A woman was shot in the face while sitting in her car in Churchill Saturday morning, according to county police. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
E.J. Churchill boasts to be the only shooting business in Britain with its own gunmakers, shooting ground, sporting agency, country outfitters and events business all coming together under one roof. Their success is largely due to their passion for the sport.
Wingshooting
Wingshooting is an exciting form of shotgun sport. The technique uses a small-gauge semiautomatic shotgun and focuses on bird sighting, correct gun mounting and proper swing. It is an extremely popular game among sportsmen and women in the United States. It also has become a favorite pastime in Iowa. Several different types of wingshooting clinics are offered by the IDNR including youth and women’s clinics. The IDNR also offers one day wingshooting clinics in addition to the standard two day format.
The Churchill method minimizes the notion of target lead by focusing on the point that you first “visually pick up” the bird. As you swing, the natural momentum of your body is transferred to the gun to give you enough “compensation for flight time” without any conscious effort. This is what makes the Churchill method so effective.
Whether you are a beginner or an expert in the field, there is no substitute for the skilled instruction of a Churchill-trained instructor. Adam Davies is a Churchill-trained instructor at the E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground and a certified George Digweed Academy trainer. He has won more than 26 world clays shooting titles and is a master of the Churchill Method.
Sporting Clays
Sporting clays, a variation of trap shooting, has become one of the most popular shotgun sports. It simulates the unpredictable flight patterns of field game birds and rabbits with a variety of trajectories, angles, speeds, elevations, and clay target sizes. During a sporting clays event, shooters rotate through a series of shooting “stations” or numbered stands that vary in number and type of targets.
When a sporting clays shooter steps up to the stand, he or she is given the opportunity to fire two shots at each station. A round of a sporting clays event typically includes 50 targets. During special events, it may include 100 targets. During the shoot, sporting clays shooters are grouped into squads of six shooters. When it’s your squad’s turn to shoot, a referee or “puller” will throw a pair of targets for you and your squadmates to practice the upcoming station before you take your turns at each stand.
Whether you’re an experienced or beginning sporting clays shooter, you can get the most out of your tournament experience by using the right gear and technique. To improve your performance, you’ll need a quality shotgun that can hold four or more shells in any gauge. A pump-action, semi-automatic or over-and-under shotgun will work. You also need a good choke and a reliable load of 12 gauge shot.
Grouse Shooting
During grouse shooting, birds are driven towards the guns on the moor. They are shot from a line of 8-10 guns spaced around 50 yards apart. The guns are hidden in butts or behind hurdles or stone walls and must remain concealed to avoid spooking the birds. Grouse have keen eyesight and will quickly detect movement so it is important to remain quiet while you wait for the drive to start.
The intensive management of grouse moors turns these wild uplands into quasi-domesticated farmed landscapes in order to keep grouse numbers at unnaturally high levels for the sake of sport shooting. This process has a massive impact on the ecology of these landscapes; heather is burned, wet areas are drained and natural predators such as foxes, stoats and mountain hares are trapped and killed to ensure that grouse chicks reach maturity. Hen harriers are a particular target of persecution.
When hunting grouse, you need to be able to walk a fair distance between shots, so it’s essential to be fit and carry the correct amount of equipment for the terrain you will be walking on. In a typical day on a grouse shoot, you will be covering a lot of ground and it’s recommended to take a pack that can carry at least 10 kilos. You will also need to carry a minimum of 12 rounds per gun, depending on the weather and conditions.
Duck Shooting
In duck shooting, hunters set up a decoy spread in a waterhole to entice live ducks to land near the blind. They then position themselves in the blind to shoot the birds as they come into range. Ducks typically fly at about thirty to forty yards per second, and good duck shooters can consistently hit a target with steel shot at that range. However, because steel shot travels much slower than lead shot, a shotgun with thicker walls and a larger bore is required.
Like any sport, becoming a great duck shooter requires dedication and practice. While talent plays a role, most experts agree that more important than natural aptitude is a hunter’s commitment to improving his skill level. The day my friend Rob Clouser doubled on two mallards was definitely a lucky one, but it was also the result of years of dedication to his craft and an ongoing commitment to improve. If you’re willing to commit to the pursuit of waterfowl, there are few sports in which your effort will be more rewarding.
