This is the number one fun shooting event!  

With legions of .410 shooters from far and wide gathered together in pursuit of these excellent targets just for the sheer enjoyment of it. With a price of £15 for a 50 bird competition card this was affordable shooting.

Pictured left:

Marshall Williams and family from West Virginia USA

Indeed a markedly different atmosphere prevailed throughout the entire proceedings, with relaxed fun being the order of the day. This was in stark contrast to the overly serious scenarios than can mar some 12 gauge competitions.

There were all manner and types of guns in use from the very expensive to the plain utility models of Side by side, over and under, pump & auto.

The targets were imaginative and well presented, proving that they don’t always have to be miles away to be challenging.

Comprised of fifty targets at five stands with excellent surroundings, the course was a pleasure to shoot.

Indeed if more shooters were aware of what can be achieved with a .410 for clayshooting I’m sure that far more would be in use, the virtual total lack of recoil alone is surely worth exploring!

The Layout.

Stand #1(pictured left): Incomer from high up in the distance slightly to the left. Coming in below the shooter and planing away to the right as it did so, on the report of the first shot this was followed by a simulated running squirrel, close in from behind and left rolling down the bank in front of the shooter displaying only a quartering target.

As most guns were carrying a considerable degree of choke the squirrel was not as easy as it might sound, with the first bird proving tricky to read with the variable cross wind.  

Stand#2: Flushed midi clay in climbing rapidly in front going away followed by over head high speed clay from behind the shooter rapidly angled down and planing off to the left if not shot quickly.

The name of the game here was to get on to the first bird quickly, allowing plenty of time to tackle the overhead bird before it went into its freefall routine.

Stand#3: Left to right low level crosser obscured by trees until the last minute after which it would disappear quickly behind a bush, followed by a bolting rabbit quartering from left to right on report.

The first bird was indeed a snap shot scenario, with the rabbit being a little further out giving more chance for the pattern to open up.

Stand #4: low climbing clay launched from left rear of shooter quartering to the right slightly going up a steep bank but more or less keeping the same distance from the actual ground level. This was followed by an incoming, quartering and crossing driven target, almost directly over the head of the shooter.

The best technique for the first bird seemed to be the ambush approach as the target crossed directly in front of the shooter, with most high scorers using this method. The incoming bird could be taken in plenty of time either further out or when directly overhead.

Left BASC’s Glynn Cook tackles stand number 5.

Stand#5 Pair of crossers first right to left about 35yards out emerging from behind some trees, followed by a left to right coming in from the far distance that was dropping and quartering and crossing the shooter as it eventually came within range.

The trick here was not to rush the first target, as there was a considerable time delay before the second bird presented itself within range. Indeed the best place to shoot the second bird seemed to be just before it disappeared from view behind the trees to the left.

Results

1st Nicholas Tolley 46/50

(on the right).

2nd Tim Woodhouse 45/50

(No that’s not me in the middle, but Craig Quinnell the Welsh Rugby International).

Junior

1st Paul Tudge 42/50 (on the left)

See www.4-10.co.uk and the BASC website (www.basc.org.uk) for details of the 2006 event or call the BASC Welsh office on: 01686-688 861

Guns and ammo are available on site so even if you don’t have a .410 in your collection go along anyway.

Don’t just think about going to the next shoot, but make the effort to turn up, you don’t know what you’ve been missing, so I’ll see you there next year then!  

Tim W.

And another thing:

As several emails have arrived enquiring of my choices of gun and ammo for this and other .410 clay events the details are listed here.

My choice of gun was a heavily modified Investarm Over/Under folding .410 (as shown in the .410 book). This has lead shot packed in the fore end and between the barrels (no main central rib) so as to get a better swing and reduce poking at the target. Also the barrels are overbored as standard to .418inch internal diameter, which improves the patterns tremendously, along with specially polished and tapered chamber cones.

My ammo choices were:

For Closer birds, squirrels and rabbits Eley 3inch magnum fibre wad 5/8oz #7’s.

For Medium range targets Italian Clever Mirage Magnums with 11/16oz (19.5 gram) of Italian #9 shot at 2.1mm diameter (UK 8.5). This is an excellent compromise for clay targets (and probably quail as well). These shells use the H-27 Nana Cup wad (not the reversible same ended type) and give a more open spread than the H-40 full-length container wads.

For longer birds 11/16oz Fiocchi Magnums were used for their phenomenal patterns at these ranges in Italian #8 shot.  

My chokes were fixed and regulated by myself to 7 thou in the bottom barrel and 9 thou in the top, which is about light modified and modified respectively.

 Because it’s there!  Climbing The North Face Of The .410.    2nd Edition © Light Gauges 2005. All Rights Reserved.