Author: admin

Stay Shooting – Whatever the Weather

It’s around now when we see the weather go from alright to, well, pretty bad. The evenings draw in, the windy chill gets colder and we see the first glimpses of frost on our windscreens! As we get further into the depths of winter, we can see some extremely chilly and wet conditions. So, when you’re out turning those clays to dust, it’s important that you wear the right clothing and use the right equipment. So read on, as The Big Shoot take you through some of our recommendations of what to wear during the colder months.

Arms & Hands

To combat that cold, just remember one word – layers. Layering up will keep you warmer and you’ll still be able to move freer compared to wearing thick layers. It’s important to keep your hands warm, too. So invest in some quality gloves which don’t disappoint in the grip department so that you have control over your gun, even when your hands are frozen!

If the gloves just don’t do the trick then perhaps it would be wise to look for some hand warmers. Available on the market are the solid fuel types or the disposable ones. Despite both doing what they say on the tin, the disposable ones are suitable to slide into the back of a glove so that your hands will be toasty all day long!

Eyes & Head

In this country, it’s unusual to associate the sun with winter months. But it’s beneficial to have some shooting glasses on you at all times, because you just don’t know when that sun will pop out and say hello. This is especially important in winter as the sun will indeed be lower in the sky, leading to increased glare. Peaked caps are your friends in this situation, folks. Be sure to keep that glare out of your eyes by keeping a hat on you when you think the sun is going to show its face.

When choosing sunglasses for the winter months, it’s important to avoid any bright lenses – such as yellow ones – in favour of dark lenses, which help your eyes to relax. If you’re unfortunate enough to encounter rain whilst wearing your shooting glasses, you must remember to avoid the temptation to take off your glasses in the rain. If the rain doesn’t keep off the lenses, remember to carry a small towel at hand to wipe them when possible. A peaked cap is also advisable as this will help to keep the rain off the lenses. As for your ears, you can rest assured that you’ll be handed some ear plugs or ear defenders at the shooting ground so that you can leave the ground with your hearing still intact!

Torso

Getting caught in the rain isn’t uncommon when out shooting clays. So in the winter, it’s obvious to say that you should have a waterproof on you at all time. Yes, even when you think it won’t rain – it probably will. Wearing a lightweight, waterproof jacket underneath your shooting vest (if you’re wearing one) will aid in keeping you dry without hindering your gun mount and technique. These specially-designed vests are padded on the shoulder where the gun sits which helps to minimise recoil.

If the weather really does require a jacket, is it okay to wear one in order to keep you warm and dry. Just one thing – make sure it has plenty of room around the arms so that you can swing through with the gun.

Bottom Half

While there are no official rules on what to wear when concerning what to wear when clay pigeon shooting – unlike driven shooting where tweeds are encouraged – it’s advisable to wear loose-fitting trousers, so that you can move easily. If you’re concerned about getting your legs wet, you could always purchase a pair of waterproof trousers – you can pick these up pretty cheaply from many outdoor shops.

Mud is almost guaranteed during wintertime, so it’s best to be prepared before you end up ruining your favourite pair of shoes out on a shoot one day! We would advise wearing walking boots or Wellington boots (don’t forget the socks!). Remember, most of the time you’ll be shooting on uneven ground, so it’s advisable to wear something sturdy on you feet.

Final Thoughts

So, there we wave it, folks. We know that this isn’t a complete list, but it’s a good place to start if you’re planning on busting a few clays this winter. If you already have the gear, why don’t you test it out at one of our UK & Ireland clay pigeon shooting grounds? What gear would you recommend a beginner shooter if they were planning on shooting clays this winter? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.

 

Photo Credits:
outdoorsmagic.com
clay-shooting.com
gunmart.net
businessinsider.com

Why Clay Pigeon Shooting Is The Perfect Team-Building Activity

It’s that time of year again folks. Well, almost anyway. Yes, we’re talking about the dreaded C word that often gets mentioned far too early in the year for many people’s liking. But, sooner rather than later, you’ll have to force yourself to get the work’s Christmas do sorted to avoid disappointment.

Many companies opt for the usual meal and drinks to celebrate the festive season. Which is fine, but why stick to tradition when you can take part in an experience that you’ll never forget? Taking part in a Clay Pigeon Shooting session is the ideal way to get into the festive spirit, and you’ll create lasting memories in the process. If you’re not entirely convinced, then read on as we look into the reasons why Clay Shooting makes the perfect team-building activity.

Guaranteed Fun for Everyone

From the complete beginners to the seasoned pros, everyone is guaranteed an exhilarating and memorable event from the very first moment to the last with Clay Pigeon Shooting. Your session can be tailored to suit your level of ability, and you’ll be guided throughout the experience by a qualified instructor. So, even if you are a complete newbie to this awesome target sport, you can rest assured that your inner Clay Shooting champion will soon begin to shine through.

It’ll Get The Banter Flowing

As Clay Pigeon Shooting is a highly competitive activity, this makes for an ideal team-building event. After all, everyone will be going head to head with one another to be in with a chance of claiming bragging rights. But, as the clays will be launched into the air from all angles, you’ll need to work on your aiming skills to blast each and every one of them out of the sky! The top performers will soon begin to shine through, while the not so fortunate shooters will no doubt be on the receiving end of the banter!

You’ll be Heading to the Great Outdoors

The vast majority of the year, you might find yourselves cooped up indoors – whether it’s sat at your office desk or cosying up on the sofa binge-watching your favourite Netflix series. This seems to be a regular occurrence in the modern world. So, this Christmas, why not head to the great outdoors for a change? Sure, you can head to the pub for a few drinks, but why not save this for later and take part in an exhilarating Clay Shooting session instead?! Not only will you get the chance to experience awesome Clay Shooting action, you’ll also be able to enjoy some good old fresh air and take in the beautiful scenery along with your colleagues. Certainly sounds good to us!

Conclusion

If you like the sound of Clay Pigeon Shooting and would like to find out more information about your nearest venue, then you can visit the following link to do exactly that. But, if you’re still not entirely sure if a Clay Shooting event is the best experience for your Christmas team-building activity, then just take a look at the rave reviews which were left by our corporate visitors this time last year:

“Great facilities, really friendly staff and our instructor Emily was fantastic”.
Mark Shawley – Visitor to Wareham, Dorset Clays

“The site we attended was run by a very experienced team who provided our novice group with the skills to have a safe but fun few hours shooting clays”.
Vincent Obrien – Visitor to Bournemouth North Clays

Sutton at Hone Clays Wins Venue of the Month!

Once a month The Big Shoot announces our venue of the month winner, and we’re happy to say that the time is here once again! So, let’s not delay any further – it’s time for us to express our congratulations to Sutton at Hone – winners of the award for September!

Located in the beautiful surroundings of the Kent countryside, our Sutton at Hone site is perfectly placed to get your fix of Clay Shooting action. Featuring multiple shooting stands and qualified instructors with many years experience, Sutton at Hone is the ideal place for shooters of all levels of ability. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll be left in more than capable hands, and you’ll soon be blasting the clays out of the skies with sheer ease!

There’s something to suit everyone whether it’s your very first shooting experience or your fiftieth, with multiple shooting disciplines ensuring that your shooting needs are catered for. But, don’t just take our word for it though! The glowing reviews left by recent visitors to the site show just how great this fantastic venue is. Here’s what they had to say about their experience:

“A really enjoyable activity, would definitely return again”.

– Luke Flower, Visitor to Sutton at Hone Clays

“Fantastic day out thank u so much”.

– Jamie Reed, Visitor to Sutton at Hone Clays

Thanks to the excellent feedback left by recent visitors to Sutton at Hone, they are most definitely deserving winners of September’s venue of the month award. So, if you’d like to pay them a visit for yourself, then you can head on over to our main website now to find out more information.

Lichfield Clays Wins Venue of the Month for August!

With so many fantastic venues across our ever-growing network, choosing a winner for the venue the month award isn’t an easy task for us here at The Big Shoot. But, after much debate, we came to a decision. And, the award goes to Lichfield Clays! So, read on as we tell you all about the worthy winners!

Placed perfectly in the Staffordshire countryside, Lichfield Clays guarantees truly picturesque views – making this awesome venue the perfect destination for your fix of Clay Shooting action! Featuring an English Sporting layout and a skeet range, Lichfield Clays is the perfect place for all levels of shooter – from the beginners to the seasoned pros! A full safety briefing and expert tuition is provided from the qualified instructors too, meaning there’s no need to worry if you’re a complete newbie to this totally exhilarating activity!

Thanks to the fantastic Clay Pigeon Shooting experience that they provide, Lichfield Clays has received plenty of rave reviews over the last month. Here’s what recent visitors had to say about their experience:

“We had a fantastic time, would recommend to anyone. my daughter brought me this for my 60th birthday, my husband and i had 25 shots each. the instruction was great, felt very safe”.

– Ruth Darkins, 11th August 2018

“Booked for something different for a birthday, we all thoroughly enjoyed it, myself, husband and 2 children, perfect for all ages”.

– Sandy Harper, 6th August 2018

All in all, it’s safe to say that shooting fans from all over Staffordshire would be foolish to miss out on the Clay Pigeon Shooting experience at Lichfield, especially as the venue continues to receive glowing feedback week after week. To find out more information, feel free to visit the following link.

The A-Z of Clay Pigeon Shooting Disciplines – S-U

Here at The Big Shoot, we know that Clay Pigeon Shooting can sometimes be a bit confusing, especially for the beginner. To help make things that little bit clearer, we are proud to announce our new A-Z of Clay Pigeon Shooting as we focus on the different disciplines within the sport. This time around, we will be looking at the various disciplines which lie between the letters of S and U – Single Barrel, Skeet Doubles, Sportrap and Universal Trench.

Single Barrel

This particular discipline follows the same layout, rules and procedures as Down The Line (DTL) except for three points. Firstly, only one barrel may be loaded (like the name suggests) and only one shot is allowed to be taken at a target. Secondly, there must be nothing used – like a spent cartridge or snap cap – to block the unused barrel. Finally, scores are defined as a ‘hit’ or a ‘lost’. There is one point for a hit, and no points for a loss – simple!

Skeet Doubles

Doubles are the name of the game in this one, as they are shot at each station. This differs from English Skeet, where both singles and doubles are shot. Despite this, the layout in Skeet Doubles is the same as in English Skeet. The first round involves 24 targets – a double is shot at each one of the 12 stations – and the second round comprises of 267 targets.

Sportrap

Think Sportrap; think mini English Sporting – but with a few twists. A total of five targets are thrown on each stand: a single target, a simultaneous pair and a report pair. In order to provide a variety of angles and trajectories, up to five stands may be used. These must be labelled so that the shooter can be informed of not only the order, but the combination of shots, too.

Universal Trench

Universal Trench or otherwise known as Five Trap, involves the throwing of targets from, yes you guessed it, any one of the five traps which are placed in a trench in front of the shooting stands. Upon the call of “Pull!” a random target will be released from a trap which can vary in horizontal angle, target distance and elevation. You’d better be alert if you are to succeed in this one!

Final Thoughts

So, that’s it for the final edition of our glossary of disciplines in the A-Z of Clay Pigeon Shooting. We hope that you’ve learnt a lot about all the different disciplines that are on offer in this diverse sport. If you’re feeling inspired by these different types of Clay Pigeon Shooting, you can try them out yourself at any one of our Clay Pigeon Shooting grounds located across the UK.

 

Photo Credits:

Clay Shooting Magazine
Fololia

The A-Z of Clay Pigeon Shooting Disciplines – F-O

Here at The Big Shoot, we know that Clay Pigeon Shooting can sometimes be a bit confusing, especially for the beginner. To help make things that little bit clearer, we are proud to announce our new A-Z of Clay Pigeon Shooting as we focus on the different disciplines within the sport. This time around, we will be looking at the various disciplines which lie between the letters of F and O – FITASC Sporting, Handicap by Distance, Helice, Olympic Skeet and Olympic Trap.

FITASC Sporting

Let’s get things started with FITASC Sporting, which, as you can guess, is one strand of Sporting Clays. The difference between this discipline and English Sporting is that this international version gives a greater variety of targets in terms of both speed and trajectory, as opposed to the standard English Sporting predetermined targets which all travel along the same speed and path either as singles or doubles. FITASC Sporting is shot by squads of six competitors in rounds of 25 targets at a time, after arriving at the stand where they are shown which targets will be shot. This is no easy challenge, as many would argue that this is the ultimate challenge in the world of Clay Pigeon Shooting!

Handicap By Distance

This discipline can be featured in both Down The Line and Single Barrel events, where a handicapping system may be used for different ability levels of shooter. For example, C class shooters would stand at a closer distance of 17 yds, B class shooters would stand at 19 yds, A class would stand at 21 yds and AA class would position themselves 23 yds away.

Helice

Now this type of shooting is a bit different – it technically can’t be classified as clay shooting because the targets are made of plastic! This type of shooting was designed to simulate as closely as possible the old sport of live pigeon shooting. This, of course, was made illegal in the UK more than 70 years ago. The target is constructed of a detachable centre piece with plastic propellers on either side. These propellers rotate at high speeds and are released randomly from one of five traps in an unpredictable, buzzing manner as it zips through the air.

Olympic Skeet

Olympic Skeet is known to be challenging as it requires a high degree of efficient and smooth gun movement. As the name suggests, it is included in the Olympic Games’ shooting programme. This discipline has eight stations in total – seven of these are set around a semi circle whereas there is once station places mid-way between stations one and seven. Similar to English Skeet, this discipline features predictable targets throughout which are thrown in both singles and doubles.

Olympic Trap

Again, this is one of the events which make up the shooting programme at the Olympic Games. A total of 15 concealed traps are arranged in five groups of three in front of the shooting stand, where shooters take turns to shoot at a target each moving clockwise to the next stand in line. To ensure fairness, each shooter receives the exact same target selection, but in a random, unpredictable order from any of the traps in front of them. A simplified (and cheaper) version of this discipline is known as Automatic Ball Trap (ABT), where only one trap is used -you can read about this in our first instalment of this blog series.

Final Thoughts

So, that’s it for edition three of our glossary of disciplines in the A-Z of Clay Pigeon Shooting. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks for the final edition. In the meantime, if you’re feeling inspired by these three different types of Clay Pigeon Shooting, you can try your hand at any one of our Clay Pigeon Shooting grounds located across the UK.

 

Photo Credits:
sportingshooter.co.uk
range365.com
change.org