Is clay shooting a declining sport?

[LeedsZeppelin]

Having only started the sport 18months or so ago, I cannot say what it was like before. But I see large numbers at the grounds I shoot at. There is always a queue at the stands.

Where I do most of my shooting, there is also quiet a lot of 18-30 year olds shooting. More than other grounds I've been to. A few under 18s every week too.

When I first started shooting I was invited to join a friend who had shot for years. The thought of clay shooting hadn't crossed my mind up until that point, and I think that's where the problem is - lack of publicity and knowledge on the sport.

I don't think price is as much as a factor as people suggest. Yes, it's an expensive hobby, but so is golf and fishing - two of the biggest pastimes in the UK. I think SGC licensing is a bigger issue. People assume a SGC is needed before they start shooting, and tales of the hoops you've got to go through to get one may put more people off than we realise.

On another note, I'm led to believe game shooting is on the decline due to pressures put on by animal activists. Would that not cause an increase in clay shooting, if not by only a small margin? I shot with someone a few months ago who told me he and his friends had turned to clay shooting as some activists had released all the birds from the traps on their syndicated shoot, thus ruining their shoot for the whole season. He doubted that the shoot in question would return the following year and has taken up clay shooting instead.

 

[tiptop]

EJC and Owls so far. 

Not been to EJC for while, so did't know they had put the prices up. Owls only went up this week. I thought by your comment that it was common place already.

It will be interesting this year for the Premier League (south) when people turn up and it will be £42 + £3 levy. £45 for comp.

 

[Will Hewland]

Not been to EJC for while, so did't know they had put the prices up. Owls only went up this week. I thought by your comment that it was common place already.

It will be interesting this year for the Premier League (south) when people turn up and it will be £42 + £3 levy. £45 for comp.

No I was saying it will become so. As soon as other grounds realise you can get away with it. Just like when it went £38 to £40 2 years ago. Wildfire. 

 

[tiptop]

No I was saying it will become so. As soon as other grounds realise you can get away with it. Just like when it went £38 to £40 2 years ago. Wildfire. 

Agreed there Will.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

In many respects it’s a pointless discussion though as I do think organised clay shooting’s time is numbered. My guess is it’s got 10-15 years left, perhaps less. The sport’s caught in a perfect storm of increasing costs, political and environmental pressures, public and media indifference, an ageing demographic and governing body ineffectiveness.

Enjoy the sport whilst you can, it won’t last forever.

That's certainly the case here in the US in regard to ATA events and the game has become near absurd in many ways.  Skeet has suffered for many years with the perfect score only getting the shooter into the shoot-off with a buncha others.  ATA is even worse in that regard.  Sporting has the rep of being a growing segment but that seems to be at the expense of ATA and skeet so the real # of shooters may not be changing that much - I've not seen any real #'s other than the massive decline in ATA entries at big shoots.

Like Jan says, won’t last forever and even I might outlive clay target sports.  There's certainly a lot to be said about the situation and there are certainly solutions but nothing will happen.

 

[Cosmicblue]

From the grounds I frequent here in the midlands it seems Skeet is less popular than it was when I started this hobby 12 or so years ago however ESP seems to be growing in popularity - with more younger/novice shooters than was the case a couple of years back.  I have noted that the last 3 months of 2019 - maybe a combination of the rubbish weather and the whole air of uncertainty that covered the UK seemed to supress the 'discretionary spend' that clay shooting represents. 

 

[Rupert]

It is declining in my house, i keep records and in 2019 we shot half the targets we shot in 2015,  living in west yorkshire the lure of 200 mile sundays to get to a Reg Shoot is fading.

 

[Oldblaster]

Yes l do agree somewhat, most of the shooters where l shoot seem to be "well heeled" nice cars or company vans etc, most middle aged, children grown up and "flown the coop." The young people that l have introduced to clay busting have enjoyed it, but are also interested in other sports. l think the present hassle of obtaining a shot gun certificate and the cost of a shooting is off putting, and only going to get worse.  

 

[FlyingTrotter]

Called at long Siberia (Bisley) - sad to see what was a stellar ground in its current state - special issue with the court case but still sad 

 

[chippy]

Yes l do agree somewhat, most of the shooters where l shoot seem to be "well heeled" nice cars or company vans etc, most middle aged, children grown up and "flown the coop." The young people that l have introduced to clay busting have enjoyed it, but are also interested in other sports. l think the present hassle of obtaining a shot gun certificate and the cost of a shooting is off putting, and only going to get worse.  

I agree most shoot carparks around here look like a range rover/BMW/ Audi showroom. Mind you I went to Churchill's last week and that was a step up.

 

[El Spavo]

I agree most shoot carparks around here look like a range rover/BMW/ Audi showroom. Mind you I went to Churchill's last week and that was a step up.

Just as well I turn up for the redressing of balance in a 2008 Skoda Octavia!

 

[ColinD]

I wouldn't call my company van nice, more like a untidy tool box on wheels

 

[Richard59]

I agree most shoot carparks around here look like a range rover/BMW/ Audi showroom. Mind you I went to Churchill's last week and that was a step up.

You must have been early, place had fair amount of builders vans & pick ups after bacon roll a clock. 

 

[philpot]

I confess that at 68 and retired for the past 6 years, I do find clay shooting more of a strain on my pocket and as my wife also shoots the cost is double. I no longer shoot any competition apart from ones held in my little local club but I have branched out into other areas of shooting which give me loads of shooting but not so much on clays. I have a number of farms to shoot over and shoot rifles as well which in turn keeps a gun in my shoulder for much longer than I could afford to do on the clay circuit.

I do agree with an earlier post that there are far fewer young people coming into the sport that when I started clay shooting which is a real shame.

I don't think to enter the sport now is so expensive as there are now a good selection of o/u guns which may not be the guns we would jump into buying BUT for a newbie they offer a low cost and are quite 'pretty' which as we all know makes a big difference when you first start. I feel there is a lack of good grass roots clay clubs, certainly in my part of the world, North Lincs, which to me is the THE most important start point for anyone new to the sport. Here you will see some expensive guns and kit but at the same time many others using much cheaper guns and still hitting the clays, for me this is the place to gain confidence whilst at the same time learning the ropes.

I need a lotto win so that I could afford to get back into competition shooting because the pension only goes so far, as I do miss it at times.

Phil 

 

[Invictus]

The cost is definitely getting prohibitive! Entries are rising rapidly yet prize money isn’t.

The cost of clays hasn’t risen respectively and people just can’t justify spending £40 on an entry, £25 on shells and £20 on fuel for a couple hours fun.

Some trap grounds are charging £38 to enter and paying back £5 per entry and you even ref yourself and there are no traps to move etc. 
The future doesn’t look bright

 

[westley]

I have to totally disagree with the 'falling numbers' bit, if my local ground is anything to go by. It gets busier each week. Nearly every week the 2 Instructors are busy and also a proportion of the "Let's all use Jimmy's gun" brigade  !  Only last weekend a party of some 12 to 14 Ladies were having a great time, with guidance from the Instructors. If only 1 of those takes up the sport  ???   I shall be going with a newcomer in a weeks time, to help him get his first gun.  I may be coming to the end of my shooting career,  but I have tried to ensure that there with be plenty of people to carry on. As to the cost, well club prices at around £15 for 50 targets and £12 for cartridges I do not think is too bad, especially compared to the cost of taking a couple of youngsters to a football match, AND that is before you add in the cost of buying them a full strip,  that changes every year  !

 

[MartynB]

One things I’ve noticed in particular is how many new shooters I see carrying ATA shotguns . Also  how much space is devoted on the sales side  to these models . I think it’s a positive move ,  as one of the barriers to entry into clay shooting is the initial capital outlay.

The fact that a beginner can dip their toe in the water for £600  and get a decent new gun is indeed a good thing and can only be good for the future of our sport  .

Clay shooting isn’t just about the 25,000 who are registered , it’s about the 10 times that number grass roots shooters who attend a once a month 50 birder  and similar. 

 

[westley]

I am currently breaking clays with a £100 Beretta 302  !   Okay, it was bought for spares and not working, but a thorough clean (to within an inch of it's life) a couple of new springs, a spot of welding and it is now breaking clays good style. It even has a homemade  (not by me) drop plate in the back, so I do not know the stock drop and nor do I want to know. I am a firm believer of  "if it works, leave well enough alone" Oh, and it also had a new Kick Eeze pad on the back end when I got it.

 

[TheSherriff70]

One things I’ve noticed in particular is how many new shooters I see carrying ATA shotguns . Also  how much space is devoted on the sales side  to these models . I think it’s a positive move ,  as one of the barriers to entry into clay shooting is the initial capital outlay.

The fact that a beginner can dip their toe in the water for £600  and get a decent new gun is indeed a good thing and can only be good for the future of our sport  .

Clay shooting isn’t just about the 25,000 who are registered , it’s about the 10 times that number grass roots shooters who attend a once a month 50 birder  and similar. 

I know two people that have now bought them. Both are very happy with their purchases, and neither have had any faults or issues. The world was slow to accept Skoda and Seat as part of the Volkswagen Audi Group, and I think we are as bad accepting ATA as part of Beretta. 
 

 

[El Spavo]

Is it part of Beretta? I thought they just bought the copyrights to the SP designs when they ran out and made their own version?