EXCUSES OR CHALLENGES?

There are more problems encountered in gameshooting, although these variables are often used as excuses for missing during the post-shoot autopsy

The added variables for gameshooting are often used as excuses for missing.

to win a clay competition on Sporting targets you will need to hit about 80 or 90 per cent of the targets set up by some clever chappie to challenge you, in singles or pairs.

Compare this with the usual performances achieved in gameshooting, where anyone killing one in three pheasants is considered a pretty good shot. And one in two marks you down as someone pretty special indeed.

Of course, in the game field, every target is different in terms of height, direction, curl of flight and speed, but there are some transferable skills from clays to game and, by the same token, from game to clays.

As we have discussed before, don't let anyone tell you that clays and game are inherently different as, for example: ''clays slow down… game speeds up.'' This is not necessarily so – the reverse can occur depending on the presentation of either type of target.

Feather or pitch, it doesn’t matter, both are simply targets moving through the air and all we need to know is where to place the gun muzzles and shot pattern to hit them both, but I acknowledge it can be a rather big “all”.

However, there are other problems that are encountered much more frequently in the gameshooting field. These variables are often quoted as excuses for missing during every post-shoot autopsy.

One of my colleagues in the industry used to say: “We don't have problems, we have challenges and opportunities.” So let’s turn the problems into opportunities using nothing more than good old fashioned fieldcraft.