25

[j1b]

I went to go shoot skeet today, beautiful day. Sunny, a little windy but really overall just a pleasant day.

I shoot my first round, and I miss the low house bird on the pair from station one. Then I clean the rest of the course - 24. I'm like "hey, that's ok"

Round two I'm feeling it a little too well. I mean, after the first round I all of the sudden just felt like 25 was in the works today. So I shoot round two and miss the pair on station one. I mounted the gun bad, missed the high house and then just washed over the low. I ended up shooting a 20 that round, I could have stopped really. I started shooting pairs and just messing around. You know, the fun part about skeet.

Round three I re-dailed the focus and was clean through station 6. Again, another poor mount and I miss the pair. I knew from the mount that high was going to be tough, and then really didn't feel like I had time to remount for the low. So a 23, but both birds were the losses on station 6.

Round 4 I missed one on station two, and one on station 3.

But all in all I'm really feeling good. The times I missed were times I was lax on the set up and not diligent about getting a good mount.

And again, I could just FEEL that a 25 was in the air. So I sign up for one more round.

And all was good. Started out really crushing the birds, got through 3, 4, and 5 with some of the most solid hits I've ever had. Got to 6 knowing that's where I'd blown it before but really not at all worried about it. The high single came across and it just wrecked in front of my shotgun. Cleaned up on 6 and went to 7 knowing that really, this is it. But not to take anything for granted! Particularly low 7 - a target that half the time I hardly look at. I knew I couldn't over focus, or under focus. I couldn't make it more than anything it had ever been, and I couldn't take it for granted.

Seven went great and it was on to 8 where strangely I got a little calm.

High 8 isn't exactly a tough target, but I knew again I couldn't take it for granted. Popped it, no biggie. On to the low.

And for the first time I got to take my second on low 8. The first bird wasn't that big a deal. Like normal. The second I have to admit, I really didn't "see" it as well as I normally do. But as those that shoot the game know, if the gun is covering up the target it's time to pull the trigger. I knew I wasn't relaxed on it, I knew I wasn't off on it, so I went with what I knew. And, like most days, the bird fell to pieces around us.

My first 25.

Somewhat anti-climactic, but boy did it feel good. It was a goal to get done this year, and with as little as I shot I wondered if it would really happen. This is the first year I've really wanted to get after clays. Bought a new shotgun, and while the summer months were brutal trying to get out and shoot, the past 4 or 5 weeks have been good for it.

And honestly I've been hanging around that 21-24 birds a round for some time.

And I hate to say this, but just knowing the couple of things I did, I feel like 25's will come more often.

Fun day!

Jack

[Chris Keen]

Congrats!

[Flexmoney]

Sounds like a cool accomplishment (so I will move it to the "Accomplishments" forum).

Nicely done, Jack!

[Bwana Six-Gun]

Congratulations! The first one is always the hardest. After that they become second nature. I remember my first, NC Open at Pinehurst Gun Club, May 1976. I was the last shooter in the squad, on the last round. As I stepped up to the station and broke the first low 8, several of the sqaud started talking and walking off the field. One guy said, "Wait, he is going for his first straight. They all stopped and got quiet. I broke the bird and they all crowded around to congratulate me. After that I had several more, but none were as sweet. Enjoy and remember. It will never be the same again until you get that first 100.

[j1b]

Sounds like a cool accomplishment (so I will move it to the "Accomplishments" forum).

Nicely done, Jack!

Thx all, twas a good day!

And thx Flex!

But for the record, this was something I very much liked :D (For those that don't know, I originally posted in the what I like forum)

Jack

[vluc]

[LPatterson]

Congratulations, it's like Lanny Bassham says "Anyone that can break 24 out of 25 can break 25 out of 25." The main thing is to never start thinking "if I can only get this bird then I can shoot a 25". Mount the gun the same every time and if it doesn't feel quite right take the gun down and start again. I hate to use this example but, look at a professional golfer as they get ready for a shot, the routine is the same every time and if it doesn't feel right they back away. I have refereed several 100's and I have had them stop and start over because a broken bird from another field flew through their concentration zone.

We have it in IPSC, the shooter gets Make Ready then goes through a final mental and sometimes hand movement of how they are going to shoot every target on the stage.

Keep it up the 100 is just around the corner or on that next field.

I hate misspelled words.

Edited November 23, 2009 by LPatterson