Home
Just wondering what kind of score a complete newby should expect their first time.
Thanks
All courses are not the same and some are more new shooter friendly than others. Some have new shooter targets and some do not.

Unless it some type of corporate or charity event, which normally have shooter friendly targets, don't even take a score card. Just shoot for the fun of the game.

What a new shooter can expect to score would be a bad guess at best.

Originally Posted by battue
Unless it some type of corporate or charity event, which normally have shooter friendly targets, don't even take a score card. Just shoot for the fun of the game.



There is some sound advice! Don't focus on score, just go have fun. In the end you will have a feel for how you did.
Unless a new shooter is "The Natural", then shooting and learning comes before keeping score. No different than most games of skill in that a lot of practice precedes game time.
I shot with Tom Mack on his first line of sporting clays.......... Just wernt normal
Originally Posted by willecoyote
Just wondering what kind of score a complete newby should expect their first time.
Thanks


As mentioned by battue, that is a tough question to answer. Depends on so many levels. I've real known good bird hunters walk away shaking their heads and completely disappointed with their performance, to a guy that has never shot a shotgun be absolutely excited with his performance.

If this game is something that you want to do on a regular basis keep your score as a starting point in your progression. If you only plan to shoot sporting clays once a year I would still keep a score just as a comparison for years to come. Or to have a good laugh with friends that you shoot with.

Sporting clays is one of the best games out there that involves a shotgun. The top game in my opinion; FITASC. Which is a much tougher game. Normally longer, faster, & much harder targets.

Here's some tips for you though:
1)Shells, (you will need 5 boxes 125 rounds) 12 gauge #8 shot 1oz or 1-1/8oz light target loads only for your first times out. Then if you want to play the different shell for different target presentation game, go for it. But I'm still a firm believer in keep it simple. Personally I almost never shoot more than a 1oz load.
2)Choke or chokes, Take the most open choke/chokes you have whether you shoot an autoloader or O/U and leave it in for every station. Skeet will kill most bird presentations. For an example my wife & I shoot a lot. I've seen her put in skeet and never remove it even for tough courses. She normally does very well.
3)Watch the targets, But not the whole target! You want to look at the leading edge (or Head) of the bird.
4)Premount shotgun or not, NOT! This isn't national skeet or trap. Premounting the gun for a beginner clays shooter normally means you are aiming and leads to a dead gun. Keep the butt of you gun out of your shoulder until you see the bird. Best is to have it just slightly lower than your normal mount, just a slight movement to to bring to full mount. Then move the barrel towards the target, mount, move through the target (to the leading edge), and fire. Takes a little coordination but it's much better than a dead gun.
5)And the MOST IMPORTANT tip; Know where your shotgun shoots!! Most sporting clays courses have a patterning board. Ask to use it. Stand 15 yards away and fire at a spot on the patterning board. Don't aim, just up and fire at it just like a flushing bird. Then look and pay note to where your shot pattern is hitting in relationship to the spot. Then adjust your barrel orientation so your shot pattern is covering your aiming spot.
6)Score saver: Most presentations are either true pair or report pair. If a true pair (both birds released at the same time)or report pair (second bird released after you fire at the first bird) stay on the first bird you shoot at and shoot again if you miss with the first shot. Think about it...your score is already 50% with the first miss on that pull. Transitioning to the other target means more movement and a higher degree of difficulty. Stay with the first bird and kill it with your second shot.

Foremost....Have FUN!
Thanks for all of the advise. I have to be honest, my son and I shot a local course this weekend. We are novice, at best with shotguns. We rabbit and turkey hunt with them and that's two ends of the spectrum. A good friend also went with us and we just went to have a good time and that, we did. Of course my son (15) wanted to keep score, so we did. We shot from the easier stands at each location. We both used 1 1/8oz #8 and IC chokes, I took other chokes but never changed mainly because I didn't know if I would be changing for better or worse!
He hit 52 and I hit 54 out of 100 and honestly felt pretty good with that (you can stop laughing now!) They warned us that it was addictive and I can see that, when we finished my son wanted to shoot another 50!
The first time I shot Sporting Clays I'd been shooting Trap and Skeet alot, for quite a few years, and was doing pretty good. My first Sporting Clays score was in the 60's! ...on a relatively easy course! Long crossers kill my scores still.
My son was most disappointed with the fact that he didn't hit a single "rabbit" because when we are rabbit hunting he rarely misses one, I watched him roll one with his 20g 2 years ago that was nothing more than a brown blur streaking through the woods. At $35 a round we won't be doing it every weekend but we will go again.
Wild bill, thanks, that looks like a lot of good information you shared, hopefully we can apply it and improve our score on the next round. I'm trying to fight the urge to go again this weekend.......I have too many expensive hobbies already!
One time after a shoot a guy said; "I've thrown enough money at this game to put a sloth thru Harvard."

Let's see; You like hunting, the outdoors and shooting shotguns. You shot sporting once and are fighting the urge to do it again soon. Hmmmm

My suggestion is to give up the foolish hobbies and dive in. The shooting sports need not only you, but some young blood.

Hint�.Beginning lessons from someone who knows how to teach shotgunning and the tricks of sporting clays is money well spent. wink

Hint2�.Learn to break the easy targets first. Move onto the tough targets later. No sense shooting a target over and over that you can't break relatively consistently. Move up closer if the club allows you to do so. Learn it, then move back in increments.

Hint3�.Don't became a slave to the scorecard until you have acquired most of the fundamentals. If you know how to break most of the presentations, scores will follow.

Rehint�.Lessons are a shortcut.

When you think this is getting low on ammo. You have swallowed the hook�.

[Linked Image]
Originally Posted by battue

My suggestion is to give up the foolish hobbies and dive in. The shooting sports need not only you, but some young blood.


Problem is, I don't have any foolish hobbies, they all revolve around firearms, fishing poles, hunting and trapping grin
I have shot and done very well with sporting clays with 7/8 oz of 8 1/2's out of a skeet choked gun. I will generally score in the low 40's for 50 birds. Don't worry about the longe distance crossers. Always try to take the easier close bird first, no sense on missing a gimme by going after a tough target that you probably won't get anyway.
Originally Posted by willecoyote
Originally Posted by battue

My suggestion is to give up the foolish hobbies and dive in. The shooting sports need not only you, but some young blood.


Problem is, I don't have any foolish hobbies, they all revolve around firearms, fishing poles, hunting and trapping grin



You are doing great, keep up the good work!!!!
Originally Posted by 300Savage
I have shot and done very well with sporting clays with 7/8 oz of 8 1/2's out of a skeet choked gun. I will generally score in the low 40's for 50 birds. Don't worry about the longe distance crossers. Always try to take the easier close bird first, no sense on missing a gimme by going after a tough target that you probably won't get anyway.


You may get one with that theory, but two only infrequently.
Originally Posted by willecoyote
My son was most disappointed with the fact that he didn't hit a single "rabbit"


Wait until he sees his first battue. cool One of the most frustrating targets thrown. They seem to never fly the same, especially with a breeze. cry
[Linked Image]

Originally Posted by willecoyote
He hit 52 and I hit 54 out of 100 and honestly felt pretty good with that (you can stop laughing now!) They warned us that it was addictive and I can see that, when we finished my son wanted to shoot another 50!


Those are scores you should be proud of, certainly not laughing. laugh
Rcamuglia who posts here often and is a known name on the sporting circuit, once said here the Battue was one of his favorite presentations. Especially a pair thrown off a high tower.

Of course he paid his dues, worked at it, and learned how to shoot the hard stuff. Which do make a difference. grin
Originally Posted by Wild_Bill_375

Those are scores you should be proud of, certainly not laughing. laugh


Thanks wildbill, but we shot from the beginner stands, which looking at the angle differences were, I'm sure, a lot easier and we shot everything on report no true doubles so we cheated a bit. We will probably end up there again this weekend. I was looking at membership and it would pay for itself in 5 visits. Plus they have a nice pistol range that is free to members.
Originally Posted by passport
I shot with Tom Mack on his first line of sporting clays.......... Just wernt normal


Ok, that's a five dollar fine for mentioning that name! Really, Tom is a pretty cool guy. I shoot around him a lot here in Texas now that he moved here(74 Ranch). He definitely has a good time while shooting.
Originally Posted by cedarbreaker
Originally Posted by passport
I shot with Tom Mack on his first line of sporting clays.......... Just wernt normal


Ok, that's a five dollar fine for mentioning that name! Really, Tom is a pretty cool guy. I shoot around him a lot here in Texas now that he moved here(74 Ranch). He definitely has a good time while shooting.


Tom and his brother Dan are good freinds of mine. Tom has always been a natural at shooting. Tell him John G said hello smile
Originally Posted by passport
Originally Posted by cedarbreaker
Originally Posted by passport
I shot with Tom Mack on his first line of sporting clays.......... Just wernt normal


Ok, that's a five dollar fine for mentioning that name! Really, Tom is a pretty cool guy. I shoot around him a lot here in Texas now that he moved here(74 Ranch). He definitely has a good time while shooting.


Tom and his brother Dan are good freinds of mine. Tom has always been a natural at shooting. Tell him John G said hello

Will do.:)
Battue, I took your advise and dove in, got a years membership at the sporting clays range today...
I shot a 47 out of 100 yesterday. I am in A class, was AA class but haven't been shooting clays much lately. Anyways it was windy as hell and the targets were beyond FITASC levels. The HOA was a 67. Two weekends before I shot a 92 out of 100. That course was very soft and no wind. So as everyone has said you really can't compare scores from course to course no matter your level.

It is a very additive game and expensive. If you keep it to local shooting it isn't to bad. Competition wise I don't think there is a more expensive shooting game to be found. Well flyers but we won't go there.
Welcome to the addiction!!!!

....and as MCH mentioned watch out. He would let you use his shotgun anytime, but be forewarned it is not for us average sized shooters. Not sure I can reach the trigger. grin
I should have took a picture of you shouldering it at the shoot in Ohio.

You going to shoot that shoot this year? I might have to try to make it.
Yep it is on the list.

Dan is also running a club down around Zanesville that a fellow is throwing money at. Will probably shoot it at least once also.
I might have to see if I can make it to Dan's club. It would be cool to see him again.
I can't tell him you said that. His head will get waaay too big. grin










Dan's got me so many many times and we love pissing with each other. We'll maybe He isn't enjoying it all that much. smile Great shot and a great guy. He is setting the targets for the Ohio State shoot. It should be a good one.

Kenny will get a kick out of this!!!!
That melon on his shoulders couldn't get any bigger! smile

Originally Posted by cedarbreaker
Originally Posted by passport
I shot with Tom Mack on his first line of sporting clays.......... Just wernt normal


Ok, that's a five dollar fine for mentioning that name! Really, Tom is a pretty cool guy. I shoot around him a lot here in Texas now that he moved here(74 Ranch). He definitely has a good time while shooting.



We've been to 74 Ranch a few times to shoot Sporting Clays and shot with Tom one afternoon. He and Milo were entertaining to say the least. Always enjoyed going there.

So much so, we're going next week to get some shooting in. Should be about 8 of us going. I know we'll eat well laugh
I shoot #540844
Originally Posted by MoranoGrande
Originally Posted by cedarbreaker
Originally Posted by passport
I shot with Tom Mack on his first line of sporting clays.......... Just wernt normal


Ok, that's a five dollar fine for mentioning that name! Really, Tom is a pretty cool guy. I shoot around him a lot here in Texas now that he moved here(74 Ranch). He definitely has a good time while shooting.



We've been to 74 Ranch a few times to shoot Sporting Clays and shot with Tom one afternoon. He and Milo were entertaining to say the least. Always enjoyed going there.

So much so, we're going next week to get some shooting in. Should be about 8 of us going. I know we'll eat well laugh


I want to go there some time, Tom keeps nipping at my heels but is just not in the budget right now. I don't think Tom will be there, I talked to him last week and he was shooting some kind of big water buff in Florida. Like 2600 lbs big. Post some pics
I shot my first round of the year tonight. I ended up with a 39, not bad for my first time out this year.
Going today to a customer event sporting clays shoot. I've decided to shoot a buddies older Franchi 48 (28" fixed MOD choke) - he wants me to try the shotgun and sell it for him. Also taking my 16 gauge Browning A-5 just in case I don't like the Franchi.
Great advice battue. New guy should shoot for fun, not worry about score until/unless the bug bites and it gets serious. Then it is practice, practice, practice. Meaningful practice, not just blasting away.....
© 24hourcampfire