Getting started - is this unanswerable?

[Ian Garforth]

Well, I had an absolute blast.

We went round the regular course. My wife and I were put with someone who I don't think was an instructor, but who was great, welcoming and friendly. He was quick to recognise fairly early that my wife was struggling, and getting her in front of an instructor would be good. She shot 4/50, and wasn't bitten, which was a shame, but equally was pleased with herself for having a bash. I was hoping she would really take to it, but hey, there you go.

I shot 14/50, and though I have no idea whether that's good or bad for my first hack with a shotgun ever, I was pleased, not least because it was WAY, WAY harder than I thought it would be! Strangely, I kind of like that. It's nice to have a challenge. 7 were on one stand, but not the one I thought - it was a relatively fast crosser from right to left, though one of the closer ones, but I guess I just found it a lot easier to see - it was the only stand with bright orange clays.

The next decision for me is - what next - a formal lesson or another round like that. Will check prices. But it was great - really enjoyed it, and can't wait to get stuck in again..!

 

[Will Hewland]

Definitely get a lesson. You learn nothing from missing, especially without sound advice. All you will do is lock in bad habits if you press on unaided. It's more fun when you hit them too!

 

[Will Hewland]

Just to recount my first experience of clays; it was EJ Churchill in 1998, a shared lesson with my wife. The instructor nearly drove me mad with frustration with 15 minutes of being shown how to stand, hold, swing etc before a shot was fired. But you know what? I hit the first six (very easy) clays I ever shot at as a result. THAT gets you hooked and that could have been your wife's experience too..

 

[Les53]

Definitely get a lesson. You learn nothing from missing, especially without sound advice. All you will do is lock in bad habits if you press on unaided. It's more fun when you hit them too!

+1 to that Will. Best to get proper tuition, its all well and good having some club "expert" telling you where you are mising, but you need help to address the problem that is causing the missing!!!  I was lucky in that I had good instructors and mentors, OK instructors are not cheap, but it really was worth the cost, I have no doubt on that one!!!

 

[PhilS]

Definitely get a lesson. You learn nothing from missing, especially without sound advice. All you will do is lock in bad habits if you press on unaided. It's more fun when you hit them too!

+1

 

[MEM62]

I am a newcomer to shooting.  I did a 'give it a go' session and went back to have another couple of sessions.  The club were friendly and quite happy for me to turn up and supervise me  - although guidance was offered there was no formal instruction. 

Following that I obtained a SGC and a shotgun and found an instructor to take me through the CPSA Shotgun Skills course.  Now I can at least go and get some practice - although I'm not hitting much!    

 

[Nimbusgb]

Inherited a pair of older sporting guns a little over a year ago and applied for a SGC. Took an hours experience session at Southdown to get the basics. Hit about half of the very easy clays so decided the hobby was worth pursuing as I enjoyed being outdoors and the technical side of the game. Bought my first gun a month later, I now have a beautiful game gun in my safe that I've only put 200 rounds through! Bought my 32" sporting gun a month after that and very happy with it once I fitted an adjustable comb to it about 2 months after purchase and a session with a very good coach.

Most clubs/grounds will have a hire gun so buying is not imperitive immediatelly but I discovered that gun fit is crucial to hitting clays consistently. If you are shooting a hire gun you must know how to check that you have it properly mounted and your eye and head are in the right place each time. Your own gun makes setting it up to you possible.

Once you have your SGC you can come and go at shooting grounds as you please.

I took a proper lesson very early, I wanted to be very sure that I wasn't doing anything unsafe first and foremost. Find out about eye dominance and gun fit, stance, swing. It's all part of the game.

So how do you go about selecting a gun? Once you have a certificate most good gunshops will let you take out a demonstrator or used guns for an afternoon or even a day. My local has let me have a £8000 Perazzi to try out ( fortunately I did not get on well with it! )

A slab of cartridges measures 220mm x 115mm x 330mm, you don't need a safe but a secure cupboard or cabinet is a good idea. I store mine bought in 3000 batches in a cabinet inside a cupboard along with a 1 kg bag of silica dessicant. Moisture is bad for cartridges!

Costs for shooting, expect to pay from about £160 per thousand for cartridges at the budget end. Buying them at £250 per thousand will not improve your shooting in the first year! Clays at a shooting ground cost from £0.25 a time depending on how 'developed' the club is. Set a budget for a gun, buy secondhand first! You lose 25% of the value of a new gun as you ealk out the store and the chances of getting the right gun first time are against you. A used gun you can go upmarket/upmodel for the same money. Modern guns are good for hundreds of thousands of shells so unless you buy a complete dog from a professional shooter ( which is unlikely anyway ) you are unlikely to lose money.

Practice, practice, practice.

Take a lesson occasionally, I took one a month for about 5 months and must take another soon. Take one if you are not steadily improving. For a lesson to be worthwhile you need to know what you want to work on so keep a log and identify what you are having trouble with. Entering a 'registered' competitin and watching the good guys is a 'free' lesson.

Shake it up a bit. I love Sporting, Fitasc and Sportrap but a session of DTL, ABT or Skeet occasionally helps to develop particular skills.

I sail and fly but shooting is less time intensive, needs less equipment and provides as much, if not more entertainment! ( it's not necessarily cheap though )