Coach Mark Russell of Grimsthorpe Shooting Ground gives us a guide to shooting grouse targets.
Instruction
If you’re looking for instructions on how to improve your shooting or maintain your shotgun or rifle then you’ve come to the right place.
This section offers advice from the finest professionals and shooting aces in the country, gun manufacturers and gunsmiths.
It covers everything from how a gun works, to shooting psychology, the anatomy of a shotgun and gun fit.
You’ll also learn how to deal with shooting in bad weather and how to shoot under pressure.
Shooting gun up. What are the pros and cons?
Shooting with your gun ready at the shoulder - also known as 'gun up' - is a sensible option. But it's not appropriate for all targets
Lead when shooting: here’s how to get it right
How to get the right lead when shooting We’ve all been there. You’re in the field on a shoot day and it’s simply not working out. “Give it more lead,” your pal tells you, and he should know — he did an instructor’s course and hasn’t stopped talking about everything…
Gundog training equipment: here’s what a top trainer says you’ll need
Kitting yourself out with gundog training equipment before the season? Tony runs through his own list of ‘must have’ essentials.
A shooting lesson. Why we can all benefit from one.
What I really want – a shooting lesson I was asked recently what I would like for my birthday. I thought about this while the usual suspects whistled through my imagination. Aston Martin DB6 shooting brake, pair of Woodward hammerguns, a week at the grouse and more besides. It was,…
10 common mistakes people make when they start shooting (and how to correct them)
Do these common mistakes sound familiar? 1. Poor stance For a novice their instinct is to address where the target is coming from rather than having the body in a comfortable position where they intend to break the target / kill the bird. For a clay shooting they can address…
How to improve your visual focus on the clay target
Often my pupils come to me with the request that they need to do something to help them focus on the clay target. So when I am giving a lesson on this, here’s what I run through. (Here’s a run down of the different clay targets and how to deal…
How to be a better Shot
All of us would probably like to admit that we’d like to be a better Shot than we are. We might have been shooting out in the field for years, but there is always room for improvement. Refining our technique is something we should all work on. I thought it…
Get better at game on clays
It’s that time of year when an invitation to shoot rolls into the inbox and stings the average game Shot into confronting the fact they haven’t picked up a gun in something approaching a year. In the age of COVID-19, that might even be two years for some of us,…
Tips for night vision shooting
Night vision shooting has seen tremendous technological advances in recent years, such as equipment becoming smaller and lighter. Although the equipment works in any weather, cold nights give the best results for night vision shooting; rainy nights can make the image seem pixellated or indistinct. (Read our review of the…
Walked-up shooting and the going away bird
For clay pigeon shooting enthusiasts and game shooters alike, walked-up shooting is making more and more sense. Here is how to prepare for typical going away targets.
Swinging the gun – how to improve your technique
Looking at all things swing related - and how getting it right can increase the number of targets you hit.
How to learn the maintained style of shooting
Sporting Gun's shooting instructor shows how the maintained lead style of shooting could increase your scores and give you the 'X' factor.
Crosser clay targets – here’s how to shoot them
The clay that's crossing in front of the stand is probably one of the most common targets you’re ever likely to encounter on an English sporting layout
English Sporting clays. Here’s what you need to know.
Top coach Russell Mark looks at a few typical English Sporting targets that will help on game shoots
Clay shooting: How to hit battue clays
Clay shooting: Mark Russell of Grimsthorpe SG reveals how to hit that loopiest of targets - the battue.
Becoming a good all-round Shot: here’s what you won’t learn on the peg
What does it take to become a good all-round Shot? We can all advise accordingly on how to improve your shooting, whether that be practice, finding the right instructor for lessons or having your gun fitted. But there are things that can’t be learned at a clay ground or standing…
Shooting with both eyes open – why it’s something to aim for
Out of season is the ideal time to work on improving your shooting technique and one of the questions I get asked frequently is about shooting with both eyes open. One eye or two? There are two different ways of shooting — monocular versus binocular — which basically means with…
Practising for the next shooting season
For many, it must feel like you haven’t picked up a gun for months. For many game Shots, this could be the case, especially with the season being affected by COVID-19. Covid is no excuse for not picking up the gun, nor is a disjointed season. Regardless of what has…
How to find the right shooting coach
In these strange times while we’re all still in lockdown, some of you may have found yourselves thinking about how to improve your shooting, as and when we can get back to some sort of normality. Shooting instructors This is a subject that infuriates the proper professionals. It is a…