Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i Clay Shooting

Italian gunmaker Zoli has added two rising stars to its team of sponsored shooters: Chloe Applin and Ollie Keates. Chloe, 18, won The Schools Challenge (TSC) in 2018, and is a first year agribusiness student at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. She was introduced to shooting aged 10 by her father and has been competing for four years, with Fitasc her favourite discipline. “The sponsorship from Edgar Brothers and Zoli has given me an opportunity to work with two brilliant brands and will push my shooting on to the next level. I’m very grateful!” she commented. Ollie, from Wiltshire, has just turned 15. He too began shooting at the age of 10, and is in his third year of competitive shooting. He defeated several older shooters to win the…

From the stoic Queen’s Guard to the rough and ready Paras, all British Army personnel share a few key traits. Discipline, the ability to work under extreme pressure and, of course, firearms training. These attributes alone would make for a devastatingly competitive clay shot, but how do we switch out SA80 rifles for sporting shotguns, figure 11 targets for flying clays? And how can clay shooting benefit our armed forces? The answer lies with Major Jason Wright of the Royal Military Police, Captain of The British Army Shooting Team – Clay Target. His mission is to find and nurture clay shooting talent within the Army and exploit it for the glory of queen and country, whilst enjoying all that the sport has to offer. “The key is giving personnel the…

Very often our boundless enthusiasm for our sport is accompanied by an evangelical urge to help others with their shooting. If this resonates with you, then why not become a shooting coach? By channelling your efforts into supporting others you’ll be helping them to reach their true potential. Trust us, few things in life are more rewarding than watching your protégés take a medal, whether at a local club shoot or an international competition. Their beaming faces will make your heart skip. So, what exactly is a shooting coach and how do you become one? Instructor vs coach “The CPSA makes a clear distinction between the role of an instructor and that of a coach,” explains Mike Williams, Senior Tutor and Assessor, CPSA. “An instructor takes a complete novice and…

Over the years I have learnt quite a lot about how to keep warm when out clay shooting – often by making mistakes in the clothing I selected to wear! I’ve worn thick layers with heavy jumpers which kept me toasty warm, and found I could hardly move, let alone swing a gun around! Fashionable tall leather boots looked the part and kept my feet dry, but didn’t keep them warm. I’ve never been much of a fashion victim anyway, but expensive, fashionable clothing isn’t always the best way to keep warm, and I really do struggle to keep warm in the winter months. As a coach I spend many a day outdoors in less than pleasant weather. Not moving much, it’s difficult to generate enough heat to keep warm…

Steve Scott is one of our most successful Trap shots. A Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze medallist and Beijing 2008 Olympian, Steve is also a two-time European Double Trap champion, having won the title in 2008 and then six years later in 2014. He took Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games too. Steve is unique in being the only British male to have won the Double Trap World Cup Final, which he took in 2015. When George Digweed shot this event he famously came last, which gives some measure of Steve's achievement. Currently, Steve remains an experienced member of the Team GB squad, so hopefully he'll be competing in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. But there’s much more to Steve than his Trap career. He’s also an accomplished AAA Sporting shot who,…

With the prospect of putting Covid-19 behind us, plans are coming together for the big shooting shows and game fairs to return in 2021. The British Shooting Show has announced it will be held from 23 to 25 April at a new venue, the East of England Events Centre near Peterborough. The 2021 Game Fair is full steam ahead for Ragley Hall in Warwickshire from 23 to 25 July. At the time of writing, there have been no announcements about CPSA championships, but EJ Churchill are planning to run the postponed World English Sporting and Sportrap Championships from 5 to 11 July at their ground near High Wycombe. And our very own Clay Shooting Classic is scheduled for 26 to 30 May at Orston Shooting Ground near Nottingham – see…

Three CPSA coaches were appointed Musto ambassadors earlier this year – Simon Arbuckle, Mhairi-Ann Troup and Max Tarr. Musto has been a valued partner of the CPSA for some time, supporting CPSA events, championships, and the membership in many ways. Musto already ran a similar programme for their partners in sailing and riding, but this was the first of its kind for shooting. Unfortunately, a week after the appointment the pandemic took hold, events were postponed and lockdown commenced. With the country coming to a standstill, so did plans for the ambassadors. They’ve been busy in the meantime, fitting in as much instructing as they could while following Covid guidelines. Max says he will be game shooting in the winter, along with a few days loading and instructing. “It is…

This month I set out to review the Perazzi MX2000S. Up till now I have never had the chance to really try a Perazzi, as I was sponsored for over seven years by Zoli, one of their direct competitors. That’s not quite true. Years ago I had tried a Perazzi MX8 on Olympic Skeet, and decided it was good quality but not the gun for me. That came about in 2010, when Joe Neville, the GB Olympic Skeet Coach, invited me to try Olympic Skeet up on his ground. I was shooting an old Krieghoff K80 at the time, and had very little interest in Skeet, let alone Olympic Skeet. I wasn’t all that keen to try either, most likely fear of making an absolute fool of myself! “I popped…

It’s been a difficult and frustrating year for Orston Shooting Ground’s Dan Martin. He was excited about hosting the 2020 Clay Shooting Classic, but the pandemic forced it to be cancelled. Now the event has been rescheduled for 26-30 May 2021 – and Dan, Emily and the team are looking forward to showing the potential of their 53-acre site, with the grounds in tip-top condition and equipped with over 50 brand new Promatic traps. Dan takes up the story… With one of the finest clubhouses in the UK and catering facilities to match, we will provide top notch hospitality and facilities for all competitors. A large marquee is also being attached to the clubhouse to provide extra tabled seating, along with a chill out area with sofas. Anglo Italian Arms…

Zoli - 175 Antonio Zoli Company celebrates 175 years of leading firearm manufacturing with the introduction of the limited edition 175 Anniversary. This special piece of Italian shotgun heritage was born out of a devotion to quality, performance and fine craftmanship – something Zoli has become synonymous for. With a production run of only 100 pieces, this 12g over & under shotgun will be available with single or selective triggers, trap or sporting stock, fixed or internal chokes and a variety of flat ribs - 11x7, 11x11 or Churchill style. There is also the choice of having the side rib ventilated or solid. The engravings on the 175 Anniversary are the result of a collaboration between Zoli and the artists with whom they have worked with over the years, resulting…

“ I’m just a girl that likes guns,” says Amber Hill. Well, this girl certainly knows how to use one. Amber’s achievements are phenomenal, all the more so for someone her age: ISSF bronze, silver and gold medals – not to mention representing Great Britain at the Rio Olympics in 2016, at the age of just nineteen. Amber comes from Bracknell and has been a member of Team GB since fourteen, competing all over the world. She acknowledges that the highlight of her career so far has been shooting for Britain at the 2016 Olympics, “an incredible experience”. With the Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021 Amber’s plans have been put on hold, but “I’m putting all of the plans in place to get me there next year. Team Tokyo is…

Being a Trap shooter in the UK can be a struggle. Certainly, there’s the opportunity to compete at the Olympic games once every four years, but when it comes to visiting all of the incredible grounds across the UK they can often find themselves relegated to the side-lines, if not left out entirely. East Yorkshire Clay Shooting Ground is here to change that. With a full complement of Trap and Skeet disciplines on offer and a wealth of competition and training opportunities, East Yorks has become a Trap and Skeet shooting mecca. Many readers may know the ground by its former name, Beverley Clay Target Centre, but since current owner Rob Hall and his family took over, the name isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Rob’s daughter, Georgina, explains, “there’s…

Anthony Matarese won the World Fitasc Sporting held at Providence Hill Farm in Mississippi, USA, from 9 to 15 November. He joins an exclusive club of shooters who have won both the World English and the World Fitasc championship titles – Ben Husthwaite, George Digweed and Richard Faulds. Matarese took the title outright with a score of 192 ex-200, which included three 25-straights and three 24 ex-25s. Closest behind him were Jonathan Goedrich and Trevor Jensen tied on 186, and Goedrich won the shoot-off 21-20 to take silver. Fourth equal were Gebben Miles, Zachary Kienbaum and Joseph Fanizzi with 185. Diane Sorantino took the ladies title, Joseph Fanizzi juniors, Will Fennell seniors, Raymond Brown veterans, and John Hackethorn masters. The event had been scheduled for July 2020, but was postponed…

What’s a grey import? Q Some months ago I decided to buy a new shotgun, mainly for Trap shooting. I had a good look around in the UK but the one I really liked was outside my budget. I went online and found a very similar gun on the continent for much cheaper. A local RFD friend of mine, not a dealer for that particular manufacturer, helped me get it over to the UK and all went ok. Recently, however, a fellow shooter described it as ‘one of those dodgy grey imports’ and now I am left wondering whether I have done something illegal. Have I? A‘Grey import’ is a loose term used to describe a product that is legally imported from another country, or sold through channels other than…

Spitfire Shoot voucher The simplest way to give shooters what they want is a voucher – and there are many grounds up and down the country who offer vouchers for a lesson or practice round, or for the newcomer a have-a-go session with a qualified instructor. The Spitfire Shoot at Stockbridge in Hampshire have gift vouchers for all levels. Their guided taster sessions start from £55 per person and practice vouchers for licensed shooters start at £18. www.spitfireshoot.co.uk Clay Shooting Magazine Subscription The perfect gift for the clay shooter this Christmas is a subscription to Clay Shooting, the UK’s top clay shooting magazine. Each issue is packed to the brim with up-to-the-moment news, shoot reports, gun and cartridge reviews, training tips and more. From as little as £2.20 per issue.…

The dark mornings and frost on the ground signal not just the end of summer, but also the end of the competitive clay season. With no major shoots until well into next year, you can see this as time for a rest, or an opportunity to improve. Lockdowns permitting, there’s time now to dive deep into elements of the game, take a few lessons, try something new, work on it and build ourselves back up into better shots for the coming season. With that in mind I spoke to Arizona-born Gebben Miles, one of the USA’s top Sporting shots and a former Fitasc Sporting world champion, as well as Nad Al Sheba world champion and PASCA Tour champion. He told me: “One thing I’ve found to be really important in…

As I always say, there are only two cast-iron rules to follow when you are shooting – be safe and enjoy yourself. After that, it’s worth remembering that everyone is different, so when it comes to gun choice what feels right for one person may be quite unsuitable for another. Take any recommendations as guidance rather than concrete advice and approach your new purchase with an open mind. Just because your shooting hero can nail that perfect score with a certain brand of gun doesn’t mean it’s the right tool for you too. Whatever discipline you choose, it is absolutely vital your gun fits you and feels comfortable to shoot. Trap guns come with many options, so seek as much good, impartial advice as you can and try to handle…

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, SB, STR, Fitasc Open 9am-6pm weekdays and Saturdays, 9am-2pm Sundays. Regular competitions. Practice all hours. Pre-booked coaching. Telephone: 01234 708893 Email: reception@sportingtargets.co.uk Web: www.sportingtargets.co.uk Tythe Farm Gun Club Disciplines: ESK, OSK Some OSK competitions & practice. Coaching available by arrangement. Telephone: 07719 329094…