stag clay shooting

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It’s one of the top 5 stag weekend sports and for every good reason, it’s the chance for you and the boys to combine a very macho activity with a little light competition. It’s a very appealing mixture of skill, sports and basic instincts.

what is it?

Clay pigeon shooting is the controlled sporting shooting of clay birds in a dedicated professional shooting environment, the birds are essentially clay discs that are fired by an automatic machine. In most cases stag shooting groups are split with one instructor per six guests, that one instructor will work individually with each guest, teaching him the pre-requisites of gun safety and a competent style that will soon allow the guest to “powder” their clays! It is a beautiful feeling. Firing is done within a stand where the stand serves to prevent wild swinging of the gun. The guns for adult males are usually 12 bore shotguns and the instructors stay with each ”shot” while he is shooting, the instructors will also generally load the guns themselves. Getting a little more technical the style of the shots you take will vary with the session you choose, with different stands offering different challenges e.g. down-the-line, teal, rabbit to name a few. And after a little while you’ll be shooting “pairs” rather than single birds.

who can clay shoot?

Because of the use of guns the activity demands the highest levels of safety but most people can shoot. Clay pigeon shooting is not just for men either, children and many women shoot but in most cases they’ll use a different bore of gun e.g. a 20 bore – this is a lighter gun with exactly the same performance and styling. The most important rule to remember is that you cannot shoot if you are not sober, even a single beer is too many so if you want to clay shoot stay off the booze. Also don’t schedule it for 9am after a heavy stag night; you’ll have to sober up first! If any member of the stag group has any physical restrictions then let us know, we’ll provide you with the best suggestions.

where can we go clay pigeon shooting?

There are few places in Ireland and Europe but there are many in the UK. Our stag clay shooting programmes in Dublin and Galway are among the best in Ireland, while in the UK you can shoot almost anywhere. In Europe, certainly central Europe, it is not as popular (and usually loses out to target shooting) but Prague is probably the pick of the bunch.

what’s the standard clay pigeon shooting equipment?

Typically you’ll be issued with:
- ear protectors
- a 12 bore shot gun
Variations may apply e.g. guns may change.
It is up to you to dress appropriately so wear shoes with grip and make sure you’re warm enough, the cold and especially cold fingers will affect your performance.

how long does a decent clay pigeon shooting session take?

This all depends on how many clays you want to shoot, we can start at 15 and go upwards from there – though not many shoot over 50. The typical number of clays is 25 though we think between 35 and 50 clays is ideal – it gives you a higher value clay pigeon shooting experience. That said if you are on a busy stag weekend 25 will be fine. The other consideration is group size, smaller groups take less time, and longer groups take more time. Taking into account the inclusion of transfers you should allow between 90 minutes and 3 hours depending on your group size. If you want on-site catering e.g. lunch add an extra 30 minutes.

how do I plan a clay pigeon shooting session for a stag party?

Work out your group size and then how best the activity fits into the stag weekend plans. Try not to schedule clay shooting first thing – as you can’t shoot if you’re still under the influence (it’s a zero tolerance for alcohol), other than that anytime can be good. If it’s winter consider that the light deteriorates from mid afternoon so a late morning or early afternoon slot is best. In summer, shooting in late afternoon with golden sunshine is a lovely way to do it – but that means keeping your fellow stags out of the pub all day, quite a challenge for even the most reliable of best men. You’ve also got to think about getting there and back, refreshments and the rest of the day. Really the best thing to do is let us help, tell us what you need and we’ll take care of the rest, planning’s free and you’ll get the optimal clay pigeon shooting solution for the stag weekend.