe Garnham of gbs contracts , all the team at Gamebore and to new sponsor tom starkey of starkey headsets for their support .

Lots of practice now for the British open sporting and sportrap . 

British skeet tomorrow

Really excited to get the gun out for a major championship tomorrow . Adrian and I are often to bisley to shoot the British skeet . Last year I won the disabled standing on an 85 at dartford . I have stepped up a gear since then thanks to my sponsors support (gamebore and GBS).

I have shot skeet well this year and narrowly missed out on the county team .  I have averaged 91 between English and nssa however I haven't shot too much in the last 8 weeks due to major work commitments and a holiday so the pressure will be on if I start slowly .

Fingers crossed for a good start and for some good weather.

Saturday we have a DSG shoot at Cambridge .

Latest

So I have had a week or so off after a fair bit of shooting.

Had some really decent results . I came second behind Jamie Gutteridge at the English with a 92/120 . Was really pleased with my score and felt I shot consistent with just one stand letting me down.

I then shot an open shoot the following weekend at the grove and came third behind the Clarke brothers missing out by one clay . I shot A 41 first round then improved with a 45. Was pleased with my shooting especially considering I had left my chokes at home . 

The following week I went upto cloudside with the DSG and shot immediately after a 4 hour drive . Considering this I was happy with my shooting . 65/75. Starting with an 18 on a tricky sportrap. Then a 23 on dtl and 24 on skeet .

English open week

So I got the gun out on Saturday for practice and took a trip upto eriswell lodge lakenheath for the first time since it opened the week prior. 

I started by shooting the sportrap with Aaron Harvey and shot reasonably well apart from one target which was even causing the England junior trouble .

I then shot a few tricky stands of sporting and shot well missing the odd one here and there .

I finished shooting some skeet birds and again only missed the odd one or two so left there in confident mood .

Monday I went over to clacton in my new car and shot the Suffolk skeet championships . I started well missing 1 low on station 6 . I then had a blip and dropped to a 22 dropping on stations 1,2 and 4. The third round I only missed the high house on station 1 . I finished badly missing the simmo pair on station 1 and then one on station 6. So finished on a 92 . A respectable score however I was hoping for 94 to keep up my improvement .

This week I shoot the English open sporting at my local ground of high lodge. .  I am the current disabled standing champion of this one and am desperate to retain my title. I shoot on the second last squad on the Sunday.

Fingers crossed I have a good day . I know if I keep my head down the black gold will do the business.

Happy shooting

Sam