How should young Shots get started in the field and on the clay ground? I started shooting at the age of eight. I’m lucky to come from a farming background, so there were opportunities to be involved in and around shooting from an early age. I followed my father’s lead…
Young Shots
How did you start shooting? Teaching youngsters the basics of good shooting is crucial to the well-being, survival and reputation of the sport.
We’ve written about the best choice for a first gun, how to find a good shooting instructor, where youngsters can shoot and shooting competitions and schools that focus on young Shots.
What age should a youngster start shooting?
Eyebrows were raised at the last round of Home Office firearms licensing statistics when it was revealed that a seven-year-old had been approved for a shotgun certificate. That decision led to lively debate at my local clay ground. Opinions were split. A significant number of regulars felt that the decision…
Should a youngster have his or her own shotgun certificate?
Q: I would like to buy my son his first shotgun as a birthday present when he turns 14 this summer. Can he have his own shotgun certificate or is it best to put it on mine? A: Whilst I would suggest the new shotgun should be on yours as…
Every day’s a school day
We were huddled together in an old Dumfriesshire farmhouse kitchen, with rain bouncing off the windows. “Whether we hit 10 birds today or 100 matters not,” announced 14-year-old Charlie Hattam, who was standing at the front with a broken arm, “but what does matter is safety.” Dotted round the room,…
Supervising a Young Shot
As the media continues in its condemnation of young Shots, Will Finch argues that shooting from an early age has a positive effect on young people
Should I get my son a junior-sized airgun or a full-size?
The importance of young people to shooting
Looking for Easter holiday activities for Young Shots?
Young Guns in the making and those keen to improve their skills will jump at the chance to spend some of the holidays at The Royal Berkshire Shooting School on a Young Shots workshop. Designed for youngsters aged 10-18 years old, the courses give a solid and comprehensive introduction to…
7000 Scouts and Guides try shotgun shooting at Jamboree
It’s proving a wonderful opportunity for potential Young Guns to experience the sport at first hand, safely and with top instruction. Following an approach from the organisers of the Jamboree, the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC) sent a team of coaches to run an ‘Introduction to Shotgun Shooting’…
Summer holiday shooting for Young Shots
Various shooting grounds across the country are hosting Young Shots days to get young people involved in shooting during the summer holidays. Purdey Young Shots course at West London Shooting School (12 July) or West Oxfordshire Shooting School (11 July). The Purdey Young Shots course for 10-17 year olds provides…
When boys become Guns
The first steps into the shooting world are often some of the most difficult to take. For young people in particular the prospect can seem as daunting as it is exciting, but it is essential that they are welcomed in to the sport if gameshooting is to flourish and thrive.…
Young Shot wins first car at The Schools Challenge
On Saturday 12th December, The Schools Challenge, the nation’s largest young shots organisation, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a clayshooting contest at The Oxford Gun Company. The overall winner Tom Scott, aged just 16, is now the proud owner of his first car, courtesy of Stratstone. Runners up were for…
Watch the best young Guns in the country compete to win a £15,000 car
The Schools Challenge is the largest Young Shots organisation in the UK for 12-21 year olds and the exciting final will show the high standards that are being achieved. Everyone is welcome to come along and watch from 12-6pm and have a go at clayshooting, axe-throwing and archery. The event…
How do we encourage more Young Shots?
What do you think are the barriers preventing youngsters from taking part in shooting?