You need to keep both eyes open when using a shotgun, discovers Simon Horsford as he tries out the ST-2 shooting simulator at Wadswick Country Store in Corsham and takes aim at imaginary pheasants, grouse and wild boar.
I tracked the wild boar with my rifle as it emerged from the bushes in the German countryside. It was around 60 metres away and I had to be accurate because the last thing I wanted was to get on the wrong side of an angry 200kg boar. I pulled the trigger and the boar went down – a perfect shot, despite no bullet being fired.
‘Shoot, train, play’ is the catchline for the shooting simulator at Wadswick Country Store, near Corsham, which, since it opened two and a half years ago, has been the place to go, not only to hone your skills with a shotgun or rifle, or to get in some practice before the shooting season, but also as a fun venue where groups as various as stag, hen or birthday parties and family groups and corporate bonding outings can tackle a variety of shooting disciplines from clays, tin cans and balloons to pheasant, grouse, mallard, moose, and, yes, wild boar.
“Think of it in terms of DRS (the technology-based system used to help umpires with their decision-making in cricket) or VAR (football’s equivalent) for shooting,” says Dan Scull, who runs the simulator. “You shoot and we see what’s going on via simple mathematics and a digital camera showing how you look over the gun and how you mount [the gun]. Every single move you make is recorded and transferred to the screen in front of you and shown in real-time or re-played back.” So you immediately see how accurate you are.
Read Article
