Sports that attract new shooters.

[D.B. Cooper]

...have mirrors to the shooting sports with airsoft, such as IPSC Action Air. Why? because a lot of potential sportsmen are in areas where venues are limited or expensive. It also provides a way of bringing kids into the sports.

My club does that as an indoor winter league. I'll be doing it for the first time this season. You're right, it does make shooting sports accessible to younger shooters who aren't ready for the "big leagues." It also provides a fairly low risk opportunity for people to become accustomed to the rules and procedures of a match.

I am not trying to be pandering here, but why not an event that plays out the way it is mapped in a popular video game?

You lost me at that one. All of those video games have violence at their respective cores and, IMHO, are specifically designed to desensitize young people to violence and to, essentially, reduce the value of human life. But that's like, you know, my opinion, man. (Big Lebowski movie reference.)

As a teacher, I would love to have a CMP Youth Air programme. However, there concerns:

• The first is student behaviour, I teach at a "problematic" school. This was raised as a major area of concern when
  • I would want no D's or F's and a minimum B average. That pretty much weeds out all of the "behavioural-challenged" students

It will also weed out most of your IEP/504 plan students, which will run you into trouble from the feds regarding the IDEA act. The next issue is a much bigger problem, CMP air turns into a money race very quickly.

• Because it is within a set of previously set rules, I have no real solution for this one.

Look into the "Sporter Class" competition rather than the "Precision Class." True collegiate Riflery is entire Precision class (i.e. $2k guns) but Sporter class is the same game but with $300 guns. I'm pretty sure all of the JROTC competitions are Sporter Class, use the exact same CMP rule book and equipment (except for the guns) but have a slightly larger aiming black and bulls eye at the same 10m indoor distance.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Regarding some of the earlier posts, I gree, 2-gun, 3-gun, run n gun, whatever you want to call it, is basically an arms race. I compete in an unsanctioned, club-level, local league. A small number of competitors, who compete in the monthly sanctioned match, have been petitioning to make the unsanctioned match into something more identical sanctioned matches. I think I am the only one resisting this out of about 100 shooters.

The reasons I don't do the sanctioned matches are 1.)the level of competition there will make it not fun. Those guys are just way too serious. And 2.) I don't want to engage in yet another gear-up arms race with all new equipment. I could never show up to one of those matches with old school ALICE gear. (I already stopped using ALICE gear in the unsanctioned match.) 3.)I can't/won't buy yet another gun for a "race gun." I shoot a bone stock pistol that is my pretty much my go to SD pistol. Iron sights. Stock trigger. Basic holster. No one is shooting iron sights in competition anymore. Anyway, you get the idea.

 

[Hokkmike]

A relaxed day at the range with friends... Some casual fun shooting. Don't have to buy your way to the top and use a buzzer to increase everybody's BP.

 

[AlexanderA]

It's not a "sport," per se, but Civil War (and other historical) reenactment brings in new shooters. Or rather, new collectors.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

It's not a "sport," per se, but Civil War (and other historical) reenactment brings in new shooters. Or rather, new collectors.

I did Civil War reenacting when I was younger. It was far more expensive and gear focused than any shooting competition (Service Rifle, Bullseye Pistol, 2-gun, trap) I have ever done. At least initially. You have to buy (or make) a ton of kit, all of which is expensive, for both Union and Confederate impressions (because you're no longer allowed to just show up and re-enact one side only; you have to "galvanize" half of each reenactment) and the Confederate kit is way more expensive than Union. And God help you if you take shortcuts and get labeled "Farb" or Farby" (Far be it from authentic.)

 

[PapaG]

My son, three other club members and I coach a high school trap team at our two trap field sports men's club. We are about to begin our fourth year. Seven students the first year, eleven the second, and eighteen last year. We may have to put a limit on enrollment as twenty would be about all we can accommodate and meet the time limit. We cannot shoot under lights due to a zoning agreement.

 

[Hasaf]

My club does that as an indoor winter league. I'll be doing it for the first time this season. You're right, it does make shooting sports accessible to younger shooters who aren't ready for the "big leagues." It also provides a fairly low risk opportunity for people to become accustomed to the rules and procedures of a match.


You lost me at that one. All of those video games have violence at their respective cores and, IMHO, are specifically designed to desensitize young people to violence and to, essentially, reduce the value of human life. But that's like, you know, my opinion, man. (Big Lebowski movie reference.)

It will also weed out most of your IEP/504 plan students, which will run you into trouble from the feds regarding the IDEA act. The next issue is a much bigger problem, CMP air turns into a money race very quickly.

• Because it is within a set of previously set rules, I have no real solution for this one.

Look into the "Sporter Class" competition rather than the "Precision Class." True collegiate Riflery is entire Precision class (i.e. $2k guns) but Sporter class is the same game but with $300 guns. I'm pretty sure all of the JROTC competitions are Sporter Class, use the exact same CMP rule book and equipment (except for the guns) but have a slightly larger aiming black and bulls eye at the same 10m indoor distance.

I looked into it and came up with the 4-H BB-Gun league. The age group brackets are 9-15. With that in mind, I have written a letter to the Grand Lodge (state level of the Masonic Organization).

As I discussed it with some other masons, I discovered that the lodge secretary is a 4-H shotgun coach, but they haven't had a team for many years. He, and a few others, liked the idea enough that they wanted just to get started without state level approval. My reason for wanting to wait is so that we can get other towns into is so that our lodge will have others nearby to compete against instead of having the state competition as the first experience.

Here is the letter I sent, I have gotten word, from the state level of the reorganization, that it has not been round-filed and is going to be researched. So, at this point I wait. For those reading, Lodge references the local Masonic Lodge. Grand Lodge references the state level organization. Here is a link to a thread I started on this idea/topic.

Proposal to Investigation of Cooperation with 4-H
To further Develop Youth BB Gun Match League​

Even if one is not inclined toward shooting sports, I encourage you to consider this from the point of view of lodge promotion as the youth's parents see the lodge being active in this community-building activity

This proposal uses a 4-H program that currently exists. As such, it is not so much about building a programme as it is about increasing access to a programme that already exists, this 4H programme. The current State Spring Match (BB Gun, Air Pistol, Air Rifle) is scheduled for April 20, 2024 in Great Bend, KS. The 2024 Daisy Nationals will be held June 30th through July 3rd (note: This link contains an excellent introduction to this programme). This activity already has a body of rules developed by 4-H, BB-Gun rules begin on page 8. The full K-State, Kansas 4-H Shooting Sports Handbook can be found here.

This is a sport intended for children from 9-15 years of age. It involves a 5-yard course of fire from single-shot BB guns. The BB Guns to be used are limited to a single model, the Daisy Model 499b Champion Competition Air Rifle.

That said, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor webpage makes the point that:
Civic Engagement, Healthy Living, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics (STEM) are requriements of every 4-H program. It is our duty to insure we teach these to our youth to help them reach their full potential. Remember, the shooting sports program isn’t only a shooting program, it is Positive Youth Development program.

That said, this is being presented to the Grand Lodge of [this state] because team sponsoring and development is not something that is best done by a single lodge. With multiple lodges participating, positive local competition between lodges, in a district, can only serve to improve the youth performance and better familiarise the parents with area lodges, increasing the possibility of increased membership.

[Lodge name] is in the City of [city name]. This is a link to Ordinance No. 4530, which indicates that this would be a lawful indoor activity. I include it because, while this ordinance applies only to [city name], I expect most other lodges would also find this to be a lawful indoor activity.

Desired Grand Lodge Participation:

1. Communicate with 4-H to work out any details as may be appropriate for such a potential expansion of their existing programme.
2. Communicate this programme to lodges throughout Kansas as a positive community involvement and youth development opportunity.
3. Ideally, again, in coordination with established 4-H policies and procedures, while not as necessary as points 1 & 2, to assist in sponsoring any lodge team that qualifies at the state level in their participation in the national competition.
4. Again, while not as necessary as points 1 & 2, it would be helpful for the lodges participating if the Grand Lodge would purchase, or sponsor the purchase of the rifles and safety equipment, such as safety glasses and other items recommended by 4-H.
5. To restate the points in 2 & 3, The most important thing the Grand Lodge can do are the communication and coordination activities described in points 1 & 2.

Thank You,
Brother [Hasaf]
[Lodge Name]

 

[AlexanderA]

I did Civil War reenacting when I was younger. It was far more expensive and gear focused than any shooting competition

And then when you add Rev War, WW1, and WW2 (plus others) you can multiply that expense by at least 4. I was a collector before I got into reenacting, and the reenacting was an excuse for more collecting. Not just the guns, but all the gear that goes with them.

 

[PapaG]

I coached 4H archery for a couple years but our county was so disfunctional I gave up.

 

[dodo bird]

I really enjoy mountain biking. I have always wanted to do a mountain bike biathlon. They exist.

MTN Bike Biathlon

Join WYSEF and Altius as they host the 27th annual Summer Biathlon. WYSEF and Altius Handcrafted Firearms invite you to West Yellowstone’s Rendezvous Ski Trails Biathlon Range for our...

www.skirunbikemt.com

 

[kmw1954]

A different perspective on let's have fun with a gun.

A public outdoor range I work at and also shoot at hosts an informal modified bench rifle league. This is not affiliated with the range and is privately run as a group. This will be my 3rd season shooting. Up until this year it has been restricted to just 20 shooters but because of interest we have expanded it now to 24 with a waiting list for new members.

This league runs just 10 weeks starting the first Sunday in January. We shoot alternating 100/200/300yd ranges and each week is a different target. Most of the rules are plain and simple. Rifle must be a Center Fire from 20cal to 30cal.. Must have a optical scope. Must be fired from a front bipod and rear bag. No F-Class type bipod. Only the very first week is shot as a group at the same time, from there each weeks target can be shot at any time the range is open and must be signed and verified by an RO. At the end of the season we have an awards meeting and review the past season and set the agenda and discuss changes for the next season.

So formats such as this can be achieved and sustained. Just takes someone with an interest and drive to organize it. This one is now on it's 3rd manager.

 

[Robert]

I've shot our local tactical rifle match off and on for the better part of 15 years. It started out as 15-20 guys with ARs, AKs, a FAL or two, and some other random rifles shooting targets from contact to 300+ yards. I've seen guys with iron sighted M1As smoke guys with race guns and optics. I've seen guys with race guns so some amazing runs. And every time I've shot, I've had fun.

We have shooters from 8 to 80, seasoned and brand new. Rifles run the gambit from bone stock to highly modified. Some guys, and ladies, are nationally ranked shooters, some are weekend warriors like me. We all have fun. We make it a point to be friendly and helpful. I know not all competitions are like that. But ours is. So they still exist. And if you don't like what's going on in your area, start something. It takes time and a huge commitment, but it can be done.

My profile pic is me shooting my FAL at the match years ago.

 

[Double_J]

I "competed" in my local ranges IDPA themed pistol match for a few years and had quite a bit of fun doing it. We were not sanctioned, but used the IDPA rulebook as our guidelines for a safe, fu, and good training match. We did away with a bunch of the annoying rules that made it no fun for the new guy or the old hand wanting to try something other than "square range shooting."

The match director came up with some fun, elaborate, and "creative" stages that would correlate to real world events, along with a few skill drills (stupid bowling pins), and the grand finally over the top stage. We did anti carjacking drills, anti robbery while pumping gas drills, office worker getting invaded, and the "get off me" drill.

If I were to start with new shooters I would come up with a basic theme and build from that. Possibly a "short range" air rifle contest, archery contest, or 4H type course. One of the key things I would do is keep the egos out of it, make it fun, and reward EVERYONE with some kind of award. When I was a Boy Scout Summer Camp counselor we had awards for best shot, most improved, and a few others I can't recall, but we kept it FUN and low pressure.

I think the way to make this kind of thing a success it three fold. First and most importantly we need to make a friend with the new person by helping them learn what to do and help them learn the rules. Second we need to find a need that this can fill, like getting over a fear of guns, confidence building, or some other personal reason the person wants (within reason). The third and final step is to transfer a feeling to the person just starting. Show them how much fun the sport is, and how easy it is to keep improving. When I first started competing I was dead last for a long time, but I never got discouraged. The top shooters always showed me how to improve and worked with me when I asked for tips. I have tried to pass that same thing on to people I introduce to shooting.