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I try to make a point of writing up all experiences where I feel strongly positive, or negative about something, for restaurants, shops, service, software and so on. Recent comments on a thread, and search engine hits I’ve been getting on another, have focused my attention on some of my previous negative posts, so I thought I’d cheer myself up and highlight a few positive experiences I’ve had (see here, and hopefully a few more to come following our wedding).

So, set the clock back a few weeks back at my Stag do – organised very successfully by my best man Stew. I’d originally expressed an interest in ‘shooting and eating small creatures‘ (I know, I know), perhaps as part of a hunting lodge getaway somewhere up here in Scotland. Practicalities, including distance, travel, costs, time required and so on, but mostly the relentless forward march of time (it does do that, I’ve noticed), so we settled on Clay pigeon shooting. I’d get the shooting part, the eating part would come later. It was going to be an entirely new experience, and one I’ve always wanted to do, and it transpired a lot of my friends did too, so good all around

Stew did some research and came up with a few companies, and finally settled on Lee Leisure. They were based near Luton, so easy for everybody to get to (whether driving, flying or by train). Whilst finding the facility was a bit of an experience (the drive from the gate was somewhat longer, and bumpier, than we’d anticipated!), we found ourselves in what looked like a former quarry with the two instructors.

They were at pains to explain that they weren’t going to just give us a gun, fire up some clays, and let us get on with it. They wanted to teach us what to do, so we’d get the most from it. And they lived up to their word. After working out about dominant eyes, explaining safety proceedings, ear protectors, how the gun recoiled, and how to minimise the recoil, we got on with the shooting, and had a great time.

One of the biggest surprises to me, having never done this before, was that there was more to it than just a clay being flung into the air. There were three different types of clay shoot, to mimic the different hunting experiences. A clay being fired up as if a bird was flying out of a bush (the only one I’d heard of); A clay being fired more towards us (and further away) to mimic a bird in flight; A clay being fired along the ground. Like what a rabbit does. Which was great fun, and the hardest.

They offered a money back guarantee – should you not hit any targets – but it was entirely unnecessary. They’d done a great job of coaching, and advised us as we went along. I think everybody got a few 6 hits from 6 successive shots. We each had about 20 shots on each type, and my shoulder certainly felt that that was more than enough!

There was a tie-break for the prize, and Alis won that, but I don’t think anybody begrudged him that after a spectacular first-shot hit that I think surprised the instructor, who’d taken 5 shots!

So, I highly recommend Lee Leisure for your clay pigeon shooting needs. Far more than “here’s a gun, there are the clays, shoot them”. It was an entertaining and enjoyable experience, showing us all how it’s done, and giving all of us an experience, I think, we’ll remember for a long time.

URL: www.lee-leisure.co.uk