Clay Shooting October 2019

There are many reasons to love clay shooting, and one of them is the opportunity to travel. You can shoot all your life in the field behind your local pub, but if you prefer you can hop in the car and head off to the other end of the country to take part in a competition. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can travel half-way round the globe, whether to shoot a big event or just for a change of targets and scenery – the world is your oyster. This month’s magazine reflects that, as we report from the World English Sporting in Chicago and the World Cup in Finland, while Mitchell Brooker-Smith muses on what he learned at the Junior World Cup in Germany, and Ben Cartwright jets off…

Richard Faulds retained his British Open English Sporting Champion title at High Lodge on 1 September, shooting 72 ex-75 in the morning’s Final, then shooting 22 ex-25 in a thrilling Super Final against Stuart Clarke, Josh Bennion, Paul Thomas, George Digweed and Sam Green. Richard went into the Super Final one target behind the leader, Stuart Clarke, but took the lead on the first of the three stands, missing just the last target out. He straighted the next stand, increasing his lead to two. Despite stumbling on the last stand, shot from a high platform on the Sportrap layout behind the High Lodge clubhouse, he managed to beat Stuart by a single target and retain the British Open title. “I’m absolutely delighted to successfully defend the title this year at…

The Dragon Clay Club raised £2,300 at its annual charity shoot on 18 August at their picturesque ground at Colgate in West Sussex. The money was split equally between its two nominated charities: the Brittle Bone Society and the Phoenix Stroke Club. It brings the total raised by the club to £100,000 over the 30 years since six chaps from the Dragon public house set it up for something to do on Sunday mornings. They now have 112 members, including three of the original founders, and proudly claim to have the finest ground in Sussex, with 29 traps. This year’s shoot attracted some big names among the 119 entries, despite unseasonably atrocious weather with continuous heavy rain. The club was particularly grateful to all the volunteer scorers, as well as…

Thanks to subscriber David Bryan for writing in to suggest readers might like to know about a new phone app that could help shooters summon help in remote areas. It’s called What3Words, and can be installed on iOS and Android devices through the relevant app store. You can then identify your location anywhere in the world with a code consisting of three words. Each three-word code is unique to a 3m x 3m square. The patio at the EJ Churchill Shooting Ground clubhouse, for instance, is ///melons.nurtures.parent. That’s the central part of the patio, mind – that patio actually covers 16 separate squares, so you could specify which umbrella you’re sitting under if you needed to meet up with friends, for example. The app could be a lifesaver in a…

Northern Shooting Show 2020 The Northern Shooting Show has changed its dates for 2020 to coincide with the VE Day 75th anniversary Bank Holiday. The event will now be held on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May at the same venue, the Yorkshire Event Centre at Harrogate. For details and tickets visit www.northernshootingshow.co.uk Martin Barker memorial shoot Nuthampstead Shooting Ground will be hosting the Martin Barker Memorial Shoot on Sunday 3rd November 2019. This day is to raise money for a very worthwhile cause while remembering a very special man. Anita North says: “For regular readers of this magazine, you may remember that my first article was about Martin – he was an inspiration to me while I was competing and also on me becoming a shooting coach. The day…

Anew European initiative could lead to a complete ban on lead shot for clay shooting as well as game. Lead shot is already banned for shooting ducks and geese in England and Wales, and from use over wetlands in Scotland. In the latest move, the European Commission has instructed the European Chemicals Agency to draw up proposals for a complete ban on lead ammunition throughout the EU. A report on whether or not such a restriction is warranted is expected by the end of October 2020. The ECHA say that further restrictions on lead ammunition and fishing weights are necessary because of “a growing volume of evidence worldwide of the negative impacts of lead ammunition on the environment and human health”. Caroline Bedell, BASC’s executive director of conservation, said: “There…