Does anyone on here do clay shooting?

[WhackyWill]

I forgot to ask - what type of ear defenders do people recommend? I didn't like the ones the instructor gave me. It may just have been my innate clumsiness when mounting the gun but I kept knocking them off my ears and it was really annoying. I don't think ear plugs alone are recommended but is there anything else that is smaller than normal ear defenders?

 

I use ear plugs from these people..

 

http://www.audiofit.co.uk/custom-made-earplugs-for-shooting-sports.html

[ChrisS]

Well If I had known so many shoot.

It could have been thought about and discussed of on previous Wales meets.

 

http://www.fauxdegla...ngground.co.uk/

 

But the bad bit is you'd have to drive the 'Horseshoe Pass' to get there.

[maddog1982]

GOt both my firearms and shotgun licence. Got given a gorgeous Beretta 682 gold E with 32inch barrels for my 30th. Not shot in a while due to shoulder surgery though.

[ed divine]

Glad you posted this Annie, I went with afew friends from a groupon tickets last week and im hooked now.

[twobears]

You're welcome nimbus I find I am 'buzzing' afterwards and desperate to get back to the shooting ground

[-Bradders-]

Funny story with me and shooting, i went once, many moons ago, i was asked on arrival have i been before. i said no which i hadn't, anyway they showed me the ropes etc..

 

First go, pullll..... BANG boom! smashed it to pieces first go, was like fu*kk yeahh im an olympic champion in the making...

 

 

Missed the other 19

[rabbitstew]

I'm thinking about a Beretta silver pigeon but my instructor says he's happy to come to the gun dealer with me to make sure I get a gun that really fits and he can also get me some discount. I'm a bit wary about buying privately because I don't know enough about guns yet. Daughter normally shoots with a 20 bore but has been using instructor's 12 bore and is shooting well with it so I might have a go with it too and see what I think.

 

The Silver Pigeon is a nice gun but do your research on them, they have been out for donkeys years and so there are so many different models over the years. Try and find out what year it was made etc. Also, ideally get a multi choke gun as it means you can use it for more things - although in practise most people tend to just leave the same chokes in it all the time.

 

I actually went out to a gun shop at one point to buy a silver pigeon. I already have a Beretta A391 Semi Auto and it was getting "frowned upon" by some of the posh types at the clay ground as most people seem to use an over/under. I walked in the shop with a grand in my pocket and after trying a few for size actually went for a lovely Lanber o/u sportster which cost about £600 if I remember rightly. It just fitted me perfect.

 

Ive about 11 or 12 shotguns now, all sorts, ranging from a Hushpower pump action .410 through to a Churchill ribbed AYA XXV o/u but my favourite by far is a 43 year old Sabel side by side 12 bore which cost me just £60!. It has tight chokes as its more for game, no butt pad, and its only got a 26inch barrel - current "fashion" is for 30inch or longer. But,with this £60 gun i just find I can seem to hit anything. Its amazing. So I find my much much more expensive guns are left sitting there whilst this old banger gun gets all the use.

 

Guess point im making is that you dont need to buy a beretta or browning or spend loads of cash on a gun.

 

A lot of women do shoot with 20bores, they seem to be popular. Might be because the guns probably slighty lighter/smaller and maybe suits a female frame more, but tbh I find most people can just get on with a 12 bore fine. If the recoil is too much then firstly check that its fitting you right, and secondly you can always drop from a 28g cartridge down to 24g or even 21g without affecting much on the skeet range. One reason I went for the beretta semi originally was that semi`s have hardly any recoil, plus you get 3 shots!

 

Cabinet wise, id expect it highly unlikely the police will refuse you a license and they do like to look at the cabinet & location before they hand over the license normally, although it does depend on the FEO in question. I never once had an FEO want to check my cabinet or guns until I moved house 4 years back, then the new guy wanted to check every single little thing. Id recommend a brattonsound cabinet like mine, has proper safe like bolts & stuff on it.

[twobears]

Thanks again rabbitstew for such a raft of useful info I will definitely try a 12 bore before making my decision. Because I know nothing about guns (along with many other subjects ) I fully intend to take the instructor with me to get his opinion because I will be well out of my depth, knowledge wise. If I can get a cheaper gun that fits me I'd be quite happy to go down that route. Could even buy my daughter one at the same time if I can pick up a bargain as it is out of season!

 

re the cabinet, I will look at the brattonsound ones and it is a really good idea to get a larger cabinet than I might need initially because I am certainly going to buy my daughter a gun at some point and Mr Twobears might want to get in on the act once he starts spending more time in Yorkshire.