Laser Clay

Laser clay shooting is clay pigeon shooting without the live ammunition. You aim a modified shotgun at a clay target flying through the sky, and instead of shot it fires a beam of light. Sensors register every hit and keep score. There's no recoil and no cartridges, just the same swing, timing and satisfaction of the real thing.

A trap machine launches real clays into the air, exactly as it would on a shooting ground. When you pull the trigger, the gun sends out an invisible beam. Hit the clay and a sensor picks it up, a sound plays and your score ticks up for everyone to see.

Because nothing actually touches the clay, it lands in one piece and gets used again. Most systems play a shotgun bang too, so it feels gloriously real without anyone's shoulder paying for it the next day.

Real clay shooting groups its targets into styles like trap, skeet and sporting, and laser clay borrows from all of them. Going-away targets fly straight out in front of you. Crossers zip from one side to the other and need a smooth swing. Incomers head towards you. Rising targets, known as teal, climb steeply and test everyone's nerve.

Then there's the rabbit, a clay that bounces and rolls along the ground. Sneaky little thing.

Very. Your Activity Leader starts with a safety briefing, then shows you how to mount the gun into your shoulder, rest your cheek on the stock and stand with your weight slightly forward. The top tips are simple. Keep both eyes open, follow the clay with the barrel and keep swinging as you pull the trigger, which shooters call follow-through. With no recoil to worry about, beginners improve fast, and the leaderboard makes it very competitive very quickly.

Comfy clothes and closed-toe shoes. Sunglasses stay in your pocket, as eye protection and ear defenders are provided and must be worn for the whole session. A cap helps on a bright day, since you'll spend most of your time staring at the sky.

You might also like Air Rifle Shooting, Crossbow Shooting and Archery.

See all Camp Wildfire activities