If this is your first time clay pigeon shooting, you’re joining thousands of people that take part in this very popular leisure activity every week in the UK and Ireland? As a newbie, the following may prove helpful so you’ll know what to expect.
Who Can Go Clay Pigeon Shooting?
Anyone from the age of 10 years old can go clay pigeon shooting. It is an inclusive sport that welcomes anyone of any gender and ability. Groups, such as stag parties, hen parties and corporate teams have made this sport the top-ranking leisure activity in the UK and Ireland. Individuals and family groups have not been slow in joining them for what is an amazing experience that can become highly addictive.
Clay Pigeon Shooting v Trap Shooting v Skeet Shooting
First of all, don’t get muddled with names as clay pigeon shooting is also called – trap, skeet, and sporting clays. Each has different rules and the clays are launched in different directions. However, the goal is the same – to shoot the clay frisbee-like disc out of the sky with a gun. As a first-timer, you can be guided 100% by the experts in regards to what clay shooting package to choose. The Big Shoot are the UK and Ireland’s biggest network of clay pigeon sites.
What to Wear When Clay Pigeon Shooting
The best advice is to dress for a trip to the countryside and the prevailing weather on the day. So, closed shoes or wellies, clothing should be in layers so you can remove a layer if it gets to warm. A waterproof coat or jacket together with a hat and some fingerless gloves if you are going shooting in the winter months.
Safety First
On arrival at the clay pigeon shooting range, you will be greeted by your instructor and be offered tea, coffee and biscuits in a shooting lodge. While you sip your chosen brew, your instructor will go through a thorough safety briefing this will include gun safety and the rules, which in any sporting activity are designed to keep you and your fellow participants safe.
You will then be handed essential protective equipment such as eye and ear protection, which we recommend that you wear all the time when you are out on the clay shooting stands.
Gun Etiquette and Techniques
Before you venture outside, the instructor will need to find your dominant eye. Everyone has a dominant eye, so don’t let that worry you. Once he has established which is your dominant eye, he will give you the most suitable gun to maximise your experience. You may find that you are left-eye dominant when you are right-handed. It’s important to get that established.
Your instructor will then show you how to hold the gun properly. This is vital if you want to hit as many clay targets as possible and accounts for most of the missed clays when you are a beginner. 
Your Clay Pigeon Shooting Instructor is an Expert So Listen Up
It is understandable that you are excited and can’t wait to get our there and smash a few clays, but paying attention now will make a huge difference to your experience. You will be accompanied by your instructor and he or she will continuously help and instruct you as you move from one stand to another. Some of the key factors are:
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- Body Position. Your body position is extremely important. You need to be well-balanced, with your knees slightly bent and your feet slightly apart. The foot on the trigger-hand side of your body should go behind the other one. Lean slightly forward with a little more weight on your front leg than the rear. This gives you good control of the gun as it fires and allows you mobility to track the target as it moves.
- How to Hold the Gun. How you hold the shotgun is also very important. You should have a hand on the stock near the trigger and the other on the forearm of the shotgun, which is basically under the gun, just before you get to the barrel. The heel or butt of the stock on your shoulder and then your cheek needs to be pressed to the stock of the shotgun. This positioning gives the best accuracy.
- When to Shoot a Flying Clay Target. Shoot where the clay will be, not where it is. This means you will have to point your shotgun in the clay’s path of travel. It will take a few practice shots to fine-tune this skill. Successfully hitting clays is about hand-eye coordination and for that you need both eyes open. Don’t be tempted to squint.
Once you have successfully completed your first-ever clay pigeon shooting experience, and believe me you will always be successful as instructors are only happy once they have you blasting the clays to smithereens.
If you are part of a group booking, most venues offer a medal, certificate or trophy for the best shooter of the day after holding a friendly competition towards the end of your session.
Now all you need to do is pick your location for this exciting first-time experience. With 168 clay pigeon shooting venues in the UK and Ireland, The Big Shoot is the place to ensure that you get the very best clay pigeon shooting experience available. So jump on the website, put in your preferred location and you will get a choice of locations and packages.
By CJ