A PREMIER UK SHOOTING SCHOOL
After a short train ride from central London, we arrived at the E.J. Churchill shooting grounds. Surrounded by tall trees and lush green grass, the shooting grounds features several different sporting clays stands including grouse butts. We were warmly welcomed by the staff at E.J. Churchill and introduced to our instructor, who took us out for a two hour lesson. At first, I think we surprised him by our accuracy. The first stand, designed to test one's initial skill and serve as an assessment, was not the challenge we were looking for. The day became increasingly more difficult, as we were faced with smaller sized targets, much different than the clays used in the American courses. In one stand, which caused me a certain amount of grief, the target was only visible for about a second or two as it was launched high above the trees. With my gun pointing nearly straight overhead, back arched, I took my best shot at these high-flying targets. My instructor continued to give me advice on this difficult shot until I began to hit it consistently. To my dismay, my brother, who shoots only occasionally as a past-time, made the shot look impossibly simple, breaking clays left and right. The real challenge came in the grouse butt. I'm quite petite, so I had a hard time seeing above the rock wall. The target seemed to fly barely above the grass. Slowly I began to see the targets and make contact. It was a shot that was completely foreign to me, but it left me with a strong desire to hunt grouse in the Scottish moors. Maybe one day? All in all, the staff and facilities at E.J. Churchill are beyond incredible. I cannot sincerely thank them enough for the most wonderful shooting experience, which truly served as one of the highlights of our trip to the United Kingdom.
Waiting in the grouse butt, hoping that careful observation will increase my accuracy