Bisley Shooting Club
 

We were split in to 4 teams of 5 in order to promote healthy competition ....... or as our team leader put it "to give the other teams a good spanking!!"

....... just time for a second round of toast and then off to the clay pigeon shooting.

We had 10 shots from 10 different locations with the first 10 coming straight toward us ....... amazingly I hit 10/10, but things went downhill from then on. The more difficult ones were from side to side in the air or along the ground, which was supposed to represent a rabbit!! In the end I managed a score of 62 which I was told by our guide was one of the highest achieved by a complete beginner ....... naturally!!

A barbeque lunch and then on to the black powder pistols. Nobody on the team could quite believe the noise they made ....... and as for the smoke!!. The kick on the gun was difficult to deal with and although I didn't score high I certainly would  have stopped an enemy in their tracks.

Next up, the rifles ....... this was very difficult as the targets were very small and we were against the clock, so speed as well as accuracy were required. Didn't score high, but enough to keep the team in the running.

And then finally what we'd all been waiting for; the match rifles. Could we hit the bull (an area the size of a dinner plate) from 2/3rds of a mile?? The idea was to always aim dead centre but adjust the dials on the gun to take account of the wind so that in actual fact the rifle was aimed either slightly

left or right. I use the term 'slightly' but in reality the rifle could be aiming as much as 10 feet off target. So with the instructor assisting with the set up I took my first shot. We were allowed a few practise shots and then the 10 that counted. Much too my surprised I hit the target (which was the size of a dinning room table) with all 10 shots and managed to hit that dinner plate sized bull 4 times.

Back to the lodge for a late afternoon tea and to hear the final scores.

It was a close call ....... alright it wasn't, the Buzzards team of which I was a proud member romped home ....... although I had dragged my feet on the powder pistols and rifles, my match rifle score was the second highest of the day and helped secure a memorable victory for the Buzzards.

I have been on many corporate days but I have to say that this was one of the most enjoyable, made all the more so but a beautifully sunny autumn day.

On the 18th November, 2005 I enjoyed another shooting day, sponsored by Morgan Stanley at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School. On this occasion we only shot clays but I got the opportunity to participate in my first team 'flush' where clays come at you in all directions very rapidly and as a team you have to shoot as many as possible ....... great fun!! (Forgot my camera, but I've been assured my name is down for next year).