Category Archives: Clay Shooting

The Game Fair 2021 – Festival of the Countryside

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The Game Fair was at Ragley Hall this year. We believe this is now a permanent venue. The show ran from 21st July to 24th July. This year we arrived on the first day the campsite was open, Wednesday. Most of the site was fairly empty. Thursday was a peaceful day reading books on a hot sunny day. We luckily had decided to take the awning for shade.

Friday the show opened, and we took the tractor towed trailer up to the show to save walking. There was a short ceremony in the main arena at 10.00 am with a shotgun salute.

We spent Friday looking around the show, finding somewhere to eat. I’m sure the show was smaller than usual. Many gun shops had decided not to attend, the cost of the stand and the potential of Covid restrictions forcing social distancing made many think the risk was too high. The food area was a bit of a disappointment. In the past you could pick up a nice lunch, this year seemed few were selling meals while loads were selling gin.

We did spend quite a time looking at the dogs, and their retrieval performance. We left after lunch on Saturday. Sunday was going to be the Kingswood Gun Club 40th anniversary celebration.

Fred Dymock Shoot

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After the weeks of rain, it was decided not to allow unnecessary vehicles on the shooting field. Instead, we would meet at Ludgershall village hall and be transported to the field by a vintage tractor (1980 Fiat) and trailer. Two trips were required. We can thank Jim for arranging this mode of transport. It was a fun start and end to the shoot.

Awaiting us at the shooting ground we had five stands of ten birds each. These were beautifully set up by Brian and his team, along with festive Christmas names. This was also the first outing of new safety cages, strong and light. As you can see from the picture, the field was truly waterlogged. Despite the cloud, there was no rain to spoil the fun. The breeze did add a chill to the air, 8C feels like 5C.

After the tea and coffee break, (please remember to bring your mug), we had a flurry shoot. Teams of three were randomly picked and shot the flurry. Deceptively slow at first, putting you at ease, until two fast, demanding flurries at the end. The final two stands of the fifty bird shoot then completed the shoot. In all 36 members and friends shot.

Village Hall and Lunch

Back at the Ludgershall village hall lunch had been prepared. An excellent buffet meal of meats, salads, baked potatoes and desserts. A big thank you to Celia, Shirley and Ann. After the meal, the prize giving.

Quainton Practice Shoot

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The practice shoot was pretty well set up by Brian by the time I arrived. Being the last before Christmas we had mincepies and cake at the interval. Mincepies warmed in a microwave powered by a generator. Unfortunately, the rain came down for the second half of the shoot which was a three person flurry.

League Shoot, Snowed Off

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I was up early to help load the traps for the League shoot, I also had to transport the batteries to the shoot. I immediately became stuck in the snow as I tried to get out of the garage. The combination of loose stone and snow was too much for the car. I phoned Jennifer to ask if her father Jim, could come by and pick up me and the batteries. I was told the shoot had been cancelled. So instead, I walked across the fields in a blizzard to pick up the newspapers. There was a lot of snow, very wet snow, which snapped several of the trees in KarIn’s and Duncan’s garden and hedge. Keith was soon on the job with his chain saw. We even had to shake the wet snow off the Bay Tree which was bending under the weight of the snow.

The path to the village shop was difficult to navigate, there is a section with trees that lean over it. This section was difficult to pass, so the trees were bent so much lower, I had to really stoop low to get through.

Some pictures of snow in our field and in the pub car park. This is really the only significant snow fall we have had since Christmas 2010.

 

Clay shooting

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Few weeks ago I restarted Clay shooting.  Been going to the regular Wednesday shoot organised in the evenings by Pete. 

Met up with Tony (the window man) for a quick shoot followed by a couple of pints.  Quite a quiet evening at the shoot and the pub.  We all wondered what was happening to keep everyone away.

Kingswood shoot –

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Kingswood was the host to the League shoot this Sunday.  The League shoot seemed to be on a bit of a recovery, there were 97 entrants for the shoot.  The shoot was on Pete’s land, and very compact because of the ground conditions.  Five stands.  Quite demanding, I am totally out of practise and managed 25/50.  Cleared up by 2.00 and went home for lunch.  Don’t know what the results were, but at least Kingswood were able to field a complete team this time.

Welsh shoot

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Today was the return match with the St Brides Major.  The shoot was a 72 bird layout.  First time I had shot since the visit to Wales.  I shot OK, but my score did not make the top twelve to be counted.  We beat the Welsh.  It was lovely sitting out in the sun, with good food a ale afterwards.

Then we played the usual game of Aunt Sally.  Last year the Welsh beat us, this year we made amends.