My Score Went Up By 9 Targets

[ErikW]

I shot a 71 Thursday, 9 higher than my previous best, cleaned at least two stations. Shot back down in the 60s at another range the next day.

[benos]

What are you shooting? Sporting?

be

[EricW]

Erik-

Scores in SC's are dramatically affected by the course. I've shot courses where virtually every shot was a gimme and landed in the high 70's and shot a tournament course after that and stuggled to break 50. Good courses are never the same two weeks in a row, so you can't let some drops in your scores get you down. Some days it's just harder.

[tightloop]

The tournament targets we see now are much harder than 10 or even 5 years ago. I have seen AA shooters shoot in the 50's at tournaments simply because the guys setting the targets don't want the sport to turn into skeet or trap with many long runs of targets.

The place I shoot in Houston has 3 different set ups with different degrees of targets. There is fully 20 targets difference between the easiest and the hardest. I can run 48 or 49 on the Blue course, I am about 43 or 44 on the Red and about 37 or so on the White, if the wind is blowing or if the course setter is in an especially foul mood, I might shoot 32 or so on the White.

They have learned that unless the shooter is a seasoned shooter and shoots competition, the White is too tough for the weekend shooter who will become dissapointed with his 55 score and not come back. However if he shoots 85, he will come back and bring his friends to show off his prowess.

Yes, we all can have a lights out day when shooting clays, but they are far and few between for most of us. I understand the need to make it tough, but I have shot 60+ yd Springing Teal, True Pair quartering away and dropping which landed at 70 and 73 yds, and mini's from the 100' tower with a stiff cross wind that looked like BB's in the air. Clays is supposed to simulate hunting and I have never seen or shot at anything approaching the targets I described, so I guess the point is just to make you miss...which they did.

It is still the best shotgun game next to hand thrown live pigeons, which my bud shot this weekend. I would have gone but was obligated to watch my granddaughter turn 2. It is a great game and no doubt will make you a lot better shotgunner, if you don't get discouraged in the process.

Sounds like you are making some good progress. I have watched Bobby Fowler get ready for tournaments and he might stand at one particular station which was giving him problems and shoot 100 targets or so till he was comfortable with his ability to shoot that station with that presentation. To get to Master, that is what you have to do. There are only about 7 or 8 shots that yu have to master in clays, and the rest are variations on those themes, but some of the variations can really be a killer. Good luck.

[ErikW]

Yes this was Sporting Clays. Same course I do most of my SC shooting at. It changes weekly but it's pretty much the same.

Aside from my score, I just plain didn't shoot as well the next day.

[TLD]

Yes this was Sporting Clays. Same course I do most of my SC shooting at. It changes weekly but it's pretty much the same.

Aside from my score, I just plain didn't shoot as well the next day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm just starting clays and have shot about 5 times. Scores are different but I've been at or above the course average. Better than I can say about my pistol shooting. I hope my new shotgun gets here quick!