Clayshooting is an excellent way of keeping your eye in and improving your technique out of season. Of course, it’s also a popular sport in its own right. Whether you want to brush up on your skills, learn to shoot clays or just enjoy a day out on a shooting…
Clayshooting
Image credit: Holland & Holland
Here are all our clayshooting articles in one section – browse through and see what catches your eye.
If you’re a beginner we’ve advice on the best shotgun to start shooting clays, how to get into clay pigeon shooting and places to learn.
Want to improve your clayshooting technique?
If you’ve been shooting clays for a while but think there’s room for improvement (and be honest) we’ve tips from expert clay instructors on how to polish your technique and how to get out of any bad habits you may have fallen into.
You might not be George Digweed but you can certainly learn how to improve your scores, as we show you here. We also offer some tips on the gear to wear when you’re on the clay ground.
We have videos on clay pigeon shooting to watch and a roundup of clay pigeon shooting grounds.
Clayshooting guns | Clay pigeon cartridges | Improve your clayshooting | Clay pigeon shooting grounds |Clothes for shooting clays
Maybe it’s time to give it a try? Trap shooting explained
This article is not meant to be a masterclass on trap shooting, more rather trap shooting explained to encourage you to give it a go if you haven’t tried it. Trap shooting is one of the formal clay shooting disciplines and at its highest level an Olympic sport. Most people…
Why you should give Sporting clays a try
This article is not a masterclass in Sporting clays, but rather an overview to explain what it involves to encourage you to give it a go. Any calibre If you already use a shotgun, then you will probably be fine to shoot Sporting clays. You can use any calibre (12-bore…
Hesitation. A common mistake amongst new shooters. Here’s how to avoid it.
Hesitation is a common shooting problem. While teaching my wife to shoot some years ago, she noticed that the person in front of her, shooting a simple going away target, was waiting way too long, or as some would say “hanging” on the target, only to miss when they did…
Clayshooting grounds just an hour from London
Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to shoot clays or need to brush up your technique with some lessons before going out in the field again, a trip to a clayshooting ground is always a good idea. We’ve picked out a selection of clay pigeon shooting grounds near London and…
20 things you should know about George Digweed
George was born in Hastings in 1964 He started shooting around the age of 12 He was awarded an MBE in 2009 He was introduced to clayshooting by his grandfather He is considered to be the most complete Shot in the game by competitors He is listed in Wisden for…
Getting around a clay ground in a wheelchair
Disabled sport’s profile has risen hugely in recent years, partly driven by the success of British athletes in the Paralympics. I was therefore interested to see how far the disability sport revolution had reached into fieldsports. I sought out some of the UK’s leading practitioners from the worlds of clayshooting,…
A sure-fire way to improve your shooting skills
I have recommended Skeet before as a great discipline to help hone our shooting skills. It offers a wide variation of angles with predictable target speeds and trajectories, which are so important to help us learn and practice. After all, there is little point in using targets that vary and…
Coloured safety glass lenses and targets for clayshooters
My wife bought me a set of clay shooting glasses with different coloured lenses as a birthday present recently.
How to deal with teal targets – a step by step guide
Would you suggest shooting teal on the way up, or on the way down? I don't hit many as they rise, but other shooters make it look really easy. Can you give me any tips please?
Get that grouse – nailing those low, fast targets
A low driven target catches more shooters out than you would expect. A fast target simulating grouse, the wild moorland bird, is not only low and fast but, to add to your difficulties, you might find yourself down in a pit or in a grouse butt. This means the target…
Top techniques for different clays
Interception technique The first method that Graham looked at was the interception technique, which is a simple method. Graham took Giacomo to a simple slow teal target. Graham says, “Interception here is working on one plane, taking the gun to the point of the shot and with very little…
Which clay pigeon shooting discipline is easiest?
A gun club near my home does DTL and Automatic Ball Trap shooting. I’m in the process of buying my first gun and would like to know which of these games is easiest to master?
Manual or automatic clay pigeon trap. Which should you choose?
So you’ve got a piece of land and you’re wanting to break some clays. You’ve got a sensible budget. You’re not going completely wild but you’ve set aside £1,500. What do you need to know and which clay target thrower is best for you? First, you need to make sure…
How to hit the rabbit clay target
Shotgun instruction: Even if you’re an experienced AA-class shooter, it can still be a tricky job to smash EVERY rabbit clay target.
What’s the best clay cartridge for success?
Limits for different disciplines, speed … read on to discover what you need to know about the best clay cartridges for your purposes Q. How much shot? A. For the ruling on maximum shot loads and sizes for each discpline, take a look at the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association’s Booklet.…
How to hit a single driven clay
What I am looking for in a beginner is preferably a calm personality, but in keeping with all shooters, they need to have a good understanding of timing, which is vital. They also need to be able to process information without any panic or haste. It is my job as…
Chokes for gameshooting and clays – what’s best
I have a Lanber 30-inch multichoke, and wonder what the best choke is for all-round shooting. I am constantly chopping and changing when clay shooting!
22 important points you should know BEFORE organising a charity clay day
With thanks to the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) for its help in compiling this key advice. Get a Section 11(6) permission under the 1968 Firearms Act from your local police firearms department. This allows non-certificate holders to be in possession of ammunition and a shotgun under supervision. Most police…
Secrets of successful clayshooting
Learn how to hit more targets by understanding the physics of clay pigeon shooting