Air rifles would be most practical as you can shoot them in a garage or basement. The CMP has rebuilt rifles for 110usd (I think) and the ammo is dirt cheap and can mostly be reused multiple times. I would mostly be worried about cost of ammo maybe keeping some kids out.
What would you think of a high school shooting team?
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toiville2feathers
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It is not difficult at all. But it is a lot of work, and requires people who have a passion they wish to pass on and are deadicated to that passion.
We have a tremendous success story with that here in Minnesota.
10 years ago a High School Trap League was formed and was sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League. This is the same League that oversees all the high school sports programs and arranges all the state tournaments. The very first state tourney that was had consisted of about 3 dozen schools, with about 170 shooters. It took one Saturday to put on the State High School Trap Shoot.
That was the beginning of an utterly fantastic venue that totally exploded. Every year this event increases in size by a thousand or more shooters. The tourney is held in Alexandria, Minn. at the Alexandria Trap Shooting club, and they have built 39 Trap houses, with plans to build more Trap fields this year.
The 11th annual 2017 MSHL sanctioned tournament was held on June 12-19. There were around 400 schools participating and had almost 1100 registered shooters. It took 9 days to complete the tournament. According to the Guinness Book of Records, for the last 3 years this has become the # 1 largest Trap shoot in the world. It's the fastest growing high school sport in Minn. and there hasn't been one accident in that time period. You don't see a lot of colored hair, body piercing or under wear and pants hanging around the knees. You do see some kids that are handling guns safely, very few sweeps. All guns are carried with actions open. I have seen some guns with closed actions, but the student them selves correct the problem rather than an adult. It just a great thing to see and witness. Some kids are carrying some pretty expensive Trap guns, some are carrying there hunting gun, and some are carrying Granpa sold single shot. I volunteer to work the tourney, I love seeing a bunch of kids enjoying and excited about it. I sit there a couple of days of my life and get to smell cordite all day and never get tired of the aroma.
Support for this program is phenomenal. Sportsman Clubs, Conservation organizations, sporting good stores, local businesses all donate money to offset the cost of shooting a round of Trap Trap ranges offer discounted rates for high school team shooters. The coaches for the teams are all volunteers, not employees of the school district.
The legislators and governor have put money in the education bonding bill to build Trap ranges for schools in the out state area who weren't close to a range and needed and wanted one.
Federal Cartridge, Rio, Remington, Fiochi, Cabelas, Scheels, Reeds, the Friends of the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Minn Deer Hunters Assoc. and to many others to name all support the program with clay birds, ammo or monetarily.
At the tournament it is like a big bazar. There are food vendors, anything that is related to trap shooting from shooting glasses and vests to $15000 shotguns. They are all there.
As I stated earlier that there were close to 11000 shooters. Well each of them shooters brought 4 or 5 family members with them, so it is a big boost to the town that just doubled in size for 9 days. Rooms and restaurants are filled up. The Alex Trap Club has 60 acres that is full of campers trailers and tents.
This program is supported by a tremendous amount of citizens. Not just the students or parents. This year just prior to the tournament Big Lake school district has a new school board. The Trap team had their picture taken for the yearbook and they where holding there guns. The school board said that because of the "zero tolerance policy" they could not be in the yearbook. In previous years they were allowed to hold there guns for the yesrbook. When the Trap team found out that they were not allowed in the year book they all showed up at the principals office the next morning to talk to the principal about it. There is over 50 students on the team from the Sr high and not counting how many are in middle school. It got pretty noisy I suppose and the prinipal got irate when one member made reference to the baseball players holding their bats and explained that it was just as much a weapon as a gun.
It was to no avail, they didn't listen to the students, and he gave all the kids there 2 hrs of detention because they missed homeroom. That started a huge firestorm on social media. It spread rapidly amongst the students and went viral amongst the parents. Then the media got ahold of it, radio talk shows, tv news, news papers and it went state wide and into neighboring states. Big Lake school board had a big black eye, was flooded with phone calls a inundated with reporters. That was enough for the school board and 2 days later they used a statement that they had reversed there decision and would allow the Trap team pictures with them holding their guns.
Sorry this post is so long, but I hope it encourages Ann shows you that it can be done, and you don't know how big it might get until you try.
Remember, Minnesota is a Blue State, a lot of our support comes from the blue side of the aisle and we where able to make it happen here.
The best of of Luck to you on your endeavors
We have a tremendous success story with that here in Minnesota.
10 years ago a High School Trap League was formed and was sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League. This is the same League that oversees all the high school sports programs and arranges all the state tournaments. The very first state tourney that was had consisted of about 3 dozen schools, with about 170 shooters. It took one Saturday to put on the State High School Trap Shoot.
That was the beginning of an utterly fantastic venue that totally exploded. Every year this event increases in size by a thousand or more shooters. The tourney is held in Alexandria, Minn. at the Alexandria Trap Shooting club, and they have built 39 Trap houses, with plans to build more Trap fields this year.
The 11th annual 2017 MSHL sanctioned tournament was held on June 12-19. There were around 400 schools participating and had almost 1100 registered shooters. It took 9 days to complete the tournament. According to the Guinness Book of Records, for the last 3 years this has become the # 1 largest Trap shoot in the world. It's the fastest growing high school sport in Minn. and there hasn't been one accident in that time period. You don't see a lot of colored hair, body piercing or under wear and pants hanging around the knees. You do see some kids that are handling guns safely, very few sweeps. All guns are carried with actions open. I have seen some guns with closed actions, but the student them selves correct the problem rather than an adult. It just a great thing to see and witness. Some kids are carrying some pretty expensive Trap guns, some are carrying there hunting gun, and some are carrying Granpa sold single shot. I volunteer to work the tourney, I love seeing a bunch of kids enjoying and excited about it. I sit there a couple of days of my life and get to smell cordite all day and never get tired of the aroma.
Support for this program is phenomenal. Sportsman Clubs, Conservation organizations, sporting good stores, local businesses all donate money to offset the cost of shooting a round of Trap Trap ranges offer discounted rates for high school team shooters. The coaches for the teams are all volunteers, not employees of the school district.
The legislators and governor have put money in the education bonding bill to build Trap ranges for schools in the out state area who weren't close to a range and needed and wanted one.
Federal Cartridge, Rio, Remington, Fiochi, Cabelas, Scheels, Reeds, the Friends of the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Minn Deer Hunters Assoc. and to many others to name all support the program with clay birds, ammo or monetarily.
At the tournament it is like a big bazar. There are food vendors, anything that is related to trap shooting from shooting glasses and vests to $15000 shotguns. They are all there.
As I stated earlier that there were close to 11000 shooters. Well each of them shooters brought 4 or 5 family members with them, so it is a big boost to the town that just doubled in size for 9 days. Rooms and restaurants are filled up. The Alex Trap Club has 60 acres that is full of campers trailers and tents.
This program is supported by a tremendous amount of citizens. Not just the students or parents. This year just prior to the tournament Big Lake school district has a new school board. The Trap team had their picture taken for the yearbook and they where holding there guns. The school board said that because of the "zero tolerance policy" they could not be in the yearbook. In previous years they were allowed to hold there guns for the yesrbook. When the Trap team found out that they were not allowed in the year book they all showed up at the principals office the next morning to talk to the principal about it. There is over 50 students on the team from the Sr high and not counting how many are in middle school. It got pretty noisy I suppose and the prinipal got irate when one member made reference to the baseball players holding their bats and explained that it was just as much a weapon as a gun.
It was to no avail, they didn't listen to the students, and he gave all the kids there 2 hrs of detention because they missed homeroom. That started a huge firestorm on social media. It spread rapidly amongst the students and went viral amongst the parents. Then the media got ahold of it, radio talk shows, tv news, news papers and it went state wide and into neighboring states. Big Lake school board had a big black eye, was flooded with phone calls a inundated with reporters. That was enough for the school board and 2 days later they used a statement that they had reversed there decision and would allow the Trap team pictures with them holding their guns.
Sorry this post is so long, but I hope it encourages Ann shows you that it can be done, and you don't know how big it might get until you try.
Remember, Minnesota is a Blue State, a lot of our support comes from the blue side of the aisle and we where able to make it happen here.
The best of of Luck to you on your endeavors
Mike OTDP
Member
No offense, but those high school kids need to get out more. Compete at a level beyond the local clubs. Air rifle and air pistol are both Olympic events. And a whole lot easier to find or make a range for.
The precision disciplines are the foundation for everything in the shooting sports.
Berger.Fan222
Member
Do the kids need to get out more, or do they need to spend more time in a home range?
The teen shooters I work with have competed in F-Class tournaments in 5 different states, including state and regional championships. They've competed in national level NRA high power and rim fire events. They've competed in national bench rest events. So far, most of the pistol events have been local clubs, but there are a couple national events on the radar for this fall.
I'm a fan of air rifle and air pistol ranges, and we usually set them up close to teens we work with and emphasize lots of practice. But we are building skills for the disciplines that involve gun powder. If you've gonna invest in the equipment necessary to compete at the state level and above, you may as well invest in equipment in disciplines that the teens do not view as BORING. Maintaining their interest is the key to lots of practice, and lots of practice is the key to a high skill level. We were able to sell them on practicing with air guns to improve their gunpowder shooting skills. We could have never done it trying to sell them on "air gun" competitions as an end in themselves.
Teens love the smell of gunpowder and the recoil and all that goes along with outdoor events. They are interested in building skills that will likely be useful in real world applications of firearms. Fantasies about competing in the Olympics with fake guns? Not so much.
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