Sim-ply the best
More clays than you can shake a stick at, good company and food – what’s not to like about the imitation game, asks Tony Bracci
Asimulated game day can be as varied and diverse as a real one. You can have as much shooting as you can handle, nobody will be keeping score and you can shoot at a constantly changing target, just like the real thing.
A simple search of the internet will reveal a plethora of sim game companies selling days. I would also suggest asking around your shooting friends for a recommendation of a good day out and/or the possibility of an invitation to their next outing. When looking at the adverts you will see a big difference in the prices of a day.
You buy a peg for the day but you will share the peg with another Gun, taking it in turns to shoot. All the drives will be split in half and when you’re not shooting, you will be loading for your partner and they return the favour. This is not compulsory and you can load for yourself. When I shoot with my friend, we shoot a box or two each then swap over. You don’t have to go with a friend but, if you don’t, be prepared to be teamed up with someone. That said, the stranger in the morning will most likely be a friend by the end of the day and someone to go with on the next sim game day.
Costs
Have a close look at how many clays they will be using on the day – a 10,000-clay day will obviously be more expensive than a 5,000-clay day. It seems like a lot of clays, but a line of eight Guns can get through a lot of clays quickly, to be repeated after a fill-up for the second half of the drive. There’s no point throwing the clays out one at a time — and multiple targets from multiple oscillating traps keeps the Guns busy, quickly burning through the clays.
Location and hospitality are a material consideration. I have shot on a selection of different sim game days, ranging from one where we met in a lay-by with a burger van for breakfast and had to bring a packed lunch, to the other end of the spectrum at a stately home with all the works.
The quality and quantity of the clays could be equally good at each, but the level of hospitality will influence the price. I prefer the middle ground — a bacon roll on arrival, nice lunch in a shoot room or barbecue in the field, then coffee and cake before saying goodbye. The most important thing for me is the shooting and the company I’m keeping.
There will be a safety briefing in the morning and an outline of the day ahead. You will draw a peg to determine your position on the first drive, moving each drive. But unlike a game day, there are no bad pegs and you will always have plenty of shooting. On a game shoot, you’re pegged out about 40 yards apart, but on a sim day you’re much closer, possibly half that.
Poaching on a game shoot is bad form, but on a sim day it is actively encouraged. At Bisley, in our safety brief, we say: “Please shoot your neighbour’s birds, but please don’t shoot your neighbour.” At the end of the day, there is no keeper to tip, but a tip to the shoot captain will be shared among the trappers and helpers working on the day.
Reality check
So, is it good practice for the real thing? Yes, but only if you can be disciplined enough to stick to your normal method. It’s very easy to forget it all, lose the plot and start shooting
too quickly and shooting at every target, becoming frustrated in the process. Stick to your routine and method.
Some targets will be shot before you get to take your shot, so be patient and keep your discipline. Reset, look for the next target and start again. Try not to get into bad habits, such as rushing the shot process or trying to take targets too early before your shooting friend has a chance. Not every target in the sky has to be shot at. Take your time and try to make every shot count.
A sim game day, pound for pound, gives you more trigger time than game shooting, but it’s easier to throw a clay than present a pheasant or partridge. If you were to pick three things that made a great game day it would be: a lot of shooting, being out in the countryside, in the company of like-minded people. A sim game day has all three covered.
So, what do you need for a day out on a sim game shoot? If you shoot anyway, then you probably have everything you need. Casual clothes, but shirt and tie if the invitation requires it. A shooting waistcoat can be helpful, as it will have extra material to help with recoil and to stop the butt slipping. It will be cut to give you freedom of movement and have large pockets for lots of cartridges. If you’re happy to shoot in a T-shirt, you can use a cartridge bag.
Hearing protection is a matter of personal choice, but your ears will get sweaty with cans in hot weather. In-ear disposable, or moulded to your ear, would be cooler. Eye protection is highly recommended with all the clays flying around. I have been hit by bits on a sim game day, so I know how much damage it can do. As such, I wouldn’t shoot on a sim game day without glasses.
Protection
To protect the head, I would recommend a baseball hat made of thick material to take the sting out of any bits that may hit you. The peak is also good for shielding your face, not only from bits of clay, but also the sun. The same could be said for a flat cap.
Any gun can be used on a sim game day, but side-by-sides will become hotter more quickly, so remember to bring a glove or barrel guard. That said, the fore-end catch on my over-and-under sometimes gets so hot that I have to wear a glove or it would burn my hand. With all guns getting hot, you might think of leaving it out to cool while your partner is shooting, but I would put it back in its slip to protect it from broken clays.
Cartridge choice is a personal one. I’ve never been to a sim game day where you could shoot plastic wads, so definitely go fibre. You can shoot 28g loads if you want, but if you’re shooting a serious number of cartridges, it will take it out of you. More commonly, 21g are used to keep you shooting comfortably all day and break the clays efficiently. Remember, you could be firing 500 to 1,000 cartridges in the day.
Ensure your gun is in good working order, as it will be put through its paces with a high workload. I would always take a spare if you have one. At the end of the day, your arms will ache with all the repetitions of mounting and shooting. Any exercises you do or practice you get mounting your gun in preparation will keep you stronger for longer. However, this is of no benefit if only done the night before or when you get to the shoot.
The only other thing to consider is for your bank balance to take a hit. Then make room in your diary to book in some more days.
“Not every target in the sky has to be shot at. Take your time and try to make every shot count”