[j1b]

My IPSC blaster is on the fritz - at least the one I have out here is - so I was left with no choice but to shoot some clays this weekend.

First off, I am LOVING this new shotgun. I've had so much fun shooting clays games since I got it. I haven't shot a single round of trap with the dang thing, but several rounds of skeet and then 5 stand today. I can't wait to get a sporting clays course in. Soon enough - I'm still learning how to bust a few.

That 5 stand was a blast. Tons of fun! Fast paced! Lots of birds and fun targets. I shot 4 rounds and needless to say the first couple were pretty rough. Actually probably better than what they would have been a few weeks ago - but still not that great. I shot 13 birds the first round, then another 13. The second round I was doing pretty well until station 4 where I only hit one bird. Just started lifting my head and that was doom. Stage 4 I lost track - I shot those three rounds right in a row and I figured I needed a break. In about 40 minutes I shot 75 rounds.

So I sat a couple rounds out. Just watched. Jumped in for my fourth round and went 4-3-4-4-4 for a 19. All in all I didn't think that was too bad so I bagged the gun up and went house hunting.

A ton of fun though, hopefully do that again one day.

One interesting thing that has really helped me out. I mount the gun where I want to break the bird and set up so all of that is comfortable, then I swing over to my starting point. For some reason that has really helped me. I was starting out all comfortable on the start point and then when the bird flew I was swinging out of my comfortable stance. This has just helped a ton. And, true to what one might think - the targets today where I was less certain about where I was going to bust it or on the targets where I was less diligent about setting up proper my odds of missing went up a ton.

I can tell I'm going to need to do some kind of thursday night league or something. I enjoy it too much. Once I get a little better you know I'm going to have to compete. It isn't in me not to!

Jack

[Airedale]

Two things to remember for clays:

Wood on wood (keep your head on the stock)

Move, mount, shoot

Great fun!
Dave

[Ray R.]

Aah yeah! Five Stand Sporting is the wildest thing going with a shotgun. Especially level 3. Gotta "think" when you're out there too.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Wood to wood....

[ken hebert]

Used to turn my nose up at shotgun sports... My home range put in a 5 stand field and some of them finally talke me into trying it out. Yup, good stuff. I've bought more than my fair share of birds now, even set up the 5 stand field as part of a course of fire in a 3-gun match. Shot my first sporting clays tournament 2 weekends ago locally, and then drove 300+ miles to shoot another this past weekend. Clays suck though, cutting into my USPSA time!

[uscbigdawg]

Jack - I always tell folks that 5-Stand is IPSC with an O/U.

Rich

[2alpha]

There is one event in the sportsmans challenge that all the targets come right at you without a break, it's incredible fun. I have to use an auto to keep up it would just be too hard on the ou.

[MarkS_A18138]

5 stand is great unless your home range has one of the setters from Nationals....Our 5 stand is set at nationals level all the time and it hurts the new people coming into shoot....I always tell people that sporting clays and 5 stand are the ipsc shooting of the shotgun world...We have bunch of skeet shooters that walk by and look at us like we are freaks!

Hey Ken have you met the 16 year old girl at your home range that can shoot like the wind??? Jenn Clark!

[Tom Freeman]

We used to have a shotgun range on base. I shot 5-6 rounds of 5 stand twice a week. Great way to burn off some lunchtime stress.

I miss shotgun shooting.

[laportecharlie]

The clay sports can become very addictive.
Charlie

[tightloop]

If you think 5 stand is furious, try a flush or flurry....

[GISMap]

5 stand and sporting clays are pretty fun, but the Flurry/Frenzy is like action pistol shooting with a shotgun! My home range does 30 clays with 5 seconds between pairs.