Clay / Game Shooters

Snap

Rocker said:

There has been a number of posts with very negative comments about shooting game.  These comments, while being understandable, reveal a complete ignorance on the realities of farming and living (as opposed to sleeping) in the countryside.  A farmer has a certain amount of land at his disposal.  On that land he has to earn enough to pay the bills, feed his family and put something by for a rainy day/the future.  Every possible income source has to be looked at and evaluated.  Things like Eco Farms, yoghurt making, preserves, cheese making, cider production, Christmas trees etc.  These extras are small compared to the main business of the farm: cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, turkeys & geese for the Christmas market, Deer, grain, vegetable production and so on.  Margins are tight so one or two main activities plus a couple of fringe activities are usually enough to keep the farm business afloat.

Game shooting is another fringe activity.  Most farms are not large enough to cater for the needs of a game shoot, so a number of adjoining farms get together and, usually, lease the shooting rights of those lands to a Game shooting syndicate.  This comes at a price to the farmer as no shooting syndicate would be interested in leasing vast open areas of land.  The syndicate want hedges, copses, small (around an acre or so) areas of root or game crops to hold the birds and an area for pens for the rearing and releasing of the game birds.  The syndicate members pay an annual (usually fairly substantial) fee to join the syndicate and often a number of days are sold to help finance the running of the syndicate.

The syndicate hires a gamekeeper to rear the chicks to releasing age and to feed the birds every day.  Also to control vermin who try to avail of the handy pickings in the pens.  Casual labour is employed for drives and pickup after shoots, an unused barn can be availed of to be used as a meeting place for the shooters and somewhere to partake of lunch (which is often served by the farmers family).  So a lot of people are involved in the shoot in one capacity or another.  This brings in cash to the farmers, always in the depths of Winter when cashflow is a serious problem.  The casual labour (beaters etc) benefit likewise.  As do gunsmiths and clothing suppliers to a lesser degree.

The shoots are extremely well organised, not from the viewpoint of maximum kill but safety and sporting shots.  A lot more birds are missed than shot at shoots.  The shooters themselves are not blood thirsty demons who run across the country shooting everything that moves.  Far from it, all are extremely concerned at the welfare of the birds and the devastation of the countryside caused by endless motorways and airports and the ever increasing number of factory farms.  Farms where hedgerows and woods are removed to make ever larger fields at the expense of the local wildlife.  Farms where results mean everything and to hell with the consequences.

What would happen if shooting game is abolished tomorrow?  In the short term almost nothing.  But in the longer term, our countryside will become less interesting due to the increase in factory farms.  Farmers, who lease their lands to shoots at the present time, will have to find an alternative source of additional income, the casual labour will have to manage without the small cash boost got from shoots, the gun trade will diminish even further.  Ultimately we all will lose out.

Our countryside, including hedgerows, bird life and wild animals, is not ours to do with it as we please.  We hold it in trust for future generations.  We have an obligation to pass as much of it as possible on to our children and their children.

You are entirely missing the point. Killing things for sport, not to eat, is IMO morally reprehensible. I don't care about who makes what living out of it, it's irrelevant. You can't justify something (if you believe it is wrong, which I do) by saying people's livelihoods depend on it. By the same argument, can we justify these people who kill magnificent big game in Africa? 

My family has a few farmers in it, mostly in Ireland actually. I live in the middle of a few. Not one of them is a fan of blood sports. 

S56035

Evilmags said:

Most game gets eaten, tastes better than supermarket meat and is a fun day out.

Well at least someone is happy to admit that they get pleasure from the act of killing rather than trying to dress it up as something else.  Quite an apt username too.

LastMantra

Just be careful with that pistol. Might be worth talking to neighbours etc, don't want armed police all over your house!

I used to be a great shot with air rifles/pistols and targets, but I tried clay once and was rubbish! Probably takes a bit of practice, I wasn't even sure where I should be aiming. 

Rocker

LastMantra said:

Just be careful with that pistol. Might be worth talking to neighbours etc, don't want armed police all over your house!

I used to be a great shot with air rifles/pistols and targets, but I tried clay once and was rubbish! Probably takes a bit of practice, I wasn't even sure where I should be aiming. 

You don’t aim a shotgun, you point it at the target. This is a big departure from rifle or air gun shooting. 

Look at something in the distance. Assuming you are right handed, point your left arm with a straight index finger at that object. You will automatically point at it. 

jonnyburgo

I was Army cadets champ at target shooting, although that was with a WW2 Lee Enfield 303 in the 80s. Ridiculously powerful weapon for its age. 

yorkio

Rocker said:

LastMantra said:

Just be careful with that pistol. Might be worth talking to neighbours etc, don't want armed police all over your house!

I used to be a great shot with air rifles/pistols and targets, but I tried clay once and was rubbish! Probably takes a bit of practice, I wasn't even sure where I should be aiming. 

You don’t aim a shotgun, you point it at the target. This is a big departure from rifle or air gun shooting. 

Look at something in the distance. Assuming you are right handed, point your left arm with a straight index finger at that object. You will automatically point at it. 

It's been a while now but I always have a go at the clays at game fairs and the one thing I always notice is how my shooting steadily gets worse the more I think about it. If I just swing and shoot, I'm not too bad, but if I even think about aiming then I can't hit a thing.

Shrews

@Rocker ; @LastMantra ;

Thanks for that info, both good advice. I hadn't really thought too much about the ricochet other than the target holder is a 'pellet collector' which of course is assuming I hit the target 

I have an old shed, which I don't really use and is just a dumping ground for various things not used for years, so was thinking of setting something up inside and firing through the open doors!

LastMantra

Shrews said:

@Rocker ; @LastMantra ;

Thanks for that info, both good advice. I hadn't really thought too much about the ricochet other than the target holder is a 'pellet collector' which of course is assuming I hit the target 

I have an old shed, which I don't really use and is just a dumping ground for various things not used for years, so was thinking of setting something up inside and firing through the open doors!

Just in case I wasn't clear, even walking around, with what looks like a real gun, could have the curtain twitchers phoning the fuzz. 
A friends son was shooting an air pistol on the beach with his mates and someone phoned the police. They weren't happy at all. Still classed as a firearm as far as I know. 

LastMantra

Rocker said:

LastMantra said:

Just be careful with that pistol. Might be worth talking to neighbours etc, don't want armed police all over your house!

I used to be a great shot with air rifles/pistols and targets, but I tried clay once and was rubbish! Probably takes a bit of practice, I wasn't even sure where I should be aiming. 

You don’t aim a shotgun, you point it at the target. This is a big departure from rifle or air gun shooting. 

Look at something in the distance. Assuming you are right handed, point your left arm with a straight index finger at that object. You will automatically point at it. 

Wasn't sure if I should be pointing straight at it or a bit in front or if speed and wind would effect things. The clays were being launched from up on a hill behind a wee spinney of trees which maybe made it harder.

Also I am right handed but shoot left because I can only wink with one eye 

I was getting better but didn't have enough time at it.

zepp76

Shrews said:

@Rocker ; @LastMantra ;

Thanks for that info, both good advice. I hadn't really thought too much about the ricochet other than the target holder is a 'pellet collector' which of course is assuming I hit the target 

I have an old shed, which I don't really use and is just a dumping ground for various things not used for years, so was thinking of setting something up inside and firing through the open doors!

Yep, clues in the name pellet catcher. It’s designed so lead pellets will flatten on impact and drop into the bottom. Steel BB’s can and will ricochet, and they can ricochet at a fair rate of knots with the accuracy to hit you straight in the bell end, don’t ask me how I know. 

zepp76

LastMantra said:

Shrews said:

@Rocker ; @LastMantra ;

Thanks for that info, both good advice. I hadn't really thought too much about the ricochet other than the target holder is a 'pellet collector' which of course is assuming I hit the target 

I have an old shed, which I don't really use and is just a dumping ground for various things not used for years, so was thinking of setting something up inside and firing through the open doors!

Just in case I wasn't clear, even walking around, with what looks like a real gun, could have the curtain twitchers phoning the fuzz. 
A friends son was shooting an air pistol on the beach with his mates and someone phoned the police. They weren't happy at all. Still classed as a firearm as far as I know. 

Yes it’s completely illegal and a firearms offence to carry or use an air rifle/pistol or BB gun in a public place or anywhere that you don’t have the land owners permission to do so. And it will usually end up with you having a knock at the door by an irate man carrying an H&K MP5 or Glock sidearm. They don’t send out your local friendly plod to firearms offences.

Shrews

I won't be taking it anywhere apart from my back garden and will be warning Ann next door.  She likes her wine, so will probably have a shoot herself after a couple of glasses. I think I might give casualty a heads-up rather than the police. 

Dominic

jonnyburgo said:

I was Army cadets champ at target shooting, although that was with a WW2 Lee Enfield 303 in the 80s. Ridiculously powerful weapon for its age. 

Me too ,same era ;I had a Marksman ranking and an applique on my uniform of a rifle with a Crown on top

Dominic

We had somebody shooting illegally here on the farm ,not a member of the Syndicate ,shooting a rimfire Rifle at Muntjac.A couple of the Gun Club members in the syndicate are Plod firearms unit .
You've never seen an armed response vehicle arrive so quickly !

M1ck

In reply to the OPs question I partake though not much this year, the club I go to has followed the guidelines to the letter and gone above and beyond to ensure participants were/are as safe as possible. I don’t take part in any form of hunting or shooting of animals/birds, and don’t like blood ‘sports’ such as fox hunting or hare coursing. 

Shrews

Whilst touring the southern states recently I chanced upon a shooting range in Williams Arizona, where I was able to fire a 'real' Colt 1911 GI Pistol and even more awesome a Thompson Automatic Submachine Gun (Tommy Gun).

Cost a bomb, but was absolutely awesome.  Looking at the target I would've killed to the body and taken out a few bystanders too.  I can understand why the Americans are fond of them. Unbelievable power. 

https://gunfighter.com/flagstaff-williams-gun-range-packages/tommy-gun-williams

underdog

I have one of those CO2 pistols on the farm, great fun but the clip jams a lot and the CO2 needs changing every few clips.

So my wife bought me an air rifle for my birthday, me and my son have a decent target range coming on and it's a great way to kill an hour at the end of a busy day. Also started to try and use a slingshot a bit, that's tough going. 

zepp76

underdog said:

I have one of those CO2 pistols on the farm, great fun but the clip jams a lot and the CO2 needs changing every few clips.

So my wife bought me an air rifle for my birthday, me and my son have a decent target range coming on and it's a great way to kill an hour at the end of a busy day. Also started to try and use a slingshot a bit, that's tough going. 

Watch this chaps videos, it will really help you with your catapult shooting.

https://youtu.be/V4pNoOOfaK8

underdog

zepp76 said:

underdog said:

I have one of those CO2 pistols on the farm, great fun but the clip jams a lot and the CO2 needs changing every few clips.

So my wife bought me an air rifle for my birthday, me and my son have a decent target range coming on and it's a great way to kill an hour at the end of a busy day. Also started to try and use a slingshot a bit, that's tough going. 

Watch this chaps videos, it will really help you with your catapult shooting.

https://youtu.be/V4pNoOOfaK8

I actually hit a couple of targets today with it from about 20 metres, was happy with that, missed many more times but was always in the rough area of the target at least.

Will have a look at the link with a cuppa later, cheers.