A very TR moan

[Gaz]

Today I got an email from my county captain with this year's TR shoot dates. They are all matches in April-July. No training shoots, no "have a blat and a laugh and a post-shoot beer" shoots. Our good captain says that if there aren't any entries to these matches, this will be the "thin end of the wedge" towards the county team being wound up.

Now. It's been a few years since I shot for the county, what with university and wimmin and all that good healthy stuff that occupied my student days, but now I've been back in the real world for a couple of years I want to get back into my TR.

Except, it seems, my choice is to either shoot competitions or not shoot at all.

Do other counties do this? If so, is it any wonder that TR is dying off amongst the under-65s?

[Geordie bloke]

Today I got an email from my county captain with this year's TR shoot dates. They are all matches in April-July. No training shoots, no "have a blat and a laugh and a post-shoot beer" shoots. Our good captain says that if there aren't any entries to these matches, this will be the "thin end of the wedge" towards the county team being wound up.

Now. It's been a few years since I shot for the county, what with university and wimmin and all that good healthy stuff that occupied my student days, but now I've been back in the real world for a couple of years I want to get back into my TR.

Except, it seems, my choice is to either shoot competitions or not shoot at all.

Do other counties do this? If so, is it any wonder that TR is dying off amongst the under-65s?

Before taking up Benchrest and F class many years ago, I used to shoot Target Rifle with the City of Newcastle Rifle Club mainly at Ponteland here in the North East. All shoots were competitions and none were 'fun' shoots or practice to help the novice to learn to wind read or plot correctly, so I packed TR shooting in and I much prefer what I shoot now and enjoy fun shoots at Diggle near Oldham such as the Fly Shoot, Egg Shoot etc and also competition shoots in benchrest and f class at different ranges. Much more beer and laughs than TR.

[Steve E]

Gaz, I shoot for a County and we do not do practice shoots. (I have been a County Captain and we did not do practice shoots).
It is on the onus of the shooter to sort out his/hers own practice sessions and enter open competitions and keep the Captain updated. In fact it is probably true to say that many Counties do not have formal practice and training sessions.
If it is practice that you are after, book a target and advertise it on this forum and I am sure that you will get enough people to make it worth while. You could also join a club that has range days and get your practice in that way.

TR among the under 65s is definately not dying out. Shooters seem able to sort out their own practice/training amongst themselves.
You may have to accept that you need to put your own effort in to get what you want. There are ample opportunities to get range time. If you need specific coaching, I am sure that myself, Rox and Gaz Morris can arrange target bookings that you can come on.

[Gaz]

You may have to accept that you need to put your own effort in to get what you want. There are ample opportunities to get range time. If you need specific coaching, I am sure that myself, Rox and Gaz Morris can arrange target bookings that you can come on.

Isn't the point of a team that it trains together as a team? Rather than as a bunch of individuals who happen to shoot on the same target on a given day?

It's more the opportunity to shoot with your team-mates and get to know them, as well as swapping tips in a more relaxed atmosphere than the pressure of a match - something I had a very positive experience of before going off to university.

Certainly I know at least one person who's very discouraged by this approach - and no, that's not a coded reference to me - precisely because he can't understand why a nominally team focused discipline expects him to book his own lane, and practice without any real idea of what he's meant to be learning, without the benefit of a coach. It's all well and good if you do move in the right circles and know a coach, but this approach does present a high barrier to entry for new blood.

Put it this way. I went to university six years ago. Having returned, I can see a total of one new name on my county's list of regular TR shots. I appreciate this will differ from county to county, but this immediately suggests that something is wrong with the "sort yourself out" mindset.

[Steve E]

Gaz,
I do understand where you are coming from, but the reality is that very few County teams actually train as a team. You will probably find that several of your county team members, may be members of the same club and do infact train together. Also for many shooters the shooting programme is fairly crowded and trying to get in County Team training as well as interclub shoots something has to give.
When I was a county captain I could not get even half of the team out to train together so we did'nt. Perhaps I was lucky in that most of my team were established shots and understood team discipline without having to practice it.
If you really feel that you are being disadvantaged, speak to your county captain and tell him your fears. If you need help with wind reading/plotting do likewise or I can always meet you at Bisley can give you a hand.
Do you think that you have the potential to become a county standard coach ?, the only way any one will know is to see you competing and being on or near the prizelists. If you do aspire to being a coach you could do no worse than doing one of the NRAs windcoching courses run by Bill Richards.
You could always arrange training sessions for your county if you feel that there are other shooters who feel the same. Then you might find out how difficult it can be to get a team all in one place at the same time trying to do the same thing.

[rox]

It's more the opportunity to shoot with your team-mates and get to know them, as well as swapping tips in a more relaxed atmosphere than the pressure of a match - something I had a very positive experience of before going off to university.

Many of the TR clubs have very active team programmes (my main club has about 12 per season, i.e. almost every weekend from April to September that doesn't conflict with other major events and meetings). The teams cover a wide range of abilities, and range from 'friendly' to 'bitter rivalry', and often include shooters and coaches up to the highest level, so they are ideal for less experienced shooters to gain experience and receive advice from top shooters and coaches to develop their skills. Some clubs also operate spoon targets for individual practice. The majority of people who shoot at county level also participate in club teams as the backbone of their regular team activities. A few counties offer a full season programme of matches, but for most it simply isn't viable, mainly because people are too busy shooting with their clubs. Find out which club teams the members of your county team shoot with, and consider shooting with that club - if you make it known to your county officers that you want to get involved you will soon be noticed if you achieve the required standard. There are plenty of opportunities to improve your team shooting alongside top internationals; it certainly isn't a case of just doing your own thing. I think Steve is neglecting to mention his years of team shooting with the RAF club, where I have no doubt he honed his skills in the company of world class shooters on his way to county and national success and beyond.

..

[Gaz]

Thanks for the replies - always helps to see things from the other side of the fence.

[karen]

Before I was Match Sec for the RAFTRC I would always moan there was too much team shooting and we never had enough time to just practice.

Then I became Match Sec, put in a couple of practice session and guess what? Hardly anyone turned up!

However we do have one shooter who will shoot his team scores and bring out his spare rifles and put an extra 50 rounds down at the end of each distance as practice. And that is why he has won the Queens Prize and I haven't!

Gaz - just ask your team captain if you can fill in on the first available target at the end of the team shoot and I am sure you will either learn a lot about individual shooting or get more coaches to help you.

Love

Karen

[essexboy]

Or come and join the ibis club, shoots every other weekend, long in the morning, short in the afternoon, dirt cheap ( well I think so) proper club house, and damned fine girls and guys in to the bargain, down side, it means you have to shoot with me.

Essexboy

[GazMorris]

Then I became Match Sec, put in a couple of practice session and guess what? Hardly anyone turned up!

Yep, same here when I ran my county team for a couple of years.

Bottom line is; if you want to get better find a training partner or two, buy a SCATT, put together a training programme and then stick to it. A good place to start would be:

- Shoot 40 shots per week on a SCATT (2 sessions of 20 shots each)
- Shoot livefire at least once per month (handload ammo and share a target to save cash)
- Warm up and do some stretching exercises before you shoot
- Do some light weight training and some cardiovascular excercise
- Eat reasonably healthily and don't drink too much alcohol. Give up the fags if you smoke

Cheers,

Gaz