twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I've just sent off for my gun licence so that I can get myself (and my daughter if she is verrrrrry lucky ) our own guns. Daughter shoots every week but I've only ever done it occasionally until recently when I had a couple of lessons and realised that it was definitely going to be my new hobby Weirdly, I sat near a man on the train down to London from Yorkshire a couple of weeks back and he struck up a conversation with me because I was reading a shooting magazine. He was a very keen game shooter and actually owns a shoot so we had a lovely conversation that lasted two and a half hours and made the journey fly by. I am taking this as a definite sign that my future lies in this new pursuit. If anyone here does clay shoot please tell me because you might be able to give me some hints and tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Love to do a bit of shooting when I get the chance. Haven't done much of it in the last few years (5-10) though. Have done laser clay pigeon shooting, clay pigeon shooting with a muzzle loader and various other forms of shooting activities over the years. Best tip is don't aim & shoot where the clay is, aim & shoot where it's going to be, ...but then that's just common sense I think otherwise you won't hit much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Never shoot at the clay. And it doesn't matter how you cook them they taste awful. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks both of you for the aiming tips I did well in my first lesson and hit 80% but I got the jitters in the second lesson because I kept thinking I ought to do better. Half of it is clearly in your head Will remember the 'cooking tip' too Chris. Could save the family a bit of expensive dental work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 (edited) done a bit of shooting - as said above, dont shoot at the clay, shoot where the clay is going to be. and keep the gun moving through the shot - dont move the gun, then stop when you pull the trigger - clay will have moved by then! also find a shooting range that has a decent variety of clay launchers- the one near here has launchers that fly directly overhead, or curve in all sorts of weird arcs and what have you, even has one that rolls a clay along the floor to simulate a rabbit - very unpredictable as it'lll bounce up just as you pull the trigger! great fun Edited February 17, 2015 by brillomaster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonk Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 It's all about how much lead you give the clay dependant on its direction, speed and distance away from you. As mentioned above, you need to pick up the clay in your sights, follow past it and pull the trigger all in one fluid movement. Lots of practice required and it's not a cheap hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 cheap hobby is a matter of opinion! certainly cheaper than spending £300 on a trackday every month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonk Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Ha ha, bouncing "rabbits". I always seem to miss them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks My daughter hates the 'bouncy rabbit' ones because she thinks it seems wrong to shoot at the ground. I've never shot at them before but I think I will feel the same. Daughter does mainly skeet shooting and I think I will feel guilty if I buy myself a gun but not her because she has been doing it for a year and I have only just re-discovered what fun it is. I was going to mollify her with a skeet vest but she is getting a specially embroidered one from the college because she is taking part in a competition. Maybe I should stop being so damned selfish and get her a gun? She is using her instructor's at the moment. I agree brillomaster, shooting is cheap compared to track days for me and my horses have cost me a fortune over the years Not saying shooting is cheap but at least clay shooting is nowhere near as expensive than game shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks both of you for the aiming tips I did well in my first lesson and hit 80% but I got the jitters in the second lesson because I kept thinking I ought to do better. Half of it is clearly in your head 80% is very good, was that skeet or sporting? Ive done clay shooting for about 20 years now. Mixed in with a bit of pest control with rabbits/pigeons etc. Its all good fun and really practise does make perfect. It is very psychological. When I do skeet, i may hit every target for the first half, then think "hang on, im going to get a 25 here" then start missing the odd one. Other times id mis a couple on the first half, then think sod it, and blast through the rest without missing a clay. What works for me is to just aim and shoot as quick as I can without thinking. If i think, i end up missing. I remember once me & my brother had done maybe 3 rounds of skeet (75 clays) and I figured, may as well get a quick one in before we leave. I noticed a few people starting to line up next, so I literally ran around the skeet positions like my trousers were on fire, bringing gun up, aim, fire. I did the whole thing in a few minutes and ended up 24/25. The guys all queuing up cheered! What I would say is when you go to get a gun, shop around. Its all about fit and what you feel comfortable with. I started off with a £100 Baikal shotgun and was shooting better than guys with £3000 guns. I would also say, get the biggest gun cabinet you can. I started off with a 3 gun cabinet, now have a 11 gun cabinet and thats full. Best to just go straight for the bigger capacity one for a start. You will find loads of people at shooting clubs will try to give you advice, just take it all with a pinch of salt. Once you learn the lead you need to give on the skeet range you will get the hang of it, then progress the sporting range which is much more challenging and fun. The CPSA might be worth joining if you start to get good, keep track of scores etc. BASC is good to join as you get legal advice and insurance etc. Theres loads of good forums out there which cover shooting, buying guns 2nd hand privately (like cars) saves you a good bit of cash. With regards to the gun license, thats pretty straight forward. Most firearms officers are sound as a pound. Buy a 2nd hand gun cabinet (again, saves you a few quid - look on ebay), get it fitted properly, then apply. They come out, do the interview and make sure your not a nutter, check references and speak to your doc etc then you get your license. Cartridges wise, I usually buy 1000 at a time as I get a better deal, but then me & my brother would get through 250 in a Sunday morning. Most clay clubs will sell them by the slab (250) or by the box (25) so depending on what they charge you can buy from them or from a local shop. Most importantly have loads of fun. Besides the gun & cartridges you`ll need decent ear plugs, eye protection and I find a skeet vest is good for the cartridges, besides that anything goes. You will though find some clubs are quite snobbish. I used to anoy the hell out of one local club when I turned up in a hoodie, ripped jeans and a £100 pump action 12 bore, then proceeded to thrash some local bloke who had a £3000 italian o/u 12 bore and was decked out in tweed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks for all the advice rabbitstew I am doing sporting at the moment but will start on skeet too when I go back to Yorkshire after Easter. They have a very high high tower at the shooting ground where I am learning, apparently. I think that adopting the 'Nike approach' i.e. just doing it, will work best for me too. On my first lesson I just went for it but on the second I was overthinking it and shot worse than the first time out. I was thinking of joining a club down here in Surrey but Bisley is my nearest one and I thought that might be a bit too top notch for a novice? Hopefully, I will be able to find a friendly club in Yorkshire. I'm thinking about a Beretta silver pigeon but my instructor says he's happy to come to the gun dealer with me to make sure I get a gun that really fits and he can also get me some discount. I'm a bit wary about buying privately because I don't know enough about guns yet. Daughter normally shoots with a 20 bore but has been using instructor's 12 bore and is shooting well with it so I might have a go with it too and see what I think. Will investigate joining CPSA and BASC, thanks and have also taken on board the advice about gun cabinets although the firearms officer told me not to get it until I was sure I was going to get my licence granted. Not sure how I will know that unless I've either got it or have been refused? The instructor hinted that he would supply cartridges at a good rate so will see what he says. Re your final point, I loves me a good bit of tweed You have to see my tweed collection to believe it! More appropriate for game shooting I think and killing a few rats with my air gun has never demanded a pair of shooting breeks... well not yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crb Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I've been shooting for nearly 15 years now and all that advice rabbitstew just gave you is absolutely spot on..... The only bit ill add is try and befriend a farmer and use his land as much as he'll let you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks Crb. I've got that covered because my best friend in Yorkshire is a landowner and his land includes hundreds of acres surrounding my cottage. He shoots too and is actually my referee for my gun licence. He's always let me roam anywhere I want so I'm sure he'll be amenable if I want to take my gun out with me in the fullness of time. Mind you I'm not sure if my Chihuahua will make much of a gun dog if I do want to do a bit of rough shooting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bockaaarck Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Been shooting since I was about 12 and always really enjoyed it. I've not shot for a while now, simply due to other commitments taking priority. Great advice from rabbitstew, I can add much to it. Make sure you check or get someone to help you check which is your lead eye. It's a small thing but can make a massive difference, determining how you shoot and even whether you shoot right or left handed. Shooting skeet is a great way to start, it'll really build up good solid habits in terms of moving the gun, leading your clays and familiarity comfort with you're gun. Getting a gun that you're comfortable with is very important. If you're starting to shoot skeet you could just get a dedicated 28" (open choke) skeet gun. You will develop the movement and speed skills with that and it'll serve you well. Then maybe consider a second sporting gun, perhaps 30" with multi-choke. Then you can mix and match, whether you're shooting skeet, dtl or other stuff. I always loved shooting flushes, which can be a real challenge and fantastic fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Did a bit of shooting when I was younger - they won't let me take mt guns on the local range though 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Did a bit of shooting when I was younger - they won't let me take mt guns on the local range though Lovely chopper too ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Or is that your phone ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Aw, don't you look young 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Been shooting since I was about 12 and always really enjoyed it. I've not shot for a while now, simply due to other commitments taking priority. Great advice from rabbitstew, I can add much to it. Make sure you check or get someone to help you check which is your lead eye. It's a small thing but can make a massive difference, determining how you shoot and even whether you shoot right or left handed. Shooting skeet is a great way to start, it'll really build up good solid habits in terms of moving the gun, leading your clays and familiarity comfort with you're gun. Getting a gun that you're comfortable with is very important. If you're starting to shoot skeet you could just get a dedicated 28" (open choke) skeet gun. You will develop the movement and speed skills with that and it'll serve you well. Then maybe consider a second sporting gun, perhaps 30" with multi-choke. Then you can mix and match, whether you're shooting skeet, dtl or other stuff. I always loved shooting flushes, which can be a real challenge and fantastic fun I forgot to respond sooner. Sorry Thanks for all the tips. I know my right eye is my lead eye and my cheekbones are very high so I need a stock that will suit me. None of the guns at the shooting range did because, apparently, men have lower, flatter cheekbones. I never knew that before! That's why I am taking the instructor with me when I buy the gun. He seems very knowledgeable and really helpful I think I need to have a go with a few more guns to see what I get on best with probably? As for your final paragraph, I understood everything except the last bit I'm afraid I've never heard of shooting flushes. In fact I am flushing (with embarrassment now) but I suspect it might mean clays that act like flushed game? Will go and have a Google Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bockaaarck Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 (edited) A flush normally a stand where you have a rolling release of clays, most often its two stands within 10 - 20 feet of each other. You and a partner take a stand each, each with your own gun. Normally there are two traps, possibly more, and they have a set number of clays to shoot off between them. It would normally be 30 clays or similar. once you call pull, the clays start and they keep coming. You and your partner have to shoot as many clays as possible. You could get one clay, you could get 3, or 4 or 2, you never know. As soon as the clays launch the trappers have a set time before they fire clays again. It could be 3 seconds and the trap / traps will fire again. They keep doing this until 30 (or however many) clays have been fired off. So as soon as you see the first clays and shoot, you have to reload. One clay gets fired, someone shoots and reloads, the next launch might have 4 clays, you both need to shoot and reload, then it might be 1 clay from each trap, then a three, then a pair from one trap, then a pair from each (on report). Rolling until all 30 clays have been fired. It's amazing, really tests your nerve and partnership. I normally shoot a flush with my father. We choose which part of the sky we'll both shoot in (left his clays, right my clays for example) and stick to that. We do this because the nightmare could be you have a pair of clays released, you both shoot at them, you're both empty, then 4 clays get released by the traps next. It's frantic but fun, however it has to be set up and managed carefully, with safety as the number 1 priority. Done well it can be terrific fun and a real buzz Edited February 17, 2015 by Bockaaarck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I pop down to the A1 Shooting Range in Barnet most week's for a few hours. Great venue. :thumbs: http://a1sg.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 That sounds difficult but a lot of fun Bockaaarck. I think I need to improve my shooting before I even think about doing it but maybe one day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Just clicked on your link Whacky and have now got to look up another new word!! What on earth is Helice I wonder? Off to Google once more. I may be some time ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Ooer, that sounds fast and furious. Not one for the beginner I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobears Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 I forgot to ask - what type of ear defenders do people recommend? I didn't like the ones the instructor gave me. It may just have been my innate clumsiness when mounting the gun but I kept knocking them off my ears and it was really annoying. I don't think ear plugs alone are recommended but is there anything else that is smaller than normal ear defenders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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