Our Top Tips For Better Clay Pigeon Shooting

If you are on a quest to master your clay pigeon shooting, you should know that it will take some time, effort and a lot of patience to reach an expert level. There are so many elements that come into play to ensure you consistently hit your target while practicing over and over again to get that perfect shot. 

At Avalanche Adventure, we have reopened our activity centre in Leicester where you can come and try your hand at shooting our clay pigeons to smithereens, along with other fun activities.  

In this piece, we’ve discussed our top tips for better clay pigeon shooting, so let’s take a look!

Figure Out Your Dominant Eye

Being able to follow the flight of the clay pigeon is half the battle. Since this is going to require some rapid eye movement, it’s important that you discover which of your eyes is dominant.

There’s a simple trick to do this. Point to an object that’s kept on the other end of the room then cover one of your eyes. If you no longer appear to be pointing at that object, then the eye you have closed is the dominant one.

With your dominant eye determined, your shooting prowess should improve drastically. Following the lead of your visual guide, you can raise the gun up to successfully shoot the clay pigeons. 

Assume the Correct Stance

After the dominant eye, adopting the right stance is the next crucial step for better clay pigeon shooting. The easiest way to better your stance is to lead with the side opposite to your dominant eye. For instance, if you have your gun on the left-hand side of your body then start with your right foot forward and vice versa. 

You should have your weight on the front of your foot and your toe should point towards the area where you will be hitting the clay pigeons. Once you’ve established this, you are almost there to hitting the bullseye, or in this case, the clay bird.

If you are shooting with the gun-up pose, meaning you are using a shotgun in an elevated position, ensure that the rear end of the gun is placed comfortably in the groove right next to your shoulder joint. 

A proper stance will help you swing your body to closely follow the flight of the clay pigeon as it is released. 

Aim Forward

Considering the speed at which the clay pigeon moves, it’s easy to forget just how swiftly it flies past as you aim at your clay kill. Simply following its flight and firing at it when you are locked on your target means you are likely to miss your shot. 

For the perfect aim, you have to factor in the time it takes for your shot to reach the clay pigeon once you pull the trigger. Settle on a point of collision in advance by mentally tracing the flight of the bird and shooting accordingly. 

As you practice, you will realise how to read and anticipate the flight of the clay pigeon as it will be one of the core elements of mastering your shooting technique. 

Practice, Practice, Practice

As is the case with our favourite pastimes and hobbies, one of our last tips for better clay pigeon shooting is to practice as much as you can. For this, head to our activity centre and book yourself a slot with our highly trained professionals. 

In the beginning, you are likely to miss shots; but with consistent practice, you can improve your shooting skills. You’ve got to observe yourself and ensure that you are following the points mentioned above. 

Have you assumed the correct posture? Are you aiming with your dominant eye? Are you maintaining your stance and not letting go of it?

The slightest improvement in the most minor aspect of your technique can give you improved results. 

Fine Tune Your Technique With Avalanche Adventure

Make the most of the warm summer weather by booking yourself in at our outdoor activity centre in Leicester, which is easily accessible from Warwick, Northampton and the Midlands. 

This means no matter where you are in the Midlands, we are set to offer some much-needed fun! 

We offer other fun activities like off-road driving, quad biking and camping so you get the complete fun-filled package.

Get in touch with us today to show off the clay pigeon shooting techniques you’ve mastered!