Llandegla Wednesday evening

Wednesday 18th April 2007.

After much deliberation I decide to change the #5 front hanger. Instinct says change to a #2 but logic says #3. Changing to a #2 would raise the impact of the bottom barrel about 9 to 10 inches whilst a #3 will be between 6 and 7 inches. Although the #2 might help me stll hit a climbing target if I stop the gun it is undoubtably better to raise the impact less and learn to not stop the gun.

Get away from the office promptly so have time to grab a bite before leaving for Llandegla. Arrive at the ground in brilliant sunshine - a glorious evening. Now those who shoot Llandegla regularly at this time of year will know that a glorious evening does not exactly translate into ideal shooting conditions. After about 6:30 the sun has moved around to the front left of the layouts and the targets can be well, shall we say, visually challenging. Pegs 1, 2 and 3 are OK but 4 and 5 are a bit of a lottery. Anything going left is not going to be easy to see and typically you shoot where you think it is and hope to see bits coming down. A peaked hat and a strong tint in the glasses help but not much.

Decide to not hang around and let the sun move even further round so go straight in and book on a line. Put the gun together, sort out my kit, actually find my earplugs and new batteries for them as a bonus. Things are looking up. Wander back to the clubhouse to find I am still a squad of one. Opt to shoot anyway. Now shooting a line alone is hard work and it is easy to make mistakes but I kind of like it, especially when I want to try something new. As there is just me I choose to start from peg 4 again. I have the same kit as Saturday except for a slightly thicker shirt and batteries in my earplugs. The only change is a #3 hanger instead of the #5.

First target out is very flat and slightly left. I jump it and even as I pull the trigger I know I am over the top. To my surprise it breaks. When I open the gun the top barrel ejects. The selector has been left on top and this is the flat shooting barrel and so I luck into the target. (Thanks Erwin). Set the selector back to bottom and break the next couple of targets. I barrel my 4th and 6th targets and then settle in and start to enjoy myself. The breaks are pattern centre and all about the same distance out. I feel comfortable with the gun and am in control. On the 18th I go left and the target goes right which does not guarantee success. On the 24th I find myself looking at the gun instead of the target and that is another away. Score 23/67 BUT, two points better than Saturday and only 4 first barrel errors as against 8. More to the point I am in the middle of the targets and feel confident and in control. The mistakes are mine. I moved the gun before the target appeared more than once and was guilty of gun watching quite a few times. I got away with it most of the time but it was inevitable that my luck would not last.

Full of confidence I decide on a second line and sign on. I once again have the opportunity to shoot alone and take it. This time shoot 25/73 with barrels on the 8th and 14th targets. Breaks are awesome. Make all the same mistakes but to a lesser degree and manage to recover from most. The second barrels are my doing and the setup of the gun is more or less perfect. I notice that I am raising my head slightly prior to calling and think perhaps the comb could go up a little. Decide to call it a day, as there is nothing more to learn tonight.

Back in the clubhouse, John Winn is itching to have a shot but thinks he needs a little more height on the comb. I lift it up and off he goes to try it on ABT. Now we all know John can shoot just about anything but watching him shoot that line of ball trap is simply awesome. Also shooting on a line by himself, he just strolls along middling everything that comes out. Finishes the line with a 24, all first barrel kills. I have no idea how he missed the one he did but light conditions are not good. John cannot believe how easy he finds it to shoot and feels the set-up is just perfect for him.

John Roberts, owner of Llandegla Shooting ground is next up. By now it is getting dark but at least the sun has gone. One slight problem, John is a leftie, which I completely forget and my gun has a 3mm right-hand cast on the comb. Oops! Nevertheless, John manages it even though he has to push his face hard into the stock. He too loves it.

Back at home I am well satisfied. This is only the second time I have shot in a couple of years and already I feel confident. I am not fighting the gun nearly as much as I was on Saturday and the mount is much better. Examination of the shoulder shows that I am bringing the gun more in to the body but not always. Must put some protection between that pad and me next time I shoot. Even though the light was difficult, all the misses were mine and the gun is set up perfectly for my style of shooting. It also happens to be pretty damn close for John Winn who tells me not to touch it before he gets to shoot it again. Roll on the weekend!

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