In the round

David Turner catches up with championship-winning Shot Matt Hance

- David Turner

Matt Hance, 52, has been involved in shooting sports for more than 40 years. He competes on the national and international circuit and has been a member of Team GB for the past three decades. His main shooting discipline is FITASC Sporting and he has won the British Grand Prix, English Open, and UK FITASC Championship during his career. He spends a lot of his time coaching and working on the mental side of the game – building style, techniques, and confidence with those he works with, which he says is ‘almost’ as rewarding as his own successes. I spoke to him recently to get an insight into his career and his approach to shooting.

How long have you been shooting?

From when I could first carry a gun. I come from a farming background and part of the farm’s income came from a large commercial cherry orchard, so pest control was essential, especially between May and September. I started with the usual airgun, then a 9mm garden gun, and by the time I was seven, I was shooting a single-barrel 12-bore Baikal, which kicked like a mule. The first time I did clay shooting was in 1982 at a local club, and though I enjoyed the day, for me it was a waste of cartridges as you had nothing to show for it at the end. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that I started to go again and gradually started doing more and more.

What brand of gun do you shoot and why?

I shoot a Krieghoff Super Sporter. It is a ‘Marmite’ gun, but I love mine. For people starting out, I would recommend trying a few different ones to get a gun that suits your build, strength, and, of course, budget. I would strongly advise having a lesson and gun fitting combined as what may feel right in a shop isn’t always the same on the range.

What cartridges do you shoot with in relation to different disciplines?