Getting young people into organized shooting sports

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only1asterisk

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Every year, I get the pleasure of taking dozens of new shooters to the range for their first shots. Most are college students. While many of them express an interest in marksmanship and competition, equipment cost keep them away from organized competition. I’m looking for ideas for setting up matches that will allow young shooters to learn basic skills that will prepare them for competition while keeping the equipment cost to a minimum. The best idea that I’ve come up with yet is a claiming class. Matches would be run in traditional formats (high power, bullseye, smallbore) but with more equipment restrictions and a claiming rule (anyone present could claim a top shooters equipment for a predetermined dollar amount). I think a line shooting modified highpower with Schmidt-Rubin’s and Mosin-Nagants would be great fun.

Any other ideas?


David
 
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If you have not already done so, immediately look into membership in the NRA, the CMP, and USA Shooting.

hillbilly
 
Why not trap or skeet? I started shooting trap at age 10 and shot trap twice a week all the way through high school with my dad. Breaking clay targets is infinitely more fun and interesting than punching paper.
 
Shotguns are fun
Plus, talk with the range owner, most will gladly give a reduced rate to get new shooters and groups in.
that helps reduce costs too
I would never join a league/team with a claiming rule. Even if my gun is dead stock, it's my gun.
 
I would never join a league/team with a claiming rule. Even if my gun is dead stock, it's my gun.

I think many people introduced to shooting as adults wouldn't have as strong a feeling about this as you or I. It just seemed to be an expediant way for new shooters to break in with limited money and to stop the equipment race. They learn the format of the competition, the basic techniques and skills with a modest investment in equipment. That said, it is just an idea we came up with, I'm not really attached to it. My main intent was to see if others have seen the need and what they are doing or are considering as solutions.



David
 
cracked butt said:
What's a claiming rule?

It's basically a rule that says something like

"since we're all shooting the same gun anyway to be fair, I want your gun since you are winning all the matches, since they are all the same and cost the same, let's just trade".

It's supposed to keep people from cheating or getting souped up guns since it could be taken at any time.

Some of the sealed engine low budget car racing organizations do the same thing with their engines.

I wouldn't want any part of it either.
 
Why not have some guns that can be checked out or loaned to a competitor while they are at the match. They could shoot their scores and then turn it back in for the next person to use.
 
sturmruger said:
Why not have some guns that can be checked out or loaned to a competitor while they are at the match. They could shoot their scores and then turn it back in for the next person to use.

And that's why CMP sells AR's. An excellent idea if someone can fund the initial buy in.
 
When I was in college, our on-campus rifle and pistol club maintained a stable of rifles and pistols. We had a number of Ruger Mk II's and a few lower-end bolt rifles for newbies to learn on, as well as a few Smith & Wesson M.41's and Anschutz rifles for those who were more interested in getting into competition. I didn't have the money at the time for a .22 target pistol, but was able to use the club's for both practice and competitions.
 
"since we're all shooting the same gun anyway to be fair, I want your gun since you are winning all the matches, since they are all the same and cost the same, let's just trade".

It's supposed to keep people from cheating or getting souped up guns since it could be taken at any time.

Interesting. I guess I never shot at that level of competition. Where I came from, the good old boy with the 870 or model 12 usually held his own against a lawyer or doctor with the Perazzi. If you are good enough to break 50 straight with a Perazzi, you are good enough to do the same with an 870. Touching someone else's gun on the rack without asking first is a good way to get one's fingers broken :cool:
 
How about an "under 100" class, IE the rifle costs under 100 bucks. Open to abuse sure but what isnt. I'd love a "Romanian nightmare" class, stock SARs,WASRs and SKSs. How about "SKS Classic" stock SKS vs stock SKS.

Set up low dollar classes with only 3-4 rules. This makes it easy to understand, and will allow folks to use whats between their ears. What about... "Glenfield's revenge" with only Marlin 60s, or "Mark II madness" for the Savage mark 2. I'm gonna stop before I get worse..


"club 69" for romanian trainers? Ok ok last one, "Czech Classic" for CZ-52s?
 
Another thought... I guess I have a few ideas as I was very involved with shooting sports as a kid.

I used to shoot in an indoor winter rifle league. 50 feet, .22lr, timed, and unsupported. The target was rows of chickens, rams, pigs, and turkeys where 1 shot was allowed for each. I would like to say that we had 2 minutes to make 20 shots, but I'm not 100% sure of this as it was a long time ago. You scored a point for each animal hit- a hit was if the bullet hole touched anything black on the animal.

Here's a target similar to the ones I remember, though the target is bigger than pictured- its a 8 1/2"x11 sheet of paper, and the largest animals were about the size of a quarter:

TQ14.gif


Nobody shot anything fancy for rifles, mostly 10/22s or remington or winchester bolt rifles, just about everyone used a scope.
 
How about an "under 100" class, IE the rifle costs under 100 bucks. Open to abuse sure but what isnt. I'd love a "Romanian nightmare" class, stock SARs,WASRs and SKSs. How about "SKS Classic" stock SKS vs stock SKS.

Set up low dollar classes with only 3-4 rules. This makes it easy to understand, and will allow folks to use whats between their ears. What about... "Glenfield's revenge" with only Marlin 60s, or "Mark II madness" for the Savage mark 2. I'm gonna stop before I get worse..

That is pretty much the concept.

David
 
I was thinking maybe 50’ Light Rifle with no optics, shooting coats or rifles over $275. Targets would be 50 yard targets. I imagine the hot setup would be a Savage Mk II FVT. I also thought 50' Bullseye with only .22 and Centerfire. Again, no optics and $300 limit on the .22 and $400 on the centerfire. Grips would be allowed but restricted. Targets would 25 Yard targets at 50 and 25 feet. I also like the look of a GSSF course or fire, High Power Sporting Rifle with a $500 limit, Milsurp High Power (which is already being done) and maybe a carbine course for the SKS.



David
 
Saturday I get certified for teaching Shooting sports for 4-H. My son is signed up for it, as are 15 other 4-H kids from within the county. I will be using one of my Mosin Nagants as a demo rifle, along with my Mossberg .22. I just helped out with my son's Hunter Safety class, which was a nice refresher. I did some BRM pre-range classroom instruction in the Army, also.



Where I came from, the good old boy with the 870 or model 12 usually held his own against a lawyer or doctor with the Perazzi. If you are good enough to break 50 straight with a Perazzi, you are good enough to do the same with an 870.

I actually shot better with my 870 than with several Perazzis I've shot.;)
 
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