The Inside Edge

"Grand Prix Series Winner". Ive waited 30 odd years to hear my name attached to those words and finally, this year, after a long, HOT 🔥 gruelling 7 shoot series, set over 4 months, in grounds all across England and Wales, I did 🥳 🏆

I've watched so many great shooters achieve this title over the years that even to me it seems odd that I'm now part of the pantheon. I remember having an argument in (wierdly) a chinese restaurant in Norway in 2011 with my (our) late friend Si Evans, where he said that the GP Series was the ultimate achievement in FT because you had to be better than everyone else for a whole season and so it was impossible to fluke. I hadn't won the series so of course I argued that the World's was the ultimate (cos I'd already won that 😉). But after the stress of this last weekend in particular, I can now see what he meant. This one was for you Si 👊🏻

Anyway, even though I'm biased I think its been a great season - precisely because its been so open, in all the grades.
It was the first year with a sticks class and that's brought new people to the sport and kept old ones shooting. Similarly Open Class has done the same - and although Im gutted for my mate Dave Croucher - Dave Purcell's heroics on some of these courses, in the temperatures we've had, at the age of 83 has been truly awe-inspiring 💪🏻🫶
Plus, we've had more, new grounds hosting and doing a great job in Wormsley and Frobury 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

In the end, it literally could not have been closer. To come down to 0.01%? Unbelievable. Somewhere in the 350 competitive shots was the one extra target that got me across the line; thank God! 🙏☺️ Commiserations to Jacob Kay you shot so we'll all season mate that believe it or not a part of me is gutted for you. But dont worry you've got many years of FT wins ahead of you, Im sure.

Well done to my SEFTA Field Target Shooting team mates on our 2nd place in the Team Comp 🥈

Thanks to my shooting partners this year Stuart Dodd Mark Bassett Steve Carter Bob Evans , Nathan Reeve, Anne Smith.
for your excellent company.

Thank you to all the course-setters and club members who gave up their time and chance to shoot so as to give everyone else some great memories 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks to The BFTA guys and gals for all their hardwork behind the scenes. Superb. 🫶

Finally, thanks to this years sponsors and in particular, Nick from Built To Compete at Falcon, for his generous sponsorship this season, everyone really appreciates it mate 👊🏻👏🏻

See you all again in 2027!

A great couple of days shooting at the NEFTA Double-Header Grand Prix's this weekend.

A new ground to explore in Wormsley FTC on Saturday. A small ground, with the competing area probably no more than 150 yards x 70 yards but what with (seemingly) crazy wind and shooting from the inside to outside of a 25 yard deep wood and then at 90 degrees to this, on a dog-leg out into the open field, they certainly made the most of it and the 2 whistles all day was testament to the work that had gone in to setting the course up.

On Sunday, we were at the legendary Emley Moor FTC; the scene of some titanic battles and legendary courses over the years.
A completely different set of weather conditions today Saturday. A slight but switchy wind, combined with a firing line that nearly went 360 degrees, over a wide area kept competitors honest throughout a typically long course.

My 41 on Saturday was obliterated by Dylan Varney 's 47 in the AM session. But a 47/50 at Emley in todays AM session, was enough for my 2nd 100% and GP win of the season so far.

Next up, my home SEFTA GP at ETL...! 🤞🏻
SEFTA Field Target Shooting Kent Woodsmen FTC
The BFTA

So it turns out -0.2 degrees C = -50fps. Who knew🤣

Missed 7 of my first 10 targets trying to work out how many clicks to add in order actually hit the kill. Gave up when I didnt have any more fingers to add up on and swapped to the holdover "somewhere there should do it" method. Turns out thats an improvement! LOL
Thankfully I probably wont shoot in these temperatures again in the UK this year 🤞🥶

One week on from SEFTA being crowned BFTA Inter-Regional Chsmpions 🥳👑🏆🥇

First proper Comp with my Anschutz 9015 yesterday and a very welcome, if totally unexpected 48 ex 50! 🥳

GP3 at Meon Valley AC. Having shot thier MVAC-50 Challenge twice at this ground, I knew we were in for a cracking course but Justin Wood, Paul, Steve and the rest of the MVAC crew exceeded all expectations with a brilliant 360 degree course in woods, on the side of the hill, that was perfect for the conditions.

I missed my two early, my first miss telling me I needed to give any breeze much more respect and the second - 'crow-zilla' - going inexplicably high.
After that I got into a rhythm and it was rinse and repeat, with the 10.3gn JSBs and the 9015 smashing down all before it. Although I HIT all my standers I'm honest enough to know that they weren't really very good shots and I'll have to work on my hold and trigger release but apart from that I'm taking a lot of confidence forward now with this rig.

The only grey cloud to the day was that I stupidly forgot to tick the box, to say that I wanted to be put forward for the Showdown. D'oh! 🤦🏻‍♂️ So it looks like I'll be doing at least one more GP after all. C'est la vie.

Thanks to all the Marshall's, Stat's and Course Setters, who made the day possible.

Ps. Despite the score, my personal highlight was when Team Shead's dog, Max, marked his territory on Mr Croucher's gun bag! 🤣🤣🤣 That one will live long in the memory.

Happy shooting all.

I seem to remember Saturday nights being more Rock n Roll...🤔

Happy St Georges Day to my fellow English FT shooters! 🥳🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

https://youtu.be/X5LpkoomuIM?si=eMraSQobSo5hQzdA

New Vid: Already an ICON? the S&W M&P 15-22