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New Years Bucket List: 10 Activities to Try in 2015

If after a week you’re already thinking about giving up on your New Year’s resolutions why not aim to tick a few things off your bucket list in 2015 instead, and if you’re in need of a bit of inspiration here’s 10 awesome activities to try in the new year.

1. Bungee Jumping

Whether you choose to go it alone or drag a friend along for a tandem bungee jump nothing comes close to the rush of plummeting towards the ground head first!

2. Skydiving

Jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet might not be everybody’s idea of fun, but this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience is guaranteed to push your adrenalin levels to new heights.

3. Zorbing

These bonkers bouncy balls are as fun as they are thrilling, and as you bump and bounce down the sloped track you’re guaranteed to be in stitches!

4. Clay Pigeon Shooting

There’s nothing more satisfying than blowing clays to smithereens as they soar through the air so why not put your sharp shooting skills to the ultimate test!

5. Supercar Driving Experience

Celebrate the new year in style by getting behind the wheel of the car of your dreams and finding out what it’s really capable of by putting it through its paces on the track.

6. White Water Rafting

Britain is home to some of the wildest white water in the world which means there’s no better place to experience the intense excitement of negotiating boulder strewn rapids.

7. 4×4 Off-Road Driving

Why not put your driving skills to the ultimate test by heading off the beaten to take on a mad and muddy off-road driving course.

8. Paintball

If you’ve always dreamt of unleashing your inner action hero, paintball gives you the perfect opportunity to live out your childhood dreams, no matter how old you are!

9. Segway

From flat out races to off-road treks there’s no end to the fun that can be had on Segway, and almost anybody can master the art of riding the futuristic transporter.

10. Quad Biking

Quad bikes can conquer almost any terrain so get ready for some mud churning mayhem as you take on the ultimate off-road adventure.

Make Sure Your Christmas Party Goes With a Bang!

Christmas party season is in full swing and if you’ve been given the daunting task of organising the staff Christmas party pleasing everybody can seem like an impossible task. So if you’re looking for an activity that will keep everybody happy why not challenge your colleagues to take on the clays?

Clay pigeon shooting isn’t just a great way for experienced shooters to hone their skills, it’s also an awesome activity for first time shooters too, and it’s almost impossible not to enjoy the fun of blowing the clays to smithereens as they soar through the air.

Once you’ve mastered the basics and destroyed a couple of clays the fun really starts as you get to unleash your competitive side, and let’s face it there’s nothing more satisfying than claiming the bragging rights over your colleagues which makes ending the day as top gunner even sweeter!

No clay pigeon shooting experience would be complete without a visit to the clubhouse and after you’ve spent the day in the shooting stands there’s no better place to warm up, have a drink and show off your newly acquired shooting skills. So for a Christmas party that guarantees fun and friendly competition that everybody will love clay pigeon shooting is the perfect choice, and you’ll even have time for the traditional Christmas drink or two afterwards.

Five Top Shooting Tips

1.Determine your dominant eye

Prepare for your shoot by finding out which is your dominant eye before you go to the clay shooting venue. It is important to bear in mind that dominant eye does not always follow dominant hand, however by using this simple test you can decide which eye to use to look down the barrel of the gun to focus on the target

Focus on an object in a room and point at it. Close your left eye and if you can still see that object at the end of your finger this means that you are right eye dominant. If it has moved away from your finger open your left eye and close your right eye, be careful not to move your hand. If you are left hand dominant that same object will be back at the end of your finger. Simple as that!

2.Mounting the gun correctly

Holding the gun correctly is crucial to firing the shot comfortably and accurately. With the help of your instructor you need to aim for the butt of the shotgun to sit in the groove in your shoulder joint. Hold the shotgun tight to ensure that the kick of the gun doesn’t impact on you when fired. Your front hand should be placed as far down the barrel as possible whilst still allowing you to hold the gun tightly.

3.Comfortable and strong standing position

Your standing position is important to maintain accuracy when firing the gun. Both feet facing forward, with the foot opposite your trigger finger being the furthest forward. Use this foot for the majority of your weight to lean on as it is this that keeps you steady and helps maintain your balance.

4.Bring your head to the shotgun

If you are a first time shooter it will be very tempting to bring the gun upwards instead of bringing your head to the shotgun. If you can bring your head down to the shotgun you should be able to see right down the barrel and see your target much clearer. Don’t worry if you don’t get this right at the start, the instructor will always be on hand to guide you with this.

5.Stay steady and calm while firing

Hitting your clays generally comes down to two factors – your positioning and not delaying your shot. You will get lots of hints and tips but here’s some more that will impress even the most experienced instructor.

Follow the clay as it comes out of the trap, keep your eye down the barrel and be sure to keep the bead at the end of your gun in line. Resist the temptation to follow the clay with just your eye, you need the barrel to follow your line of sight too. Squeeze the trigger just as the clay disappears out of your line of sight.

One last tip, shoot the clay as its rising, once it starts to fall it may be best to wait for the next clay!

7 Different Ways to Take On The Clays

If you’re new to the world of clay pigeon shooting there may be some forms of shooting you’re yet to come across and each discipline has its own set of pros and cons. So if you’re an experienced shooter searching for a new challenge, or a beginner looking for more information about the different forms of clay shooting out there, here’s a look at some of the most exciting shooting disciplines on offer.

English Sporting

Sporting is the most popular form of clay shooting in the UK and arguably one of the most fun. The clays are launched at varying heights and speeds which means that no two clays follow the same flight pattern. Nailing the clays can be tricky at first but for experienced shooters it’s a great way to hone their skills. A tricky variation on the standard sporting discipline is the bolting rabbit clay. Rabbit clays were created to simulate the movement of a rabbit as it darts across the ground. Unlike clay pigeons which are launched into the air, rabbit clays are fired across the ground which means they’re notorious for bobbling into the air and incredibly difficult to hit.

Trap Shooting

Targets can be thrown as singles or doubles and are released on the shooters call at varying speeds and angles. The most popular disciplines in this group are; Down the Line, Double Trap, Universal Trench and Olympic Trap.

Down the Line

Down the line more commonly referred to as DTL, is one of the oldest forms of clay pigeon shooting around and is a great way for first time shooters to experience the fun of clay pigeon shooting. The clays are always fired away from the shooter and even though they rise into the air, they do so at a constant angle which makes this the ideal discipline for beginners.

Universal Trench

Also known as “Five Trap”, universal trench is designed to keep shooters on their toes as the clay is fired from any one of the five traps installed in a trench in front of the shooting stands. To make it even more tricky the traps are set to release the clays at differing angles and speeds, meaning you never know where the next clay is coming from or just how fast it will dart through the air.

Olympic Trap

As the name suggests Olympic trap is a shooting discipline which appears at the Olympic Games. Unlike most other shooting disciplines which use one or two traps to create variation, Olympic Trap uses 15 traps arranged in five groups of three. The clays are set to travel up to 80 meters at varying elevations and shooters take it in turns to shoot at a target, before moving onto the next shooting stand. A simpler variation of Olympic Trap is Automatic Ball Trap which only uses one trap but creates the same variation by constantly oscillating horizontally and vertically.

Skeet Shooting

Skeet shooting is the most popular form of clay pigeon shooting in the US and also features at the Olympic Games. In this discipline clays are released at a fixed trajectory and speed. To achieve variety the shooter has to fire from seven different stands which are positioned around the shooting ground to form a semi-circle. A point is awarded for each clay blown to smithereens so if you’ve got a competitive streak, this could be the perfect discipline for you.

Helice Shooting

Helice shooting is designed to challenge even the most skilful shooters, due to the unpredictable and erratic flight pattern of the specially designed clays. The targets known as zz birds have two plastic propellers either side of a white clay, and are rotated at high speeds before they’re launched to give them their unpredictable flight pattern. This is definitely one for the top gunners!

For weekly tips to help you nail those clays and everything else from the world of clay pigeon shooting head over to our Facebook page.

Strange But True – How Clay Pigeon Shooting Started

Shooting pheasants and game birds was originally the sport of the aristocracy, not to mention essential for the the survival of many a poor country family that risked jail as poachers of the landowner’s game.

Victorian Clay Shooting
In the 1860’s, glass balls filled with feathers were introduced and a throwing mechanism was invented that worked rather like an animal trap. Why the feathers? When the ball was blasted from the sky, the Victorian gentry thought the flying feathers gave the same effect as a hit in a real game shoot. At the end of the nineteenth century, a true ‘clay target’ replaced the expensive glass balls leading to a new sport and a following of enthusiasts from all walks of life that would elevate clay shooting to a sport in its own right.

Anxious to improve their ‘real’ shooting skill, the aristocracy also used clays for practice before going onto the estates to shoot the live birds. The simulation of bird flight transferred to a clay target was the first discipline in the sport and from early 1900s “Sporting Clays” was considered as the première shooting pass-time and in 1927 there was enough interest throughout the country to hold a British Open Championship.

Modern day
Moving to the modern day, clay target shooting is one of the UK & Ireland’s fastest growing sports and one that is taken from novice right through to Olympic standards. More people than ever before take part in casual clay shooting for a fun day out with family and friends and many business organisations use the sport for corporate events such as team building and staff incentives.

Age is no barrier to enjoying the sport as you can start as young as nine years and there is no upper age limit. No green wellies or tweed jackets required, just bring enthusiasm and a willingness to have a go. You can select your nearest venue right here on our website and enter into the world of clay pigeon shooting – you’ll be addicted.

Beginner’s Guide to Clay Pigeon Shooting

So, before going clay shooting what do you need to know?
Make sure you book your session through a reputable company, such as The Big Shoot as we are endorsed by the official governing body for clay shooting in the UK and Ireland – CPSA (Clay Pigeon Shooting Association)

Dress for a day out in the country taking note of the prevailing weather on the day. Sensible clothing is required and sturdy footwear. Leave the glamour gear and designer wear at home – especially open shoes and heels, ladies.

What age must I be?We have packages to suit young shooters from 9 years, as guns and lessons are tailored to suit age and ability. There is no upper age limit. If you can hold a gun safely and take instructions, you eligible to take part.

Do I need a Shotgun Licence?
No, you don’t need a licence to shoot whilst under instruction. The Shooting Ground will have all the necessary legal licensing for you to shoot there.

How much will it cost?
The cost of lessons vary . Expect to pay from £45 – £100+, dependant on duration, number of cartridges included in package, reputation, facilities and standard of instruction. All the details are listed on each individual site on www.thebigshoot.co.uk.

What will happen during my lesson?
Upon arrival at the Shooting Ground, you will have a chat with the Instructor, who will fit you with a suitable gun and give you a talk on how the lesson/day will go. You will be taught basic safety as you go, such as always putting the gun back into the gun-slip, and getting it back out unloaded and broken. Your instructor will show you how to ‘mount‘ the gun and how to stand correctly and load the gun. They will assess you for eye dominance too, it is not uncommon to see some Clay Shooters with an eye patch to improve their aim. Usually you will be taken to a few different traps, which eject clays in different directions such as going away from you and from left to right. You will be shown the target and how it flies before actually having a go, which will enable you to see where you’re shooting.

Your instructor will usually stand behind you , so he can see what you see, and advise you how to take the shot. When you’re ready to take your shot you will shout ‘PULL’ and your instructor will press a button to release the clay. Feedback is usually given after each shot on how to improve on the next one. The tutor will usually keep all cartridges on them, supplying them as and when you need them. Remember, if you are unsure of anything, make sure you ask, after all you are paying to be taught, so make sure you get your money’s worth!

Do I need any special kit?
No, as the Shooting Ground or School should supply you with Ear Defenders or Ear Plugs, as it is vital to wear some form of hearing protection. Likewise they may offer you a shooting vest, which is effectively a long waist coat with big pockets to hold plenty of cartridges – they have cushioned pads just below the shoulder to absorb and recoil from the gun. You will also be provided with wear eye protection and often a cap to shield your eyes from any sun glare. If you are not offered specialist glasses (which are incredibly unflattering, but serve the purpose) your sunglasses will suffice.

What next?
So if you’re totally hooked after one lesson, as most people are, book some more lessons and get shooting! Have a great time!