Q: I have started to struggle with hitting two birds on the trot with a slight gap between them. I often kill the first bird and miss the second, is there anything I can do that will help? A: You are clearly doing something right as you say you are…
Improve your clayshooting
How to start clayshooting
So you've decided to venture onto a clay ground with a view to taking up the sport. Congratulations. It's a popular pastime for good reason, as you'll discover.
Techniques and skills for hitting the target
Investigating and improving shooting techniques Going-away targets, low incomers and high crossers are what clayshooters frequently want to investigate and improve, namely walked-up and driven grouse and pheasants. Straight lines The only targets that do not require the shot pattern to be placed ahead of the clay on its flightline…
A beginners’ guide to FITASC clay pigeon shooting
FITASC sporting is a great leveller. If there's any weakness in your clay shooting technique, be it with your gun mounting or swing, this discipline will find it!
Five things to do to get your clayshooting back up to scratch again
After lockdown some of us will have lost our ‘edge’ and will need to improve clayshooting skills again. Almost all of us will be out of practice. Here I will highlight a few of the more common tendencies and unwelcome techniques that are likely to show up and catch us…
Clayshooting grounds just an hour from London
The good news is that many clay grounds have recently reopened after lockdown and more are opening daily. Below we’ve rounded up clay pigeon shooting grounds near London. We’ve marked the ones that are open again at the time of writing. None take longer than an hour to get to…
Exercises for clayshooters
None of us at the moment can get out and shoot as we normally would. There are, however, a few things that we can do to keep our eye in. Hopefully, by the time you read this your local clay ground will be open again but these exercises for clayshooters…
Female Guns out in the field and on the clay ground
Just over 35,000 women in England and Wales hold a shotgun/firearms certificate and official figures show that these numbers are growing annually. This year women are having to forego the get-togethers of National Ladies Shooting Day although many clay grounds have of course recently reopened for business. So as long…
Chokes for gameshooting and clays – what’s best?
When you're out in the field or the clay ground which chokes for gameshooting and clayshooting will give you the best results?
How to read the clay target
Even with the best technique in the world, to succeed at a high level you must be able to size up a target in seconds.
Can I set up clay shooting on my own property?
Can you set up clay pigeon shooting on your own property?
We’ve picked out some of the best clayshooting grounds in the UK
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…
How to deal with eye dominance when shooting
Mary has her eyes opened to a shooting technique that stands accepted thinking – and teaching – well and truly on its head
So you want to get into shooting? Here’s how to start …
If you are looking to get into shooting of any kind, this easy guide will give you plenty of hints and tips
Key clay pigeon shooting tips for both the beginner and the seasoned shooter
Understand the jargon heard on the clay shooting ground with Mark Russell's tips for shooting beginners
TOP TIPS: How to shoot a high bird
Many shooters, irrespective of whether they're into clays or game, often struggle to hit high birds
How to shoot long range targets and high birds
Clay shooting lessons: How to shoot long range targets and high birds! Mark Russell looks at evaluating long range and high targets.
Why should you move the gun with your whole body?
Why do you and other instructors make a point of stressing the gun should be moved by the whole body, particularly when shooting crossers and quartering birds?
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…
How much forward allowance do you need to give?
Shooting tips from coach Mark Russell. Here he takes a look at forward allowance, and turning sight pictures into words.