Captain of the British Army Clay Shooting Team, Major Jason Wright, explains the benefits of Clay Shooting in the British Army to Jasper Fellows

F rom the stoic Queen’s Guard to the rough and ready Paras, all British Army personnel share a few key traits. Discipline, the ability to work under extreme pressure and, of course, firearms training. These attributes alone would make for a devastatingly competitive clay shot, but how do we switch out SA80 rifles for sporting shotguns, figure 11 targets for flying clays? And how can clay shooting benefit our armed forces?

The answer lies with Major Jason Wright of the Royal Military Police, Captain of The British Army Shooting Team – Clay Target. His mission is to find and nurture clay shooting talent within the Army and exploit it for the glory of queen and country, whilst enjoying all that the sport has to offer.

“The key is giving personnel the opportunities they might not have otherwise had,” Jason explains. “If you look at the top clay shots in the country, many of them have had the advantage of having access to their very own clay grounds, to sporting shotguns and to the funding needed to pay for clays, cartridges and lessons. Thanks to the generous financial support that we receive from the Army Sport Control Board, its Army Sports Lottery and several other sources of charitable income, we are able to give every serving member of the Army these same opportunities and advantages.”

Of course, funding only makes up a small part of what it takes to become a top shot. First talent needs to be found and nurtured. “Many new recruits have never fired a shotgun before,” says Jason. “We encourage them to give clay shooting a go in a number of ways – from simple barrack room posters and social media through to encouraging them to get involved with their Unit or Corps clay club.