Clays2Game_lady

I do sometimes wonder, if my shooting journey, is destined to be a one based on comedy of errors. 

I was invited to, and have accomplished my first ever SIM day (Simulated Game Day); for those who have never shot a SIM day, or heard of one, it’s basically hundreds of clays sent out all out once during each drive, whilst you are stood on a peg, trying to smash as many as you can, and frantically re-load your gun; I cheated slightly and roped in a experienced game shooter and loader to be a my peg partner, as he could load for me and save me time. This was a partnership which was working well, until one drive, where I was not paying close enough attention to how quick he was (or this case wasn’t) loading, and I caught his fingers in my gun as I closed it… 

The day took part on one of THE hottest days of this year so far, which just added to the intensity of the day, and it was an early start for me; which is never good for someone who is not a morning person at all, whereas my partner for the day, is! 

The first ‘comedy moment’, was playing spot the odd one out with the vehicles, everyone else had turned up in a 4×4, and there was me and my peg partner; in my trusty Seat Ibiza. I would just like to confirm, it managed to get ‘off road’ just as well as those in 4×4’s did! 

I had decided to leave my trusty old 12bore Lanber at home, and take my new Grade 5 Miroku MK38 out, and give her a proper outing. In hindsight, I think a few ‘gentle’ sessions at the clay ground to ease us into our new partnership would have been better! 

The day was based in a  shoot in a quarry in Rutland, and the drives were to simulate Partridge’s been driven over us from the tops of the quarry, and the Partridge is a game bird I’ve not yet had the opportunity to shoot in real life, so I had no idea what these drives and clays were going to like; in short- fast and small! 

It was decided between me and my peg partner, that I would shoot first (ladies first apparently), and it was with more than a small amount of trepidation that I stepped up and waiting for the horn to blow, which signalled the start of the drive. The peg we had picked, unfortunately meant we had the full glare of the sun, and so I missed most of the clays that were within my (comfortable) range of shooting, and I was glad to swop over to my partner, who struggled as much as I did.  

A quick break was had, and then we went down into the quarry, which gave us much needed shade from the sun, but also seemed to attract horse flies-which took no hesitation in taking 3 samples from me! 

After 2 drives, my shirt was stuck to me, my arms ached from the weight of my gun and I had burnt my hand/fingers more than once on hot barrels; they were getting hot anyway from the amount of cartridges we were putting through them, but the heat from the sun added an extra layer of inferno to them. The one blessing we did have, was I had planned ahead and had 2 cool bags full of either iced water or bottles of ice, and they were a relief to have on the back of your neck, or to cool burnt fingers! 

Lunch was a much welcomed break to be able to sit down and keep cool, and prepare for the last 2 drives of the day, the last one of which is called ‘The Alamo’ – where all the guns line up, and aim to break all the clays sent; if they succeed, the team gets the day for free. 

Refreshed from lunch, we headed back down into the quarry, where my peg partner and the 2 guns on the second peg up from us, decided to engage in some ‘friendly poaching’ of each other’s clays, much to the amusement of the  gamekeeper of the shoot, who had also commented on how quick my peg partner could load! I think at one point, my partner did tell me to ‘shoot quicker!’  

Alas, I have to admit, I pulled out of taking part in the ‘Alamo’ , I had rushed mounting my gun more than once during some of the drives, which had resulted in a bruise starting to make an appearance on my cheek, and a very bruised shoulder which was making me wince and flinch, so I took stepped back and was able to watch the rest of the team do their thing; we didn’t beat the clays! 

I do not think I have ever been quite so glad to get back to my car and sit in it, with the air con on full, and I had thrown a clean shirt in the back to change into, which made the drive home more pleasant for me. 

Having completed my first SIM day, I have to admit, I do not think I would do another one anytime soon. I much prefer the usually sedate pace of being sat in a pigeon hide or the predictability of being on a stand at my local ground, but they are certainly a good ‘game sharpener’ if you want to get some fast and furious practice in before the game season starts , and a good team building exercise/social if you can get a full team of guns together that you know. 

In the summer of 2019, I started to step away from just shooting clays and ventured into learning to shoot pigeons from a hide; I initially came across Steve Caple on Twitter, we got chatting about pest control and shooting, and he kindly invited me out one evening to shadow him, while he carried out some pest control on the local golf course. He also set up an area where I could safely have a go at shooting some targets with his rifle, and it has to be said, I am more a shotgun lady (aka I don’t have the patience to be a rifle shooter!)   

Now our first few outing in the hide that first summer, the only thing I did shoot was many photos and got a very good tan! Mainly through lack of confidence, experience and an unsuitable gun (yes, the trusty old Beretta 682). I also got tangled/caught in the net many times, which Steve had warned me I would , and a few fair of my misses, were because I was too busy sitting having a cuppa and watching the world go by, instead of concentrating on the pigeons coming in, but I gained experience of being out in the field instead of on a clay ground, using a different load and gram of cartridge compared to what I used for clays (I normally use Hull Comp X 21g for clays, but our choice for actual pigeon shooting is the Eley Pigeon Select) and build a great friendship with Steve, which carries on to this day. Those summer days spent in the hide, also gave me a good foundation to build on and prepare me for my game days that were to follow later that year. 

Steve was soon teaching me how to lay out the decoys, how to set up the hide, species identification and I looked forward to our afternoon sat out in the hide, and as the summer drew to a close, so did our outings. Steve was disappointed I had not yet bagged myself any pigeons, but we said there was always next year; little did we know what 2020 would have in store for us all! 

At the start of 2020, and after struggling through 2 game days with my trusty old Beretta, I finally admitted defeat and bought a new gun, a 12b Lanber with shorter barrels that was also a lot lighter, and was looking forward to getting back out with Steve in the hide. And then Covid hit. 

My guns gathered dust in the cabinet, and I could only count down the weeks until they could come back out again and escape back to the clay grounds and fields. 

As soon as restrictions were lifted, I was back out at Sporting Targets and went through so many cartridges in one session; I had a sore shoulder the next day, but also had a huge smile, and did not waste any time in asking Steve when we could get back out in the hide, and on the first opportunity we got, we headed out; me equipped with my new gun, determined that today would be THE day, and also of course, brought along my flask of tea and cake! 

We set up and the decoys and hide, and didn’t have to wait long for the pigeons to start to be drawn in, Steve had success at first and then it was my turn. I was perched on my seat, peering through the netting, ready to pop up and take the shot. A handful of pigeons started to drop in; Steve gave me the nod, I popped up, gun in my shoulder, and *click*- I had left my safety on! By the time I had figured that out, the birds had long gone and I sat down to the sound of Steve quietly laughing at the look of frustration and annoyance on my face. I had just started to pour myself a cuppa when I spotted the next few pigeons coming in, I had to make the quick decision of if to let Steve take these and have my cuppa, or abandon the tea and see if I had any luck; the tea lost!  

This time I ensured my safety was off and success! I bagged myself my first pigeon. In my delight and excitement, I nearly leapt into Steve’s lap and he had to tell me to sit down and calm down or I would scare the rest of the birds off for the day. Lady luck stayed with me that afternoon and my total bag was six, enough to easily turn them into a stir-fry for our dinner that night and in keeping with our ‘field to fork’ ethic. 

Our next time out on the pigeons was a bit different, after sharing my success and enthusiasm on twitter, I was approached by another true country gent,; Matt Limb, who asked if I was interested in doing a video interview/short film about pigeon shooting and how I had got into shooting. 

Matt is a fantastic photographer, and has done a few other interviews for his Youtube channel, so it was honour to be asked to be involved, and of course, Steve would feature in it with me. We managed to arrange a date that suited all three of us, and although Steve is an old pro at being filmed, I was incredibly nervous, but Matt is such an easy going gent, I soon forgot he was there. We had a successful afternoon filming me setting up the decoys and discussing the layout with Steve, and taking shots , and then we set up for the one to one interview with me; at which point, I ended up sprawled in the ditch, as the stool I about to sit on, blew over in the wind. Matt and Steve; in between laughing at me, were good enough to pull me back up onto my feet and check I was ok. 

The interview with Matt went really well, he made me feel so at ease that I didn’t struggle to think about what to say or feel like I had been put on the spot, and the interview was uploaded to Matt’s Youtube channel a few weeks later as well as being shared to social media sites, and it has given me the confidence to go on to do other things; like write articles for The Countrymans Weekly and The Ladies Clay Shooting League magazine.  

I started my shooting journey in January 2019 with The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club, at Sporting Targets. Along with my fantastic instructor; Rob Ockwell (who has the patience of saint when it has come to teaching me to shoot) who is a passionate game shooter, there is a strong family link to game shooting – my grandad was a poacher turned gamekeeper and my dad did his share of poaching (in his own words: he could run back then!) as well as the odd round of clays, so it was inevitable I would graduate from just wanting to shoot clays to being out in the field.  

I spent that summer learning to shoot clays and was taken under the wing (excuse the pun) of Steve Caple, who has become my local shooting mentor and friend. He has guided me from stepping away from only shooting clays to spending some lovely summer days in the pigeon hide with. He has ensured I was safe in the field and prepared me for when I could eventually take part in a game day.  

I was lucky enough to be gifted my first ever game day in October that year, which was a walked-up day, and it was made even more special that I was able to share my peg with my best friend, who had been on a few game days with her dad. She was able to explain to me what to expect, as well as be there to share the day with me. 

 Now I will admit I learnt a few things very quickly that day:  

1.A Beretta 682 Sporting, whilst perfect for its natural habitat of a clay ground, is not a suitable gun to use for a walked-up game day; my arm muscles and shoulders certainly got a workout that day!  

2. Ever been made to feel bad by a spaniel giving you a disapproving look? No? well I have now. I was pre-warned that Skye, the beautiful Welsh spaniel, would give us guns the most disgusted of looks if we missed. Her owner was not wrong!  

3. If your fellow guns offer you a hand while you climb over a leaning metal fence, accept it with ladylike grace and don’t refuse, or the video evidence of you head diving back over it as you slip, and are only saved from landing in a heap by said fellow guns who offered help in the first place, will be sent to You’ve Been Framed. Luckily, on this occasion they did not capture this incident on video). 

On arriving at the shoot, it was agreed that my friend would do the first drive, so I could get an idea of how the day would go and give me a chance to ask any questions. I also had a fantastic in-the-field mentor; Richard Carpenter, who had gifted me the day, and the rest of the guns were keeping an eye on me/supporting me, so it was down to me and my confidence as to how the day was going to go. Well, I will not lie – the first part of the day was a struggle for me; I found my gun heavy and clunky; I did not have the confidence to take the easy shots that the other guns had left for me to take, despite their encouragement. I perked up on seeing my best friend taking such a good a shot on one drive, that she was awarded shot of the day. As we sat in the shoot room at lunch, I was contemplating giving the rest of the drives a miss; my arms ached, I was tired and my self-confidence was non-existent. There was only me and other gun who had not bagged any birds yet and, although there was no pressure from the rest of the team, I knew they were all keen for me have a successful day and I felt like I was letting them down.  

The first drive back after lunch, and my best friend brings down a lovely cock pheasant, so I feel the pressure on me even more now! Next drive is the ducks, but for this drive we would be stood on a peg. Richard, my mentor, stood beside me and we waited; we are to let the ducks circle us twice and then take our shots. Richard tells me: “Watch them, pick one, focus on it and take the shot.” They circle us, once, twice and, on their third approach, I pick one, focus, raise my gun, push my safety off and – just as my brain starts overthinking and making me freeze on taking the shot – Richard yells “shoot it!” I squeeze the trigger and to my delight and total surprise, the duck’s wings fold and it drops instantly. Not only have I bagged myself my first bird but I have also managed an outright clean kill – a head shot. It’s not something I had planned, but the relief that washed over me… my main fear had been just pricking one. Before the drive ended, I had bagged myself another. I cannot honestly say I remember the details of that one, but the keeper proudly presented me with the pair I had shot and also, in keeping with tradition, blooded me.  

And so we moved onto the last drive of the day, back onto the pheasants and, again, we were to be stood on a peg but this time I would be alone – this one was all on me; no pressure! The birds started to be flushed over us, I took a few shots but missed each time and my new-found confidence started to slip. I knew the drive was drawing to an end and, as the last few pheasants made an appearance, I took a shot and brought down a hen; she crumpled in front of me, yet again, I’d managed a head shot. The cheer from the rest of the team who had been stood watching me and willing me on, was the perfect ending to my day. I had done it; I was exhausted, I could hardly lift my arms up but had an ear-to-ear smile. Not only had I been successful and had managed two head shots, but I had kept my promise to Steve; I would bring him home my first birds I had shot, as a thank you for his time and guidance, and they were personally delivered to him to next day.  

Richard was delighted, he handed me a packet of baby wipes with a wink and said he thought I might be needing them that day – to clean my face up before my drive home; although nothing was going to wipe the smile off my face. My dad was equally delighted and proud, and we both laughed and said we thought my grandad must have been with me in spirit.  

My next game shoot was a driven day, organised via BASC and, again, Richard was my in-the-field mentor. Our paths were to cross again, when he asked me to beat for the team back at the original shoot on a day in December. I had never been beating before but did not hesitate to say I’d love to give it a go; I wanted to experience as many opportunities and roles on a shoot as I could – and that’s an enthusiasm I still carry with me now. 

As well as the interview above, I was also lucky enough to have been asked to write articles for The Countrymans Weekly paper about my shooting experinces, which have also been featured by The Ladies Clay Shooting Magazine each month, and I have covered my first game day, shooting pigeons from a hide and my first SIM day.

So, there does seem to be some misconceptions around ladies clay shooting days, so i thought i would do my best to try and explain them from my experiences and point of view.

Firstly; you do not need a licence or any experience at all to take part; these days are perfect for ladies who wish to give clay shooting a go in a relaxed but fun environment, with like minded ladies.

Aren’t they expensive: This is very much a personal view; i would say that The S&CBC (Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club) & ELL’s (Eriswell ladies day) offer very good value for their days; as for Novice and Intermediate levels; cartridges, clays, gun hire and an instructor  are included. ELL’s also tend to have a hot meal afterwards & The S&CBC have various cakes/savories that the ladies who are taking part on the day have baked/cooked.

I don’t have anyone to go with/i won’t know anyone: My very first ladies day i did; i roped one of my good friends into coming with me, but any after that; i attended alone (until i made friends with fellow lay gun’s on various events). This is why i love ladies days so much, as they bring together ladies from all walks of life/experiences and everyone is made to feel welcome regardless.

I don’t know how to dress/look the part:  Firstly; dress in a way that your comfortable and can move in easily, and in the colder months, that will keep you warm! How i dress for shooting clays; is certainly different to how i dress for shooting game. In the summer i can usually be found to be wearing a tweed skirt, a funky print shirt and my boots (those that know me, know i’d live in my boots if i could!). You certainly don’t have to wear a skirt; jeans or even shorts are fine (i’ve been shooting pigeons in a  hide in a vest top, shorts and boots; didn’t shoot anything but got a cracking tan!). For me; i’m not a ‘brands’ girl; i wear whatever fits, is comfortable & makes me feel good.

I won’t hit any clays/i’ll make a fool of myself: Relax! All us ladies on these days started off where you now, and none of us are judging you; if anything, you’ll find your group become your own personal cheer leading group. Also each ground will assigned the right instructor for your level; so the first timers/beginners/novice groups tend to have an instructor who has the patience of a saint and will ensure you do smash a few clays.

I’m scared it will hurt:  This is why i advocate ladies days so much; you can learn to clay shoot safely and without fear of recoil/bruising. Your instructor will ensure the gun is mounted correctly,  and they use a 20bore gun and 21g cartridges so recoil is minimal. Not long after i started shooting; i went with out with 2 of my guy mates; 32g cartridges, 12bore gun and i rushed my mount= the mother of all bruises (it actually hurt that much, i felt sick, and the bruise lasted for weeks), had that been my first experience of shooting; it would have put me straight off!

Where are these ladies days held/when: ELL’s is held 4 times at Eriswell in Suffolk and are always on a Saturday. The S&CBC events cover many grounds in the UK, and are held mainly at weekends (Saturdays & Sundays) but also the odd weekday and are held all year round; so there is always plenty of choice if your prepared to travel.

BASC also do ladies days; but they seem to be held on weekdays only; and speaking from experience, their novice ladies days are not as good value for money as ELL’s or S&CBC; however, their progression/competition days are good for the more experienced lady gun.

Do i need to be a member to take part: No, you can join Eriswell as a member for a year and get discount on clays/lessons and ladies days, but you don’t have to be a member to take part in their ladies days. Same sort of principal for the S&CBC; you don’t have to be a member to attend their days, but you can join the club for exclusive discounts and access to members only areas, as well as £10 off their events.

I do know that some feel having ladies only days is rather us/and them, but do feel they are the best way to get nervous and less confident ladies into shooting. I will say, for me, they aren’t the ONLY way for ladies to shoot; most clay grounds now do a ‘taster session’ which is a like a lesson on a one off 1:1 basis, and i certainly cannot stress the importance of having lessons!

Also, team up a shooting buddy; like i did, we have progressed through many days and supported each other. As well; not all ladies have anyone they can ask to take them shooting, i know i didn’t as my dad gave his licence up years ago; although coming into this sport has opened up  whole new world & experiences to me, all of which has been provided by some great guys that i have got to know via twitter of all places , and i am proud to now call them real life friends (even if i did spend an evening rifle shooting, in the pitch black, with a gentleman i had just met in real life for the first time; please be reassured, he’s a well known local character and we had chatted for quite a while before we finally met, and he has become my amazing shooting mentor; transitioning me from clays and getting me ready to shoot game)

So for those of you that follow me on twitter; will know how & where i started my shooting journey; but for those that haven’t been with me from the start, i thought i’d pull a blog together and hopefully inspire more women (and even men!) into this sport i’ve come to love so much.

So, let me give you some background info on me. Although i’m sadly stuck in a town; the love of shooting does seemingly run in my blood; my grandad was a poacher turned gamekeeper for one of the local big estates here ( i still have fond memories of toddling into their house, and pulling out frozen pigeons from his freezer, and sitting & playing with them!) and dad used to shoot; not only in the army, but also clays and game; although in his words; he could run back then!  (I may share some of his shooting stories later in this blog), but all this was either before i was born or while i was still a toddler; so i cant say i was influenced or bought up around guns/shooting.

So January 2019; I had decided after a rotten few months towards the end of 2018,i was going to do things that made me happy, and try new experiences; push myself out of my comfort zone, and that’s when i saw an advert for a ladies clay day with The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club, being held at a clay ground near me. The day was suitable for ladies who had never shot before; all equipment & instruction was included, and afterwards, we would get together for tea & cake; well that was me sold!

I roped my best friend in; a fellow first timer & booked our spaces, and on 27th January, we arrived at Sporting Targets for our first ever go at clay shooting! We were given a warm welcome by Laura, who runs the East Branch of S&CBC and had a cup of tea made for us, it was explained we would be grouped together in our level of abilities and our group would each be assigned an instructor we would talk us through and guide us through our day.

Our instructor was Rob; he started by checking eye dominance and then moved on to the gun mount & safety,and once he was happy with that; we were off to smash some clays! I amazed myself by hitting the very first clay that was sent; swiftly followed by another 2! Stand 2 i faired even better; more and more clays smashed and i was hooked! by stand 3, i was getting tired and it showed; no clays broke but i was buzzing.

We headed back to the club house for tea and cake, and each lady who had shot the most clays in their group was presented with a rosette. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, that my decision was made; i went and booked 6 lessons with Rob there and then!

So i had done my first ladies day, i had lessons booked; what next? Well, another ladies day of course! but where?! and who with? I didn’t have a clue where to start looking; and then i had a DM from someone i had got to know on twitter; he sent me a link to a ladies day at Eriswell shooting range in Suffolk, which was near him, and pretty much pushed me into booking on it.

ELL’s is Eriswell’s own version of  a ladies day; So 09 February; in the freezing cold and rain, i did my second ladies day, my second time clay shooting, and this time; I was on my own! No bestie to provide support, but I needn’t to have worried, as I was made to feel v welcome by the ladies there, and have gone on to become close friends with quite a few of them. Not only did I ‘win’ my class that day, but also was awarded coaches choice award. Yet again, i had  fab instructor in the form of ‘Tosh’, who i have gone on to have lessons with as & when i can get to Eriswell. Their format is along the same lines as The S&CBC days; and both Eriswell & Sporting Targets are now firm favorite grounds to shoot at.

So, I had done 2 ladies days, i had six lessons booked… what was next? Well, apply for my shotgun licence of course!