Great to see you today and I am sorry that the wind affected the morning. Thank you to Anna for the cake, delicious as always.
Mark H 46
Ben E. 39
Bill 38
Joe Tu 37
John F. 36
Melvin. 36
Joe To. 36
Graham H 35
Tod. 35
Tye. 35
Anthea. 35
Adrian. 34
Wally. 34
Geoff E. 33
Chris C. 31
Peter B. 30
Helena. 29
Dennis. 29
Barry. 29
Graham C. 29
Tony. 27
Phil T. 27
Roger. 25
Alfie. 24
Shirley. 24
Logan. 23
Ian. 19
Dick. 16
Previous days of rain thwarted our plans for the Easter Good Friday shoot, leaving us with soggy fields and damp spirits. However, the day took an unexpected turn as John Hargreaves, a renowned collector of black powder weapons and firearms, graciously stepped in to to provide a captivating presentation on the rich history of guns, particularly those preceding modern clay pigeon shooting.
The event took place at the Ludgershall village hall, commencing at 10:00. Attendees were treated to an extensive array of artifacts, including an impressive collection of firearms spanning various ages, alongside peculiar paraphernalia associated with the world of guns. John adeptly divided the audience into groups, engaging them with thought-provoking inquiries about the origins and functions of the showcased items. He awarded those answering his questions correctly with chocolates.
For over two engrossing hours, John held our rapt attention, providing insightful commentary on each piece. The interlude for lunch, featuring a delectable spread of fish and chips followed by indulgent desserts. This afforded attendees the opportunity to further inspect the exhibits armed with newfound knowledge.
Among the highlights were formidable specimens such as the imposing 2 bore elephant gun, juxtaposed with covert firearms ingeniously concealed within walking sticks. The discourse also delved into the intricate processes behind steel manufacture and the craftsmanship involved in creating Damascus gun barrels, offering a glimpse into antiquated gun-making techniques.
Diverse firearms were showcased, ranging from elegant dueling pistols to practical shotguns, muskets, and even an anti-poacher gun. Participants gained insights into the evolution of firing mechanisms, from the archaic method of igniting powder with a lighted wick to the advent of percussion fuses and the modern cartridge.
Given our club’s focus on clay pigeon shooting, particular attention was paid to exhibits illustrating the historical progression of shooting moving targets. From original ball traps launching glass balls to ingenious contraptions like the windup trap releasing fan blades into the sky. The presentation underscored the ingenuity and evolution of target shooting practices.
In addition to these main attractions, attendees were tasked with identifying various smaller exhibits, showcasing a spectrum of familiarity and expertise within the audience. The award for a correct answer, a chocolate.
The event concluded with a convivial luncheon, fostering camaraderie among participants as they reflected on the enriching experience of delving into the annals of firearm history. John Hargreaves’ expertise and passion for his collection left an indelible impression, reminding us of the enduring legacy and significance of historical firearms in shaping our sporting traditions.
Practice Shoot at Quainton 17th March 2024
Good to be back shooting again. The rain has made the fields unsuitible for shooting on, resulting in a couple of cancelled shoots. Today we dis shoot and shot at Quainton, where we have a hard area to walk on. The wet fields still limited the type of targets which could be set. Thankfully the rain held off, the day was warm, and we had an excellant shoot.
Scores Helena 44 Keith 42 John F 40 Michael (guest) 40 Mark H 40 Peter B 39 Anthea 38 Graham H 38 Jake B 38 Wally 37 Pete B 37 Graham C 35 Tod 35 Tye 35 Luke B 33 Bill 33 Steve 33 Geoff E 32 Tony 31 Joe T 31 Ben 30 Alfie 27 Glenn 27 Lee 26 Kelsey 26 Annie 26 Joe 24 Shirley 24 Jim 23 Johnny 19 Beth 16 Izzy (guest) 15
Lovely day for shooting, warm, no rain, but a little breeze to keep those without jackets on the cooler side. Good turnout, so stand 6 was brought in to keep the queues short.
The results for the day.
Mark H 45 Todd 42 Melvin 40 Ben E 40 John F 40 Keith 39 Graham C 38 Helena 36 John W 36 Mark C 36 Joe 35 Dennis 35 John A 34 Jennifer 34 Clive 33 Daniel 32 Tye 32 Peter Bu 31 Annie 31 Steve B 31 Joe T 30 Geoff E 30 Tony 30 Kelsey 30 Anthea 30 Shirley 30 Adrian 29 Glenn 28 Alfie 27 Mike H 26 Bill 25 Wally 24 Lee 24 Callum 19
Practice Shoot Ludgershall 21st January 2024
This was our inaugural shoot of the year. Our previously planned gathering at Doddershall had to be called off due to rather excessive rain, leading to waterlogged fields. The fields have since dried out somewhat, with the ground proving to be firm, still bearing the frost from prior days. However, remnants of the previous night’s precipitation left puddles scattered about. We were all delighted to resume our sport.
Melvin 44 Mark H 43 John F 42 Helena 41 Todd 40 Dennis 39 Graham C 39 Adrian 38 Glenn 38 Dibber 37 Jennifer 36 Steve B 35 Shirley 32 Dick 31 Tye 31 Johnny 31 Lee 31 Wally 29 Mark C 29 Anthea 28 Kelsey 25 Geoff E 22 Jim 20 Callum (Guest) 17 Rambo 10 Beth 9
Fred Dymock Trophy Shoot
The Fred Dymock Trophy shoot was held on the 17th of December at our Ludgershall shooting ground. The organisers worked hard setting up the shoot, having to move many of the traps by hand owing to the soggy land. Thankfully, the rain held off during the shoot. Thank you to the many who stayed behind to help move the traps back into the trailers at the end of the shoot.
The shoot was the usual 50 bird, 5 stand shoot, with an added four-person flurry shoot at the tea break.
After the shoot and clear up, we made our way back to the village hall where there was a worthy feast awaiting us and our partners. An incredibly special thanks to the committee and helpers for providing a lovely Christmas meal.
During the meal, the shooting prizes were given out. The Fred Dymock trophy is a handicap shoot, and four randomly (?) selected results from previous shoots were used to seed the result. There were also prizes for various High Gun Categories.
| Fred Dymock Trophy | Beth |
| High Gent | Mark |
| High Lady | Helena |
| High Junior | Kelesey |
Mark H 46 Dave 45 Pete B 45 Peter Bu 44 Helena 43 Tod 42 Steve B 40 Adrian 39 Dick 39 Anthea 39 John F 39 Melvin 39 Luke 39 Ben E 39 Brett 38 Johnny 38 Tye 37 Wally 37 Ian (Guest) 37 Geoff 36 Logan 35 Big Ben 35 Daniel 35 Jennifer 33 Glenn 33 Jim 32 Tony 32 Dennis 31 Alfie 30 Graham N 29 Mike H 29 Mike C 28 Shirley 28 Jo 27 Kelsey 24 Beth 19 Rambo 11
Practice Shoot at Doddershall 3rd December 2023
The Kingswood clay shoot returned to Doddershall following a hiatus since October 1st due to unsuitable ground conditions caused by rain. Despite today’s shoot encountering less-than-ideal weather with intermittent drizzle, it efficiently proceeded, discouraging any delays. Notably, the traps necessitated manual positioning and were wheeled back to their trailers post-event. Gratitude is extended to all individuals who contributed to the cleanup efforts following the shoot.
Helena 43 Tod 37 Melvin 36 Tye 33 Peter B 32 Adrian 30 Ben E 29 Wally 29 Graham C 28 Jennifer 28 Shirley 28 John F 27 Jake 26 Graham N 26 Geoff E 26 Johnny 24 Anthea 24 Kelsey 23 Steve 23 Jim 15 Beth 12 Rambo 11
Wally 37 Peter (Guest) 37 Glenn 36 Ben E 34 John F 34 Graham C 34 Big Ben 33 Geoff E 33 Jennifer 32 Luke 31 Pete B 31 Tye 30 Tod 29 Graham N 28 Anthea 28 John W 28 Simon P 26 Johnny 25 Dibby 25 Joe (Guest) 25 Kelsey 24 Mike H 22 William (Rambo) 20 Annie 20 Jim 19 Iain (Guest) 12 David (Guest) 10 out of 25
Ludgershall 5th November
After the many wet days, this Sundays shoot was transferred from Doddershall to Ludgershall where the ground conditions were better. Despite the previous week of rain, today remained bright and sunny and we all had an enjoyable shoot.
Pete B 39
Jennifer 38
Helena 37
Tod 36
Ben E 36
Tye 35
Graham C 35
Luke 34
Annie 32
Dennis 31
Keith 31
Geoff E 31
Ben B (Guest) 30
Shirley 29
Wally 29
Jim 28
Adrian 28
Johnny 28
Celia 27
John F 27
Glenn 27
Dick 26
Steve 26
Anthea 26
Jake 23
Rambo 19
Beth 16Ludgershall 15th October 2023
It was another splendid day for our shooting event, and the recent rain hadn’t left the ground soggy. I’m truly delighted to be in the company of all of you today. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Shirley, Wally, Tod, and John for their invaluable assistance in setting up, and to Ann for her wonderful contributions with teas, coffee, and that scrumptious cake.
I’d like to offer my apologies for the clays that disappeared into the sunlight, making them difficult to track. I’m certain this may have impacted a few scores, but it seems that it didn’t deter the spirits of some of our sharpshooters.
Dan S. 44 Mark H 42 Ben. 41 Melvin. 41 Pete B 40 Brett 40 John F. 40 Luke B 39 Graham H. 37 Keith 37 Geoff E. 37 Jennifer. 37 Adrian. 37 Helena 36 Tye. 36 Anthea. 34 Wally 34 David w. 33 John W. 33 Tod 33 Graham C. 32 Jake B. 32 Steve B. 32 Annie. 28 Dennis. 28 Kelsey 27 Richard. 26 Shirley. 26 John A. 25 Jo. 25 Tony H. 25 Celia 24 Elisa. 22 Mike H. 19 Beth. 8