If most casual shooters would spend more of their money on practicing and shells, and maybe some lessons from a pro in the beginning, and less of it on ridiculous priced guns, they would be much more effective at shooting flying. The men/women who are not pros, who shoot $15K (and up) guns, and are really good shots, can be counted on your fingers and toes. My mantra was always to shoot a shotgun until I truly believed it was a reason I was not shooting a higher score. Now that that gun is a Perazzi (used when I bought it years ago), I doubt I will ever be able to honestly make that claim again.
I watch men pull out H & H, Purdey, Boss and Woodward guns and go out and shoot a 45/100 and then do the same thing for years, and I wonder how they can feel good about it. I know we are all different but I see a lot of people at vintage S x S shoots like this, and I just cannot get my head around it. Improvement is not beyond the capabilities of anyone who wants it badly enough. I really wish someone could help me understand why looking good makes someone feel better about themselves than hitting what they shoot at. Is just hearing the gun go bang enough? I'm as far from an elitist as anyone you would ever meet, and I miss more than I'd like ........ but I never stop striving to get better.
I just guess I'd rather hit something with a BSS than miss with a Woodward, though I understand fully that the two are not totally incompatible.
SRH
I look at it the total opposite. The guy with a really nice gun that shoots 45/100 would do that with any gun and probably doesn't really care a lot about his scores but enjoys owning and more important shooting his high end gun. Everyone one would love to be a top shooter but some guys just don't have it in them and if they go out and shoot a 60/100. They are very happy. Just as happy as the guy who ran 100 straight when he normally shoot a 95. Any of the top shooters could shoot the scores they do with let say a Beretta or Browning instead of there Kreigoff or Kolar. They are good shooters and have shot there gun enough to be totally comfortable with it and practice a lot.
With that said my skeet gun is a Beretta 686. Even if I switched to a Kreigoff or Kolar I would still shoot my 94/100. But if I could afford a really nice K-80 I would own one just because I like them.
The guys that you mentioned that shoot Purdey's, H&H,Boss etc probably just like them and good for them for shooting them. What I find hard to understand is guys that own these guns and never shoot them. Instead just look at them.
I do know a few guys you are refering to that are horrible shots but brag or act like they are better than everyone because they have a Kreigoff. Same guys that drive a Range Rover when a Jeep Cherokee would be just as good for them.
