Britain's Best Shooting Grounds: E.J Churchill

Just on the outskirts of London, away from all the commotion and intimidating skyrises, you’ll find one of the most glorious shooting locations in the United Kingdom. Seeing as there’s no better place on the planet to enjoy this sport, it could well be one of the best in the world too. Surrounded by acres of rich green countryside and iconic British wildlife, the E.J Churchill Shooting Ground has been a first choice events location for over 30 years, as well as winning some of UK shootings highest accolades.

‘Time Inc’ voted E.J Churchill as the ‘Best Shooting Ground of the Year’ in the 2017 Shooting Industry Awards, so the mark of excellence has certainly been stamped right at the very top.  

There are nearly 200 shooting stands at the Buckinghamshire facility where you’ve got the chance to practice or learn half a dozen different clay pigeon shooting disciplines in a premium shooting environment. It’s very rare that you’ll find a shooting ground which offers you an equal opportunity for both Game and Clay Pigeon activity and E.J Churchill is one of the few places for it. Notable clay pigeon disciplines are Olympic Skeet, English Sporting, Four Sportrap Layouts and Down The Line (DTL) plus many more.

There also tailored facilities for the game shooting such as four high towers for driven shooting and five grouse butts so you can have a better chance of shooting some game. These are all stationed around two huge multi-sport layouts within the Chiltern Hills AONB.

Although many may feel comfortable getting out there and having some fun themselves, the club prides itself on introducing new people into the sport and helping them to improve their skills. That’s why there are eight professional shooting instructors at hand for those beginners, or even if you’re a regular just looking to get better. Many of these instructors are former world-class competitors as well as some of the best game/wing shots in the country! - So you’re going to learn from the very best. Lessons can be taken by anyone regardless of their ability.

Accompanying this is a Young Guns Academy that allows children aged seven and older to come and shoot somewhere safe and supervised. They’ll be using smaller firearms. E.J Churchill recently hosted the British World Shooting Championships this year and has done so in 2014 and 2016.

If you really want to use the club to its full potential, we’d strongly recommend becoming a member. There are so many benefits you can get access to, including discounted rates for lessons, shooting rounds, cartridges, clothing and so much more. You’ll get access to gun storage on site, club competitions and specialised game days too. Signing up for a membership is seriously worth it.

The Gun Room is another very special place where you can fulfil all of your shooting needs. A gun fitting service here allows you to use try-guns to get a feel for the perfect size you need in order to get the best out of your shooting. Experts will always be at hand here to advise you too.

You’ll be able to get servicing and repairs for your existing firearms too - they’ll fix any problems you have from the very minor touches to the largest rebuild jobs.

There’s a gun storage here which is perfectly secure and you can also get your own firearm transportation service straight from the grounds and out to airports or central cities should you need them.

The Shop stocks clothing and accessories from all the leading brands such as Le Chameau, Pilla and Swarovski Optik. Remember you’ll get discounts here if you’re a club member, and with products of the highest quality, that means you can get some seriously good deals. Footwear, country clothing, loader bags, eyewear and so much more - all the accessories you’ll need to give yourself the most comfortable experience out in the field.

If you need to chill out after a long session out on the grounds, there’s an excellent clubhouse for relaxing, talking with like-minded shooters and maybe learning a thing or two from some enthusiasts. There’s plenty to discover too, in a clubhouse that’s seen some very impressive years of gun making and shooting history.

There’s a bar with food on offer too that serves some tasty meals and refreshing drinks open for most of the day.

This really is one of the best shooting grounds around, and being so close to the capital makes it an enticing visit for anyone. There’s nowhere more fully inclusive for age, gender, and ability than here and they’re doing huge things to help push the sport forward and encourage participation. That’s more important than anything else - even the cracking food and drink!

Register your interest now to join the movement!