Upcoming Shooting Events in May

- BASC South East Ladies Day - Oxford Shooting School, 2nd May

- The Northern Shooting Show - Great Yorkshire Showground, 11th - 12th May

- The Countryside Clay Shoot - West Wycombe Estate, 25th May

- Northern Ireland Country Sports Fair, Scarvagh House, 25th - 26th May

- BASC Young Shot Day - Windsor Great Park, 29th May

BASC South East Ladies Day - Oxfordshire Shooting School, 2nd May

It’s no hidden secret that there’s a significant lack of ladies who are involved in shooting nowadays. There has been some clear progress in overall female numbers within the community - spotting a lady out in the field on a shoot day used to be virtually impossible, but in recent years it’s become a lot more common thanks to things like designated ladies clubs and special female-only events.

One of the biggest drivers of projects like these is BASC, who invest a lot of effort into their Ladies Days. BASC South East are running one of these events on the 2nd May hosted by Oxfordshire Shooting School. It’s a great opportunity for keen shooters to practice their skills and grow their confidence in a variety of disciplines.

The day will start with a 40 clay lesson lead and instructed by a number of BASC’s very own qualified coaches. Your morning and afternoon activities will take place either side of a spectacular buffet lunch, accompanied by a Q&A session where you’ll have the chance to ask experts about all things shooting related, in a relaxed environment.

After lunch, things get a little more exciting with a fun 30 bird competition to add that competitive edge and get a feel for what it’s like to shoot under pressure. Finally, the day will be rounded off with a walkthrough on some gun cleaning tips so that you can maintain your own equipment and keep your kit in top condition.

All of this is on offer at an exceptional price of £60, which includes your cartridges and your lunch too. You can fill in the booking form here to register your interest.

The Northern Shooting Show - Great Yorkshire Showground, 11th - 12th May

The NSS first opened its doors to the public in 2016 and has since become one of the UK’s headline shooting events, after only three editions. The fourth year of the show promises to be its biggest and best yet after a really successful show in 2018. Hundreds of exhibitors have rebooked their spot for this year, as well as a whole load of new companies signing up to get their names secured. This year the event organisers are handpicking the exhibitors from a huge list in order to get the perfect selection out for customers.

The Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate is a stunning location that can be reached easily from both the A1 and M62. Upon arrival, you’ll get access to onsite parking completely free of charge and just a short walk from all of the action. The show prides itself on the use of space to prioritise outdoor shooting; the show is really focused around allowing people to get involved themselves and learn new skills - something quite special in comparison to many other shooting shows that are so often geared towards product sales in an indoor environment.

The NSS features a huge clay line hosting the Northern 50 Bird Championships, and outdoor airsoft range, an archery range and a wooded shooting area specifically set out for HFT (Hunter Field Target).

On top of all the thrills and excitement, there are three huge gunmakers halls where you can browse 1000’s of the latest shooting/hunting products - everything from clothing, firearms, accessories and so much more. All of the top retailers will be here as well as perhaps a few upcoming small businesses for you to try something new. Many of these brands will be advertising show only offers where you can get great deals at a one-off price.

Don’t miss out on your chance to be there, book your tickets now!

The Countryside Clay Shoot 2019 - West Wycombe Estate, 25th May

A Spectacular all-day event of both a competitive and fun nature, giving you the chance to team up with 3 of your shooting companions and put your skills to the test, with some big prizes up for grabs.

The shoot is going to be held at the West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire where you’ll be put through six unique game drive simulations to try and earn a place in the top three. The West Wycombe Park is a beautiful location tucked away in the Chiltern Hills (AONB)  - the perfect setting as you compete for the Hugh van Cutsem Challenge Cup.

BASC and Brabners sponsor the event that costs £800 to enter a team, but you also enter individual guns at just £200. This price encompasses a spectacular day that starts with breakfast in the Great Hall, champagne and refreshments throughout, and an excellent lunch to finish off with. You’ll also get cartridges supplied for you at every stand.

Besides running costs, the remaining proceeds will entirely be put forward to the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust to help support the incredible work that they do. We’ll be expecting a fully booked event, so it’ll be wise to book your place as early as you can to avoid disappointment.

To book your place contact Hayley Williams either by telephone (01244 573000) or Email ([email protected]).

Northern Ireland Country Sports Fair, Scarvagh House, 25th - 26th May

The NI Country Sports Fair is a huge occasion on a national scale that sees thousands of people visit from all over the country. The fair is a celebration of all aspects of the country lifestyle from craft and trade, to food, drink and pets.

The main attraction of the fair is country sports, where airgunning, clay pigeon shooting, archery and gundog events are centre of attention.

The Mid Ulster Air Rifle Club will offer you the chance to try out some exciting shooting disciplines at their stand, with both FT (Field Target) and HFT (Hunter Field Target) on offer. Each of these is a versatile event that will test a plethora of personal skills. You’ll be required to try and knock down targets on outdoor courses from short, mid and long ranges from varying positions and stances.

You’ll be taken through the basics of both disciplines by club members of very high standards; some of which have represented the national team at World level.

As well as this, there will also be an indoor air rifle range produced by Strangford Lough Wildfowlers. It’s a really accessible event for absolutely anyone to come and have a try in a safe and casual environment with static targets.

If it’s clay pigeon shooting that you fancy getting involved in then there are some excellent competitions being staged over the weekend, with great prizes on offer. The events are sponsored by Tannyoky Guns and Countrysports Ireland and organised by AA Shooting.

Here’s a quick overview of both the competitive and casual events that will run over the two day period:

• 30 Bird Sporting over 3 stands competition, £12 per line

• Pool Stand Competition, £3 for 12 birds

• Clay Snooker Competition sponsored by Tannyoky, £7 per line

• Have-a-go Stand Casual sponsored by Country Sports Ireland, £12 for 12 birds

For competition events, there will be separate prize pools for classified and unclassified shooters, as well as ladies prizes. £100 for 1st, £75 for 2nd and £50 for 3rd will be paid on both classified and unclassified each day, whereas the ladies competition will offer a ⅓ payout of the entry pool, with last cards at 16:45 pm.

There are important rules regarding the shoots that you must be aware of before taking part - you can view them here.

You can book your spot at the fair via the online ticketing system now!

BASC Young Shot Day, Windsor Great Park, 29th May

It’s always tough getting the next generation to take up a new sport, unless it’s one of the obvious few that dominate media attention. Shooting is no exception to this fact, but BASC is at hand doing all it can to change this. Its Young Shot days are vital for the growth of shooting and have contributed to a huge perecentage of the shooting population in recent years - offering young people a cheap way into the sport without needing any real experience or prior skill.

The next upcoming edition for the South East region is on the 29th May and will be held at Windsor Great Park in Berkshire. It’s an excellent location to spend the day, with the event running from 9 am to 3.15 pm. Young people aged between 10 and 16 years will get the chance to ease their way into both rifle and clay pigeon shooting as they learn the basics and improve their skills under the watchful eyes of expertly qualified BASC coaches.

As well as shooting tips you’ll get advice on a collection of other handy skills in preparation, game handling and much more.

The day is extremely affordable at only £35 for the day, but you’ll need to bring your own lunch. Once again, these days fill up very quickly, so it’s wise to get in contact as soon as possible to secure a space.

You can fill in the booking form right here or contact the BASC team at [email protected].