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2011 TURKEY SHOOT. November 27th


8.00am and the rain was near horizontal with the strong winds. This was the scene which I was greeted with looking out from my bedroom window yesterday morning. Not what we had hoped for, for this year’s annual Turkey Shoot!

Luckily, it was just a passing shower and the day turned out to be one of the best we’ve had for a long time and certainly a contrast to last year when we had 6” of snow to contend with.
This year’s event had to be rearranged due to unforeseen personal commitments for the original date and I guess the prospect of Jackie’s traditional Jacket potato, curry and chilli lunch won over the alternative of a BBQ on the 4thDec which would have been the other option.
I know our members who have attended the Turkey Shoot in the past appreciate the lunch and look forward to this each year. Our apologies though to those who were unable to attend yesterday.
So for those members who have not been to the TS before, this is one of the oldest annual competitions we put on, if not the oldest. Contrary to the name, we don’t shoot turkeys although the nearest we got was a target in the shape of a turkey which has sadly disappeared. The name derives from one of the prizes which in years past was a Christmas turkey, the other being a bottle of scotch!
In recent years, the top scorer gets to choose which one they would like with the other going to the top guest. Guests are invited whom the club committee feel have made a contribution to the club in the previous year, usually by promoting inter club relations or by regular support of our events.

Many of our invited guests were sadly unable to attend due to the date change but hopefully will be able to join us next year.
The competition itself takes an FT format of 15 lanes with 30 shots, two targets per lane. In the limited space we have at the garden, it’s a challenge for the course builders to come up with a challenging course and Bryn, Stuart, Paul, Pete and Phil (apologies if I’ve missed anyone) did a great job on Saturday in setting this one.

After arrival, tea and coffee and signing in, the comp commenced with the usual compulsory banter and ribbing that is part of these events. In all we had 26 competitors including 3 guests and two juniors.
The FT format caught a few out with a little confusion on the scoring method, however for the seasoned HFT shooters; the lack of a peg added a new element as did the unsupported arm requirement on prone shots. Targets were placed from approx 6 yards out to 55 yards with the wind causing a few problems for all.
Top score was returned by Tim Roscoe with an excellent 26 ex 30 with Dave Godwin getting runner up with a 24 on count back. Top recoiling was yours truly with runner up place going new member, Richard Newcombe. Tim gets his name on the PCP perpetual trophy with the Curly Cadnam shield returned to me for safe keeping for another year.

Top junior was Merc.
In the guest category both Richard Chase and Pat Fitzgerald ended up with 25 a piece and in the true nature of sportsmanship we made them have a shoot off with Pat winning. Not bad for a Springer! 3rd place for honour's mention only was Jonathan Hurwitt who I had the pleasure of shooting the round with.
Mulled wine, lunch and prize giving followed with a raffle to top it off.
Thanks go to the lads for setting up the course, Bryn for marshalling on the day, the members and guest for supporting the event but most of all to Jackie for the hard work in preparing and delivering 30 hot and very welcome dinners!

2010 Turkey shoot

2011 Turkey Shoot

More Turkey shoot pics here

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SUMMER SIZZLER 50 SHOT CLASSIC HFT COMPETITION

Pictures may be viewed at here


Hi all

Many thanks to all those who supported our 2011 Summer Sizzler. It's always great to see old friends and new. Thanks also to the course builders who toiled under a blazing hot sun yesterday (typical) and Dave and Ali for the stats.

I think this was our 10th anniversary but my memory’s getting bad, either from old age or handling too many pellets, most of them today which were promptly wasted hitting anything other than the damned kill zones.

Considering the current climate and the Midland, numbers were good and it is sincerely appreciated when people make the effort to drive many miles to support a shoot such as this or indeed any competition. The Sizzler is, we believe unique and a real test of shooters ability to both remain calm and take a shot from a position which forces the competitor out of their comfort zone at a target which has been placed with thought and cunning by the course builders and yes we do grow those bloody twigs and branches especially. Originally conceived as an 80 shoot (2 X 40 shot courses), The "Mother of all Hunters" has sensibly been reduced to a 50 shot (as above, I'm getting older) where every target is carefully positioned between 8 and 45 yards...

..."apart from those that aren't" to quote Gary Cooper when he wrote an article on the Sizzler for AGW a few years back.

The "occasional" barracking makes the challenge even harder, but adds to the relaxed atmosphere at Popham we hope prevails.

So thanks to our regular supporters from Meon, North Oxon, Jonathan and Marie from the "West Country" and Andy Yates from Lea Valley.

I'm sure the above though, will allow me a special thank you to our guests from a motley collection of the Sussex clubs who provided no less than 17 elite marksmen to take on "The rest of the World" in a head to head challenge.

This was a new element to the Sizzler and one which would be wonderful to repeat. I know that the Sussex guys would like us to visit them for a return challenge match in the near future and I for one don't think we should miss this opportunity to visit not only new grounds, but some of the nicest people in our sport!

It’s a great shame that more of our own members don’t attend these competitions which in honesty are much much less formal than you’d imagine and more a collection of like minded people getting together to shoot in a different environment at targets set up in fun and interesting positions to the “comforts” of our walled garden range. Nobody will criticize for a perceived poor score and the amount of benefit gained from the experience is immense and you’ll get help and advice from those who’ve shot comps before.

So with the thanks done and dusted, there only remains one crucial and significant item to report.

WHO WON THE CHALLENGE?
 
Name Club PCP/Recoiling Score   Scores derived from total number of Sussex shooters (including two recoiling scores) as a sum of all 17 scores ex 1700.

This has been matched by the top 15 "Rest of the World" scores plus the two highest recoiling scores to even the division between recoiling and PCP.

  
Sussex scores to count
    
Steve Light Horsham PCP 92    
Spencer Hayward Oaks PCP 92    
Derek Watson Horsham PCP 90    
Mike Burgess Swallows PCP 90    
Charles Peal Oaks PCP 90    
Richard Chase Ford PCP 87    
Eric Bynum Horsham PCP 86    
Rob Simpson Ford PCP 83    
Phillip Jacobs Horsham PCP 82    
Terry Aiken Oaks PCP 82    
Nigel Buchan Buxted PCP 81    
Mike Byford Oaks Recoiling 81    
Patrick Fitzgerald Ford Recoiling 80    
Rob Appleyard Oaks PCP 80    
Chris Silcock Horsham PCP 75    
Eddie Phillips Ford PCP 70    
Jon Kelly Buxted PCP 64    
      1405 EX 1700
           
"Rest of the World" scores to count
    
Clive Turner N.Oxon Recoiling 96    
Dave Godwin BARPC PCP 95    
Heather Turner N.Oxon PCP 94    
Glen Newman N.Oxon PCP 90    
Glen Breadmore BARPC PCP 89    
Dave Smallbone N.Oxon PCP 88    
Alistair James Meon PCP 86    
Clinton Bedding N.Oxon PCP 85    
Norman Wells Meon PCP 83    
Andy Yates Lee Valley PCP 83    
Terry Wrigley Meon PCP 83    
Peter Chaffe BARPC PCP 82    
Neil Scripps BARPC PCP 81    
Alan Rowe Meon PCP 81    
Colin Medway Meon PCP 80    
Colin Baggs BARPC PCP 78    
Bob Ward BARPC Recoiling 69    
      1443 Ex 1700
           
"Rest of the World" Scores not counting to challenge match
    
           
Johnathan Hurwitt   PCP 77    
Dean Yaxley Meon PCP 77    
Roy Oliphant Meon PCP 76    
Stephen Wells Meon PCP 76    
Ian Sheppard BARPC PCP 73    
Phil Cosham BARPC PCP 72    
Micheal Worth BARPC Junior (PCP) 72    
Mark Cosham BARPC PCP 67    
Mark Griffiths BARPC PCP 66    
Marie Saville Lanes Shooting School PCP 66    
Pat Lyons BARPC Recoiling 40    
           
Medal Positions          
           
Open/PCP
    
Dave Godwin BARPC 1st 95    
Heather Turner N.Oxon 2nd 94    
Steve Light Horsham 3rd 92 on countback
Spencer Hayward Oaks 4th 92    
Charles Peal Oaks 5th 90 After shoot off
           
Recoiling
    
Clive Turner N.Oxon 1st 96    
Mike Byford Oaks 2nd 81    
Pat Fitzgerald Ford 3rd 80    
Bob Ward BARPC 4th 69    
Pat Lyons BARPC 5th 40    
           
Top Junior
    
Mike Worth BARPC   72    
           
Top .22 (As declared on registration form)
    
Dean Yaxley Meon   77    
 
       

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