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jayaway44



Member Since: 04 Nov 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 111

2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Stornoway Grey
Clay shooting
Hi there I am looking for some information. I have tried clay pigeon shooting a few times so I was wondering what the costs are likely to be if I was to take it up as a hoddy.
Initial buying of a gun.
Cost of getting a licence
Going to a clay range and the shot cost. I guess you buy your own cartridges and you pay per clay.

I have a local place called Braidwood which I think has just been taken over by a national company so the costs should be standard.

Any general advise would be most welcome.

Thanks 2.2 2012 110 utility Orkney Grey
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Post #403283 1st Mar 2015 11:19am
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Rickydodah



Member Since: 14 Jul 2014
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 1091

Depends what discipline you want to do, trap, sporting etc. A good all round gun is the Beretta Silver Pigeon, they come in various states of embellishment but underneath they're the same gun,new around £1500. This has a mutichoke set up and the barrel length make it a good sporting gun but you'll get by with it as a trap gun or for skeet. If I was you I'd start with a local club shoot as they tend to be the cheapest, and often the most friendly, shooting grounds have great facilities but can charge an absolute fortune. Cartridge prices depend on what quality and in what quantity you buy them, some grounds will only allow fibre wads and steel shot or both. Good luck it's a great sport. Thumbs Up I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Post #403288 1st Mar 2015 11:37am
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CatherineF



Member Since: 22 Nov 2014
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 762

United Kingdom 
I can second the Silver Pigeon! 2015 Audi Q3 Quattro S Line Plus 184 TDI Stronic
2010 90 SMC Over Land Nero Edition - Santorini Black Metallic (Now Departed)
Post #403295 1st Mar 2015 12:08pm
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JMG



Member Since: 16 Apr 2014
Location: Surrey
Posts: 222

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
If you work on approx £100 an outing that will average out to cover clays, cartridges petrol and a bacon butty. Buy a second hand gun, from a reputable dealer, and you won't go far wrong.
Good luck it's great fun and you will meet some smashing people

JMG
Post #403300 1st Mar 2015 12:38pm
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ken



Member Since: 18 Aug 2009
Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !!
Posts: 4328

United Kingdom 
For a first gun it's about the fit forget about the name it's just snobbery
When your into it get a gun fitted then your rolling Thumbs Up

Churchill for me Thumbs Up
Post #403315 1st Mar 2015 1:28pm
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munch90



Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558

England 
+1 for beretta

think there one of the oldest gunmakers (1526)
and at one time beretta had won more championships than any other maker

make guns for nearly all budgets
Post #403320 1st Mar 2015 1:39pm
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GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10358

United Kingdom 
We go Doveridge nearly every week and do local club 'shoots' 3 weekends of the month, just through winter.

We pay around £180 for 1000 cartridges (cheaper to buy bulk). Normally around £55 each time we go Doveridge, for around 270-300 clays.
Club shoots are £17 for 75 clays.

I'd get your licence application in as soon as possible and it could take around 3-12 weeks to see it finalised (depending where you live)!

Then buy a cabinet and get it bolted to your house!

Guns... The Silver Pigeon is very popular, though I'd recommend going to a decent shop and get one fitted, I can't shoot a Browning, my mate can't shoot a Beretta!!!
I have a 686E Evo, which I had an adjustable comb fitted and the missus has an Ultralight Gold, which had the stock shortened to suit her, both guns made by Beretta.
Guns can cost as little as a few hundred pounds, to £100,000 plus.
Decent clothes make a massive difference when you're standing in a cold field, I'd recommend a decent pair of 5mm neoprene wellies, worth every penny.

I was going take it up on my own, then mrs Greeni had a go, she absolutely loves it and it's something else that we can do together. It just doubles the cost!
Post #403323 1st Mar 2015 1:42pm
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RED-DOT



Member Since: 29 Jun 2009
Location: stirling
Posts: 2363

Scotland 
Don't aim, point... Follow through, don't let the clays know you are afraid from them.
Clays are slowing down as soon as they leave the trap and wild birds probably speed up and never in a straight line.
Start off on the easy ones and only progress to the tricky targets once you are hitting 80+% of the simple stands.
Get your eye dominance checked.
Buy a decent cartridge say Eley 7 1/2's by the 1000 and stick with them as the speed can vary by some 300fps.
And most importantly shoot safely and enjoy it. 2008 RS4 gone, 123d M Sport, and a Puma 90 XS..
Post #403327 1st Mar 2015 1:55pm
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Wangers



Member Since: 19 Jan 2013
Location: West London
Posts: 265

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Aintree Green
Marksmanship principles at this stage ....?!?! TY&GN
10 years in a WOLF, WIMIK and Snatch and this is all I have to show!
Post #403449 1st Mar 2015 7:33pm
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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
Beretta make a great shotgun and remember "you can't buy shoot straight" ... It's a great hobby, I'm hoping to get back to it someday
Post #403451 1st Mar 2015 7:36pm
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CEEGEE



Member Since: 02 Oct 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 135

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 90 Td5 HT Cairns Blue
If you want a slightly less expensive option, look at Lanber - a Spanish gun which is reliable and nicely made.

Many people regard it as a good cheaper alternative to a Beretta, with many of the same characteristics - a great starter gun Thumbs Up
Post #403513 1st Mar 2015 10:34pm
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Happyoldgit



Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3471

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
As Ken rightly says gun fit above all else and once that is right practice your mount over and over so the gun comes up and is in the same place each and every time Thumbs Up Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades.
Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW.

[Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc]

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I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic.
Post #403641 2nd Mar 2015 1:05pm
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Orangesofa



Member Since: 10 Oct 2014
Location: Somerset
Posts: 214

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green
ken wrote:
For a first gun it's about the fit forget about the name it's just snobbery


Absolutely! When I got back into the sport the owner of a local range went through every gun in his shop and made me mount it to shoot. He placed them in two categories; the ones that fitted and the ones that didn't. The ones that fitted ranged from £200 to over £10,000 and likewise with the ones that didn't fit. He explained that a £200 gun that fitted me properly would break more clays than a £10,000 gun that didn't fit.

Great advice and I ended up buying a Winchester. Some Beretta and Browning die-hards scoff when I pull it out of the slip and then when I break more clays than them - they shuffle-off quietly. it is what you do with it rather than how much it cost...

More recently I bought a significantly more expensive Miroku and my average dropped..... Out came the Winchester again and the average was up again.

Right - you wanted costs:

I shoot at a local club and pay £20 for two 50 clay 'cards' (100 clays) once a fortnight. Membership is £40 a year and it is a great way to shoot; very social and cheap but not the sort of place to go and 'learn' how to shoot - more the sort of place you go to 'partake'. It is effectively a farm shoot with 5 stands which vary each fortnight. We have competitions and handicaps etc so all-in-all, it is great value.

If you want to go to a designated clay ground and learn to shoot or practice - you will pay for the overheads. Count on somewhere in the region of 35p per clay. Often they are on a digital reader so you trigger 100 clays - you pay for 100 clays. You trigger 107 - you pay for 107. I dislike this as often sighting clays are required to know where to point the gun! Don't forget, this price is plus your cartridges (see below para). Be warned, some shooting grounds won't allow you to bring your own cartridges and so you'll have to buy their expensive and usually cheap and dirty ones instead which makes it that bit more expensive.

Cartridges are around £180 for 1000 fibre wad but can be more if you have expensive tastes or less if you go for plastic wad and shop around. It is a good figure to budget for.

A cabinet is around £120 - 150 for a brand new Brattonsound or a lot less from eBay for an unknown brand or second hand. I recommend you do your research on what the local Police Service will approve. Some are fussy and require certain features (double locks, BS markings etc). The licence is £40 for which you'll need some passport photos. That is pretty much it until you start on the slips, bags, vests, ear plugs, glasses, hats etc etc which is like most hobbies/sports - the sky's the limit.

It is great fun and there is a world of challenge depending on the discipline you go for; Sporting, Skeet, DTL etc and it is very social. You'll wonder why you hadn't done it sooner! Phil
Post #404783 5th Mar 2015 7:35pm
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jayaway44



Member Since: 04 Nov 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 111

2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Stornoway Grey
Phil, thanks for the comprehensive mail detailing your experiences your reply it is very much appreciated. It sounds like you have a very nice private type club in your area which helps to keep prices down. 2.2 2012 110 utility Orkney Grey
Also
Range Rover Evoque - Surprising but I like it.
Previous
Freelander 2 SD4 HSE - Black
90 TD5
Discovery 3
Early Discovery.
Post #404977 6th Mar 2015 1:17pm
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Adam17



Member Since: 15 May 2018
Location: Within Bedfordshire
Posts: 1193

England 2004 Defender 110 Td5 XS CSW Java Black
So I see this thread is a bit 'old'

Licence is about £80, post office charged me £9 for a postal order, £7 to post 1st class recorded...
My 'local' is approx. 30p per clay, £6 for 25 shells, £80 for a years membership.
Guns - I like the look of Browning 525 SL Thumbs Up

Ill put in for the overtime now hahah Regards
Adam

Loving The Duchess
The Defender 110 TD5 XS

My Defender story - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic64005.html
Post #767394 7th Apr 2019 1:31pm
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