Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2007 | Page 58

life SPORT AND LEISURE A day with the clays By James Kerr Clay pigeon shooting is the most popular gun sport in the UK, and one of the country’s fastest-growing sports. Above: Members of the Cheverton Clay Pigeon Shooting Club Below: A member of the IW Gun Club The aim of the sport is to shoot at clay pigeons which are launched so as to simulate the flight patterns of game birds. The terms commonly used by clay shooters often relate to the past, when live pigeon competitions were held. These were made illegal in 1921, but the machine which launches the clay targets is still known as a 'trap'. Excited already? Before you go on your first shoot, you’ll need to know about the equipment you’ll be using. A shotgun, as defined by UK law, is a smooth-barrelled gun with a barrel length of at least 24 inches and a bore diameter of less than 2 inches. It has no magazine, or a non-detachable magazine incapable of holding more than two cartridges. This effectively gives the shotgun a maximum three-round capacity. This is the type of gun that you are likely to use to shoot at registered clay grounds. What about your ammunition? Shotgun cartridges are available in gun shops and at shooting grounds. A box of 25 rounds costs about £2.50. There are limitations on shot size and weight of the shot load suitable for clay shooting at most grounds. Cartridges must be compatible with the shotgun that is used to fire them. Instructions and specifications are printed on the cartridge box and should be thoroughly checked and adhered to. Home-loaded cartridges are dangerous and therefore not accepted at most shooting grounds. You’ll probably have seen a clay pigeon, but if not, it’s usually black and saucer shaped. Targets are designed to withstand being launched from traps at very high speeds, but at the same time they are easily broken when hit by just a few lead or steel pellets from a shotgun. There are 58 several types of targets that are used for various disciplines; the ‘Standard’ is 11 cm wide and weighs just over 100 grams. The traps are designed to launch the clay pigeon targets in singles or pairs at distances of up to 100 metres. They vary from pretty simple, hand-operated machines to highly sophisticated, fully automatic gizmos that can hold up to 600 targets in a magazine and are electrically or pneumatically operated. Targets are released from the flashier traps by remote control, either by pressing a button or by an acoustic system activated by the shooter's voice. Target speeds and trajectories can be varied to suit the type of shooting required. There are three main types of clay pigeon shooting: If you are interested in shooting as a hobby and would like to ‘have a go’, all of this equipment will be supplied, as well as ear defenders, eye protection and a shooting vest, at a registered club. Wear some good outdoor clothing and footwear, and try to avoid big, bulky jackets as these may prevent you from mounting a gun properly. Most venues have several stands to give you a shot at the clay from lots of different angles. Before you start, you’ll be given some important information about gun safety. An introductory shoot normally lasts 1–2 hours, during which you will have about 50 shots. The Isle of Wight Gun Club, based at a shooting ground at Sainham Farm, Godshill, has been established for over 100 years • Sporting Clays or ‘The English Sporting’ discipline, which is by far and away the most popular type of shooting. It’s a complete mixed bag, with targets thrown at various trajectories, angles, speeds, elevations and distances, to simulate ‘live’ shooting. • Trap shooting in which targets are thrown either as singles or doubles from one or more traps 15 metres in front of the shooter. The clay pigeons generally travel away from the firing point at varying speeds, angles and elevations. • Skeet shooting in which targets are thrown in singles and doubles from two traps placed about 32 metres apart, at opposite ends of an arc on which there are several shooting positions. The targets are thrown at set trajectories and speeds. Island Life - www.isleofwight.net