MARTIN Myers’ policy of ‘Have gun will travel’ continues to pay off because the sharpshooter from Letterston continues to perform superbly at clay pigeon shoots all around the UK.

Martin was crowned as the world champion of the International Clay Target Shooting Federation in South Africa last October and last month came within two clays of making it a double at the C.P.S.A World Championships held in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

This top event, held over the course of a week, saw Martin shoot 185 ex 200 to earn joint fifth place in the preliminary round to set up a place in the six-man final, where he had the best score of 28 ex 30 but it still left him a tantalisingly two short of matching the American winner.

“I was disappointed,” admitted Martin, “but I suppose being world champion in one main organisation and runner-up in the other isn’t too bad,” he said with a chuckle!

Earlier in the month Martin competed at the Benelli Auto Shoot at Barbury Shooting Ground in Swindon where he was the last of 350 competitors to shoot and came first with his total of 114 ex 120.

“The final scores are the result of so many variables like distance, angles, speed, terrain and weather, with wind often the major factor so that no two shoots are ever the same,” explained Martin.

Martin also won the Clay Shooting ‘English Sporting Classic’ at High Lodge, near Lowestoft with 146 ex 150, three targets clear of his nearest rival despite his gun breaking halfway through the shoot and having to borrow a gun from Nick Harrison, a friend from Preston.

Martin knew it was going to be a busy weekend. From Lowestoft he then got in the car and travelled up to Hartlepool, near Middlesbrough in readiness for an English team selection shoot on the Saturday. Then after a night’s sleep he returned to Lowestoft for the prize giving. He finally reached home at 2am knowing that he had to be in work at 8am, having driven a distance of 1,360 miles over three days!

Martin uses the ‘Pull’ magazine to map out his weekends, making sure that he attends at least two events each weekend, with a trip last weekend taking him to Brighton for Saturday morning before a two-hour trek to Hertfordshire for a competition in the afternoon.

He and wife Ruth, who is his unofficial secretary and record-keeper have a rare relaxing treat later this month because his gun sponsor Kreighoff will be taking them to Germany so that he can be measured up for a new gun. He is also regularly in touch with the ‘Hull Cartridge Company’ who sponsor him with cartridges.

“It’s a busy life but I still enjoy it,” Martin told us, “and I am lucky to have total family support in my clay pigeon shooting as it takes me all over the UK and much further afield throughout the year.”