Clay Shooting February 2020

So here we are at the beginning of not just a new year – and an Olympic one at that – but a whole new decade. What better time to take up a new sport! As a reader, of course you’re a shooter already, but I’ll bet you have plenty of friends, family and colleagues who aren’t. How about making it a New Year resolution to introduce at least one new person to clay shooting? If we all managed that, the sport would double overnight, just think about that! This issue, we’re kicking off a brand new series on getting started in shooting, on page 30. This month we look at why shooting is such a great sport for all ages, and how to take those first steps – firing…

Richard Faulds is top of the tree in both English and Compak Sporting. He ranked No.1 in both disciplines in the CPSA’s list of top 20 shots for 2019, achieving an absolutely phenomenal 95.197% average in English Sporting with 2,418 hits scored out of 2,540 registered targets shot. Close behind him was Martin Myers, who hit an average of 94.382% over a total of 8,242 targets – that’s a lot of shooting! Cheryl Hall topped English Sporting ladies with an average of 85.563%, and she also came first in ladies for Fitasc Sporting and Compak Sporting. Elsewhere in the English Sporting list, Tristan Hockey was No.1 in colts, James Bradley-Day led juniors, and Steve Brightwell was first in veterans. Austin Coxhead took first in DTL, with an impressive 98.9111 average…

There are new rules for shooters under 18 about how their shotguns or firearms are stored. New regulations come in to force on 12 December 2019. Adults must have responsibility for the secure storage of guns held on the young person’s certificate. Police licensing departments will be contacting certificate holders under 18, to advise them on how they can comply. An adult who takes responsibility for the secure storage can either be a parent or guardian of the certificate holder, or someone who holds a shotgun certificate – or in the case of rifles, a firearm certificate for the firearms and ammunition in question. Regulations are unclear if a parent or guardian will need to have an appropriate certificate. A two-key cabinet could be split between the minor and the…

India could host a major shooting event around the time of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with medals counting towards the overall Commonwealth Games table. That’s one of the options that is being considered after India threatened to pull out of the Games entirely after shooting was dropped from the Birmingham 2022 programme, according to the website insidethegames.biz In an exclusive story on the website, Liam Morgan says that the proposal has support of the International Shooting Sport Federation and the National Rifle Association of India. “Talks on the proposal are at a very early stage, however, and no formal decision has been made by the Commonwealth Games Federation,” he writes. Shooting is not a compulsory part of the Commonwealth Games, but has been part of every event but one…

Bank closes gun shop account HSBC bank told a gun shop it was closing its account for “security reasons”. Dan Pool, owner of Braces of Bristol, said he had been a personal customer of the bank for more than 20 years. The bank contacted him in April 2019 and expressed concern about the business, using the phrase “high risk.” Discussions continued until the bank eventually said it would be closing the business’s bank account. The shop is a registered firearms dealership and sells sporting shotguns, rifles, airguns, clothing and shooting accessories. James Bradley-Day UAE win James Bradley-Day had a successful trip to United Arab Emirates in December, wining the individual gold medal and collecting the cash prize of $15,000 at the UAE National Open Shotgun Competition held at the Al…

Beware thieves Pre-Christmas thefts from shooting grounds highlighted the need for security. There’s no guarantee that someone can’t sneak onto a ground and help themselves. In one recent case, a car with the owner’s dog inside was stolen from a shooting ground car park. The dog was handed into a kennels and reunited with its owner, but the vehicle remains missing. Don’t drop your guard when shooting, and don’t leave shotguns unattended – don’t rely on other shooters to watch your gun. ISSF approves new constitution The International Shooting Sport Federation adopted a new constitution at an Extraordinary General Assembly in December. It allows for an increase in the number of competitions, expands prospects for financial support to member federations, strengthens the role of athletes and implements good governance principles.…