Youth Shooting Sports

Bruce Day · 05-13-2013, 10:25 AM

I see comments here about how can we encourage youth shooting sports. Well, here is one way. All BSA camps have rifle and shotgun ranges and teach boys and older girls how to shoot .

Here is one of ours, we have two camps in our council, one serves about 6000 youth each summer, the other about 1000. Both have a pair of target throwers and we use Rem 870 shotguns. We go through about 300 cases of 20ga at one camp, about 100 at the other. One of my volunteer jobs is to grease and adjust the clay target machines ( ProMatic) , move ammo and make sure the ranges are ready, and then help out instructing shot gunning.

Chances are that your local council could use you also, you might find it rewarding.

Here is our covered range, stacks of ammo, and our worn but serviceable throwers.

Gary Laudermilch · 05-13-2013, 01:56 PM

I have to concur that if given the opportunity to work with kids, take it. It just might be the most rewarding thing you could do.

Five years ago we started a Scholastic Clay Target Program team at our local club. Our club is a small, rural, northern PA club and not near any population center. As a result we have but few kids participating but we have been successful. We compete in the sporting clays venue but we have no sporting clays range at the club so we use 5-stand for training. Our best year we took a 1st and 2nd place at the state championship and came in the top ten at nationals. Not bad for a bunch country bumpkins with an old geezer as coach. Of the original kids, one is becoming a bio-medical engineer, one and airline pilot, and another a veterinarian. Good kids and a whole bunch of fun.

We have a new bunch this year, most 10-12 years old. I see a bunch of potential. Look out you other SCTPers.

Gary Laudermilch · 05-15-2013, 09:35 AM

I had trouble locating photos for my previous reply. I've found a few so here they are.

The first photo is our original team. All have aged out of the program now. Yes, a girl too! We had 5 of them return to shoot 5-stand at the club this past weekend - a sort of reunion shoot.

The second photo is one of our current crop of kids. He's 10 and shooting a sxs. Not a Parker but a SKB 100 - at least it is a sxs. He's one of the better shooters and will be a force to recon with in the coming years.