Has anyone here ever shot a PIGEON ?

[Easy 10]

Of the CLAY variety, that is ?

My lovely daughter bought me a Groupon voucher for a Clay Pigeon Shooting experience in FINDON for Crimbo (and there's me thinking they only did budget tickets for desperate, ailing football clubs in decrepid stadiums with dwindling support).

Anyhoo, I'm all booked up for 27th January. I've never shot a gun in my LIFE, but I am extremely proficient at the skeet shooting in Sonic and Mario at the Olympics on the Wii. How different can it be ?

Should I go out and invest in a tweed jacket with green velvet elbows, a cloth cap and some wellies ? Should I discard my chin ? Will I need a BEAGLE ?

I get 30 pigeons to shoot at. I'll be honest, if I hit ONE of them I will go away utterly delighted (extra pigeons are available for a quid each). Anyone done it then ? Is it HARD ?


PULL

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I shot one with an old, not very powerful air rifle when I was about 12. I winged then - then thought I ought to finish it off to stop its suffering. In the end I think it died of lead poisoning.

 

[Beach Hut]

Make sure you pull the gun into your shoulder otherwise is hurts like f*** afterwards

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Apparently you have to shoot ahead of the flight (or trajectory).

 

[pipkin112]

Myself and a few mates went there last year, had great fun. The guy who took us round was very patient and very helpful.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

It's great fun trap shooting,shotguns do have bit of a kick depending on the make.
Don't let anyone persuade you to let the traps go without a good bit of training though, I did this once and shattered my kneecap.

 

[Bigbelly]

I shot four with a shot gun. felt really bad afterwards. sorry.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I have. I went to an army ball and the next day, my Major friend arranged a shoot for us. I was quite smug beating two army fellows over the course of 8 different 'environments'.

Bloody good fun, but make sure you stuff in the ear plugs. I have next to no hearing left and it still made my brain rattle somewhat. As Beach Hut said, keep the gun and your shoulder as one.

Quite easy to get the hang of. Don't shoot your load too early and don't leave it too late.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

I shot one with an old, not very powerful air rifle when I was about 12. I winged then - then thought I ought to finish it off to stop its suffering. In the end I think it died of lead poisoning.

I didn't realise clay suffered from lead poisoning. You learn something new every day on 'ere.

ps You should go for the East End Gangsta look on the day, Easy. If anybody gives you any grief, you can threaten to blow their kneecaps off innit.

OI! FACKING GIVE US ANNUVA 30, YOU SLAG.

 

[ArcticBlue]

Puuuuul

 

[Ninja Elephant]

 

[Matrix10]

A few of us were invited out twice last summer to a fun shoot with a top instructor in clay shooting, although he only had time to give us the basics, it was a fantastic day out. I was used to rifle shooting and keeping one eye closed, but with shotguns, if your eyesight is good you keep both eyes open and look up the barrel and sight at the target and virtually forget the site on the gun. A superb day out with a great crowd of blokes.

 

[Lord Bamber]

Of the CLAY variety, that is ?

My lovely daughter bought me a Groupon voucher for a Clay Pigeon Shooting experience in FINDON for Crimbo (and there's me thinking they only did budget tickets for desperate, ailing football clubs in decrepid stadiums with dwindling support).

Anyhoo, I'm all booked up for 27th January. I've never shot a gun in my LIFE, but I am extremely proficient at the skeet shooting in Sonic and Mario at the Olympics on the Wii. How different can it be ?

Should I go out and invest in a tweed jacket with green velvet elbows, a cloth cap and some wellies ? Should I discard my chin ? Will I need a BEAGLE ?

I get 30 pigeons to shoot at. I'll be honest, if I hit ONE of them I will go away utterly delighted (extra pigeons are available for a quid each). Anyone done it then ? Is it HARD ?


PULL

Its great but as has been said above, keep the gun pulled in and shoot ahead of the trajectory.

 

[Dr Q]

I go clay pigeon regularly, great fun. As many have said, get the gun right in at the shoulder and you'll barely feel a thing (they'll use low power/recoil cartridges as well). Eye and ear protection essential, although it'll all be supplied. Don't think about the target too long, its surprising the limited range of a shotgun.

(oh, and no need to buy a beagle, they're a hound not a gundog, good for chasing foxes etc, not much good at retreiving a dead clay )

Hope you have a great time.

 

[SeagullSongs]

It really isn't difficult.
I went for the first time ever a couple of years back, and hit all of my first 8 clays...
Although after that I didn't hit very many, it's much more difficult when they're coming in your direction.
Never think you know better than the instructor, that was my downfall...

Oh, and don't touch the barrel after firing. It's f***ing hot.

 

[jakarta]

Did a Charity Shoot a few years ago near Colgate and hammered a lot of trees without harming too many of the clay pigeons - eventually realised shotguns emit a 'cone' of fire and my piss poor marksmanship improved a tad

Ended up at the Dragon at Lunchtime for a Curry & several Beers and as mentioned was for Charidee so a good day out all in in all.

And yes, tuck the gun hard in to your shoulder or you will know about it next day!

 

[crasher]

Did this a few years ago and was surprised (a) by how enjoyable it was and (b) how easy it is to hit the things.

There are different degrees of difficulty because they can fire up and over you (easy) away from you (hard) and there are different kinds of cartridge I think which spread pellets over a wider or narrower arc.

If you've got a good instructor they'll have you and up and running in 5 minutes or so.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I, also, once stuck my fingers up the rectum of a pigeon. Not a random pigeon, a dead one. My father was a keen archaelogist and I got roped into being a member of the Young Sussex Archaeological Society (YSAS!). There was a Roman day and part of the festivities was eating as they ate and I was ushered into a tent to gut a pigeon, before cooking it.

I didn't eat it. It didn't feel right eating the old bird having been so intimate with it.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I once stuck my fingers up the rectum of a pigeon.

No further questions, M'Lud,

 

[Hillian1]

Wear ear defenders, or you may just spend the rest of your days listening to a high pitch wine in your ears. I know this as fact.

Also, when you pull the trigger try to have your mouth slightly ajar, this will allow the internal pressure wave to dissipate.

A shotgun, especially a 12 bore, generates an larger explosion than most other hand held firearms.

Have fun.