Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire One of the fastest growing sports

Happy thanksgiving all you all. Hope everyone has a great day with lots to be thankful for. I ran across this article on Fox News and found it encouraging. One of the fastest growing high school sports is clay target shooting. The FFA appears to be at the forefront of this movement. One of the coaches commented “there are no benchwarmers, everyone participates”. So far 34 states are participating. If someone can link to the article I’m sure it would be helpful.

The Junior Rodeo Association has had rimfire rifle shooting as part of its competition for several years now. I have been supporting one of our state’s top competitors for several years by providing a safe place for them to practice.

With all the destructive forces trying to destroy our nation, I just wanted to point this out and offer something to be grateful for.

saw that interesting story earlier. Good to hear about stuff like this

That’s great. Shooting and hunter safety should at least be an elective in high school.

The non-shooting public should become aware of such activities, but you can be sure it will never make it to any so-called "news" networks.

Somewhat of a correction. The High School Trap Shooting leagues began in Minnesota of all places 16 years ago.
My son was on one of the first teams.
It has grown to be our states second largest sport in participation numbers, only football is ahead of it. Minnesota generally has between 12 and 14 THOUSAND league shooters every year and our state open finals has around 9000 participants in June. It takes I think 8 full days to get them all thru 100 rounds at that location.
We also have skeet and now sporting clays divisions
Schools compete in conferences established by grouping schools with like numbers of shooters. Some of the schools near the Twin Cities have over 140 shooters on their teams.
It’s crazy how many young ladies compete as well, and win over the guys. Straight 100’s in the year end finals are common.
Now the FFA and some other organizations have shooting programs as well nation wide.

Osky

WTF. Well That’s Fantastic! Things like this need more publication.

Last time I read anything about High School shooting sports (which was maybe 6 months ago) the story was about how concerned, anti-gun, Liberals had been able to get funding for this school sport removed.

Found the link. Biden Administration withholding key school funding

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bi...9UWDT6acvXXupAL0POeZebFpsW5qSmAwV0FXc4nE


🦫

This makes me smile. 👍👍👍

when I was in school there was lots of shooting competition sponsored to FFA. it was too FFA groups but it was not school sponsored.. then things kind of seem to die off and not do much in the last few years that has been a resurgence in this area also mostly trap teams. there are some school teams in the NRA small more silhouette that I have met on travels and of course skeet sporting clays five stand and such...

At one time there were over 400 various colleges/universities that offered a full four year scholarship award for smallbore competitive shooters .22 caliber! I doubt now if there are 10 that offer any other than for air rifle competition.

My son was FFA and on the shooting team. 5 stand and rimfire. Graduated 2010. It's been a thing here for a while.

His senior project was building a .257 Roberts on a Yugo 48 action. Starting with a bare action. His mentor could not be me. So a friend of ours, Paul Scarlata was. (His mentor had to be in the industry that his project was associated with.) Couldn't take it to school for the show and tell part but did a slide show instead.

He used that .257 and a 117Gr. Hornady BTSP in Canada to kill a black bear.

I'm rambling. I'll stop.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Most All of us have a lot to be thankful for

Allways good to see the local trap clubs sponsored juniors on the line getting after those clays. Be my guess they are about 12-18 years old. It is not an inexpensive activity either. But you get right down to it hauling a kid around for weekly soccer practice and multiple out of town tournaments year round has made a bigger dent in ordinary family's budgets.. Just one of the reasons people don't take their kids hunting anymore. Soccer it is a commie thing got it?.mb

Our club skeet chairman is the coach of the Oklahoma Claybusters. Its a youth group with kids, both male and female, up to the age of 15, if I remember correctly. He's taken them all the way to the world shoots and done very well with them. For young kids they are some stiff competition.

I love the sport because that shooting stick on the line does not care which gender is behind it, it makes all shooters equal.

Nelson mentioned above and a guy named Jim Sabo were the ones who started the hi school leagues here. Mostly Jim Sabo pushing and terrific hurdles were overcome.
I recall the first three years when this sport was started and maybe a dozen teams registered they all went to state competition. There the shooters ran into a buzz saw in the form of a young lady from just north of the twin cities. She went 100,99,100 the first three years to take top gun.
Currently of the 9000 plus who compete in the first big round of competition in June, shooters better figure on shooting 99 of 100 to advance and go after top gun and it’s crazy how many accomplish that.
Top teams advance as well and better be maybe 488/500 or better to advance.

There are also more and more college scholarships becoming available for shooting sports, especially for women. Another plus you never hear in the news or advertised openly.

Osky

4-H has been doing shooting competitions for youth for many years. We shoot air pistol, air rifle, small bore pistol, small bore rifle, muzzleloader, archery, and shotgun. I am honored to be one of the coaches for the N.C. Rowan County Hot Shots. Great group of kids , including one of my own.

Also, North Carolina Wildlife sponsors Middle School and High School shooting teams here in N.C. My son is on the High School team as well.

Support your local Friends of NRA event, as they do most of the fundraising for youth shooting sports.

So if I am reading this correctly here is a sport that allows male and female to compete against each other on an equal basis, doesn’t discriminate against age and everyone has an equal chance. It requires personal excellence to be competitive and there is an opportunity for teams to compete. Sound like a liberal dream sport. Why don’t we hear more about it?

Guns are bad.

There was a bill in congress recently that intended to remove federal funds from schools that had shooting sports. Fortunately, it was defeated.

In the mid 1960's Ann Arbor Pioneer High School had an extracurricular shooting club. There was a rimfire range under the ?auditorium stage IIRC. But the club had privileges at the University of Michigan ROTC indoor range which came with target sighted .22 rifles and we shot there. The sister of one of my brother's friends was one of the top scoring shooters.

The story has something for all of us to consider: we should be involved nurturing and introducing the next generation to outdoor sports. Put our words into actions

Consider this portion of the story

I love trap shooting, but the roundcut needed to be competitive - aye yai yai!




Yes indeed. 4-H is an excellent program and for that reason alone we should all support our local FNRA dinners. And Larry Potterfield too.