Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Clay Shooting

“This is a gun I would seriously consider buying myself, and that’s high praise” The Browning 725 has developed a considerable following since it was first launched in Hungary in December 2011, an event I attended and much enjoyed. The gun has become popular with both clay and field shooters. It was a clever re-engineering exercise, retaining many good features of the B25/525 but with a lower action height and changes to the action sculpturing and choking system. The shoulders and fences were re-modelled and there was a new shape of top lever. The 725 introduced new ‘DS’ (Double Seal) interchangeable chokes with a rear copper-banded seal and a forward thread. The gun still retained classic Browning bolting and a full width cross/hinge pin, in contrast to the trunnion hinging…

Can my gun shoot steel? Q I recently purchased my first shotgun for clay shooting. I asked a lot of friends about which gun to buy as I had a limited budget of £900. I was torn between a new gun or a second hand ‘big brand’. After trying several older guns and looking at some new ones I decided , to take the advice of several , chums to go for a second hand option and settled upon a really nice Browning , B325 Grade 1 Sporter. The wood is plain but in good condition. A knowledgeable pal checked that the action is tight and everything is in good order, and it came with a full set of standard Invector chokes – all under my budget with a gun…

Powder and other surface residues are removed first by pushing a piece of cleaning cloth, fabric patch, or proprietary cleaning material, including Napier Gun Cleaning roll or standard 4x2 (known as “forbytoo”) which can be wrapped around a jag or an old bore brush on a cleaning rod. Alternatively, a piece of kitchen roll or similar can be rolled into a ball and pushed through with the rod – take care not to use too much or screw it too tight, or it may become stuck. This leaves the more persistent residues; spray some bore cleaner (of which there are many) down the bores and leave it a few minutes. This will soften any tough powder and plastic residues that may be present. A PB brush can now be pushed…

Will clay shooting over increase the next in popularity ten years? KW: I think there will be moderate growth. Shooting is very resilient to economic downturns because shooters will give up a lot of other pastimes before they stop shooting. We have seen more women taking up the sport recently and I hope this trend continues. Women like Amber Hill are marvellous role models, because they have shown that you can shoot yet still be feminine. IP: We have seen continued growth in the sport from the CPSA’s perspective now for the past several years, with increased numbers shooting at our Championships and registered shoots. A large proportion of our members are over 50 and as they move up into Veteran and Super Veteran categories, we need to encourage younger…

This year started as a busy time for British Olympic Trap and Olympic Skeet shooters. Last month I wrote about the competition season getting going with lots of events coming up – how things can change! We did however manage to see one World Cup before there were big changes to the competition schedule. Competitors from national teams came together in early March to take part in the first ISSF World Cup of 2020, at Nicosia, Cyprus, from the 4th to the 13th of the month. The entry field was definitely impacted by the pandemic, as some competitors chose to avoid the risk and not travel to the event. However, there was still a good field of entries to battle for the 18 medals up for grabs. In total, the…

You hear a lot about gun mount, and for good reason. It’s vital that you mount a shotgun correctly, otherwise a miss is almost guaranteed – the gun won’t be pointing where you’re looking. Not only that, you need to mount the gun consistently every time if you’re going to improve your shooting and build decent scores. So let’s look at what gun mount is all about, and how you can get it right – not once, but time after time. The key point to remember is that when you raise the gun to shoot, the barrels end up pointing where you are looking. With a rifle you would line up the front and back sights with the target, guaranteeing that the barrel was pointing at the target. That’s fine…

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, all grounds are currently closed. Many are still answering telephones and emails however, and you can use this list to plan your shooting once restrictions are lifted. For the latest information on CPSA events, including rescheduled dates, see www.cpsa.co.uk BEDFORDSHIRE Chicksands Clay Target Club Shefford, CPSAAffiliated Disciplines: ESP, DTL, STR Open alternate Sundays and Wednesdays over Summer. Contact for competition details. Practice and coaching available Telephone: www.facebook.com/charlelister Email: info@chicksandsclaytarget.co.uk Web: www.chicksandsclaytarget.co.uk Maulden Gun Club Clophill Road, Maulden, CPSAAffiliated Disciplines: ESP Competition alternate Sundays. Practice and coaching for members only. Fibre wad only Telephone: 07951 651051 Web: www.mauldengunclub.com Shillington Clay Club Shillington, CPSAAffiliated Disciplines: ESP Shooting every other Sunday Telephone: 07860 940362 Email carol@hcduk.com Sporting Targets Ltd Riseley, CPSA Premier Ground Disciplines: DTL, ESK, ESP, FSP, DR,…

The calendar for late summer is crammed with fixtures as events reschedule in the hope that coronavirus restrictions will be lifted in time for a last fling of fairs, shows and shoots before winter sets in. It’s led to clashes as events scrabble for the limited number of dates available. No fewer than three major events are scheduled for the weekend of 19 and 20 September – the Game Fair at Ragley Hall, the Shooting & Countryman Show in Manchester, and the new Countryside Rocks event which replaces the Midland Game Fair at Weston Park in Shropshire. Meanwhile shooting grounds are closed for business under the lockdown restrictions, and one by one competitions big and small are being postponed or cancelled altogether. The Clay Shooting Classic, originally planned for the…

Staffordshire gunshop Shooting Sports UK has plenty to celebrate, despite struggling with the lockdown like everyone else. They’ve recently passed the two year milestone since the family-run business was launched – and they’ve just been appointed a Zoli Premium Dealer. General Manager Daniel Bibb explains that for the first six months he was running the business on his own from a storage unit in Cannock. He finally found the ideal location and opened the shop in August 2019, in a converted barn on the Stretton Estate. At the time they had just ten guns and half a pallet of shotgun cartridges; now they’ve more than 150 guns and 100,000 rounds of ammunition! The staff has grown too, adding Paul Hodson as assistant manager, supported by the team of Jacob, Stephanie…

These are difficult times for shooters, with events cancelled worldwide and grounds closed for practice. But some shooters are managing to stay safe at home and still practise their swing, build muscle memory and keep their eye in – thanks to the DryFire shooting simulator which allows you to practise indoors with a sophisticated system that projects targets and a realistic background onto any light coloured wall “For almost 20 years DryFire has helped shooters improve their scores by providing intensive practice against highly accurate targets — all in the comfort of home,” explains DryFire’s Andrea Roach. “Instead of settling down to Netflix box sets, or filling your Kindle with the latest whodunits, why not take the opportunity to spend an hour or two each day improving and honing your…

It is straightforward to remove the stock and check, clean and lubricate the action. This is worth doing every two to three years. Now might be that time – but do this only if you feel confident and have appropriate tools. Here’s how it’s done. Support the stock by clamping it firmly between the knees. Locate the two butt pad retention screws and note if they are cross head or slot type head Put sunflower or olive oil on the screwdriver shank to prevent marking the holes in the pad. Remove one screw and loosen the other, allowing the pad to rotate, and locate the stock bolt. The stock bolt is often a 10, 11 or 12mm hexagon head. The appropriate socket requires an extension bar and ratchet handle to…

I’ve been doing a lot of shooting recently in preparation for the England Selection Shoots – only to see them cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. It's disappointing, but of course safety comes first. On 29 February I shot at Fauxdegla for the first time in a while. It was like all four seasons came in one day – there was hail, snow, sun, rain, wind, and it was freezing! Even so, I had a productive training session, working on my technique and learning how to cope in different weather conditions more effectively than I have before. I shot the final DTL Winter Series at East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground on 1 March. It was blustery and I got off to a difficult start, but I pulled it back –…

I have certainly had my hands full this month. With the British Shooting Shotgun Series rapidly approaching, I have had my work cut out. Ever since returning from the very enjoyable registered shoot at East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground, I’ve had to continually balance my schoolwork with my shooting. As I have mentioned in the past, it is a busy time of the year with little room for compromises – especially since I have my final art exam at the end March. At least it will be one more subject I can cross off my list. I am continuing to train at any available moment. Sadly those moments don’t appear as often as I would like, but I know it will all be worth it when I receive my results…

Here's a quick overview of what you get for the money in terms of new competition guns. Inevitably we've had to trim the list to suit the space available, so there are plenty more excellent guns out there. Just because they don't appear in this list, it doesn't mean they aren't a good choice. This month's gun test gun, the new Browning B725S really deserves a place here, as does the Beretta 694. We'll be adding to this list in future issues – let us know what you feel deserves a place on it. ATA NICKEL ADJUSTABLE RRP £649 The ATA Nickel Adjustable is another superb-value gun from the ATA stable. With an adjustable stock, it is ideal for those wanting precision gun fit without the price tag. Matte-finish oiled…

Edgar Brothers is sponsoring one of British clay shooting’s rising stars, 16-year old Alfie Tibbles. Alfie, who hails from Hertfordshire, is a former winner of Clay Shooting magazine’s British Schools & Young Shots Championship. He was named as Young Shot of the Year by the CPSA in February this year, was CPSA South East regional Colt champion for 2019, and secured first place and podium position finishes last year in numerous national level competitions in FITASC and Compak, plus achieved A Class status in English Sporting and Skeet. Alfie will receive a comprehensive five-year sponsorship package with Edgar Brothers. He commented: “I am absolutely honoured to be sponsored by Zoli and Edgar Brothers, as they are very innovative and highly respected in the shooting world; I cannot wait to start…

Many of us are now unable to get out to a shooting ground, whether for a registered Sunday shoot or just for practice. So I have put together a few tips to keep you in the swing of things, so to speak! Even when I am shooting regularly I practise at home maybe three times a week. If you aren’t able to get out shooting, you could usefully do the following exercises, maybe three or four times a week, or more if you want. Keep the sessions fairly short, at perhaps 5-10 minutes, as it isn’t helpful to keep going when your muscles tire and your movements become less fluid. Gun mounting First of all, you can practise your gun mount anywhere, even in your own living room. A good…

At the age of 21, James Bradley-Day already has what most of us can only dream of – a successful business that involves doing what he loves, shooting. The fact that he is also a World, British and English Junior Champion is just a small footnote in what is set to be a dazzling career. For James, it all started back on the family farm. “I’ve been around shooting for as long as I can remember,” he says. “I grew up watching my father shoot game and eventually picked up a shotgun myself when I was eight. I started with a little .410 at our local shooting club, where my father would pick out the easy stands for me to have a go at. Though I would only shoot at…

It may be a while before we can get back on the shooting ground and put theory into practice, but perhaps this is a good moment to step back and think about some of those targets that we find challenging – and for many the incoming driven clay certainly fits that description. This target is feared by a lot of clay shooters, but it needn’t be. Let me explain. As an instructor, when I’m out shooting I can’t help but watch the variety of styles and techniques used by different shooters on the exact same targets. One thing that really stands out on driven targets is that shooters seem very reluctant to move their feet, even when the clay requires it. You must remember that no two targets are the…

Tucked neatly into the corner of Cannock Chase, one of the country’s most picturesque Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies the stunning Oakedge Shooting Ground, a Sporting shooter’s mecca that’s sure to bring a smile to any nature lover’s face. There has been a shooting ground on the site since the 1970’s, when it was known as Shugborough Shooting School. “Peter Till purchased the property in August 2011,” says Sue Connell, who serves Peter diligently as general manager. “He brought me in shortly after and we have been hard at work improving nearly every aspect of the shooting ground since then.” “We now offer a 12-stand Sporting layout with a Compak layout available on Saturdays and during our extended summer time opening hours,” Sue continues. “Nigel Thomas, our groundsman and…

Paul Dancer is one of the most sought-after instructors and coaches who is an expert at coaxing the best from his clients, Paul’s cheerful demeanour and relaxed methods make learning fun and accessible. Paul started shooting in 1987, then competing in major competitions throughout the early 2000s. He qualified as a CPSA Level 1 Instructor in 2005, and a Level 2 Sporting Coach in 2012. The CPSA honoured him as its Coach of the Year 2014. AN ALL-ROUNDER WITH A PROVEN HERITAGE: ELEY OLYMPIC BLUES  Gauge: 12 Case: 70mm Head: 12mm Load: 24g and 28g, plastic or fibre Shot size: 7.5, 8, or 9, lead with 2% antimony Muzzle Velocity: 419mps (1,375fps) Material: 411mps (1,350fps) This has a reputation for being powerful, capable of breaking targets at distance due its…

We booked in for the Spanish Fitasc Grand Prix a few months ago, before all this coronavirus malarkey really kicked off. As the date approached, the situation with coronavirus was far from clear, but I emailed Fitasc in France as well as the Spanish federation numerous times to check the event had not been cancelled. No, I was told, it was still on. Great – I couldn’t wait to shoot in a T-shirt again! It didn’t start well. We arrived at Luton Airport only to discover I had booked the wrong date for the car. Once that was sorted we went to the Easyjet desk, booked the bag in, then dealt with our firearms. That’s when the couple in front of us told me their son lived in Madrid and…