Shooting at BSV Mittenwald should be on your shooter’s bucket list…

#trap #trapshooting #clayshooting #bavaria #claybuster #shootingrange #BSVMittenwald

On Saturday August 28th, 2022, we spent our afternoon at the shooting range of Mittenwald, Bavaria, Germany. Every kilometer of our journey from Tyrol to our destination was made easier by the beauty of the Alps.

BSV Mittenwald is the highest shooting range in Germany, with an altitude of 1,200 m above sea level. Upon arrival, you will be struck by the beauty of the surroundings which will be your background while shooting Trap. At BSV Mittenwald, one can not only shoot Universal Trap, but pistols as well as air rifles.

BSV Mittenwald

Our personal experience

Postulate: Our experience was limited to Trap shooting.

On the day we chose to shoot at BSV Mittenwald, it was supposed to rain. Luckily, we were blessed with a sunny afternoon instead. Either way, the weather would not have mattered much has the range has a roof.

Though it is a rather common feature nowadays, it is worthwhile mentioning that the range is automated. Thus, members and guests get a rechargeable chip-card from which the fare of each shooting session is deducted. Another interesting feature that the automation allows is the possibility for each shooter to track his/her reaction time between the disc calling and the 1st shot and - where applicable- between the 1st and the 2nd shot.

The discs, thrown by 5 machines, fly towards a beautiful landscape. As a matter of fact, I am going to put the delta between 25 and the score I got for each session on being stunned/distracted by the scenery as I shot!

We were warmly welcome by members of the managing team of the club. The crowd was typical of much of the shooting community: friendly and supportive. Because of the location of the range, we got the opportunity to socialize with Germans and Austrians.

“Laughter has no foreign accent”

P. Lowney

Verdict: BSV Mittenwald was a fun experience :We will be back!

To Note: Before reaching the shooting range, we drove through Mittenwald. Mittenwald is a charming community of 7300+ souls, in Upper Bavaria, district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is located just beyond the Austrian border, 113 km from Innsbruck, and about 100 km south of Munich. If your better half does not care for clay pigeon shooting, the village is full of charming little bars and restaurants where you can enjoy local specialties. Besides the culinary experience, Mittenwald also offers countless opportunities for hikers, cyclists, climbers …

We tried a shooting range near Salzburg

#Weitwörth #skeetshooting #trap #clayshooting #shootingrange

A couple of weeks ago, shortly before spring, we went to the Weitwörth shooting range. Located a few kilometres away from Salzburg, the facility is easily accessible by car. It blends beautifully into nature. It offers shooters a pleasant experience as a small, wooded hill consists in its background.

Weitwörth is a reasonably sized site. The design of its ranges allows almost every clay hunter to find their happiness:

Range I is home of 2 disciplines: Skeet and Trap shooters will be able to enjoy their disciplines of choice in their hunting and sporting versions.

Range II is a Skeet stand as well as a hunting course.

Range III is a true hunter bliss for Parcours enthusiasts. It includes among “typical” stations a 20+ meter tower from where “insane” clay pigeons are thrown.

Range IV is dedicated to Parcours.

Weitwörth shooting range is automated. Shooters do not need constant assistance/dependence from the staff. Indeed, one can get a rechargeable chip-card from which the fare of each round will be deducted.

In between 2 shooting sessions, one can enjoy a drink or something to eat outside or at the Hunting lodge.

Eventually, invitation forms are available online on https://www.wurftaubenstand.at/downloads/

Our personal experience

Every hour spent in the car, from Zillertal (Tyrol) to Salzburg was worth it: we had a blast (figuratively and literally) and we got to enjoy a beautiful Salzburgian mountainous landscape on the way to and from. We were blessed with a rather good weather: The skies were blue, the temperatures were rather mild for the time of the year (i.e., 9˚C in average). The only drawback was that it was a bit windy.

The complex is clean and well maintained. The personnel are friendly. We were welcome and attended to throughout the afternoon by a gentleman named Walter JINDRA (Shooting instructor/ Groundskeeper) and a nice lady responsible for the lodge.

Range I is where we spent most of our time. That being said, the hunting Parcours (i.e., Range III) probably gave me, personally, the most chills. I have a particular liking for clay pigeons which fly towards and/or above me. In this realm, station H which is located in the 20-meter tower was EVERYTHING, my absolute favourite. From the same tower comes “I” whose trajectory, height and distance make of it a nightmare I somehow enjoyed missing!

If you need a change of scenery within the framework of your training or just for fun (i.e. https://www.valandtina.design/post/why-shooting-in-several-ranges-is-beneficial ), trust us, it is a lovely trip to take.

I am lucky enough to share my passion for shooting with my significant other half. If it is not your case and that you may need some negotiating to get there, the proximity to beautiful Salzburg and hundreds of possible activities in the city will probably be the most compelling argument: you shoot while your Darling discovers the city and its gastronomy, or does some shopping.

Have you shot at Weitwörth yet?

Why shooting in several ranges is beneficial

#skeetshooting #trap #clayshooting # shootingrange

Copyright - Val&tina

As most of you, we indulge our passion at our usual shooting range. After all, it’s nearby, convenient and we get to meet and spend an agreeable moment with fellow shooters and friends.

Habits, routines are essential in life and beneficial for they bring structure and balance. They are also important in our sport. Don’t we practically all adopt rituals as we reach a shooting station? There are those who ensure they stand the right way, position their feet optimally. There are those who load their shotgun and tweak the ammunition in a particular way. There are also those who adjust their hats, those who repeat a motivational speech in their heads, those who seek to make the vacuum … in brief, as many rituals as there are shooters.

Routine is necessary for efficiency; breaking routine is necessary for adaptation

– B. N. Steenbarger

Sure, routines are a great way to gain structure and improve performance by repetition. However, not all habits are good in our sport. Indeed, those of us who take part to competitions or get to shoot in different environments quickly realise the need for a change in the scenery if they wish to shoot consistently at the same level no matter the site. But “why is that”, you may ask.

First and foremost, each shooting range is unique in terms of location, surrounding topography and adjacent areas. Shooting with a big green screen as a background isn’t the same as having a mountain, a forest, a hill, or a pond as a décor. Then, the way the sun shines on the facility can affect the visibility to the extent that difficulties can arise. A specific German range where I shoot TRAP comes to my mind as I write. There, there is a clay pigeon which ascends in such way that it quickly disappears at some point in a horizon formed by a lake and a forest. By the time it appears again, it is fast on its way down and too far away to shoot. [I can already hear some of you thinking “she should shoot faster then!” … I know, you are right, I am working on it!].

Sometimes, certain environments simply do not allow you enough contrast between the clay pigeon and them. Another example. Here in Austria, shooting during the winter, at a range covered in a blanket of snow is beautiful, almost magical. However, the way the snow dazzles can also come with its lot of difficulties. Thus, in a particular Tyrolean range where I occasionally shoot Trap, it is not rare to only see the clay pigeon short from it crashing onto the mountain or the fence, which both delimit the range: the contrast – or lack thereof - between the clay pigeon and the snow delays the detection of the trajectory.

“Old habits won’t bring new results”

What comes into play when adapting to a new shooting environment is neuroplasticity. Also known as brain plasticity, neuroplasticity is a term that refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.

The more we get to experience new scenarios (i.e., background, trajectories, light, weather conditions, etc.), the more our brain allows us to learn new behaviours, new tasks. The reinforcement of these learnings is done through a repetition process (i.e., training). Hence, when something similar or alike happens, our chances to better react are higher.

Conclusion

“Sometimes, a break from your routine is the very thing you need”

Shooting at the same location is a risk to stop growing beyond the limit of the range one is used to. So, in order not to have that feeling that we “only shoot well in our club”, a good solution would be to change scenery. Personally, we occasionally enjoy a shooting weekend in a different region, sometimes in an altogether different country: it helps our growths, breaks the monotony, and spices up life.

What about you? Have you had the chance to shoot in different ranges? How do you perform? Are you challenged?