Eyes jammed firmly shut, Otago Daily Times reporter Chris
Morris blasts a clay target with a shotgun at Waldronville
yesterday, watched by instructor Chris Ziesler. Photo by
Peter McIntosh.
Closing your eyes and hoping for the best probably isn't
the best approach when grappling with a shotgun for the first
time.
But it seemed to work yesterday, when this Otago Daily Times
reporter was invited to take a pot shot or two at the 2009
Duck Shooters Clay Shoot at Waldronville.
About 110 keen shooters - most of them experienced duck
shooters - and their families had come from around Otago for
the event, which has been organised by the Dunedin Clay
Target Club for the past 15 years.
The event aims to promote the sport ahead of the duck
shooting season, which begins on May 2.
About 30 dubious veterans seemed impressed enough when I
managed to squeak out the word "pull", follow the flight of
the first orange disk with my seven-shot semi-automatic
Beretta and blast the orange disc to pieces.
It was the first time I had ever fired a proper gun - air
rifles and paintball don't really count, do they? - and the
result was satisfying.
Not that I saw it, mind you, with both eyes squinted firmly
shut and a nervous shoulder braced for impact as I squeezed
the trigger.
"Did I hit it?" I asked the grinning gun enthusiasts
surrounding me.
The next shot was even better - I managed to catch a blurred
glimpse of the disc's fragments spinning down to earth, after
opening my eyes moments after the second effort also found
success.
Somehow, I was two from two, and more surprised tittering
from the farmer-types followed.
My instructor, Beretta and Benelli agent Chris Ziesler, of
Auckland, pointed to where the next disc - a tricky
ground-skimming "rabbit" - would come.
"Hit this one as well and you'll make me look like a really
good instructor," he whispered.
I blasted away again and missed, of course, although someone
behind me muttered "close".
And it was close enough for me - I handed back the weapon,
shook hands and walked away, light-footed and with a stupid
grin on my face.
Two from three.
Not bad at all, I thought.
The grin lasted about a minute, until I watched 13-year-old
Greg Field, of Dunedin, handling a 20-gauge shotgun almost as
big as he was.
The youngster also squeaked out the word "pull", but then
efficiently blasted off two shots in rapid succession that
each collected a disc of their own.
Proud father Murray Field grinned at me: "He's pretty good
for his age."
Clearly I had some work to do before the real ducks would
start to worry.
chris.morris@odt.co.nz
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