First timer's recommendation – when they tell you to lean forward and keep the butt of the gun close to your shoulder, do it. Wax/tweed jackets are optional but recommended.
Enjoyment - 35%
Success - 25%
Will try again - No
For the 10th week of the year, I donned by Barbour flat cap and Barbour-esque jacket and headed into the woods to add another string to my Hampshire country gent bow. We were staying in Old Basing for a couple of weeks and the Three Counties Shooting Ground was so close you could hear some of the gents blowing their 20-bores off all over the place, so it made sense to spend a Sunday lunchtime being taught the basics.
The video below shows how it's done.
The bloke taking the lesson had a proper Hampshire accent which I haven’t really heard that much in Basingstoke, but from what I could understand he lived somewhere that ended in 'hampton' and shot live animals on his land, which I think was legal.
After a brief safety talk, during which he basically advised me not to point the gun at anyone, unless they were from Berkshire and to always check the barrels were empty before loading, I took aim, and duly shot about 10ft wide of the first clay. I managed to hit about four of the buggers, and there was only minimal bruising to my shoulder and cheek, so I am taking that as a partial success.