Clay shooting is a sport that originates in the late 19th century. In the beginning, the targets were pigeons, which were later replaced by clay targets, hence the name. Today, clay shooting is an Olympic sport consisting of as many as 20 techniques.
Clay shooting is a complex discipline, and when you start being interested in clay shooting, you must first learn the basics of the game. Clay shooting requires a certain skill level, and following the guidelines is essential. You will also learn about safety, equipment, shotguns, and how to hit some clays along the way. As a way to make it more precise and simple for beginners in clay shooting, here are ten tips for clay shooting beginners.
Why Do People Love Clay Hunting?
Besides being attractive, clay shooting can also improve mental health, balance, posture, concentration, and muscle strength, which are some of the reasons why clay shooting is popular.
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Safety First
Keep all guns unloaded until you are ready to shoot. Wear hearing and eye protection. If you need to cross streams, ditches, or fences, make sure your gun is unloaded. You should also always point your gun down until you are ready to shoot and never shoot anything you don’t want to.
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Gun Fit
If your gun does not fit correctly, you cannot shoot straight. A 1/4′′ out on/off the cast results in a shot ending around 6 feet from your intended position if you shoot 35 to 40 yards away. A person of 9 stones in weight and 5′ in height will likely require a different specification from a person of 16 stones in weight and 6’2″ in height. The best option would be to get a custom-adjusted gun that shops with shooting supplies often offer.
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Gun Mount
Clay shooting requires a lot of good reflexes since several targets can reach speeds of up to 120km/h. Gun mount means creating muscle memory to always place your gun at the exact spot on your shoulder, so you don’t waste your time on adjustments.
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Low Recoil Target Loads
When practicing, you will be able to save your shoulder as well as improve your marksmanship if you use low recoil loads. If you do not have to worry about the stock slamming into your shoulder when shooting, it is much easier to concentrate on your target. Typically, low recoil shells contain less shot, so your shots will also have a higher velocity. In addition to being more economical, low recoil shells break apart clays at the same rate.
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Shooting Ahead Methods
In the beginning, beginners usually aim at the clay, but if you aim slightly ahead of it, the cartridge will have time to leave the barrel and fly to the target area. It’s incredible how much easier it is to hit if you aim ahead of the clay.
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Success In The Pattern
Shooters usually have access to a pattern plate on their shooting grounds to test different cartridges at different distances and see how it affects their shot patterns.
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Practice
As always, practice makes perfect. In clay shooting, you get familiar with different approaches to targets, their speed, field, and your aim.
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Continue Swinging
A successful shot requires follow-through. Just like throwing a ball or swinging a tennis racket, what you do afterward is as important as what you did before and during the shot. As a result of setting your movement to continue after your target is hit, you gain more control over your rifle and shot by giving yourself a smooth motion.
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Perfecting The Stance
To achieve advanced clay shooting levels, you must adjust your body appropriately. To accomplish this, you must maintain a calm posture during the shoot, adjust your breathing so that it does not distract you, and choose which eye will dominate the shoot
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Find The Right Spot
If you look where the clay is coming from when you are shooting, you’ll be chasing it all of the time. The trick is to find out where the clay is first seen by your eye and aim slightly forward to that point. See how the clay flies, learn how to move it (you’ll get a test run), and then follow the arch with your gun.
Conclusion
To become a successful clay target shooter, you must build a solid foundation and follow best practices, as you probably realized. If you prepare yourself properly and follow these tips, you can bust your game and enjoy it to the fullest.
