Rod Davies CPSA Shooting Coach

Coaching

Clay Shooting: *Clay Pigeon Shooting has at least 20 different forms, and these can be roughly divided into the following groups:* Sporting Shooting: This is the most popular type of Clay Pigeon Shooting, usually called English Sporting. Whilst the other types of Clay Pigeon Shooting only use “standard” clay discs of a fixed diameter and width, in Sporting shooting almost any size, or colour of clay disc can be used! Targets are thrown in a great variety of trajectories, angles, speeds, elevations and distances and the discipline was originally devised to simulate live quarry shooting, hence some of the names commonly used on Sporting stands such as: Springing Teal, Driven Pheasant, Bolting Rabbit, Crossing Pigeon, Dropping Duck, etc. Trap Shooting: Clay Targets, (Clay Pigeons) are thrown either as singles or doubles from one or more traps situated some 15m in front of the shooter and are generally going away from the firing points at varying speeds, angles and elevations. The most common Trap disciplines in this group are:- Down-the-Line (DTL) Single Barrel, Double Rise, Automatic Ball Trap (ABT), Olympic Trap, Double Trap and Universal Trench. Down the Line (DTL) Targets are thrown to a distance of 45 to 50 metres at a fixed height of approximately 2.75m and with a horizontal 'spread' of up to 22 degrees either side of the centre line. Each competitor shoots at a single target in turn, but without moving from the stand until he or she have all shot five targets. Then they all move one place to the right, and continue to do so until they have all completed a standard round of 25 birds. Scoring of each target is 3 points for a first barrel kill, 2 points for a second barrel kill and 0 for a miss (maximum 75 points per round). Variations of this discipline are: Single Barrel, Double Rise and Handicap-by-Distance. Universal Trench (UT) This type of Trap shooting is sometimes known as “Five Trap”. Five traps are installed in a trench in front of the shooting stands, all set at different angles, elevations and speeds, and upon the call of "Pull!" by the shooter any one of the five machines, selected at random, will be released. Olympic Trap (OT) This is an Olympic shooting discipline, and is generally found to be very challenging to the novice! A trench in front of the shooting stands, conceals 15 traps arranged in 5 groups of 3. Shooters take turns to shoot at a target, and then progressively move after their shot onto the next stand in the line. Targets are released immediately by acoustic release, and are selected by a shooting scheme that ensures all competitors receive exactly the same target selection, but in a unpredictable randomised order, from any one of the three traps directly in front of him. Olympic Trap targets are set to travel 75 to 80 metres at varying elevations and with a maximum horizontal angle of 45 degrees either side of the centre line. Scoring is done of the basis of 1 point per target killed, regardless of whether this is achieved with the first or with the second barrel. Automatic Ball Trap (ABT). This is a simpler and cheaper to install variation of Olympic Trap, where only one trap is used and target variation is obtained by the continuous oscillation of the trap in both horizontal and vertical directions in order to give the same spread of targets as in Olympic Trap. Similarly, the targets are also thrown to a maximum of 80 metres. Helice (ZZ). A different form of flying target competition, which cannot be called clay shooting as the targets are made of plastic! Plastic propellers holding a detachable centre piece are rotated at high speed and released randomly from one of five traps. These centre pieces have to be “shot out” of the centre of the propellers and fall to the ground within a prescribed distance, that is usually denoted by a fence. Helice (ZZ) shooting was designed specifically to simulate as closely as possible the old sport of live pigeon shooting which was made illegal in this country in 1921. Skeet: Clay Targets (Clay Pigeons) are thrown in singles and doubles from 2 trap houses (Low & High) situated some 40 metres apart, at opposite ends of a semicircular arc on which there are seven shooting positions. The targets (Clay Pigeons) are thrown at set trajectories and speeds, and 25 targets are shot in each round of shooting, and 1 point is scored for each target hit, but you can only have 1 shot at each target. Don’t shoot 2 shots at a target or you may be disqualified! There are three main types of Sheet shooting, English Skeet, Olympic Skeet and American (NSSA) Skeet. The main differences between English Skeet and Olympic Skeet are that in Olympic Skeet the targets are considerably faster, and the release of the target can be delayed up to 3 seconds after calling. It is also compulsory to have the gun NOT mounted in your shoulder prior to calling for a target in Olympic Skeet. Lastly there is also an 8th shooting position, midway between the two Skeet houses, that is not available in English Skeet. For further information on clay shooting please; http://www.cpsa.co.uk Game Shooting: This is an entirely different type of shooting from Clay Pigeon Shooting, and does involve the killing of game species for table consumption. Personal protective equipment such as ear protection will still be required, and it is normal in most cases for the Game Shooter to own his, or her own shotgun, however an “Estate Gun” can sometimes be provided, and Rod will be able to assist with this, and advise on any limitations. There are strict rules on the shooting of Game in this Country, and these are described by BASC. Links to BASC: http://www.basc.org.uk/en/ Or for the Game Shooting seasons see: http://www.basc.org.uk/download.cfm/docid/02830D9E-9873-4283-BAECEAD41D5D6550 Pheasant Shooting: This form of Game Shooting usually starts in November although the season starts on the first day of October. Game Shooting cannot take place on a Sunday, or Christmas Day The season ends on the first day of February. Pheasant shooting can either be on a Formal Driven day where the pheasants are driven over the guns by a team of beaters, and this type of shooting has been the haunt of Lords and Kings for many years so prices can be interesting depending on the quantity of shooting that is required by the client. It is normal to purchase a “Gun” on a formal days Game Shooting, and this can normally be done for you by Rod at a local shoot close to your home, however please be aware as stated above, most forms of Game Shooting are not cheap! Walked Up days, or Syndicate days are a cheaper option, where you form part of a group of shooters who share the costs of driven shooting between them. These shared tactics mean you will in some cases be beating as well as shooting on the day. This type of day is far less formal, and has a relaxed atmosphere, and more casual atttire can be worn, however a waterproof coat, and boots are still an essential in England! It is sometimes difficult to get onto these shoots, but Rod will assist as far as possible to find you a place. There is a certain ettiquette involved in Game Shooting, and it is necessary to be fully aware of all the safety aspects of this type of shooting. It is highly recommended that gun safety, and marksmanship days are attended before attempting to purchase a days Game Shooting. These safety days are available at a venue (Shooting Ground) close to the client’s home address wherever possible, and they are there to support and advise the novice shooter on making clean kills on the game that are being shot, along with advice on clothing, insurance, prices, venues, and general protocols. After shooting (harvesting) any game it is important to know how to cook it and so enjoy eating it, and I here is a link to the “Game to Eat” website. http://www.gametoeat.co.uk/ Partridge Shooting: This form of Game Shooting usually starts in September as the season starts on the first day of September and continues until the first of February. Game Shooting cannot take place on a Sunday, or Christmas Day. It is normal to purchase a “Gun” on a days Game Shooting, and this can normally be done for the client by Rod at a local shoot close to the clients home, however please be aware most forms of Game Shooting are not cheap! There is a certain ettiquette involved in Game Shooting, and it is necessary to be fully aware of all the safety aspects of this type of shooting. It is highly recommended that gun safety, and marksmanship days are attended before attempting to purchase a days Game Shooting. These safety days are available at a venue (Shooting Ground) close to the client’s home address wherever possible, and they are there to support and advise the novice shooter on making clean kills on the game that are being shot, along with advice on clothing, insurance, prices, venues, and general protocols. After shooting (harvesting) any game it is important to know how to cook it and so enjoy eating it, and I here is a link to the “Game to Eat” website. Wood Pigeon Shooting: Rod can arrange days out Wood Pigeon Shooting over local farmers crops, and this type of shooting is much cheaper than formal Game Shooting, but these pigeons, unlike the Clay Pigeons make a very healthy and tasty meal at the end of the day! Jamie Oliver has a very interesting, and tasty recipe for them too. After shooting (harvesting) any game it is important to know how to cook it and so enjoy eating it, and I here is a link to the “Game to Eat” website.

Clay Shooting:

Clay Pigeon Shooting has at least 20 different forms, and these can be roughly divided into the following groups:

Sporting Shooting:
This is the most popular type of Clay Pigeon Shooting, usually called English Sporting. Whilst the other types of Clay Pigeon Shooting only use “standard” clay discs of a fixed diameter and width, in Sporting shooting almost any size, or colour of clay disc can be used!
Targets are thrown in a great variety of trajectories, angles, speeds, elevations and distances and the discipline was originally devised to simulate live quarry shooting, hence some of the names commonly used on Sporting stands such as: Springing Teal, Driven Pheasant, Bolting Rabbit, Crossing Pigeon, Dropping Duck, etc.

Trap Shooting:
Clay Targets, (Clay Pigeons) are thrown either as singles or doubles from one or more traps situated some 15m in front of the shooter and are generally going away from the firing points at varying speeds, angles and elevations.
The most common Trap disciplines in this group are:-
Down-the-Line (DTL) Single Barrel, Double Rise, Automatic Ball Trap (ABT), Olympic Trap, Double Trap and Universal Trench.

Down the Line (DTL)
Targets are thrown to a distance of 45 to 50 metres at a fixed height of approximately 2.75m and with a horizontal 'spread' of up to 22 degrees either side of the centre line. Each competitor shoots at a single target in turn, but without moving from the stand until he or she have all shot five targets. Then they all move one place to the right, and continue to do so until they have all completed a standard round of 25 birds. Scoring of each target is 3 points for a first barrel kill, 2 points for a second barrel kill and 0 for a miss (maximum 75 points per round).
Variations of this discipline are: Single Barrel, Double Rise and Handicap-by-Distance.

Universal Trench (UT)
This type of Trap shooting is sometimes known as “Five Trap”. Five traps are installed in a trench in front of the shooting stands, all set at different angles, elevations and speeds, and upon the call of "Pull!" by the shooter any one of the five machines, selected at random, will be released.

Olympic Trap (OT)
This is an Olympic shooting discipline, and is generally found to be very challenging to the novice!
A trench in front of the shooting stands, conceals 15 traps arranged in 5 groups of 3.
Shooters take turns to shoot at a target, and then progressively move after their shot onto the next stand in the line. Targets are released immediately by acoustic release, and are selected by a shooting scheme that ensures all competitors receive exactly the same target selection, but in a unpredictable randomised order, from any one of the three traps directly in front of him.
Olympic Trap targets are set to travel 75 to 80 metres at varying elevations and with a maximum horizontal angle of 45 degrees either side of the centre line. Scoring is done of the basis of 1 point per target killed, regardless of whether this is achieved with the first or with the second barrel.

Automatic Ball Trap (ABT).
This is a simpler and cheaper to install variation of Olympic Trap, where only one trap is used and target variation is obtained by the continuous oscillation of the trap in both horizontal and vertical directions in order to give the same spread of targets as in Olympic Trap. Similarly, the targets are also thrown to a maximum of 80 metres.

Helice (ZZ).
A different form of flying target competition, which cannot be called clay shooting as the targets are made of plastic! Plastic propellers holding a detachable centre piece are rotated at high speed and released randomly from one of five traps.
These centre pieces have to be “shot out” of the centre of the propellers and fall to the ground within a prescribed distance, that is usually denoted by a fence.
Helice (ZZ) shooting was designed specifically to simulate as closely as possible the old sport of live pigeon shooting which was made illegal in this country in 1921.

Skeet:
Clay Targets (Clay Pigeons) are thrown in singles and doubles from 2 trap houses (Low & High) situated some 40 metres apart, at opposite ends of a semicircular arc on which there are seven shooting positions.
The targets (Clay Pigeons) are thrown at set trajectories and speeds, and 25 targets are shot in each round of shooting, and 1 point is scored for each target hit, but you can only have 1 shot at each target. Don’t shoot 2 shots at a target or you may be disqualified!
There are three main types of Sheet shooting, English Skeet, Olympic Skeet and American (NSSA) Skeet.
The main differences between English Skeet and Olympic Skeet are that in Olympic Skeet the targets are considerably faster, and the release of the target can be delayed up to 3 seconds after calling. It is also compulsory to have the gun NOT mounted in your shoulder prior to calling for a target in Olympic Skeet. Lastly there is also an 8th shooting position, midway between the two Skeet houses, that is not available in English Skeet.
For further information on clay shooting please;
http://www.cpsa.co.uk

Game Shooting:

This is an entirely different type of shooting from Clay Pigeon Shooting, and does involve the killing of game species for table consumption.
Personal protective equipment such as ear protection will still be required, and it is normal in most cases for the Game Shooter to own his, or her own shotgun, however an “Estate Gun” can sometimes be provided, and Rod will be able to assist with this, and advise on any limitations.
There are strict rules on the shooting of Game in this Country, and these are described by BASC.
Links to BASC:
http://www.basc.org.uk/en/
Or for the Game Shooting seasons see:
http://www.basc.org.uk/download.cfm/docid/02830D9E-9873-4283-BAECEAD41D5D6550

Pheasant Shooting:
This form of Game Shooting usually starts in November although the season starts on the first day of October.
Game Shooting cannot take place on a Sunday, or Christmas Day
The season ends on the first day of February.
Pheasant shooting can either be on a Formal Driven day where the pheasants are driven over the guns by a team of beaters, and this type of shooting has been the haunt of Lords and Kings for many years so prices can be interesting depending on the quantity of shooting that is required by the client.
It is normal to purchase a “Gun” on a formal days Game Shooting, and this can normally be done for you by Rod at a local shoot close to your home, however please be aware as stated above, most forms of Game Shooting are not cheap!

Walked Up days, or Syndicate days are a cheaper option, where you form part of a group of shooters who share the costs of driven shooting between them. These shared tactics mean you will in some cases be beating as well as shooting on the day. This type of day is far less formal, and has a relaxed atmosphere, and more casual atttire can be worn, however a waterproof coat, and boots are still an essential in England!
It is sometimes difficult to get onto these shoots, but Rod will assist as far as possible to find you a place.
There is a certain ettiquette involved in Game Shooting, and it is necessary to be fully aware of all the safety aspects of this type of shooting.
It is highly recommended that gun safety, and marksmanship days are attended before attempting to purchase a days Game Shooting. These safety days are available at a venue (Shooting Ground) close to the client’s home address wherever possible, and they are there to support and advise the novice shooter on making clean kills on the game that are being shot, along with advice on clothing, insurance, prices, venues, and general protocols.
After shooting (harvesting) any game it is important to know how to cook it and so enjoy eating it, and I here is a link to the “Game to Eat” website.
http://www.gametoeat.co.uk/

Partridge Shooting:
This form of Game Shooting usually starts in September as the season starts on the first day of September and continues until the first of February.
Game Shooting cannot take place on a Sunday, or Christmas Day.
It is normal to purchase a “Gun” on a days Game Shooting, and this can normally be done for the client by Rod at a local shoot close to the clients home, however please be aware most forms of Game Shooting are not cheap!

There is a certain ettiquette involved in Game Shooting, and it is necessary to be fully aware of all the safety aspects of this type of shooting.

It is highly recommended that gun safety, and marksmanship days are attended before attempting to purchase a days Game Shooting. These safety days are available at a venue (Shooting Ground) close to the client’s home address wherever possible, and they are there to support and advise the novice shooter on making clean kills on the game that are being shot, along with advice on clothing, insurance, prices, venues, and general protocols.
After shooting (harvesting) any game it is important to know how to cook it and so enjoy eating it, and I here is a link to the “Game to Eat” website.

Wood Pigeon Shooting:
Rod can arrange days out Wood Pigeon Shooting over local farmers crops, and this type of shooting is much cheaper than formal Game Shooting, but these pigeons, unlike the Clay Pigeons make a very healthy and tasty meal at the end of the day!
Jamie Oliver has a very interesting, and tasty recipe for them too.
After shooting (harvesting) any game it is important to know how to cook it and so enjoy eating it, and I here is a link to the “Game to Eat” website.