Junior Shooters

Posted By admin on December 29, 2013

By: Liz Kauza (14)

During a summer trip to my grandparents’ home in New Jersey, my grandfather, John Kauza, told me about his work with the Boy Scouts of America. He initially got involved in 1978 when my dad told him the troop needed help, so he started a rifle merit badge course for them. Now, 35 years later, he has trained over 5,000 boy scouts and other young shooters, to include disabled scouts, scouts from England, and a Polish speaking troop in New Jersey. After hearing the story, my sister and I were looking forward to shooting. My grandfather worked very hard with a team of boy scouts and volunteers to build new shooting ranges for the scouts at Yards Creek Scout Reservation in New Jersey. Eager to show us, my grandfather took my sister Stephanie and I out to the range to try it out.

The range is in a scout camp in northern New Jersey and backs up along the Appalachian Trail. Deer, turkey, black bear, and the occasional rattlesnake abound on the scout camp. The range is at the top of a long and winding road, and I found the solitude to be rather peaceful. There is a 12-position rimfire rifle range with a covered spectator area, and to the left there is a three-station, six-shooter-position shotgun range. To the left of these stations, a future expansion will include a 300-yard centerfire rifle range and pistol range.

It was a perfect summer day, with no humidity and the sun warming our backs. We decided to shoot skeet, and I used a Mossberg Model 500 “Bantam” in .410 with a cylinder choke slug barrel. This barrel was shorter than the standard version, and as I soon discovered, was much easier to handle for a young shooter like myself. Though a .410 is mistakenly viewed as an expert’s gun, I did pretty well, hitting 9 out of 10 clay birds. I am left-handed, so I shot lefty as Stephanie pulled in a “nonstandard.” Normally, when the shooter is ready, they will say “pull,” and then the clay bird is launched downrange. I found that I hit more clay birds by having Stephanie pull at random and without warning, and she took great delight at seeing how quickly she could launch them downrange.

My sister and I alternated shooting throughout the day with my dad and grandfather backing us up from the other position. I was surprised at how easily I could shoot for the entire day with the .410. I consistently hit the clay birds, and as the day progressed, I felt as if my skill was improving. Most importantly, I did not feel sore or tired from the weight of the gun or its recoil. It fit very well when I mounted the gun, and it was easy to track and shoot the clay birds. I shot over 200 rounds throughout the day and felt great afterwards.

Shooting is a great way to get your mind off of everyday life. When you’re on the range, all of your problems seem to fall away, leaving just you, the gun, and your targets. There’s nothing quite as satisfying than watching a clay bird turn to powder.

Review of the .410

The Model 500 is a time-proven and reliable shotgun design. It is a slide-action or “pump” type shotgun chambered for 2 ½ and 3-inch shells. It has a tubular magazine underneath the barrel, and the spent shells are ejected to the right. The barrels come in various lengths, from 18 ½ to 28 inches, with 28 inches being standard. The basic model comes equipped with a brass front bead sight and vent ribbed barrel. The safety is located on the top rear of the receiver and is especially handy for a left-handed shooter like myself.

My experience with the .410 Mossberg Model 500 “Bantam” with an 18 ½-inch cylinder choke slug barrel was very positive. The major difference between this model and the standard model is the 18 ½-inch barrel with a choke is more open than the standard barrel with a full choke. Equipped with a standard brass front bead sight and a shorter sight plane, I found it easier to use because it is lighter and more controllable than a 20 gauge or its 17-gauge older brother. I was able to bring the gun into firing position easily, locate the target, shoot, and follow through on a consistent basis. After a full day of shooting over 200 rounds, I was not in any pain from the gun and still felt as if I could shoot all day.

One of the options available is the 24-inch, fully vented, ribbed barrel with TruGlo front and rear sights. This innovative system pairs the long sight plane and a vivid chartreuse (neon green) front sight, light-gathering tube with a dual dot Terminator-red light-gathering rear sight. This system allows the shooter to easily identify a proper sight picture, thereby enhancing accuracy; not to mention, it looks very cool.

Download the article at www.juniorshooters.net/articles it is in Volume 15

Category: Plinking Fun, Shotgun Sports | No Comments »
Tags: 410, 410 shotgun, bantam 500, competitive shooting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, mossberg, mossberg 500, mossberg shotguns, Olympics, plinking, shooting, shooting sports, shotguns, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on December 17, 2013

Federal Premium® Ammunition has stepped up with a three-year commitment to help expand and grow the Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors program, giving more children the opportunity to experience the great outdoors.

ANOKA, Minn. – Dec. 17, 2013 – Federal Premium® Ammunition and Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors are proud to announce a new three-year sponsorship commitment to help expand and grow the Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors program that gives children the opportunity to experience the great outdoors. The organization is currently working in several states to implement outdoor mentoring partnerships that provide more opportunities for kids to learn to hunt, shoot and fish.

“With our emphasis on reaching children with no connection to the outdoors, it is critical to our efforts that we depend on support from the outdoors industry,” said Mike Christensen, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors President. “Having Federal Ammunition on our team will greatly enhance our ability to get kids outdoors.”

“Research by a number of organizations confirms that new hunters and shooters are recruited by a mentor. Growing this model is good for the future of hunting and shooting,” said Federal Premium Ammunition’s Conservation Manager Ryan Bronson. “Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors is one of the few organizations that bridge the gap between youth mentoring organizations and hunting organizations, and that’s why we chose to support it.”

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors partners with state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations and youth organizations to give at-risk children opportunities to participate outdoor sports and activities.

“Too many children today don’t ever get the chance to experience the great outdoors,” Christensen said. “When you hear a youngster say they’ve never seen a cow or been on a dirt road, you know we have to step up our efforts to get these children outdoors. We’re working to change that.”

About Federal Ammunition

Since 1922, Federal Premium® Ammunition has been providing hunters and shooters with high-quality shotshell, centerfire and rimfire ammunition. To learn more about Federal Premium’s products and programs, go to www.federalpremium.com.

About Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors is a Wichita, Kansas-based national organization dedicated to providing children with mentors who will share with them the experiences of traditional outdoor activities. The heart of the group’s mission is to give children opportunities to connect with nature. Partnering with organizations with like-minded conservation and youth participation efforts, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Pheasants Forever, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Delta Waterfowl, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and others, the group finds and trains volunteers with a passion for the outdoors who can give a child the chance to go fish, hunt or simply spend time in the fields with a caring adult. For more information about Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors, please visit www.outdoormentors.org.

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Posted By admin on November 24, 2013

By: Abbigail Taylor (10)

Last year my dad took me to Scooters Youth Hunting Camp for the first time. The camp is held in Emmett at Gem State Rod and Gun Club. The camp has six different stations. They allow you to shoot shotguns, 22’s, muzzleloaders, archery. They also show you the proper techniques for knife sharpening and gun cleaning and have a station for survival. The camp also has mini-seminars. One was Larry Lansdowne (known for his turkey calling). He demonstrated three different types of calls: the yelp, cluck, and purr. After hearing Larry’s demonstration, I knew I wanted to go turkey hunting.

This past winter I took hunter’s safety with my mom. Being 10, I can’t hunt big game for another two years. So now was my time to hunt turkeys. Unfortunately, my dad has never hunted turkey before either. We talked to Paul Waldon. He said, “I will take Abbi out, put her in for a controlled hunt, and if she gets drawn, I will take her.” My mom and dad bought my hunting license and put me in for the draw. A few weeks had past, and finally I got a postcard in the mail saying that I had been drawn for the controlled turkey hunt. I was jumping off the walls with excitement.

My dad called Paul to let him know I was drawn. A couple weeks into the season, Paul called and said, “I found a great spot.” On Sunday, April, 28^th, we met Paul at Fred Meyer at 5:00 a.m. Paul had us put all our gear in his truck so we could get to the property we were hunting in Notus. After we parked, we walked on a dirt road along the river to the blind. We got all set up, and Paul told us the plan. We waited and waited, listening to Paul call to the turkeys as they answered back. Soon we heard gobblers all around us. After about an hour of calling, Paul saw a tom and hen come around the corner. As soon as the tom saw the decoys, he ran over to them and started jumping on them. I then got a good eye on him and Paul said, “SHOOT!” so I did. “You got it,” Paul and my dad said. After we celebrated, Paul said, “Let’s sit quietly and see if we can get some more to come in.” Paul started calling again, and in a little bit, two more big toms and two hens came in. We took tons of pictures and videos of the turkeys. One turkey was pecking at the head of my dead turkey that was lying on the ground. We heard tons of weird noises from the turkeys. Paul explained all the noises and why they make the noises while strutting.

When the turkeys walked off, we went out to look at the turkey I shot. We then tagged it and took lots of pictures of me, my dad, and my turkey. We stopped at a great café (The Garage) for breakfast and talked and enjoyed the time together. After breakfast, we went back to Fred Meyer to get our car. He showed us how to preserve the spurs and pluck the beard and feathers. My dad and I took the turkey back to our house to show my mom and sisters and clean it. We took some feathers to keep, skinned it, and washed all the meat to clean it really good.

I told everybody that it was the best day ever, and I would always remember the day I got my first turkey in one shot. I learned so much. I really enjoyed every part of it, and I can’t wait to go turkey hunting again!

Category: Guns & Acc., Hunting, Miscellaneous, Shotgun Sports | No Comments »
Tags: competitive shooting, Hunting, hunting turkeys in idaho scooter's youth camp, idaho hunting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, plinking, shooting, shooting sports, turkey, turkey calls, turkey hunting, usa shooting, youth outdoor camps, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on November 19, 2013

DEAD DOWN WIND

By: Ty Weaver (17)

Article from Junior Shooters magazine Volume 15 Summer 2013 – Old issues of Junior Shooters are available as a free download under the header ARTICLES!

I do mean this literally! Answer this question ; Do you enter the woods before or after hunting season with less emphasis on bio-engineered enzyme technology? Impressive huh? In other words are you tromping around in critter country smelling like something other than nothing?

Most of us take time to prepare ourselves during hunting season to be as invisible as possible; sight and scent but for some reason we let our guard down when the season ends. Why? We are always so careful to wear camo, stay quiet, and practice scent control during the season only to relax after the season ends. A big buck’s senses don’t stop after season.

Technology can actually give the upper hand to the critters versus the hunter. New technology like game cameras are the cause of spreading more human and foreign odors in big buck country than anything else. Every time you enter the woods to pull your card from the camera you are spreading "yuck" in your hunting area, not to mention the smell of the camera itself! Where has it been? Did you touch it with your bare hands? How long was it sitting in the back seat of your truck? Even worse, was your little sister trying to take pictures of herself with it while doused in some smelly foo foo juice that she calls smell good? I know this one from experience! I could even smell the camera!

We do have access to some phenomenal technology that gives us an advantage or at least levels the playing field a bit. That is the technology and products offered by Dead Down Wind. Now look here. Most folks that read my articles know that I’m not great at writing technical articles, I’d rather write about pursuit and adrenaline rushed adventures but I really believe and can attribute many successful adventures due to Dead Down Wind products. I may squeeze in a quick adventure at the end of this article. Yup, I will!

Here is what I do as it pertains to off season scouting. I take a shower before I head out scouting with Dead Down Wind personal hygiene products, soap, shampoo, conditioner and apply DDW antiperspirant. I use a towel and wash cloth that was laundered with DDW laundry detergent.

I have my not so good camo washed in Dead Down Wind laundry detergent that I wear every time I enter the woods during the off season. This saves the wear and tare on my good stuff. The wear and tare is from me as this detergent will not fade camo even after repeated washings. I can attest to this as Mom washes mine a zillion times a year! It also has UV inhibitors so you won’t glow like a caffeine over dosed lightning bug! And here is the big, big, big, technology plus; It contains bio-engineered Enzyme Scent Prevent Technology to clean, deodorize and unclog carbon molecules! You can read more about this at www.deaddownwind.com It will even remove TastyKake and Moxie stains from your camo. Only a few local area folks will know what these tasty morning starting treats are all about! Yum!

Mom also uses the DDW Dryer Sheets. Take notice I reference Mom a bunch cause I wouldn’t even know how to turn on the washing and drying apparatuses in the house. I love you Mom! The dryer sheets help prevent the lightning bug thing, are anti static, and they are 100% biodegradable. They also work great for patching holes in small game or deer ears when you are doing taxidermy work which eliminates sewing. I can explain that later.

I store my clothes in a container with DDW Boot & Storage Powder. I store my boots in a separate container with the powder. Here is a cool piece of data; each foot has 250,000 sweat pores! Don’t try to count them just trust me on this one! I store my boots with powder in them and also apply the power directly to my skin before heading out. This works awesome on gloves and packs! It even works in smelly trash cans! I sprinkle some on my sister to wake her up in the morning!

My most favorite product is Evolve 3D Field Spray. I apply this before heading to stand and again once I arrive at the critter hot spot! This stuff is proprietary bio-engineered enzyme technology in a spray bottle! It prevents and terminates the full spectrum of odor molecules; human, smoke, gas, little sisters, and other odors! It is skin safe. This is your last line of defense against any critter alarming contaminant scents a hunter or pre-season scouter may acquire before and during the hunt! Do not skip this step!

DDW has many other useful pre-season products like waxes and odorless oils that I use on my tree stands and game cameras.

If you follow this recipe you will not spread yuk during your pre-season outings and the critters will never know that you are visiting their turf! This will pay off big when next season rolls around!

In April Dad and I were on a scouting mission in West Texas. We prepped ourselves and our gear as mentioned above. This was new territory for us and we knew very little about this property but what we did know is that hogs and exotics like Axis deer are open year around in Texas. We decided to scout the old fashion way by sitting in an area that overlooked a large area of land equipped with binoculars and of course our bows just incase we spot something worth pursuing.

Dad was sitting in a hilly area of the property and I was located on a knoll overlooking a small creek. Just before dark I spotted some axis deer below me. All were does and a couple small bucks until Big Fuzzy stepped out the cedar! He was a monster axis buck in velvet! I have always wanted to shoot and mount a buck like this. I have mounted many axis bucks but none in velvet. My only route to reach him in time before dark was to make a very quick stalk with the wind on the back on my neck. Not the best option but my only one at the time. The stiff wind helped to conceal noise a bit but it made me nervous. At 38 yards I settled the pin of my Alpine F1 Fireball on Big Fuzzy’s vitals and touched off my Equalizer release. The Victory arrow tipped with a Magnus 125 grain BuzzCut smacked the crease of Big Fuzzy’s shoulder. I sent Dad a text and in no time we followed a short blood trail to my monster axis. Big Fuzzy was Dead Down Wind!!!!!!

How will I ever top this? Would you believe I repeated the exact same thing the very next night? I did! Exactly like the first time! Look at the photos close and you will see that Big Fuzzy has a brother!

"Every kid is waiting to be invited outdoors. Ask them!"

Your buddy always,

Ty Weaver

Visit www.deaddownwind.com

Category: Guns & Acc., Hunting, Miscellaneous | No Comments »
Tags: bird hunting, boar hunting, competitive shooting, dead down wind, deer hunting, Hunting, hunting scent, hunting smells, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooters magazine, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, pig hunting, plinking, shooting, shooting sports, Ty Weaver, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on November 12, 2013

By: Ashley Rumble (10)

From Volume 14 Spring 2013

About two months ago, I was competing in my first shooting match, the Parma .22 Ruger Rimfire Challenge. I was using a Marlin fully-outfitted, tube-fed hunting rifle and a Smith and Wesson 22A. The pistol worked well, but the Marlin was an extremely heavy rifle more made for bench rest shooting than speed shooting while standing. The first stage was easy enough, but my dad had just bought some clips for the pistol, and they didn’t work too well, so the gun kept jamming. So at the end of the stage, I had all 30 seconds on all of my strings. (Strings are the rounds on each stage, and there is only a 30-second time limit for each string).

The next stage was the first rifle round. There were three strings, and it was rifle only. I could finally finish the round because both of the guns had been greased and ready to go to the next round of knocking down letters. Everyone on my squad kept shooting right through the “D” on the end, and, of course, the easiest target was the stopper plate.

The next round was knocking down circles and was my best string with the rifle. Next up was lollipops, and they were kind of difficult so I didn’t do too well with those. There was a rifle-only stage, and that was my worst stage of the day. On the last string, the Marlin was getting so heavy I couldn’t lift it anymore, and I felt awful going to the next stage. The next stage was a rifle-only stage; we were shooting whistle pigs, and they were so tiny and easy to miss, but they were fun.

(“one of the people on our squad let me fire his Ruger 10/22, and I cut my time in half while using it. “)

After everyone had their turn, one of the people on our squad let me fire his Ruger 10/22, and I cut my time in half while using it. The next round was Texas spinner stars, and the pistol portion of it I didn’t like at all because it was hard to aim, but the other part, which was the rifle part, was a lot more fun. Then we went to a pistol-only stage where we shot some circles that were very close together, and I got my fastest time yet.

Finally, we were at the last stage where I shot the Ruger again and had some really good groups and really good times. We went to the prize table and waited for the last group to finish. It took a long time because they had some issues with their last round, but finally they finished and we started the raffle.

The second ticket they called was mine. I was very excited as I went up to the prize table and looked around at what there was to offer. I eyed an action for a 10/22, and my dad said I could build a rifle around it, but then a kid pointed out some paperwork for a free 10/22 as one of the prizes. I wasn’t sure if I wanted it, but my dad urged me to take it. Unsure as I was, I took the gun and felt very good about it afterwards.

I couldn’t have gotten the gun without my dad and the people on my squad. Everyone I met was very friendly and helpful, and I really appreciated all the help that everyone had offered. It was a great experience, and I hope I can compete in more .22 matches in the future.

(Editor’s Note: Ashley has continued to shoot Ruger Rimfire and Steel Challenge matches; constanly improving her times. She has written articles in Volume 15 (Summer 2013) and Volume 16 (Winter 2013). She continues to write, test firearms, and enjoy the shooting sports always keeping safety as her number one priority.)

Category: Action Pistol, Clubs & Teams, Events, Pistol / Revolver, Plinking Fun, Rifle | No Comments »
Tags: 10/22, ashley rumble, competitive shooting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, plinking, rimfire, Ruger, ruger 10/22, ruger rimfire, shooting, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on November 4, 2013

THE 2014 HODGDON® ANNUAL MANUAL©

YOUR GO-TO RESOURCE FOR RELOADING

Shawnee KS, October 30, 2013, Hodgdon® The Brand that’s True presents the 2014 Annual Manual©. This manual is expanded to 170 pages of Hodgdon®, IMR® and Winchester® brand powder and reloading information. Also included are nine new articles written by some of the finest outdoor writers in the industry under a wide range of topics.

Reload data for the new innovative propellant CFE®Pistol is shown in 17 calibers. In addition, updated data is listed for 21 rifle and pistol calibers including the 500 Nitro Express 3”.

Get the complete go-to resource for reloading with the 2014 Annual Manual© at newsstands and Hodgdon dealers everywhere in January 2014 for only $8.99. For more information visit hodgdon.com, call 913-362-9455 Monday-Thursday 7a-5:30p CST or write to 6430 Vista Drive, Shawnee, KS 66218

For all your Gunpowder needs it’s Hodgdon®, The Brand That’s True

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Tags: competitive shooting, hodgdon 2014 reloading manual, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, plinking, reloading, reloading manual, shooting, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on October 27, 2013

The First USPSA Junior Team

By: Jaret Maynard (15)

My name is Jaret Maynard and I am 15 years old. I am also 1 of 11 kids on the Practical Edge Junior Shooting Team, the one and only junior team in the sport of USPSA.

Right: Jaret Maynard shooting around a barrel stack on a stage at Columbia Cascade in Albany Oregon.

USPSA is a combination of men and women of all ages that compete with a variety of pistols. In USPSA we shoot IPSC cardboard targets and steel plates and poppers. The sport has been around for a while however, we are the first one to throw a junior team aspect into the sport.

Eastin Ard snapping his head around to engage the his next array of targets.

The team idea came into play soon after I started USPSA ( August 2012 ). The mastermind who came up with the idea was my mom, Dee Maynard, our team coordinator. Before I started shooting, I was a wrestler ( similar to shooting in that it’s a one man sport with teams ). When I started shooting, she wondered, "Why is this sport any different?" Not three months later, we were having our first practice.

Left to right: Practical edge making a name at Columbia Cascade! Olivia Bayuk won 1st D class production. Dexter Bradley won high overall. Mikayla Blosser won Lady champion, second B class and Second junior. Jaret Maynard won high junior and first B class. Coach, Mark Bradley won first master class open.

The team consists of 11 juniors, three with prior experience to the sport, 8 brand new to the sport. Eastin Ard, Austin Schoffstall, Adam Zaragoza, Shane Hill, Mikayla Blosser, Olivia Bayuk, Jeremy Marboe, Dexter Bradley, Sheridan Arntzen, Samantha Joyner, and me, Jaret Maynard. The youngest is 10 and the oldest is 18. The team is coached by Mark Bradley, and my dad Randy Maynard.

Shane Hill engaging a target array at our local range with his XDM 9mm.

As our season progressed, the kids saw major improvements in everyone’s abilities. Some team members started placing higher in the overall at matches, some started placing higher on single stages, some just reduced the amount of mistakes they made throughout the match. Some of this was due to our team practices, however, the most difference was made in dry fire (same goes for any shooter, not just juniors). As a team, we live practice three times a month and have one local match we attended as a team. There are other matches within 100 miles that a lot of the kids also attended.

Mikayla, Dexter and I and our families went to Area 1 this year and had astounding finishes there. Mikayla won 4th place lady, Dexter won Junior champion, I won 3rd place B class open. Mikayla and I also attended the MGM junior camp.

National junior champion, Dexter Bradley, burning down a stage at our local range.

We learned a lot and even brought back some drills for the team to work on at practice! These drills only bettered the team for our big travel match, Columbia Cascade in Albany, Oregon. At Columbia Cascade, Dexter was Match Champion, I was Junior Champion and 1st B Class, Mikayla won 2nd B Class and Olivia won 1st D Class. I am very proud of how well our team did!

Recently, after a team practice, I had the chance to talk with Mikayla Blosser about her thoughts on shooting, and on our team.

Mikayla Blosser: Tearing it up with her predator tactical open gun at Columbia Cascade in Albany Oregon!

"I Like competitive shooting because, everyone’s success or failures depends fully on themselves. I set my own goals and expectations and then I have to be driven enough to work to reach and go beyond those expectations. Meaning I’m truly only limited to what I limit myself to. I also love getting to meet and shoot with the other people in this sport. I have learned so much from so many other shooters that I can apply to all areas of my life and I’ve made some pretty great friends throughout my experience. Plus there’s never a dull moment on the range especially with our team!"

Dexter added, "For the majority of my junior shooting career, I didn’t have many other juniors to practice or compete with, until the Practical Edge Junior Team was born. It’s nice having support from other junior shooters. It’s great being able to mentor the younger shooters on the team."

Olivia shooting an array of steel on a stage at Columbia cascade!

I personally like shooting because unlike other sports, we get to compete with the pros. Shooters are probably the nicest people and so welcoming to new shooters. I like the being on the Practical Edge Jr. Team because before the team existed, we (kids) were competitors who were friendly with each other. Now we are friends who compete against and with each other.

Category: Action Pistol, Associations, Clubs & Teams, Events, Pistol / Revolver | No Comments »
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Posted By admin on August 27, 2013

Kristy Titus recently tweeted the photo above visited Redmond (Oregon) High School to do some shooting with the JROTC team. “All they use are Crosman Challenger rifles. Six of the ten rifles were obtained through a grant from the National Rifle Association”, she said.

The JROTC program announced in January they had been awarded a $10,000 endowment from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The money will be used to support the rifle team. The team’s top shooter is a girl, explains Kristy, “Katlyn Belcher has set  several school records and the second top shooter is a girl named Tayler Pierce who was also voted Team Captain by her team peers. With the teams top two shooters being female, the team motto is “Shoot Like A Girl.”

Kristy became involved with the team indirectly, “my best friend started handgun training course for women called LOL Group Therapy (Ladies of Lead). The Redmond JROTC coach, Lt. Col. Robert Wendel is our instructor for the NRA basic pistol certificate. I volunteered to come shoot with the kids prior to finding out about the RMEF endowment. After learning of the endowment and the fact that they shoot Crosman, it was a no brainer, I needed to get involved with the team. I am going to be shooting with the team again sometime in April.”

As well as being part of the Crosman / Benjamin prostaff, Kristy is a member of RMEF and Team Elk. Kristy has enjoyed learning about competitive shooting and working with the team, “I love being a part and serving as a mentor for youth hunters and shooters, helping to inspire a thriving, dedicated community of new outdoorsmen and women that are well equipped with shooting fundamentals and ethics. The Redmond HS Marksmanship team welcomed me as a part of their team for the day. It was fun having the students give me tips on how to accurately shoot three position air rifle. The fundamentals were completely different that what I am used with high powered rifles and it was a blast having the students teach me.”

As a Brand Ambassador for some of the most recognized companies in the outdoor industry including Cabela’s, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Realtree, Swarovski Optik and Under Armor, Kristy happily provides guidance to youth through shooting and hunting. She visits with them about how she got started as a professional hunter “right here in Central Oregon in party by volunteering my time organizing educational events.”

“Setting up a foundation of goal setting, the power of positive visualization and mental positivity. It was ironic after I spoke to the (JROTC) class about my job, one of the coaches informed me that they have been reinforcing some of the same concepts that I spoke about into the class curriculum. I hope that the things I said to them really hit home. Most of the kids on the team are not in other sports and would otherwise not have a sport that would potentially earn them a letter for their letterman jackets. The team is offering kids a chance to be successful where they may not be in traditional sports. I have found that a well placed compliment and doing kind things for kids that may or may not be not used to receiving, can last a lifetime and influence them forever. I want to be the person giving those compliments and encouraging those kids.”

Category: Airgun, Associations, Clubs & Teams, Events, Olympics & USA, Plinking Fun | No Comments »
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Posted By admin on July 29, 2013

USA Shooting: Kevin Neuendorf, 719-866-4605, kevin.neuendorf@usashooting.org

Category: Clubs & Teams, Events, Olympics & USA, Shotgun Sports | No Comments »
Tags: 2012 Olympics, competitive shooting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, kim rhode, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, london olympics, olympic recors, olympic shooting records, Olympics, plinking, rhode, shooting, shooting sports, skeet, trap, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on July 26, 2013

Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) Reports

on Record Attendance at its National Team Championships

Maumee, OH – The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) reported today that it had record breaking attendance at its National Team Championships. Over 2000 shooter athletes, which is an increase of over 30% from last year’s event, descended on the World Shooting & Recreational Complex (WSRC) in Sparta, IL the week of July 15-20 for the SCTP/SPP 2013 National Team Championships!

Shotgun shooters competed in either Skeet (600 participants), Sporting Clays (500 participants) or Trap (1600 participants) over the course of six days, many athletes competed in more than one discipline. Over 160 Teams from 26 different states were represented, setting a new attendance record for the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP).

The Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) conducted its first ever National Action Shooting Event in both Centerfire and Rimfire at the World Shooting & Recreational Complex at the same time. 200 pistol shooters, representing 25 Teams and 47 Squads total, competed in the four stage match, making it one of the largest Youth Action Pistol events ever held in the U.S.

"This was clearly our best Nationals ever," said SSSF President & Executive Director, Dan Hathaway. "Both our Clay Target and Pistol Programs are growing at a significant rate and our National Program Directors, Tom Wondrash from SCTP and Scott Moore from SPP along with our entire Staff have done an excellent job." Dan went on to say, "We are also deeply grateful for the support we receive from of all of our wonderful Industry Sponsors and we’d like to give a special thanks to our main benefactors, Larry and Brenda Potterfield of Midway USA who honored us again this year by attending our event and Opening Ceremonies."

All of the Team and Individual scores from the Clay Target (Skeet, Sporting Clays & Trap) National Team Championships can be viewed on the new SSSF website www.sssfonline.com.

All of the Individual and Team scores from the Pistol Program National Team Championships can be viewed at http://www.matchreg.com/SPP/spp.htm. 

Plans are already well underway for the 2014 SCTP/SPP National Team Championships which will be held again at the World Shooting & Recreational Complex in Sparta, IL July 14-19, 2014.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) across the United States, including participant registration, coaches, state coordinators, state and national championships, promotion, communications, websites, public relations and growth strategies The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation exists to raise funding and other resources for Youth Development Programs in the shooting sports industry.

SCTP and SPP are youth development programs, originally developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), where adult coaches and volunteers model sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, and teamwork while using shooting sports programs to teach these and other positive life skills to the athletes.

To learn more about SCTP or SPP call (419) 794-9924 or visit their website at www.sssfonline.com.   

Category: Action Pistol, Clubs & Teams, Events, Pistol / Revolver, Shotgun Sports | No Comments »
Tags: clays, competitive shooting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, pistol, plinking, scholastic clay target program, scholastic pistol program, sctp, shooting, shooting sports, shotgun, spp, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on July 22, 2013

Category: Airgun, Guns & Acc., High Power, precision shooting, Rifle | No Comments »
Tags: air pistol, air rifle, Airgun, civilian marksmanship program, cmp, competitive shooting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, plinking, shooting, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting sports

Posted By admin on May 24, 2013

By: Jack Stinger (14)

On the first Saturday of May for the last three years, I have had the privilege of attending a small camp designed to teach kids from the ages of 9 to 16 the basics of hunting and shooting. Based in Emmett, Idaho, Scooter’s Youth Hunting Camp celebrated its 12^th anniversary this year by sending another 250 kids through its multiple activities and stations. These stations teach campers how to shoot a shotgun, muzzleloader, compound bow, and .22LR rifle, as well as how to sharpen a knife, clean a gun, and survive in the woods. Scooter’s is a non-profit organization and has managed to put on this camp each year solely of off donations from generous companies and individuals. Each year, thousands of dollars worth of prizes are raffled off to the kids, all for free. How this camp has continued to go on has been a miracle in and of itself and a blessing from God.

Scooter truthfully admits that he works 364 days a year on preparing for the camp that lasts a total of one day. Volunteer meetings start in January and are held once a month and then twice in April. On the Friday before the camp, dozens of volunteers gather at the Gem County gun range in Emmett to set up for the following day. The amount of coordination it takes to put on this camp and the ability of Scooter to do this yearly is stunning. With two raffles (one for the guns and another for the general prizes; campers are entered into both), a silent auction, a donut stand, snacks, drinks, lunch, and four game calling seminars to set up, I am amazed at how quickly the volunteers get the range set.

By the time the kids arrive early on Saturday morning, all the plans have been put to action, and the camp passes the point of no return. The kids sign in and are given a color for their squad before being seated in front of a trailer converted into a stage. Then they are sent off to their first stations. Between station rotations, the kids return to the seating area for seminars on calling elk, ducks, geese, and turkeys. For lunch, burgers, finger steaks, and hot dogs are served fresh off a supersized cooker. After completing the rest of the stations, the raffle begins. This year a total of ten guns were raffled off in addition to three tables stacked with prizes varying from a mountain bike to a fishing pole with every camper receiving at least one prize.

As the day draws to an end, the campers leave the Gem County Rod and Gun Club with smiles on their faces and an unforgettable memory emblazoned in their minds. The volunteers pack all the chairs, tables, and guns, and Scooter starts thinking about the next year’s camp.

Category: Archery, Clubs & Teams, Events, Miscellaneous, Safety, Shotgun Sports | No Comments »
Tags: competitive shooting, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, Olympics, plinking, scooter's youth shooting camp, shooting, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting, youth shooting camp, youth shooting sports