How to switch guns… successfully!

There comes a time in every shooter’s life when they will need to change their gun. In true break-up fashion, what comes next can either be a blissful match made in heaven or an absolute car crash that crushes your self-confidence and makes you want to eat ice cream in bed for a week.
Never fear, there are some things you can do to ensure that your next partnership is of the long-term, beneficial variety.

Time for a change
Top FITASC shooter Becky McKenzie has recently taken the plunge, ending her factory sponsorship with Zoli and buying herself a beautiful secondhand Krieghoff that just feels right. Firstly, to clear the air, Becky was very keen to assure me that the Zoli was a wonderful, well-built gun that performed admirably for seven years, helping her to win a great many titles and trophies. But sometimes you just need a change.
She explained: “I felt, as a shooter, that I’d got to a certain level and plateaued, and I needed something to motivate myself to the next level. Ladies across the world have stepped it up over the past couple of years, and although I know I can shoot, I hadn’t stepped up in the same way.
“I thought a complete change would just motivate me to work a little harder, enjoy shooting more and get that hunger back! I had just reached the end of my time with Zoli after seven years, and the only other manufacturer I wanted to shoot was Krieghoff, because I got on so well with the brand before. The new gun is a Krieghoff K80 Step Rib.” And very pretty it is too!
For the rest of us, the decision to switch might be down to a range of factors: body shapes can change, resulting in a badly fitting gun; scores can plateau for no apparent reason; trusty old tools can be dented or damaged beyond repair; or perhaps you’ve just come into some dollar and want to splash it on a shiny new upgrade. Whatever the reason, there are some tips you should consider when making your new purchase.

Gun fit
First and foremost: gun fit! We bang on about it endlessly, and yet you still see petite ladies having a horrible time being bashed about by their husband’s lump of a gun, men and women alike rolling their heads over the stock in an attempt to get their eye aligned, and a vast number whose heads part contact entirely with the comb in order to catch a glimpse of the clay over the mountainous rib. Something is not sinking in.
Becky explained her own gun fitting process and why it is important, especially for women. “We went down to visit Jonathan at Mid Wales Shooting Centre, where you can go and try as many guns as you like. He brought a selection out and I saw this Krieghoff 32″ Step Rib with a cracking bit of wood on it and an adjustable comb, and I picked it up and thought, yes, I like this! He let me take it out and shoot it, and it was just love at first sight.
“The stock itself was too long, but the palm swell is slim and fitted my hand – the majority of guns on the market are standard and are just too big for ladies’ hands, which is part of the reason ladies generally have to have a custom fit stock. The length from the grip to the trigger has to be smaller so they can reach it. The Krieghoff is not a ladies gun, but it is adjustable and slim. On the way back from Mid Wales, we went to Midland Gun Services in Shrewsbury and met with Kristian, who measured me up and chopped a length of wood off straight down, which shortened it and also took the toe off to stop it digging into a lady’s chest.
“Take your time, and take someone experienced with you. People often buy based on looks. They take the gun home saying ‘I love this gun’, but they can’t shoot with it. They come for a lesson, still saying ‘I love this gun, I love it!’ But you can’t shoot with it! As a coach, you have to be quite severe, and say, yes, it is a stunning gun, beautiful, but it doesn’t fit you, and that’s why you can’t shoot with it.
“It’s also difficult to recommend brands for people. For me, if you’ve only just started shooting, I would probably recommend getting a semi-auto because they are so low recoiling and pointable.
“Especially for women, people tend to advise them to buy a 20-bore. But actually you can get loads more recoil than if you use a lighter weight cartridge in a 12-bore. A 12-bore 21g cartridge will definitely kick less than a 20-bore 28g cartridge. Also, whatever the gun, I would recommend starting off with a well-known brand, and consider buying secondhand.
“Go to a shop with a ground where you can take them out and shoot them. Sometimes, someone gets set on a certain brand, even before they’ve tried it. They have no idea if they will actually like it or not.”
It is important not to rely on the person selling you the gun to tell you if it fits correctly, unless you have a very good relationship with them and trust them already.
Both Becky and I could recount more than a few tales of woe about shooters being encouraged to buy badly fitting guns. Take a knowledgeable friend or your coach along and get them to help you out. It can be an expensive mistake if you buy something that fits like a baggy sock.

Balance
After finding the perfect fit, the next thing on your list of priorities should be the balance. This topic is less widely discussed, but it’s extremely important when seeking that elusive and indefinable feeling of ‘rightness’ in a gun. Certain brands are known for being slightly more muzzle heavy, but any gun can be altered and rebalanced to suit your own preference.
Becky’s Krieghoff took a fair amount of work to achieve perfection: “The Krieghoff did need quite a bit of rebalancing for what I wanted. It has 32″ barrels and I shortened the stock, which meant it became too muzzle heavy. It’s very personal how people like to have their guns balanced – I still like the front end to be a little heavy, but it did need balancing to make it more ‘lively’. Sometimes, you pick a gun up and it feels like a dead weight in your hands, and then you balance it and hit the sweet spot and suddenly it just feels much easier to move, like it’s alive in your hands.
“There are tunnels under Midland Gun Services with pattern plates where you can test the gun and tweak the balance and the fit, which is great. I’ll be honest, I’ve never really been into pattern plate testing, but aside from checking fit and balance, it can be very useful for diagnosing problems if you do start to miss. Otherwise, it plays on your mind… did I miss that target because the gun is firing too high?”
Again, it might be worth asking your coach to help you out when rebalancing a new gun, and you could even consider visiting somewhere like Midland Gun Services that has testing facilities available, in order to check and perfect it.

Muscle memory and timing
Shooting, like many sports, is all about muscle memory. Repeat, repeat, repeat until it becomes second nature, right? Right. But if you are changing guns and have been shooting your current model for several years, it might take you a little while to get used to your new squeeze. This is because you will have built up quite specific muscle memory, and it takes a little while to reacclimatise to the new feeling.
Even top shooters like Becky experience this. She described her own journey: “Going from Krieghoff to Zoli the first time meant I had to change my hold points because the Zoli was a much lighter gun. Now I’ve gone from Zoli back to Krieghoff it’s all changed again, but it’s been a lot easier because picking up the Krieghoff is just like picking up your favourite pair of gloves. It just feels right.
“Even so, I had a couple of really good months with it, and then I faltered. I couldn’t really fathom what I was doing, and I thought perhaps I’m not strong enough for 32″ barrels. I put some 30″s on and shot like a plonker, then put the 32″s back on and shot brilliantly. For me, if I’m thinking about it, I’ve got to try it, even if it’s wrong. I tried [the barrel change], it was wrong. Then I looked back and really thought about it – I’d shot awesomely with it for two months, so I thought about what I was doing, went back and practised. The more you shoot, the more muscle memory and hand-eye coordination you get, and now I love it. You’ve just got to put the effort in. Gun fit is paramount. Balance is paramount. And then you just need to shoot it and get used to it.
“It can be tricky, and as a coach I can help. If you have someone who is going from a gun such as a Browning, which tend to be more muzzle-heavy, to a lighter gun like a Zoli, it’s difficult because they’ve got that much muscle memory from shooting the gun with the heavier muzzle end that they can’t cope with the change. To help, you can set the Zoli up initially to be barrel heavy, or half barrel heavy, and then ease it back gradually. Otherwise, they can lose faith in the gun entirely.”
It is a comforting thought that even Becky took a little while to get used to her new gun. It is also an important one to bear in mind if you end up taking your beautiful, new, perfectly fitted, perfectly balanced gun to the ground and struggle to hit anything.
Don’t despair – remember that muscle memory needs to be retrained and built up again following a change. As long as it fits you well and feels right between the hands, persevere with that practice and before long you’ll be smoking the targets again. Book a session with your coach if you are really struggling, and he/she may be able to help by tweaking the balance a little, as Becky described above.
Timing is also important – you don’t want to be changing your gun and trying to get comfortable with it in the middle of the competitive season. The time is now! If you want to switch, do it over the winter. It may not be pleasant shooting weather, but it gives you ages to get used to it, ready to smash the competitions come the start of the season.

 

Barrel length
Barrel length is another hotly debated topic, and one that also tends to alter with what is perceived to be fashionable. Over time, the fashionable length has gradually grown from rather short to rather long, but just like balance, barrels are a personal choice. What suits one shooter might horrify another, and what works for a six foot five Sporting shooter probably won’t delight a five foot nothing Skeet shooter.
Ability also plays a part, with shorter barrels generally being better suited for novices. Becky has personally opted for slightly longer barrels than she used to shoot: “I started off shooting with 30″ barrels. Before I bought my own Krieghoff, my husband John had bought one with 32″ barrels in left-hander. I shot with that and, despite it being all wrong for me as a right-hander, it was so well balanced that it just felt nice. I was shooting FITASC with it and it was just bang, smash, bang, smash. I thought – if I can get a right-handed one of these I’ll be happy!
“I’d been going to the gym a lot so was stronger, and I felt that a 32″ barrelled gun would be more suited to my style of shooting. Some people don’t like them because they find them too heavy, some find them too quick because once you get them going they’re hard to stop… again, it’s personal.”
Whatever brand, model or bore you are thinking of switching to, whatever your level, the same principles apply if you want it to be a smooth transition. Make sure it fits, get it balanced to suit you, choose suitable barrels for your style and experience, don’t be drawn in by certain brands or looks alone, practise lots with it to build muscle memory and, above all, make sure to try before you buy.
If in any doubt, take your coach or a trusted friend. Good luck!

Gun test and review – Rizzini RB Premium

With gunmakers trying all manner of weird and wonderful configurations in order to produce better guns, Vic Harker finds this classically-styled Sporter to be a breath a fresh air

 

 

The modern Sporter shotgun can nowadays appear in some unlikely guises. By far the biggest selling type of clay gun in the UK, and also in some other markets, in specification the gunmakers now give full reign to their imagination. Some of their ideas are inappropriate, but others, in spite of some unlikely specifications, work well.

My test gun is a Sporter whose specifications are entirely appropriate, and I would suggest this has at least to some degree been influenced by its British distributor, who possesses a vast experience of what works best in the UK market and the kind of shooting it pursues. ASI (Anglo Spanish Imports) have long enjoyed success with their marketing of side-by-side game guns, and it seems their judgement is no less sound as to what works when it comes to the over-and-under Sporter.

The action

The Rizzini RB Premium is an excellent example of this. Straight out of the box, it doesn’t fail to impress, and so far as a clay target gun is concerned, it is different. This is not because it incorporates any form of unlikely eccentricities, but rather it conforms to traditional ideas of line and form. For example, when was the last time a round bodied clay target gun has been offered? I, for one, don’t remember, but the Rizzini has it and it’s executed beautifully. A series of elegant curves from the floor plate to the fences, the action’s polished silver surfaces are further emphasised by a deeply etched leaf engraving which, applied sparingly, provides eye catching definition. The top lever, which is suitably chequered, also gets attention with the same design. The non-automatic safety catch is equally well designed and finished, also incorporating a barrel selector which is under the shooter’s thumb. As to the trigger mechanism, it is entirely conventional with coil-springs that power hammers set side by side, which are cocked by a lever in the floor of the action body by way of the forend iron when the gun is opened.

 

Stock

This is an area where the modern gunmaker can go over the top in an attempt to create a high-tech appearance, that doesn’t deliver. The Rizzini’s configuration is classic in appearance and provides everything a Sporting shooter may need, if the dimensions suit. The Rizzini’s stock dimensions are: length of pull, 3.80cm; drop at comb, 35mm; at heel 55mm; and a small amount of right-hand cast. I would add an adjustable comb – incorporated into this Rizzini Sporter it would, as always, be a very useful addition. What should be kept in mind by the makers is that Sporting clays should replicate the kind of shooting live game represents. This can, at the very least, represent the unexpected in terms of both distance and angle. Spontaneity in terms of gun handling is therefore essential, and is best achieved with a stock configuration that complements a ‘gun down’ technique that brings the gun to the shoulder and locates at the face in one smooth, fast movement. This, I am happy to report, is easily achieved with Rizzini’s stock configuration

 

Barrels

The maker’s barrels are noted for their quality, indeed Rizzini began their business in the firearms industry solely as barrel makers.

No attempt has been made to introduce some kind of eccentric rib design, instead (at least in my view) the makers have gone for the best possible option. A low parallel rib,10mm in width, is beautifully fitted, and together with an unobtrusive file cut finish it is both very attractive and, as an effective sighting aid, cannot be bettered. As to chokes, the variety of targets presented by any Sporting course worth the description, demands the hand-detachable kind. In this, again Rizzini do not disappoint – both the flush fitting kind and the extended sort are available. I had the opportunity to use both, and at the pattern plate and with a variety of clay target loads I could detect little difference in pattern distribution. As to balance, the extended chokes in both barrels represents 8g of extra weight at the barrels’ muzzle ends, and so I plumped for the shorter type.

 

Shooting Impressions

On the scales this gun weighs 7lbs 12oz, incorporating a barrel weight of 3lbs 6oz. With a choice of five hand-detachable chokes, point of balance is situated a fraction in front of the barrels’ trunnions. It must be clear to my readers by now that the Rizzini Premium approximates what a Sporter ought to be in my view, which is a gun that can be equally effective for shooting game in addition to clays. If this is not the case, shooting clays as practice for shooting game is a waste of time, which clearly it shouldn’t be. At the North Oxfordshire Shooting School, a venue I use regularly, the Rizzini and I dealt with most of the targets more than adequately. Trigger pulls were particularly crisp with the minimum of take-up that demonstrates that an entirely conventional coil spring mechanism, if correctly regulated, can be entirely satisfactory. On the pattern plate with both the flush fitting and external chokes, the Rizzini consistently threw well-distributed patterns that left no excuses for not breaking targets convincingly. As for recoil, with a selection of premium quality target loads, this Italian gun digested them without any noticeable discomfort to the shooter. In part, this was due to a stock configuration entirely suitable to a Sporter, which must be able to consistently digest a lot of cartridges in a short time. This Rizzini represents a combination of an entirely suitable specification for Sporting clay targets, together with a feel and balance that matches some guns twice its price.

 

 

Technical Specifications:-

Maker:             Rizzini

Model:             RB Premium Sporter

Bore size:        12

Barrel Length: 32 “

Action:                        Coil spring boxlock

Chambers:       3” Magnum

Chokes:           Hand detachable

Rib:                 10mm parallel

Weight:           7lbs 12oz

Stock:              Monte Carlo pistol grip

Suggested retail:         £2,730

UK Distributor:           ASI Email: info@a-s-i.co.uk   web: http://www.a-s-i.co.uk/

Telephone: 01728 688555

British Shooting Talent Pathway – all you need to know

What is Talent Pathway? How do I go about joining? How will it help my shooting? Talent Pathway manager Christian Schofield answers all these questions and more!

 

The aim of the British Shooting Talent Pathway is to help athletes develop the skills and behaviours to deliver constant World leading performances. One of the key British Shooting values is “to do the basics exceptionally well”. Hard work and attention to detail are key ingredients of success.

 

Our approach

We have two strands to our approach – people and environment. We are working hard to create the environment in which athletes and coaches are able to develop. We aim to have enjoyable training sessions where people are challenged, and are supported in striving to meet those challenges. We have seen from other sports around the world that this approach achieves results.

We now have on board Kurt Lindley, our People Development Manager, who is helping us to learn from other sports and from each other. Kurt organised training days for the coaches, with the last one held at Loughborough University. A professor gave a talk about the athlete-coach relationship, and we went to see people from the English Institute of Sport. We talked to people in the sport of power lifting about how they prepare for competitions. If we are to help the athletes meet their goals we must constantly strive to improve as coaches and find better ways of doing our business.

To this end, we have just run the first British Shooting-organised International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) D Licence Course for Shotgun coaches (part of a series of courses run and licensed by the ISSF Academy). We had 24 delegates, many of whom will work towards becoming a British Shooting Skills Coach, working with Talent Pathway athletes. The enthusiasm and knowledge demonstrated by those on the course was amazing and showed that we have a good future ahead of us.

 

 

Long term development

The British Shooting School is used to describe the initial stages of the Pathway, which incorporates several stages or elements, from Talent Hub up to World Class; the Pathway is a continuous process. The concept of the British Shooting School is that over 10 sessions we will provide the knowledge and guidance to help you develop and realise your potential. The 10 sessions are spread out over the year from March to October. The idea is that you, the athlete, will work on your own or perhaps with your personal coach between the sessions, and in the sessions we will help you construct your own training plan and show you how you can train effectively. You can think of it like doing a degree at university – you will attend lectures and find out from your tutor what you need to write your essay on, then go away, write it, and return again to have it marked, at which point you will agree on some areas of improvement or set some development goals.

We concentrate on long term development and not on short term performance. Athletes are constantly, but gently, reminded that their development will take time and that our aim is to do the basics exceptionally well. It is a difficult but important message to get across; without a good foundation, consistent performance will elude you. Competition pressure will punish poor technique and unravel performance.

There are many opportunities to develop and compete within the Pathway. We encourage people to shoot Registered shoots, County and National Championships.

We provide support at key international Grand Prix and take teams to the main international events. For junior athletes we have fantastic development opportunities with the Junior World Cup series. The events allow us to take up to six athletes in each category to experience international competition.

 

 

Talent Pathway training locations:

* Nuthampstead Shooting Ground – Olympic Skeet.

* Beverley Clay Target Centre – Olympic Trap.

* Fauxdegla – Olympic Trap.

* Doveridge – Olympic Skeet.

* Edgehill – Olympic Skeet

* Dartford – Olympic Skeet

* Bisley – Olympic Skeet

* Griffin Lloyd – Olympic Trap

* Brook Bank – Olympic Trap

 

 

Stock up for the season at Ian Coley’s open day

Join Ian Coley Sporting for their biggest Open Day of the year on Saturday 8 September.

It presents the perfect opportunity to get prepared for the game season or to upgrade your kit before next year’s competitions, with everything you need in one location.

Take advantage of one-day-only special offers, including free initialling on all Croots purchases, try demo guns from 10 major manufacturers, as well as any of the 350+ second hand guns Ian Coley Sporting currently has in stock.

New guns available on the day include the Browning Crown, Caesar Guerini Invictus III, Perazzi MX16 and Rizzini Custom Regal.

There will be an Eley Hawk sponsored .410 Extreme Challenge and Compak competition, with the chance to win cash and cartridge prizes, alongside Have-A-Go stands for new shooters.  Entry is free and there will be hot food available. For more information call 01242 870391.

Browning Ultra XS Pro Trap shotgun – test & review

This handsome, well-balanced and forgiving shotgun brings on a bout of nostalgia when Vic Harker puts it to the test; but it’s by no means out of date!

I’ve been reviewing, and not by any means for the first time, perhaps the most truly satisfying volume production shotgun of all time.

Satisfying because John Browning’s take on the over-and-under owes very little to any other gun of its type, and while there were over-and-under shotguns long before the Browning, its design avoids eccentricity to produce a gun both handsome and entirely logical. As every schoolboy knows, John Browning, unable to broker a deal with American manufacturers that would satisfy his financial demands, took his design to Fabrique Nationale in Belgium and the rest, as they say, is history… but not quite.

In the 1960s, with production costs escalating in Europe, the Browning company in the USA gave Miroku in Japan an opportunity to produce their over and under while maintaining their relationship with FN. This month’s gun test features the Ultra XS Pro, a Trap gun made by the Japanese manufacturer at their factory in Kochi. The XS Pro’s action body follows the dimensions of all the other Brownings and features a polished grey finish with a gold border line with just the right amount of light engraving on its sides and bottom plate. A return to elegance and refinement after some of Browning’s recent gaudily badged red lettering.

The action

Browning was determined, as with his designs for other categories of firearms, that the “superposed” (as its designer dubbed it) would be strong and durable, and so he took the conventional decision to place the locking mechanism below the bottom barrel. As with most side-by-side shotguns, the Browning superposed would feature a forward lump also acting as a barrel hook that, locating through the floor of the action, would pivot on a substantial cross-bolt when the gun was closed. A rear lump integral to the barrels would also pass through the action body, and on closure of the gun a full width locking bolt would move forward to locate under the breech face with a generous bite or slot, machined in the rear lump, to secure the barrels on closure with the action. For the firing mechanism, side-by-side hammers would be cocked with the opening of the gun by way of two rods running through the action body. After firing, the mechanism would be re-cocked by spring loaded kickers in the forend.

 

The stock

Inevitably the most tactile component of any gun, the stock’s configuration and dimensions can make the difference between the shooter’s success or failure, not to mention enjoyment. Fortunately, in the case of the XS Pro, the stock features the best possible aid to accurate shooting for an off-the-rack gun in the form of an adjustable comb for both height and cast. Length of pull can also be altered easily and in the Browning’s case, with a length of pull of 15” including the recoil pad, most shooters’ requirements can be catered for. An afternoon at the pattern plate with this stock and I would suggest 90% of shooters will obtain a more than satisfactory fit. That the XS Pros stock is made from an exceptionally well figured piece of walnut will make no difference to how accurately the proud owner will shoot, but with the correct stock dimensions easily achieved together with an excellent stock configuration that the gun incorporates, I would expect a competent shooter to achieve good results.

Barrels

With a barrel length of a full 32” (81cm) the tubes are over-bored to .738” (18.7cm). The XS Pros barrels come fitted with eight 3½” hand-detachable Invector Plus chokes ranging in constriction from cylinder to extra full. The Browning’s rib design still remains one of the very best, providing good visual pointability without representing a distraction. In the case of the Pro Trap it tapers from 13mm–10mm at the muzzle ends, which enhances this excellent design still further. I would add only that both interior boring and the external striking off is to the Japanese manufacturer’s usual impeccable standards. The XS Pro Trap’s excellent balance and handling characteristics can be attributed in no small way to the barrels’ relatively light weight of 3lbs 6oz (1.541KG). With an all-up weight of 8lbs 1oz (3.65KG), by modern standards this Browning as a Trap gun is a relative lightweight and yet it does not feel overly so.

Shooting impressions

Most of my generation cut their shooting teeth on Browning guns and, even if some have moved on to other makers, I notice there is still a residual affection for this maker. Certainly the XS Pro engendered these feelings in me and, like so many others, it’s by way of the Browning balance and handling qualities – user friendly is how these characteristics are best described. Either by luck or design, I rather think the latter, the Browning’s weight is naturally distributed more evenly between the hands than some other guns. When the Italians first began to make an impact in the British market, a combination of light barrels, heavier actions and even stocks presented the British shooter with faster handling characteristics to that which he was used to. For the Italians familiar with coming to terms with Olympic targets, this was seen as a benefit, with the gun’s point of balance being further away from the gun’s muzzle ends but, for the British, at least for a while it could be a problem. Shooting the XS Pro, I once again experienced that forgiving feeling when the barrels, though not particularly heavy, ensure an unchecked swing through the target with usually satisfying results. The XS Pro may have provided me with a moment of nostalgia, but it’s by no means out of date and may well provide some shooters with a whole new experience – a good one.

 

Technical Specifications:

Maker:             Browning

Model:             XS Pro Trap

Bore size:        12        18.7mm

Action:                        Coil spring boxlock

Barrels length:          32”  81cm

Chamber:         2¾”  70mm

Chokes:           8 hand-detachable extended

Rib:                 Rib: Tapered 13mm – 10mm

Stock:              Full pistol grip

Weight:           8lbs 1oz  (3.65KG)

List Price:        £3,645 inc VAT

Distributor:      www.browning-int.com

The Rock of Routine – the theory behind “pre shot” routines

The “pre shot routine” has become a talking point lately, and plenty of successful clay shooters have their own; Christian Schofield explores the psychology and looks at how we can put it into practice

The great basketball player Michael Johnson said “you have to expect things of yourself before you can do them”.  The importance of confidence in sport is not only endorsed by anecdotes from leading athletes, but also by the findings of eminent sport psychologists.  While the need for confidence is obvious, it is not quite so clear as to how we should achieve the appropriate level of self-belief.  According to the great psychologist Albert Bandura’s ‘self-efficacy’ theory, the belief that we can achieve a certain level of performance is based on our previous successes, seeing others achieve the goal, our own or the persuasive thoughts of a coach, and the level of control we have over our physiological and emotional states. Other sport psychologists, such as Vealey and Chase, have sought to develop these ideas and, in over 30 years of work, have found that leading athletes rate physical and mental preparation among the most important sources of sport confidence. Therefore, it is not surprising that most top athletes performing self-paced skills, such as shooting, demonstrate a sequence of preparatory actions or ‘routines’.

Although athletes may use many different types of routine, the aim here is to concentrate on the pre-shot routine.  This can be defined as a sequence of planned thoughts and actions taken prior to executing the task, with the aim being to concentrate on task-relevant information and to stay in the present moment.

So, what is meant by task-relevant information? Surely, we should follow the Nike logo and “Just Do It”. The approach is right, but it must be built on understanding. Without detailed knowledge, it is unlikely we can develop the level of performance we desire. Deliberate practice requires us to concentrate on the critical aspects of the task and refine performance through repetition. Our problem stems from the fact that if we know every detail of the process, we are likely to try and use this information when a successful result is important. When we over-think the process, we tend to slow down and our movements become stilted. The resulting miss can create a cycle of more control and more misses which, in turn, can lead to stress and a collapse in performance. A solution is to focus on the effect we wish to create.

Psychologists, such as Wolfgang Prinz, argue that there is a relationship between a movement and the sensory effects – or feelings – it creates. The idea being that we can achieve a quality shot if we think about the effect we wish to create. Even if we are not convinced, this type of thought is unlikely to cause a problem. The likelihood is that in adopting an external focus of attention we will avoid the stress that can be induced by over analysing the process (conscious processing). Experiments conducted in high stress situations within golf have revealed that expert performance was enhanced through external focus. However, to develop trust and confidence in this process we should practise it in training situations.

So, what is a routine? It is important to understand the difference between a routine, a superstition and a ritual. Wearing our favourite skeet vest or ensuring that the name on the base of the cartridge is the right way up are superstitions and rituals. A routine is not compulsive and has nothing to do with luck. It should be helpful, flexible, effective and aimed at improving focus and performance. We should focus on effective behaviour and guard against becoming compulsive. To help develop a systematic and flexible routine, Robert Singer produced a five-step strategy. For shooting this might be:

* Readying – Adopt a good stance and ready position.  Think about the process we will use to acquire and shoot the target.

* Imaging – Mentally picture a perfect technique and a successful outcome.

* Focusing – Concentrate attention intensely on a relevant external cue or thought… the effect that we wish to create.

* Executing – Perform with a quiet mind… see the target and shoot it.

* Evaluating – Review the quality of the shot and the implementation of the previous four steps of the routine.  Learn and adjust for the next shot if necessary.

The process can be used when developing our technique, as well as for maintaining performance under pressure. Wilson and Richards adapted the process to help accomplished athletes in intense competition. The process is:

* Prepare – Includes both readying and imaging. It suggests that we refine the two underlying steps so that they are seamless or merged into one robust, repeatable and efficient process.

* Perform – Performance should be instinctive… “Just Do It.”  This encompasses both focusing and executing to create the ‘quiet mind’ associated with unconscious performance. All thinking has been done in the ‘Prepare’ phase. Here, we should look, steady the eyes in the correct position and call “Pull”.

* Review – With experience, we will become more aware of our performance and be able to use this knowledge, intrinsic feedback, to prevent subsequent errors.  This process should be perfected in training.

Developing a robust routine is without doubt difficult, time consuming and perhaps always a work in progress. If we are prone to miss the first target, or perhaps one of the last pair, then it may be worth us examining our routine to see how mentally prepared we are for each shot. If we desire consistency in our shooting, routine must be the ‘rock’ of stability on which it is built. To help us do this we can get a friend to video our performance in competition. This will allow us to analyse our physical set-up and help us remember what we were thinking when we shot well and when we missed. We can also try writing a description of our routine as this will help us analyse why we do things and what is helpful to us. Finally, why not watch what the great shots do – this is what Singer and the other psychologists have done across many sports.

Jack Pyke Open 2018 – full results tables

Due to limited space in the July issue of Clay Shooter, where you will find the full report from the Jack Pyke Open 2018, we couldn’t fit the full results table in. So, here it is, and well done to all for some fantastic shooting!

 

Place	Amount	Name	Score
HG	£625.00	Daune Morley	116
Runner Up	£625.00	Ben Husthwaite	116
1st AA	£300.00	Martin Myers	115
2nd=	£120.00	Nick Rees	114
	£120.00	Paul Simpson	114
	£120.00	George Digweed	114
5th=	£45.00	Josh Brown	113
	£45.00	Ivan Spencer	113
7th=	£20.00	Richard Bunning	112
	£20.00	Kim Wan	112
	£20.00	John Lee	112
1st A	£300.00	Jim Munday	112
2nd	£200.00	Paul Brewster	109
3rd	£100.00	Heath Gizzi	109
4th=	£55.00	Richard Newstead	108
	£55.00	David Heath	108
6th=	£35.00	Bob Harknett	106
	£35.00	Ian Piggott	106
8th=	£10.00	John Simms	105
	£10.00	Andrew James	105
	£10.00	James Wood	105
	£10.00	Josh Arbon	105
	£10.00	Michael Fyrer	105
	£10.00	Mark Jones	105
	£10.00	Darren Stamford	105
	£10.00	Tom Masey	105
	£10.00	Gary Salmon	105
1st B	£300.00	Mark Ellis	107
2nd	£200.00	John Squire	106
3rd	£100.00	Jason Matthewson	105
4th	£60.00	Graham Baines	104
5th=	£35.00	Gary Tromas	102
	£35.00	Darren Burn	102
7th=	£10.00	Loiuse Smith	101
	£10.00	Martin Walker	101
	£10.00	Pete Norton	101
	£40.00	Tim Sayer	101
1st C	£300.00	Richard Smith-Clement	102
2nd	£200.00	Phil Fletcher	97
3rd	£100.00	Neil Bentstead	96
4th=	£50.00	Ami Hedgecock	94
	£50.00	Alan Bexan	94
	£50.00	Andy Hurdle	94
7th	£30.00	Lee Wainwright	93
8th=	£10.00	Paul Spofford	92
	£10.00	Chris Sayer	92
	£10.00	Simon Wright	92
	£10.00	Clive Johnson	92
	£10.00	Ben Birch	92
	£10.00	Neville Edwards	92
1st= U/C	£200.00	Vince Gasgoine	99
	£200.00	Phil Eley	99
	£200.00	Tom Armstrong	99
4th	£60.00	Shaun Salmon	98
5th	£50.00	Ian Stevenson	97
6th	£40.00	Bill Jones	96
7th	£30.00	Phil Beaves	95
8th=	£20.00	Kai Smith	94
	£20.00	Simon Allum	94
Vets HG	£150.00	Brian Dunbavin	111
2nd Vets	£100.00	John Wells	109
3rd Vets	£50.00	Steve Brightwell	107
1st Ladies	£150.00	Cheryl Hall	107
2nd Lady	£100.00	Tanya Faulds	95
3rd Lady	£50.00	Nadine Gilder	94
Junior HG	£150.00	Taylor Hedgecock	113
2nd= Junior	£75.00	Tom McGregor	106
	£75.00	Ronnie Green	106
Daily HG
Wednesday	£200.00	Ben Husthwaite	116
Thursday	£200.00	Phil Moody	109
Friday	£200.00	George Digweed	114
Saturday	£200.00	Martin Myers	115
Sunday	£200.00	Duanne Morely	116
Pool
Wednesday	£200.00	Chris Measday	25
Thursday	£200.00	David Ferriman	24
Friday	£200.00	Shayne Porter & Richard King	17
Saturday	£200.00	Chris Childerhouse	19
Sunday	£200.00	Richard Bunning	21
HTC
Wednesday	£200.00	Ben Husthwaite	43
Thursday	£200.00	Sam Green	44
Friday	£200.00	George Digweed	44
Saturday	£200.00	Chris Childerhouse	43
Sunday	£200.00	Richard Bunning/Dave Gooding	39
Pilla Glasses
Wednesday	£600.00	Ian Bass
Thursday	£600.00	Neale Noke
Friday	£600.00	Mark Blake
Saturday	£600.00	Daniel Amner
Sunday	£600.00	Tom Brookes
Total	£12,290.00

Gun test and review – Beretta Xcel Auto Sporter

Beretta’s newest take on the increasingly popular semi-auto is this handsome gun; its “Blink” reloading system claims to be 36% faster than rivals, a claim Vic Harker has no quibbles with

The semi-automatic shotgun, or self-loader if you prefer the term, has enjoyed periods of considerable popularity among clay target shooters for more than 60 years. Most particularly in the United States, John Browning’s A5 long recoil model (manufactured by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium) was the first genuinely successful gun of this type, being very popular in the hands of the American hunter. It was, however, Remington’s 1100 semi-automatic (introduced in the 1950s) which provided a softer shooting auto that appealed most to the clay shooter, by utilising the gasses expelled by the explosion of the cartridge, rather than recoil, to load a second cartridge.

The Beretta Xcel is the distinguished Italian maker’s latest take on the modern auto loader and it’s well worthy of attention. To begin with, it’s a handsome gun in a purposeful way. In contrast, for example, to John Browning’s A5, the action is streamlined and sleek. A nice touch is that both the bolt’s lever and its release button are made of black carbon fibre. The rib is made of the same material, all of which creates a purposeful appearance that adds to the gun’s character. Of particular appeal to the clay target shooter will be the ultra-fast gas-operated reloading system nicknamed ‘Blink’, which Beretta claims functions 36% faster than its closest rival. There are a number of contributory factors that make this possible. Mechanical function is improved by way of the redesigned rotating bolt and shell carrier. Equally key, perhaps more so, is the newly designed split valve system that seals the escaped gas from the fired cartridge more effectively than any similar device. With every scrap of energy retained, the efficiency of the mechanism is further increased and so speed of cycle and rate of fire is also greater. The Blink system also utilises only half the amount of gas from the barrel into the piston chamber, dramatically reducing the amount of fouling. The gas system is smaller than in previous designs and a steel gasket has a dual role of sealing the piston and scraping clean the inside of the gas cylinder as it ejects the fired cartridge. This self-cleaning feature therefore requires attention only after 10,000 rounds have been fired.

 

Stock

With the Xcel gas system, which already absorbs recoil very well, you might consider Beretta’s Kick-off pad unnecessary, but it would seem Beretta wanted the Xcel to be the softest shooting shotgun ever, and it may well be. Comprising a system of synthetic dampers, the butt-pad actually compresses in and out of the stock when the gun is fired. Slightly disconcerting to begin with, you do get used to it and it tames the most powerful cartridges. As to the matter of stock configuration the Xcel is excellent, providing a generous pistol grip – important for an auto weighing close to 8lbs – and consequently a reassuring feeling of control. Both the stock and forend are shaped from dark, figured walnut that is in contrast to the rest of the gun, which as with all autos is invariably rather plain.

 

Barrel

The 76m single tube combined with the long receiver is suitably matted to match the rib and creates a long sighting plane – no bad thing for this kind of gun. Weight is kept within bounds with a synthetic fibre rib. With the gun comes three of Beretta’s Optima chokes bored full/modified/improved cylinder, but other options are available.

 

Shooting Impressions

Tipping the scales at a fraction under 8lbs, the Xcel is no lightweight, but it doesn’t have quite the muzzle heaviness to be found in some semi-autos. The lightweight rib is a contributory factor in this, but the Kick-off pad (though incorporating lightweight materials) is still a substantial feature which provides some useful weight towards the rear of this Beretta. I have to say, what initially impressed me most about the Xcel was the speed at which the second shot could be taken. As I said previously, Beretta claim 36% faster than any other semi-auto, and I am happy to take their word for it. Certainly, it’s notable in its usefulness – a combination of improved mechanical function, in terms of rate of fire and further reduction of recoil, means the Beretta Xcel takes the auto-loading shotgun ever further forward in its development. While the majority of clay target shooters in the UK favour the over-and-under, I can see the new Beretta Xcel taking a significant share of the clay gun market. I am not suggesting it will outsell good over-and-unders, but for the first time we have a self-loading gun of real character. One of the attractive features of the Xcel is the speed with which it cycles the second shot, which in certain circumstances could be a significant advantage to the competitive clay shooter. With the cost of the over-and-under becoming ever greater, can we predict the dawning of a new age where the repeating shotgun again takes pre-eminence, at least in the USA, over the traditional double gun? We shall see.

 

Glad Rags and Cartridge Bags ladies celebrate 50th Event

Scotland’s premier ladies clay shooting club Glad Rags & Cartridge Bags celebrated their 50^th event this weekend at a new venue for them Douneside House Hotel in Tarland.

Mhairi Morriss owner of JOMM Events and founder of Glad Rags and Cartridge Bags said: “Glad Rags had its first event in November 2016 at Raemoir House, back then I had no idea how Glad Rags and Cartridge bags would be the outstanding success it is today.”

Unlike other shooting clubs they do not hold their events at traditional shooting grounds but at the most exquisite locations, the portfolio of where the ladies have shot is truly impressive and includes Raemoir House, Gordon Castle, Kincardine Castle, Cluny Castle, Saplinbrae House Hotel and Candacraig House to name but a few.

Mhairi went on to explain: “First and foremost ladies learn how to shoot properly and safely.  But a Glad Rags day out is so much more, it’s the whole experience of the venue, the social side of seeing old friends again, making new friends and ever lasting memories.  The venue can be the star of the show, we are so lucky to be surrounded by so many magnificent and unique locations”

Marcel Wassen Douneside House’s General Manager welcomed the ladies after their shooting lesson and gave them a brief talk outlining Douneside’s fascinating history.  The house is owned and run by the MacRobert Trust in memory of Lady MacRobert.  The MacRobert family were well known locally as significant philanthropists, which is why, following her sons’ deaths, Lady MacRobert decided to set up a charitable trust in their honour.  The ladies then enjoyed a delicious supper in the sumptuous surroundings of the hotel’s conservatory.

Over 350 individual ladies have shoot with Glad Rags and with a full autumn series of events and its 4^th Birthday celebration shoot to look forward to the club is without a doubt going to continue to go from strength to strength.

For more information and the full calendar of events interested ladies should go to www.jommevevents.com or call Mhairi Morriss on 07841 393 155

 

Level playing field?

The current CPSA averages offer a classification system that, despite the best efforts of all involved, cannot help but be fundamentally flawed. Don Brunt takes a closer look…

So, let’s examine two different shooters. They live hundreds of miles apart and have rarely, if ever, shot the same grounds. Shooter A knows what he likes, and that happens to be his local ground. The owner of the ground is a firm believer in setting easy courses that are usually won in the high 90s. That, in his opinion, makes for happy customers who keep coming back on a regular basis, which in turn makes for good business. Shooter A only shoots at that ground and, as the shoot is almost always run over 10 stands, over the years he has seen most of the presentations that the owner has come up with. Consequently he is very confident there, and with five pairs on each stand he knows that he can afford to take a pair to “find” them, and still shoot 80% on that stand. His average for last year was 89%, and although he has yet to win a shoot he is very proud to hold a AAA classification.

Shooter B tends to travel around a lot more. He also does most of the major shoots and enjoys being challenged by testing targets. He has shot more than a dozen grounds in the last year and usually shoots at grounds which put on 12 stands or more, with some of the majors he attends being run on 14 or even 15 stands. This means that he sometimes only gets two or three pairs on a stand, therefore if he misses his first pair on a three-pair stand he is 33% down already. Shooter B has shot an occasional score in the 90s but is mostly in the low to mid 80s with an average of 83.2, which saw him classified as A class.

The classification system says that shooter A is a better shot than shooter B, however, chances are that if they went head-to-head at a ground which neither had been to over 13 stands, logic suggests that shooter B would post the higher score. It may well be that shooter A finds the experience to be something of a wake up call, as he has been led into arguably thinking he is a better shot than he actually is by the classification system. The current system doesn’t take into account that although he often shoots a 90, there are usually 20 or more shooters with scores in the 90s at his local ground. Conversely, shooter B came third overall the last time he shot a 90.

As far as the classification system is concerned the targets shot by shooter A are the same as those tackled by shooter B, while it’s quite clear that they aren’t. However, there is no way of adjusting a score to reflect the difficulty level of a course. Numerous ideas have been put forward but perhaps one of the most effective suggestions came via an experienced shooter on social media, who came up with the idea that every shoot should have its own classification on the day. That way it wouldn’t matter whether it was won on a 98 or on an 87 – the top 5% of shooters on the day would still be recognised as being in the AAA cut-off, while the next 10% would be in AA and so on, with the prize fund places being set accordingly. The writing of an algorithm to put people into their classes couldn’t be overly difficult, and therefore the information that would feed back to the CPSA would simply be their score and what class they finished in on the day. That way, the classification system would simply report on calculations that had been done on the day at the shooting ground, rather than producing the classifications itself. This would allow for people to have good or bad days without penalising them particularly, and would prevent any sandbagging from those who try to manipulate the system, since the payouts and the scores needed to be in the money would vary from shoot to shoot depending on its difficulty.

It would of course mean that someone might shoot a B class score at one event and then shoot a AA score at the next, but it wouldn’t make any difference. It would also mean that course setters could have more of a free hand, especially on major shoots, so that if it was a little bit trickier than the norm nobody would feel especially hard done by.

There is talk that at some point in the future the current CPSA system will update far more frequently than its current twice yearly reclassification, which would undoubtedly lead to a truer representation of a person’s “average” score. However, no matter how often or how well meaning it may be, it will never be able to adjust for the differences in difficulty between shooting grounds, target setting, weather conditions, and a whole host of other variables which the daily classifications would solve. Until that is addressed then the classification system will continue to be open to manipulation from those who end up in the wrong class, either by design or simply by habit, as illustrated by shooter A.