Whether you’ve never shot a gun in your life, or you want to finesse your technique, test your abilities or simply have a bit of friendly competition with friends or family, then Gearach Pigeon Shooting Experience on Islay is a must-do experience.
Up in the stunning Gearach Forest, just three miles from the centre of Port Charlotte village, CPSA instructor Mark Piper offers clay pigeon experiences for all abilities, in a safe, and beautiful, environment.
I signed up to see for myself what it entailed, writes HANNAH THAXTER, and found myself up in the forest on a spectacularly sunny spring day, chatting with Mark and his wife Eleanor – and introducing myself to the resident horse, donkeys, goats and spaniels. Having gone through the formalities to check that I was physically and legally fit to bear arms, we strolled along an immaculately kept track through pine trees and into a clearing, set out with shooting stations.
Twice a day Mark will take private parties – from one person to up to 30 – down this track at 10.30am or 2.30pm – to share with them his knowledge and experience. Coaching is tailored to the needs of individuals or a group, and all equipment is provided, so you just have to turn up ready to give it a go.
Having not had a gun in my hand for over 40 years – the last time was probably helping my dad clean his gun after a day’s shooting – I felt both nervous and excited. But no matter how much my finger was itching to squeeze the trigger, it was safety first and a host of valuable information, on everything from eye dominance and gun fit to stance, loading, unloading, how to open, close, set down or carry a gun safely and efficiently.
There’s an easy informality to the session, and Mark gives plenty of reminders to keep you right – “Finger on the wood please, I’ll say this a lot!” – and to keep everyone safe.
The sessions, which cost £85, include all the clay targets. If you’ve never seen one they are a disc of hard clay, about the size of a small plant pot saucer, which are flung out of a sprung trap at various speeds and trajectories. Here at Gearach Mark uses automated Promatic clay traps, which are operated by remote control. They’ve been set up to give a variety of shooting experiences – left to right, right to left, overhead, and across, and Mark can vary the speed and angle to give even the most experienced shooter a good test of their gunmanship.
This isn’t like shooting a rifle at a target, you are spraying metal pellets up into the air at a moving target – squeeze the trigger too soon and you’ll be behind the clay, too early and you’ll be too far in front.
The cost of the sessions includes all the ammunition, safety equipment (including ear defenders) and the hire of the gun itself. In my case I was honoured to be loaned Eleanor’s own beautiful Beretta Silver Pigeon for the morning. A 12 bore up and over (model 686 for those in the know). The immaculate shotgun was beautifully engraved, and felt instantly comfortable once I’d got it positioned properly in the dint of my shoulder with my cheek on the stock – the smell of gun oil taking me right back to childhood.
Each person shoots from a wooden stand and there’s wooden seating behind for those in the party who are watching, or waiting their turn. The stands are designed to stop you unwittingly swinging the barrels of the gun around to where people are seated. It’s a simple, but ressuring security device.
Mark leaves nothing to chance on the safety front. Before a cartridge was loaded I was taken through how to stand, where to position my body weight, how to avoid kickback from the gun, where to rest my cheek and we worked out whether, for me, one eye or two would be better for lining up the bead on the end of the barrel with that clay. Having gone through the safety catch procedure (more of a trigger lock really), the difference between the two barrels – it’s all to do with the diameter of the bore and the spread of the shot, but let’s not get too technical and a few other hints and tips, I was all set for my first go. “Say pull, when you’re ready,” said Mark.
And, he must’ve done a good job with those instructions because, much to everyone’s surprise, especially mine, I managed to hit the first clay out of the trap. Admittedly it was a stunning clear day, with the black clay outlined perfectly against a clear blue sky, and a nice high angle, with a lovely hesitation before it dropped. But a hit is a hit, and it took away the nerves and the fear that I might just miss every one.
After that I was introduced to shooting two clays, one after the other, different angles, left to right and right to left, fast ones whizzing over me so quickly it took my eyes some time to adjust to actually seeing them, let alone hitting them.
We had plenty of laughs along the way. Eleanor assists on the shoots with larger groups, and between them they have plenty of anecdotes to keep any group entertained, not surprisingly as they’ve been doing this for over 20 years, alongside looking after the forest and the deer.
The Clay Pigeon Shooting at Gearach is a registered ground approved by Strathclyde Police and you can be assured all the equipment used is well cared for and properly maintained. There is no lower age limit – if you’re big and strong enough to hold a gun, and mature enough to learn and use it properly, then it doesn’t matter if you’re 12 or 102, you can have a go.
And trust me, you’ll want to. This is fun. A few hours zipped by in no time, and I felt I’d not only had a great time, but learned so much – and I definitely wanted to return. Any trip to Islay would be improved with a morning or afternoon having a go at this. It’s great for a group activity, or a family event and something to remember. And, each day here will be different – a bit of Islay wind and the clays will flare into the air, and behave differently from a still day, or a dreich day.
Be warned though, the smell of gun oil and cordite and the urge to have just one more go for that perfect hit, could be very, very addictive!
Find out more and enquire to book here Islay Clay Pigeon Shooting | Explore Islay & Jura