From personal experience and observation ....

1) When you do a lot of shooting at a particular quarry you get reasonably good at it. When I was shooting wood pigeon big time (mostly over decoys) the local gun shop / game dealer would give a 25 Express shells for 10 dead woodpigeon. I used a Rizzini O/U with Cylinder and full and reckoned on 17 birds per box.

2) You can have favourite shots and bogy ones too. Wood pigeon coming in to roost I found just suited me somehow, and yet other folk who I reckon are better shots overall than me can really struggle. A dropping pheasant with a curl on it is as safe as houses if I'm around; I might as well throw my hat at it. Actually, I have. crazy

3) Booze does you in. Not to re-start the great drink debate, but one can of beer knocks my performance to pieces. I'm not drunk, far from it, but the timing and co-ordination rapidly go downhill.

4) Being young and physically fit is a huge advantage; being old and shagged out really really sucks. Post cardiac surgery, rotator cuff problems, wonky eyesight getting wonkier and a drug regime that could kill cockroaches, I'm now too embarrassed to pick up a gun.

Eug

Thank you, very kind. Mine's a pint