Bev Keeble (Third with 31/40)
Everyone needs a bit of luck sometime, and we certainly did for the 2026 HOLTS Annual Muzzle Loading Clay Pigeon competition at Cambridge Gun Club on Sunday 13 September. The heavy rain that we had had all morning cleared just as we started the shooting. This annual event always attracts competitors from across the country with some travelling from as far as Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
The shoot is a single target format, shooting 40 targets over six stands. With Cambridge having over 20 stands, a wide range of targets were able to be chosen including; teal, loopers, driven, plus a variety of high & low crossers. Each stand in the competition was manned by a member of the Anglian Muzzle Loaders who are based at Cambridge, and they did all the buttoning & scoring for the competitors. We had 22 entries, 21 shooting percussion guns and 1 shooting flintlock.
The competition, as usual, was very close. Graham Bush (Bushey) was the winner with 33 ex 40, with Martin Crix just behind on 32. Bev Keeble claimed third place with a score of 31.
A special mention should be made of Josh Hough who scored 27 with his Pedersoli Mortimer Flintlock gun. Runner up Martin was shooting a quality 11 bore single barrel gun with no makers name, purchased a few years ago from one of HOLTS Sealed Bid Sales. The gun is now affectionately referred to as the “Holts Special”.