Why is it hard to get the new generation to go shooting?

[MatthewVanitas]

I hear the frequent concerns about the future of shooting, and did some pondering on the subject.

I had an easy time getting new shooters when I was an undergrad, and took easily a dozen or so of my buddies to the range during my senior year. Wasn't too hard when I was enlisted in the barracks, took a scattering of barracksmates out. Was a fair bit harder when I was an officer: detached from the young enlisted, and every other officer either already owned guns or wasn't interested. Now that I'm back at school, it's easy again because I can just go hand out flyers for the UT Rifle and Pistol Club and bring in one first-time shooter for every 10 or 15 pieces of paper I hand out over lunch.

Went to an IDPA match a few months back where some middle aged fellas with really nice 1911s were complaining: "Yep, we're all a dying breed. Nobody learns to shoot anymore, soon there'll be nobody left." That really annoyed me: is it really that hard to find some nephew, grandkid, your neighbor and his herd, a 20something coworker, and take them out to the range?

Especially IDPA, are there that many 18 year-olds who think it's boring to run around shooting moving targets with a Glock, ducking behind barrels, and all that?

Just tossing out a poll to ask folks what is complicating the process of getting a new generation in.

-MV

 

[MAUSER88]

It's all the brainwashing in school that guns are evil!

 

[Vic303]

Liberal control of the public education system has led to the demonization of firearms and self sufficiency. The mass media also demonizes firearms, to the point that many 30/40 something parents are afraid of firearms, and wouldn't let anyone take their darling baby out shooting--God forbid! That evil gun just might go off by itself and slaughter millions!:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

 

[.38special]

I guess in ways I am the new generation, and I am doing everything I can to get my teenage friends interested in firearms and hunting. My dad and I have taken my friends out multiple times to go to the range where I work, and do a little plinking.

We start with the single-six .22 and when they are safe and comfortable with that we move up baby steps at a time.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

When I was younger my dad had a .22 Colt Woodsman (third gen, now mine), but I never shot all that much and wasn't too interested (I still liked guns, just wasn't obsessed like now ). Then a friend of my Grandmother took me out shooting with his collection that included a Greman Mauser, with a milled reciever, maching serial numbers, that his borther had picked up on a captured German airfield and brought home. It was a thing of beauty, and he let me borrow it for two years so I could have a deer rifle. I could never bring myself to drag that rifle through the woods and ended up borrowing a deer rifle from a friend, but that was how I got hooked on shooting.

It doesn't take much to get young people interested in shooting, and if these "dying breed" types really care about passing on the legacy, they should be out with their sons, grandsons, or even their neighbors kids.

Despite what all the Anti's say, when it comes right down to it, shooting is fun. While not every child will become hopelessly addicted like we are , 99 out of 100 will probably have a good time and come away with a much clearer perspective on guns.

 

[Meplat]

The largest obstacle that I've found in getting my kid's friends involved in shooting sports of any kind is the fact that kids seem to be pulled in so many different directions these days with so many different hobbies, interests, sports, etc., that time is at a premium.

Back in my day (Lordy, does THAT sound like a dinasaur!) when I had a spare minute away from the fields and the livestock care, you could find me in the woods in the winter looking for squirrel or deer for the pot, or fishing in the lake or creek during the summer, or just plinking with Dad in the back forty.

I did have football to contend with, but other than that my leisure time was mainly spent in pursuits that my Dad and I could participate in together.

To my way of thinking, that is another area that is a big problem with getting youngsters involved. Dad, too, all to often, has so many other outside interests that when he DOES get involved with Junior's (or Juniorette's) activities, it is as a sideline spectator.

I took my daughter dove hunting the first season she was here (a morn in September)...she was born the previous December. That's right - I had to carry my ten month old daughter on my shoulders to the dove field. We didn't miss a single season's opening day after that until she got involved in soccer at thirteen, and that was the FIRST one we missed. I do know that on one of those opening days when she was about three, I glanced down after knocking a bird down, and she was holding a spent twelve guage hull to her nose and inhaling the aroma like she was sniffing the smell of ambrosia. Cancelled the DNA tests right then and there.

Same with my son. Had the boy squirrel hunting when I was spending about as much time carrying him as he was walking on his own. Great memories I wouldn't trade for anything.

Of course, both wanted to learn to effectively take their own game later, so trips to the range were a multiple weekly thing. Daughter gravitated to the handgun like a duck to the water, and my son's specialty turned out to be the shotgun. Both can now outshoot their Dad with their specialized choice of firearms.

I didn't vote in the poll, because although the choices listed were all good ones, I don't think that the two above items were addressed. Too much distraction from so many other things to do, and parental disinterest.

 

[The_Future]

I don't know how hard it is. I'm 15 and bug my dad to take me to the range every chance I get. Only thing that slows me down is how much ammo I currently have on tap

 

[qajaq59]

Times have changed, unfortunately.

Our young people get pushed down other paths and a lot of politicians and others make it as hard as possible for them to get into shooting or hunting.
Frankly I think it was better the old way. Our rifles went to school with us for practice with the rifle club, not to wipe out half our class.

 

[Third_Rail]

I'm 19, and I get invited to the range regularly; between injury and time constraints, I simple haven't been able to go!

 

[WayneConrad]

It's not hard in my corner of the universe. My nephew will go at the drop of a hat. It's his uncle who sometimes begs off.

 

[sm]

-Indoctrination thru various mediums.

-Divison among Responsible Firearm Owners

-Single Parent families

-Abused adults and kids , especially when a firearm was misused.

-Places to go shooting

-Willing folks to invite.

 

[1911Ron]

I have to agree there are alot of distractions, video games sports of all kind and TV.
I have heard kids at football practice kids talking about video games all the time, homework seems to chew up a lot of time for some kids as do other interests.
I think also that schools and the media are making guns look evil to a point were kids aren't interested.

 

[10-Ring]

I have tried...even w/ my own son. The sad part is, he's a natural. I've taken him shooting a few times but he just doesn't have the interest. I've taught him basics and he knows what he needs to do if the need ever arose to defend himself or us but he just doesn't have 'it' in him. I just can't compete w/ the girls & his band

 

[Justin]

FOX News Story on growth of the shooting sports.

The shooting sports are growing. I think the biggest barrier to entry is the cost. Your average kid can't afford to get into any sort of serious shooting on his own.

But I see growth and potential for growth in a lot of the current shooting sports- Cowboy Action, Multigun, and Sportsman's Team Challenge.* Heck, even High Power has a number of young competitive shooters, and USA Shooting has an excellent Junior Development program.

To some extent, I think the newer events have somewhat supplanted some of the older ones, such as hunting and bullseye, though.




*An especially good sport if you want to do father-son bonding type stuff.

 

[Justin]

I think also that schools and the media are making guns look evil to a point were kids aren't interested.

To a large extent, I think that the shooting community has a lot to gain by reaching out to gamers. Tons of teenagers are playing the Tom Clancy games, along with other action-oriented games such as HALO. It shouldn't be much of a step from "Hey, you like to play Halflife 2, wanna try it for real?"

 

[Stiletto Null]

Not too hard for me. My friends get used to me being a total oddball, and then I pull something like "hey, I'm going shooting tomorrow, want to come along?", and usually get affirmative responses.

 

[ACP230]

I never had much trouble until my youngest son took up the Eeeeelectric Guuuitar!

He still shoots now and then, but skipped the last range trip to play music.

A couple of guys from the local university showed up and had a blast shooting, however.

 

[hillbilly]

I'm a handgun instructor and a rifle coach.

I've taught all sorts of folks to shoot.

Just ask them, and most will try. Many of the members of the rifle team I coach had never fired any sort of shot until I asked them to come try it out.

As for the middle-aged IDPA guys moaning that they are the "last of a breed," here's my take.

I'll bet that those middle-aged guys are more interested in seeing themselves as some sort of romantic holdout "last for the breed" types than anything else

It's more fun to wistfully moan about being the "Last Samurai" than teach folks how to swing swords.....doesn't take as much effort. Plus, being the "last of a dying breed" is inherently a lot more cool than doing actual work teaching newbies.

But that's just my take on that one.

hillbilly

 

[mdao]

I'm 23 and I just started shooting pistols about 3 months ago. And yeah, I'll say there are quite a few barriers to people entering shooting.

First off, most suburban folk (I'm one of them) don't have much exposure to firearms. The last (and only) time I handled a firearm before I started pistol shooting that was 'bout 10 years ago in Boy Scouts. My parents don't like firearms, and none of my friends (or their parents) were shooters. Without much exposure to firearms, opportunities to go shooting are fairly low.

Second, it's fairly expensive. I took a couple of basic classes, got a 1-year range pass, and cycled through a few guns to find what I liked. Apart from starting up, I've been putting ~600-800 rounds (not counting .22) downrange every week in order to gain some measure of proficiency. Translated into dollar terms, that's payments on a rather nice BMW. From my experience, girls like BMWs much more than they like the smell of burnt gunpowder and Hoppes #9.

Third, after the initial thrill, it's a lot of dedication and work to get better. You can't throw money at it and hope that you'll get better, unlike in street racing (which is where many red blooded males get their thrills these days). People get tired of randomly punching holes into targets if they don't have the dedication to get range time regularly. At that point the pistol usually gets filled with hollowpoints, locked in a box, and shoved under the bed until the SHTF.

 

[iamkris]

I voted "complications".

* Indoctrination from school, parents and media is anti-gun. There is literally a social stigma associated with liking guns and shooting.

* Their days are filled with activities (many thrust upon them by hyperactive parents) including school, homework, soccer, swimming lessons, piano, Spanish/Chinese/French/German language lessons, Tae Kwon Do, football, baseball, basketball practices, Cub Scouts, etc etc. Most of them don't have time to breathe.

* When they do have time to themselves, many prefer to listen to music, play video games, hang out with friends, etc, etc.

* Lack of places to take them, especially in urban and suburban areas (may not be a problem in Utah...it is here in Chicago area).

Our challenge is how to incorporate shooting as one of these activities, make it as exciting as video games and get their friends involved.

 

[James NM]

I don't think its hard at all. All you need is an Xbox 360 and the newest massacre game (I think its blood & guts #7) and your set for hours of
family fun.

 

[garrett1955]

to be honest with ya I wasnt too much into guns except for hunting untill last year. this was when I turned 18. legal age to buy rifles, then all hell broke loose. LOL It all began when my dads friend showed me his new WASR-10. I had to have one! and I did. then I bought a new Benelli shot gun, and I am going to pick up my new .50bmg tomorrow.

But I do think the age to by guns has a large effect on who shoots them.
I mean young shooters use them for hunting, and thats the once a year they get to shoot.

 

[dmallind]

I don't live out in the boonies and none of the even remotely local ranges allow minors to shoot even with supervision.

 

[V4Vendetta]

I don't know many young people. I'm old . I maybe 18 in earth years but in maturity, I'm ancient. I'll give you some examples.

Kids today like rap music. I like oldies.

Kids today like to have pants around their ankles all the time. I make fun of such people behind their back.

Kids today think that driving fast is fun. I hate going above 45mph.

Kids today want to get tattoos & piercings in every spot on their body. I feel that if anybody comes at me with a needle or a piercing machine, that's grounds for self defense.

See what I mean?

 

[Black Majik]

Hmm... I don't have any problems getting younger people out. Most range from 19 - 23 yrs old.

Just took a 21 yr old girl out shooting Tuesday