When starting out in the sport of shooting lots of people often ask: What should I wear? , so I thought I'd help out those who are new or those just needing some tips on what I wear and where to get it from.
Clay shooting in the winter
When shooting clays in the winter I try to keep the layers I am wearing as thin as possible so I don’t affect my gun mount. Starting with a coat, my go to is always my ridgeline smock because it is thin, easy to move in and keeps me dry. For keeping warm under my ridgeline I wear my ladies Seeland Woodcock Fleece Waistcoat. For the rainy days I wear the Seeland ATA cap to keep my glasses dry.
Clay shooting in the summer
In the summer I like to shoot in thin t-shirts to keep as cool as possible. I team my tees with a blue ATA Seeland Skeet Vest. This skeet vest is great for the summer because it has a mesh back which helps to keep cool too.
Game shooting
For cold wet game days I wear the green Seeland Woodcock Advanced Lady Trousers. These are perfect because they keep me dry, warm and are designed in the traditional English game-shooting style. The Jack Pyke Pebble Shooting Socks and garters paired with a Jack Pyke Tie help to complete my traditional Game shooting look.
Accessories
For safety glasses I use both Pilla and Beretta glasses. Whereas for hearing protection I use Caldwell Ear Defenders. It is also possible to use shooting buds, for example I often use the Hearshield SNR-33 Ear Plugs. Hearing and eye protection is an important thing to invest in when shooting or spectating for the safety of everyone. As the sound of a gun firing is loud it can damage your ears, especially when in repetition therefore hearing protection is crucial as is eye safety. The clays targets are set up in a way that that minimises the risk of flying debris, however it is impossible for the ground keepers to take all risk away entirely so shooters are required to wear suitable eye protection when on the stands.
Furthermore, I use two gun slips to transport my gun and keep it safe. I like using the blue ATA Shotgun Slip and the Guardian Canterbury Luxian Slip.
Please remember that the sport is about having fun, staying safe and improving so don't feel pressured into buying expensive clothing. As long as you wear sensible clothing according to the weather such as non restrictive clothing I'm sure you will be fine. It is advised to not wear baggy clothes as it may cause the gun to slip out of position. Wellingtons or boots are a good idea if it has been raining and a cap may be good if it is sunny.
Hopefully see you all at Ashcombe soon. :)
You never disappoint with all of your helpful tips and pieces of knowledge. It really helps us newbies feel less daunted by aspects of an overall excellent experience. Thanks again Lilia.