Is Shooting Sports a Dying Pursuit?
- Thread starter Onward Allusion
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To be honest alot (not all) of the older guys have a "I know it all and you know nothing because I am older" attitude towards us young guys. To be honest it has came to a point where I am mostly prejudice based on age towards the over 40 crowd. Of course I know respect is a two way street and their is alot of 20 something know it alls as well but we truly seek guidance from the older guys and we don't get it.
i think the younger generation is much less educated when it comes to guns. it seems like its mostly tactical ,tactical,tactical.it seems like thats the main focus lately.ask a younger shooter what a colt sauer or hi standard is, i bet they have no clue.i dont think they are as familiar with ballistics,& similar things like the older generations of shooters.ive seen a lot of newer shooters at the range, many are bumbling idiots.one guy was loading a rem 1100 while it was faced sideways,at my spot next to him.i had to show this moron where to point it safely.another numbskull was shooting a mini 14 at a target about 10 feet away.high prices of guns and ammo does not help the situation,either....
I've had so much luck with older guys throughout my life that I have a hard time believing those who say that the old guys don't want to help out.
Yes, there are some old jerks, but IME the helpful father-figure types outnumber them by a pretty big margin.
In life, it pays to learn how to size people up. Some people aren't worth your time, and it's important not to make their problems, your problems.
However, it's also good to engage in some self-assessment. If everyone around you treats you like you're an *******, well maybe...
Yes, there are some old jerks, but IME the helpful father-figure types outnumber them by a pretty big margin.
In life, it pays to learn how to size people up. Some people aren't worth your time, and it's important not to make their problems, your problems.
However, it's also good to engage in some self-assessment. If everyone around you treats you like you're an *******, well maybe...
MatthewVanitas
Member
Just a little personal experience (I'm 29). For two years I was an RSO and instructor on a college campus range in Austin. When I first got there we had maybe a couple kids a night who were training for semi-serious .22 or airgun pursuits. Myself and a buddy (also a THR member) made a concerted effort to make flyers, hand them out, hold big recruiting events, invite campus groups for a "night out at the range", etc. Within 3 months we were jam-packed with college kids wanting to try out shooting, usually for the first time.
At the same time, I went to some IDPA shoots in Austin, and I was generally one of the 3 youngest guys out of 30 at any given shoot, with the other 2 often being former military. I recall one 50-something gent with a $1000+ 1911 lamenting "kids these days don't want to shoot, we're the last of a dying breed."
I wanted to smack the codger and ask "seriously? There's no kid amongst your nephews/nieces, young guys at your workplace, young folks at church, etc. that find it appealing to run around with a loaded gun blowing over metal silhouettes?" I honestly thought that attitude was more self-pity and exclusiveness than actual fact
No offense meant to folks here who have done great work at bringing up future generations of shooters, but there are plenty of shooters who just want to lord it over younger folks, make no effort, and complain. Certain others are, frankly, unpleasant individuals more interested in waxing eloquent about "da guvvament" and "rawwr rawwr mah rights!!!" than actually giving a mature perspective about how firearms ownership is a civil right, shooting is a useful skill, and other themes that resonate with the younger generation.
In short, most people, especially young people, are curious about shooting and will gladly try it out if given a chance. This is magnified if the experience is pleasant, professional, and (good gracious!) they don't feel unwelcome for being young, female, liberal, gay, not-white, etc. Shooters at our campus range frequently made comments like "I thought this range would be full of a bunch of rednecks, but there are other girls here, and Asian kids, and hipppies, and all kinds of people. This isn't so scary after all."
Take people shooting, take more people shooting. Go easy on the politics and let them reach their own common-sense conclusions. Help out with recruiting efforts for your shooting sports, invite folks along, mentor a younger shooter.
For what it's worth, today I took my cousin to the Fairfax NRA range. She's 20 and studying Global Health at Georgetown in DC, and she had an awesome time shooting mostly .22 pistols, a 9mm CZ, and the huge bear of a man at the next lane did a great job offering her his Saiga 12ga and giving helpful and polite instruction on how to shoot it comfortably and safely.
We can do it wrong, or we can do it right, and lose or gain a shooter at a time.
At the same time, I went to some IDPA shoots in Austin, and I was generally one of the 3 youngest guys out of 30 at any given shoot, with the other 2 often being former military. I recall one 50-something gent with a $1000+ 1911 lamenting "kids these days don't want to shoot, we're the last of a dying breed."
I wanted to smack the codger and ask "seriously? There's no kid amongst your nephews/nieces, young guys at your workplace, young folks at church, etc. that find it appealing to run around with a loaded gun blowing over metal silhouettes?" I honestly thought that attitude was more self-pity and exclusiveness than actual fact
No offense meant to folks here who have done great work at bringing up future generations of shooters, but there are plenty of shooters who just want to lord it over younger folks, make no effort, and complain. Certain others are, frankly, unpleasant individuals more interested in waxing eloquent about "da guvvament" and "rawwr rawwr mah rights!!!" than actually giving a mature perspective about how firearms ownership is a civil right, shooting is a useful skill, and other themes that resonate with the younger generation.
In short, most people, especially young people, are curious about shooting and will gladly try it out if given a chance. This is magnified if the experience is pleasant, professional, and (good gracious!) they don't feel unwelcome for being young, female, liberal, gay, not-white, etc. Shooters at our campus range frequently made comments like "I thought this range would be full of a bunch of rednecks, but there are other girls here, and Asian kids, and hipppies, and all kinds of people. This isn't so scary after all."
Take people shooting, take more people shooting. Go easy on the politics and let them reach their own common-sense conclusions. Help out with recruiting efforts for your shooting sports, invite folks along, mentor a younger shooter.
For what it's worth, today I took my cousin to the Fairfax NRA range. She's 20 and studying Global Health at Georgetown in DC, and she had an awesome time shooting mostly .22 pistols, a 9mm CZ, and the huge bear of a man at the next lane did a great job offering her his Saiga 12ga and giving helpful and polite instruction on how to shoot it comfortably and safely.
We can do it wrong, or we can do it right, and lose or gain a shooter at a time.
ronbuick
Member
I beleive most of the kids out there do not have a clue, and that is just the way the
Govment wants it, my 2 daughters will not shoot, oldest says yeck, the youngest has bee out several times with me, but not no more, oldest is 25 and the youngest is 23, with no draft we are a dying breed to carry on the legacy as a whole, just really sad
for this country!!!
Ron
Govment wants it, my 2 daughters will not shoot, oldest says yeck, the youngest has bee out several times with me, but not no more, oldest is 25 and the youngest is 23, with no draft we are a dying breed to carry on the legacy as a whole, just really sad
for this country!!!
Ron
ozhuntsman
Member
At 24 i'm the the youngest member consistantly goes to the local range, there are a few kids that get dragged along by their parents but i doubt they would be there by choice half the time.
Most of the older members are very helpful and friendly.
It seems that it is a world wide trend. Most likely created by the media and government demonizing gun owners, added is the tendancy of kid to spend more time in front of tv screens and computers than outside doing physical activities.
Most of the older members are very helpful and friendly.
It seems that it is a world wide trend. Most likely created by the media and government demonizing gun owners, added is the tendancy of kid to spend more time in front of tv screens and computers than outside doing physical activities.
I think another part of the equation that needs to be mentioned is cost.
Let's face it, shooting is an expensive sport. Especially if you didn't grow up in an environment that involved shooting. I think pretty much everyone on this site has spent at least hundreds of dollars on the sport, with most spending thousands and some even tens of thousands over the coarse of a few years or a lifetime. That's a lot of money for a teen or twenty something. Most folks don't get that type of disposable income to participate heavily in the sport until they are older in life.
If someone curious about or new to the hobby wanted to get involved, the cost of a gun and ammo or even the rental costs of a gun and ammo to go with it could easily be enough for them to look elsewhere for entertainment.
The only thing we as shooters can do is to take interested friends along with us to the range and hope to get them hooked. It worked for me some years ago.
Let's face it, shooting is an expensive sport. Especially if you didn't grow up in an environment that involved shooting. I think pretty much everyone on this site has spent at least hundreds of dollars on the sport, with most spending thousands and some even tens of thousands over the coarse of a few years or a lifetime. That's a lot of money for a teen or twenty something. Most folks don't get that type of disposable income to participate heavily in the sport until they are older in life.
If someone curious about or new to the hobby wanted to get involved, the cost of a gun and ammo or even the rental costs of a gun and ammo to go with it could easily be enough for them to look elsewhere for entertainment.
The only thing we as shooters can do is to take interested friends along with us to the range and hope to get them hooked. It worked for me some years ago.
I do everything I can to perpetuate the sport. I take clients and co-workers shooting any chance I get (plus I hate golf). In fact, I took a co-working trap shooting a couple of weeks ago. It was his first time shooting a gun and he was absolutely hooked. He's buying his first shotgun next week.
I also have two kids that are graduating from air rifles to rimfires. They both love shooting and I see them pursuing the sport for a long time.
I also have two kids that are graduating from air rifles to rimfires. They both love shooting and I see them pursuing the sport for a long time.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Just an interesting side note: My father works in the electrical power industry and is a member of a large eastern advisory group that works with rates and policy and such.
They hold week-long conferences several times a year at various places where they argue through these heavy issues. Usually, those meetings are at resorts with various distractions to help soothe their fatigued spirits, and get the blood flowing after so many hours of sitting.
One of their favorite spots to go? Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in western PA and the activity du jour is Sporting Clays! Several hundred suit & tie power company execs (guys and ladies) with their spouses, all getting first-rate sporting clays instruction -- most of whom have never shot a gun before.
(Dad got some small applause with his father's Fox-Sterlingworth 16 ga. SxS!
)
Let me ask, in the early '90s, would a bunch of eastern business execs. even considered going en masse to learn to shoot? It's a beautiful thing!
-Sam
They hold week-long conferences several times a year at various places where they argue through these heavy issues. Usually, those meetings are at resorts with various distractions to help soothe their fatigued spirits, and get the blood flowing after so many hours of sitting.
One of their favorite spots to go? Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in western PA and the activity du jour is Sporting Clays! Several hundred suit & tie power company execs (guys and ladies) with their spouses, all getting first-rate sporting clays instruction -- most of whom have never shot a gun before.
(Dad got some small applause with his father's Fox-Sterlingworth 16 ga. SxS!
) Let me ask, in the early '90s, would a bunch of eastern business execs. even considered going en masse to learn to shoot? It's a beautiful thing!
-Sam
jcwit
member
That remark and response is one of your problems with older folks. In my case I quit reading the rest of what you had to say, and came here for my rebuttal.
And a lack of Patriotism.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
This is true. FWIW, I allowed my membership at one shooting club to lapse in order to join another. I did this primarily because the facilities at the second range were a lot nicer than at the first, but also because I found myself attending far more shooting events at the second range as well. Even though my new home range is a further drive than the old one, I decided to join after I realized I was spending more time attending shooting matches and other events there (even volunteering as an RO when the need arised) than at the first range, which only has a monthly CMP match.
Absolutely agree. Rather than sitting around carping about how kids these days only want to play video games, it would behoove us to take them to the range to get an introduction to shooting. And if all they're interested in is video games, point out that IDPA/IPSC/3Gun is quite analogous to a real life FPS.
alemonkey
Member
Justin hit the nail on the head. Complaining will get nothing accomplished, we need to introduce new shooters. Every one of us needs to be doing that. My club is having an intro to firearms course this month that I'll be helping with. We're going to teach kids how to handle a gun safely and responsibly, and get them some range time with an air rifle. If every club had something like this, and every shooter made an attempt to help out we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
I'm sorry, but this statement makes absolutely no sense. Especially in light of the fact that the biggest advocate of an all-volunteer military force is the military itself.
If the only way you can think of to get people interested in shooting is via conscription, perhaps you should think a bit more creatively.
huntsman
Member
I taught my 3 kids to shoot and to hunt, fish and camp plus other outdoor skills as my father did for me.
I have no patience to teach others no do I feel the need to be a cheerleader for the cause.
jcwit
member
Back in the days when the draft was a viable option and the populous was patriotic the above statement made sense and the military had no problem with draftees. The military taught our people not only firearm training but some responsability and respect for not only others but for themselves. Our socity has changed sorry to say and with it many of our long time past times. We are no longer a n urban culture, and in loosing that we are loosing many of the outdoor sports. The shooting sports being one of them. I am an actice member of two local clubs and on the whole the membership is 45/50 plus by far. I also give mytime as an asst. range officer for reginal bulls eye matches in early summer and again the competitors are in the 45/50 age group. Like it or not that is the way it it.
The_Shootist
Member
Doubt It
I try to go the range midweek due the weekend crowds - which include LOTS of shooters in their 20's. Women are well repsresented, I bet on the weekend they make up for 40% of the crowd.
I try to go the range midweek due the weekend crowds - which include LOTS of shooters in their 20's. Women are well repsresented, I bet on the weekend they make up for 40% of the crowd.
jcwit
member
We have them too on the weekends. Most call them the spray and pray crowd. Some even manage to hit the backstop.
jcwit
member
Being as folks as a whole were more Patriotic at that time it made the draft more viable. In having the draft many more individuals were exposed to firearms and firearm training which some took into cilivian life as a sport such as hunting and target shooting.
Without this there is much less exposure to the shooting sports.
Without this there is much less exposure to the shooting sports.
jcwit
member
Sales may be up. Sport may be down.
Car sales going up does not indicate a rise in NASCAR. Or the Saturday night stock car races.
Car sales going up does not indicate a rise in NASCAR. Or the Saturday night stock car races.
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