Shooting Standard on Beater's Day

baguio

Well-Known Member
Following on from Wingers243's post regarding the standard of shotgun shooting in general, now that the Cock shoots have started (I attended one as a gun yesterday) I was wondering if the beaters are shooting to a higher standard than the usual guns? On the shoot that I was on, I would say that only 7 of them could shoot to a reasonable standard. The usual guns on average were much better.
 
One of shooting's truisms: "Never a bird flew that the beaters couldn't hit".

Of course once the beaters are carrying guns those birds are never quite so easy :D

To be fair, I also know of beaters who can put the regular guns to shame :oops:
 
So true Willie. The shoot is fantastic with really good topography. The bag was 125. I shot 19 head. I was probably top gun however the pegs were kind to me. That said, the gun two to my right could have shot 10 on one drive. He only shot one runner which was picked. All others were clean misses! At least 3 other guns shot 15 head. I suspect that some didn't hit a bird all day!
 
Its always worrying that some of them only shoot once a year on beaters day and turn up with borrowed guns and no insurance
 
From one grumpy old Devon sod to another. Of course there will be those that turn up on beaters or any other day for that matter without insurance. There are considerable numbers of country folk who don't bother with websites. don't read magazines and who just do what they have always done, go shooting.
Right or wrong that's the way it is. They perhaps only shoot pheasant one day a year but possibly carry a gun far more than the guns on pegs ever will.
I look back at the days when shooting was free and easy, no DSCs no "permissions" we got on with the landowners and did our thing, today everything has got so hide bound in what you have to do and we must all go down the same routes. One other thing that gets me going are the growing number of people who come into the country to live and proceed to look down their noses at those of us who have lived here all our lives because we go shooting/ferreting or anything else that involves animals.
There, I feel better now, just another grumpy old sod looking back at times that will never return.
 
It must be a touch emanating for the gentry to watch the common folk out them to shame every beaters day I shot on a keepers day Wednesday only a walk round mini driven affair we bagged 65 head the average back on the and day but with paying guns is 25 if they're lucky we shot 3.5 to one they shoot 8 to 10 to one beaters day will produce 125 to 150 birds to a dozen guns and we will shoot 4to one at a guess then again ive alwAfs said if you eat what you shoot you don't waste many cartridges
 
It must be a touch emanating for the gentry to watch the common folk out them to shame every beaters day I shot on a keepers day Wednesday only a walk round mini driven affair we bagged 65 head the average back on the and day but with paying guns is 25 if they're lucky we shot 3.5 to one they shoot 8 to 10 to one beaters day will produce 125 to 150 birds to a dozen guns and we will shoot 4to one at a guess then again ive alwAfs said if you eat what you shoot you don't waste many cartridges

Blimey, I thought after R-D's recent thread we were through with all this class war stuff? :rolleyes:

I know guns from both ends of the "wealth" spectrum who would view 3.5 to 1 as a pretty poor day's shooting to be honest.

Maybe it doesn't matter whether the person behind the gun is from the gentry or common folk?

Maybe being a "sporting gun" has nothing to do with the thickness of your wallet?

Maybe the ability to hit a good pheasant, partridge or grouse is simply down to skill and practice than an accident of birth?

Maybe using stereotypes does no-one any favours?
 
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Blimey, I thought after R-D's recent thread we were through with all this class war stuff? :rolleyes:

I know guns from both ends of the "wealth" spectrum who would view 3.5 to 1 as a pretty poor day's shooting to be honest.

Maybe it doesn't matter whether the person behind the gun is from the gentry or common folk?

Maybe being a "sporting gun" has nothing to do with the thickness of your wallet?

Maybe the ability to hit a good pheasant, partridge or grouse is simply down to skill and practice than an accident of birth?

Maybe using stereotypes does no-one any favours?

Well said. I would have left out the Maybe from the post. I go to shoot days, formal or beaters days to enjoy myself not worry if someone shoots better or worse than me. Who cares ?
Over many years of shooting , stalking i have met people who shoot who come from council houses to castles and they have all been a mix of, the good, the bad and the ugly.
 
emanating- feeling, quality, or sensation. Not the correct word for that sentence that's for sure! The fact that they're not at the cock day would mean that they're not embarrassed either so I have no idea what swatty was trying to say really?
 
Just got back from a day - shot well under 2:1, as I have all season. Couple of others are at roughly the same (one posh, one not). Overall, we were 5:1 for the day. I have absolutely no idea who's responsible, but the rest of the syndicate are a mix of new money and old farmers...
 
Just got back from a day - shot well under 2:1, as I have all season. Couple of others are at roughly the same (one posh, one not). Overall, we were 5:1 for the day. I have absolutely no idea who's responsible, but the rest of the syndicate are a mix of new money and old farmers...
Good effort. Hope you all had a good day?
 
Thanks. I think so. There's no grumbling, anyway.

Does anyone actually care if some guns don't fill the bag? They pays their money, if they enjoy it then good luck to them. It's about the craic not the standard of anyone else. I'd put safe sporting behaviour, a cheerful personality and a sense of humour way above the ability to knock them down like a new Digweed
 
Thanks. I think so. There's no grumbling, anyway.

Does anyone actually care if some guns don't fill the bag? They pays their money, if they enjoy it then good luck to them. It's about the craic not the standard of anyone else. I'd put safe sporting behaviour, a cheerful personality and a sense of humour way above the ability to knock them down like a new Digweed

I've got to agree with this.

The beaters on our shoot have turned out in some quite appalling weather this season, some of them are excellent shots whilst others are less so, but the important thing is that they safely enjoy their days shooting.

atb Tim
 
we had an enjoyable day with some smart shooting all very safe inc the two lads who were accompanied followed by a great meal .
I've got 4 days left on other shoots and at home and will see a huge variety of shooter although I'm invited to shoot doubt I will prefer to work the dogs these days.
we talked yesterday about the crack we had during the day often missing on more formal big days .
enjoy the rest of the season
Norma
 
we talked yesterday about the crack we had during the day often missing on more formal big days .

I'm not sure the craic depends on the size of the bag so much as the company you're with.

Sadly because of work I've only got one more day this season, but straight shooting to all those with days still to enjoy.

How quickly the end of the season comes round once Christmas is over :(
 
I'm not sure the craic depends on the size of the bag so much as the company you're with.

Sadly because of work I've only got one more day this season, but straight shooting to all those with days still to enjoy.

How quickly the end of the season comes round once Christmas is over :(
Willie
I suppose what I meant is
when I'm on the estate on a 200-300 bird day I never see much laughter or hear much banter
I shot a small 50 bird day with only 2 of the 9 guns i knew and we laughed all day
does formal sometimes mean serious .I like having a good atmosphere on a shoot day at home unfortunately a couple of bad apples or stirrers can wreck that .
norma
 
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