After her shotgun, the mirror at home on the family farm in Huntly is one of her most valuable training tools.

A couple of nights a week, after she get gets home from school at Catholic College Bendigo, the 16-year-old stands in front of the glass, watching her reflection as she raises and lowers her gun as if aiming for the clay targets.

It is a training technique used by many in the sport, and one that is helping Kim develop into a promising young shooter.

Last month, she competed at the finals of the Victorian secondary schools’ clay target shooting championships, having earlier finished third in a zone qualifying event.

Although she did not win a medal, the Year 10 student said she gained a lot from the competition.

“It was a good learning experience and I had people coming up to me and suggesting things, which was great,’’ she said.

Kim took up clay target shooting just two years ago, following in the footsteps of her father, Tony, and older brothers Adam, Nick and Daniel - all experienced shooters who can offer her plenty of friendly advice.

She spent 12 months honing her skills before starting to shoot competitively, and has since earned three first placings and seven seconds at events around the state, including Echuca, Castlemaine and Bendigo.

Her disciplines - the single down-the-line and double rise - involve firing 25 rounds at 11cm round targets that are thrown into the air either one at a time, or in pairs.

Hitting them from 35 to 40 metres away as they travel about 100kmh requires a combination of physical and mental toughness.

“You have got to be fit, so that you feel comfortable with the gun,’’ Kim said.

“But it is also like a mind-game situation - if you have your mind on the job, you should be okay.’’

Her best competition score to date is 24-25.

Kim goes shooting most weekends - sometimes close to home at the Bendigo Clay Target Club’s range at Woodvale, other times travelling to a meet elsewhere.