Clay Shooting Clothing Checklist: What to Take to the Shooting Ground

Whether you're heading to your first clay shooting lesson or you've been shooting for years, forgetting one small item can make a surprisingly big difference to your day.

The good news is that you don't need to take half your wardrobe to the shooting ground.

A sensible clay shooting kit is relatively simple: comfortable clothing, suitable weather protection, eye and hearing protection, cartridges and a few useful accessories.

This practical checklist covers the clothing and personal equipment worth preparing before you leave home.

Clay Shooting Clothing Checklist

If you want the quick version, this is what we'd normally consider taking or wearing:

• A comfortable base layer, T-shirt or shooting shirt.
• A clay shooting vest.
• A lightweight jacket or waterproof when required.
• Comfortable outdoor trousers.
• Supportive footwear with suitable grip.
• Shooting glasses.
• Hearing protection.
• A cap or hat if required.
• Suitable additional layers for the weather.
• Cartridges.
• Scorecard, membership card or competition paperwork where required.

The exact kit you need will depend on the weather, the shooting ground and whether you're attending a lesson, practice session or competition.

1. Start With a Comfortable Base Layer

Your first layer should be comfortable and allow unrestricted movement through the shoulders and upper body.

In warm conditions, this might simply be a technical T-shirt, polo shirt or lightweight shooting shirt. When temperatures drop, a long-sleeved performance layer can provide additional warmth without the bulk of a heavy jumper.

The main thing to avoid is clothing that pulls tightly through your shoulders when you raise your arms or mount the gun.

For cooler conditions, take a look at the REISTO® Performance Base Layer T-Shirt. For warmer days, there is also the REISTO® Performance Base Layer Short Sleeve.

You can also browse our full clay shooting base layers and T-shirts collection.

If you'd like a fuller explanation of how to dress for different conditions, read our guide on what to wear clay pigeon shooting.

2. A Proper Clay Shooting Vest

Once you start shooting regularly, a dedicated shooting vest quickly becomes one of the most useful pieces of clothing you own.

Its most obvious job is carrying cartridges, but a well-designed vest also gives you somewhere practical to keep scorecards, glasses and smaller accessories while allowing you to move freely.

A good clay shooting vest should:

• fit comfortably without being restrictive;
• allow unrestricted shoulder and upper-body movement;
• have generous, easy-to-reach cartridge pockets;
• remain stable when the pockets are loaded;
• provide a comfortable mounting area at the shoulder; and
• suit the conditions in which you normally shoot.

If you're still choosing your first vest, our Clay Shooting Vest Buying Guide explains what to look for.

You can also read our detailed guide on how a clay shooting vest should fit.

3. Dress for the Weather

Clay shooting is an outdoor sport, and British weather has a habit of changing several times during the same round.

Check the forecast before leaving and prepare for the conditions rather than assuming the weather will stay the same all day.

Warm weather

A breathable base layer and lightweight shooting vest may be all you need.

Lightweight designs such as the REISTO® Skeet Vest 2026 – The Blue Steel are particularly useful when airflow and lower weight are priorities.

Cooler weather

Add layers rather than immediately reaching for one very heavy coat.

A performance base layer underneath a vest, fleece or softshell allows you to adjust your clothing as temperatures change without adding unnecessary bulk around the shoulder.

Wet weather

A waterproof shooting layer is useful when persistent rain is likely.

The important thing is maintaining enough shoulder movement for a comfortable gun mount. A jacket that is extremely stiff or bulky may keep you dry but make shooting less comfortable.

For cooler and breezy conditions, see the REISTO® Softshell Shooting Jacket. For wetter days, the REISTO® Waterproof Shooting Jacket provides a dedicated weatherproof option.

You can browse both in our Clay Shooting Jackets collection.

4. Comfortable Trousers

There is no requirement to wear specialist shooting trousers for normal clay shooting.

Comfortable outdoor trousers, chinos or similar practical clothing are usually perfectly suitable.

Think about how much walking you'll be doing. Larger Sporting layouts can involve moving considerable distances between stands, sometimes over uneven, wet or muddy ground.

Your trousers should allow you to walk, bend and stand comfortably for several hours.

5. Suitable Footwear

Footwear is easy to overlook until the ground becomes wet.

Choose shoes or boots with:

• good grip;
• comfortable support;
• enough protection for uneven ground; and
• weather resistance appropriate to the conditions.

Walking boots are a common choice during wetter months, while supportive outdoor trainers or lighter walking shoes can be comfortable during summer.

Avoid smooth soles if conditions are likely to be wet or muddy.

6. Shooting Glasses

Eye protection should form part of your normal shooting kit.

Shooting glasses help protect your eyes from broken clay fragments, debris and other particles around the shooting ground.

Different lens colours can also help with target visibility in different light conditions, although beginners certainly don't need an extensive collection of lenses to get started.

Once you own your own shooting glasses, keeping them protected between stands and on the journey home is worthwhile.

The REISTO® Soft Shooting Glasses Sleeve provides a simple fleece-lined protective pouch without adding the bulk of a hard case.

7. Hearing Protection

Suitable hearing protection is essential around repeated gunfire.

Common choices include:

• foam ear plugs;
• reusable ear plugs;
• passive ear defenders; and
• electronic ear defenders.

Choose something you are comfortable wearing throughout the shoot and make sure it does not interfere with the position of your gun stock when mounting.

If you're attending your first lesson, the shooting ground will normally be able to advise you or provide suitable hearing protection.

8. A Cap or Hat

A cap is optional, but there are several reasons shooters regularly wear one.

The peak can help reduce glare in bright conditions and can keep light rain away from your shooting glasses.

During colder months, a warmer hat may be more useful, provided it doesn't interfere with your hearing protection.

For warmer weather, a ventilated option such as the REISTO® Stretch Mesh Baseball Cap can offer additional airflow, while the REISTO® Navy Blue Baseball Cap provides a more traditional option.

9. Cartridges

If you're attending a lesson, cartridges are often supplied as part of the session.

For practice or competition, check how many you'll need before leaving home.

It's sensible to take slightly more than the exact competition requirement so you have spare cartridges if required.

Keep them dry and transport and store them in accordance with the applicable requirements.

10. Think About How You Want to Carry Your Cartridges

Most clay shooting vests have generous cartridge pockets, and for many shooters that's all they'll ever need.

Some shooters prefer an additional belt-mounted pouch, particularly during practice sessions or disciplines where they want quick access to a smaller number of cartridges.

The REISTO® Belt Cartridge Pouch provides an alternative to loading every cartridge into your vest pockets.

11. Small Items Worth Carrying

Once you've been shooting for a while, you'll probably develop your own collection of useful extras.

Common examples include:

• membership or CPSA card;
• scorecard;
• pen or pencil;
• glasses cloth;
• protective glasses sleeve;
• keys and wallet;
• phone;
• water bottle;
• sun cream during warmer weather; and
• a small towel for wet or muddy conditions.

A compact item such as the Shooting Microfibre Waffle Towel with Carabiner Clip can be particularly useful on wet shooting days.

You can browse more practical shooting extras in the REISTO® Shooting Accessories collection.

What Should Go in Your Shooting Vest?

Try not to overload your vest.

The main cartridge pockets are designed to carry ammunition, while smaller pockets can hold items you need regularly.

A typical setup might include:

• cartridges in the main pockets;
• scorecard or trap card;
• small glasses cloth;
• membership card; and
• one or two small personal items.

Heavy or bulky equipment is usually better kept in a range bag rather than carried around your body throughout the shoot.

Don't Overpack

New shooters sometimes arrive carrying far more equipment than they actually need.

Start simple.

You can always add equipment as you discover what genuinely makes your shooting more comfortable.

For your first few visits, concentrate on:

1. comfortable clothing;
2. weather protection;
3. eye protection;
4. hearing protection; and
5. the cartridges or equipment required by the shooting ground.

A Summer Clay Shooting Checklist

• Lightweight technical shirt or short-sleeve base layer.
• Breathable or lightweight shooting vest.
• Comfortable trousers or shorts where appropriate.
• Supportive footwear.
• Shooting glasses.
• Hearing protection.
• Cap.
• Sun cream.
• Water.
• Light waterproof layer if showers are forecast.

A Winter Clay Shooting Checklist

• Long-sleeved performance base layer.
• Mid-layer or lightweight fleece where required.
• Shooting vest.
• Softshell or waterproof shooting jacket.
• Comfortable outdoor trousers.
• Waterproof or supportive boots.
• Shooting glasses.
• Hearing protection.
• Warm hat if required.
• Spare dry layer in the car.

If It's Your First Clay Shooting Lesson

Don't feel you need to buy a complete set of specialist clothing before you've even tried the sport.

For most first lessons, comfortable outdoor clothing and sensible footwear are enough.

The ground will normally tell you in advance whether you need to bring anything specific, and safety equipment is often available to borrow.

If you enjoy your first few sessions, a shooting vest is usually one of the first specialist items worth buying.

Our Best Clay Shooting Vest for Beginners guide explains why you don't need to spend hundreds of pounds to get something suitable for learning, regular practice and competition use.

Men's and Women's Shooting Clothing

The principles of fit, comfort and freedom of movement are exactly the same, but correctly shaped clothing can make a substantial difference to comfort.

You can browse our dedicated Men's Clay Shooting Vests and Women's Clay Shooting Vests collections for designs created around different fits.

The women's range includes options such as the REISTO® Women's Signature Clay Shooting Vest – Grey/Teal, while the men's range includes lightweight Skeet designs and the Signature Grey/Black Vest.

Final Thoughts

A clay shooting clothing checklist doesn't need to be complicated.

Wear comfortable clothing that allows natural movement, prepare for the weather and make sure your eye and hearing protection are sorted before you begin.

As you shoot more often, you'll gradually work out which additional items are genuinely useful to you.

The aim isn't to carry as much equipment as possible. It's to have everything you need to enjoy the shooting without your clothing or kit getting in the way.

Continue Reading

• What Should You Wear Clay Pigeon Shooting?
• How to Choose a Clay Shooting Vest: A Practical Buying Guide
• How Should a Clay Shooting Vest Fit?
• The Best Clay Shooting Vest for Beginners

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