Junior Shooters

Posted By admin on December 28, 2009

By: Andy Fink

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., announced the introduction of the Ruger^® SR-22^TM Rifle on September 15, 2009. This semi-auto rimfire rifle is a ton of fun! The rifle combines the legendary reliability of the Ruger^® 10/22^® with the ergonomics and configurability of the new AR-style Ruger SR-556™. The new SR-22 Rifle allows shooters to use economical .22 LR ammunition while still enjoying the look and feel of an “AR.”

Junior Shooters received a gun for review in early October and have taken it out a number of times and the three boys who tested it, ages 14 -17, had an absolute ball. We decided to mount an Aimpoint Micro H-1 red dot sight on the Picatinny rail. This provided excellent accuracy and very quick acquisition.

The Aimpoint Micro H-1 is a perfect match for the Ruger SR-22. It has a light weight of 84 grams, an integral Weaver-style base that is easy to install on the Picatinny rail, allows easy attachment, ACET technology providing 50,000 hours of operation on one battery, precision adjustment for windage and elevation, and the top of the protective caps fits into holes on adjustment screws. This means no searching the pockets for a nickel or a screwdriver! There are 13 settings for use in daylight and lowlight conditions.

The SR-22 is great for hunting, plinking, and shooting Steel Challenge. Our experiences shooting Steel Challenge were awesome! We used both the standard 10/22 rotary magazine that came with the rifle (we received an extra six magazines specifically for shooting Steel Challenge) and a Hot Lips high capacity magazine that was provided by Brownells. They both worked perfectly. We had a couple of misfires and no jams out of over 1,000 rounds shooting CCI and Winchester ammunition. However, the SR-22 did not like Lapua match ammo. We expect to use the SR-22 extensively in the future for both Steel Challenge and for practicing for 3-gun matches where we will use a regular AR-15 .223 in the actual match but an AR .22 LR for most of our practice. Even the adults thought the Ruger SR-22 was great!

Because it utilizes the unique rotary magazine supplied with the Ruger 10/22, the SR-22 Rifle offers the same gold standard for reliability in autoloading rimfire rifles. Like the 10/22, the AR-style SR-22 Rifle also has an extensive array of accessories available, allowing shooters to select a custom configuration that best suits their tastes and needs.

The SR-22 Rifle uses a standard 10/22 action inside a top-quality, all-aluminum chassis that faithfully replicates the AR-platform dimensions between the sighting plane, buttstock height, and grip. The SR-22 Rifle provides a Picatinny rail optic mount, and includes a six-position, telescoping M4-style buttstock (on a Mil-Spec diameter tube), plus a Hogue^® Monogrip^® pistol grip. Buttstocks and grips may be swapped out for any AR-style compatible option.

It features a round, mid-length handguard mounted on a standard-thread AR-style barrel nut. Picatinny rails, specifically designed for this handguard, are available from Ruger, allowing the handguard to be configured to accept any number of rail-mounted sights or accessories. A barrel support block is installed in the handguard, ensuring accuracy and allowing the standard 10/22 V-block barrel attachment system to be used.

The rifle is equipped with a precision-rifled, cold hammer forged alloy steel barrel. The 16-1/8” barrel is capped with an SR-556/Mini-14 flash suppressor mounted with a ½”-28 thread.

Check out the SR-22 Rifle and its accessories at www.ruger.com.

Copyright & Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. Dec 2009

Category: Guns & Acc., Plinking Fun, Rifle | No Comments »
Tags: .22, .22 rifles, Aimpoint, ar-15, ar-15 conversion, Brownells, cci, 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, rifles, rimfire rifles, Ruger, ruger sr-22, ruger's sr-22, ruger-s sr-22 -great for practice & lots of fun, shooting, shooting sports, sr-22, sr22, sturm ruger, usa shooting, Winchester Ammunition, youth shooting

Posted By admin on December 28, 2009

By: Caleb Cooper (14)
(See editor’s notes at bottom)
Photos are not of Caleb but of various juniors who write for Junior Shooters magazine.

Almost all gun owners support the right for all citizens to own firearms. Among this group of individuals most believe young people should be trained from an early age to shoot. In this community many encourage self defense, but almost none feel that young people should be trained, or allowed to use firearms to defend themselves. This idea is too radical and many see it as absurd.  Some may say that there are no threats to minors that warrant the use of deadly force; others say young people are not mature enough to responsibly use firearms.  Remarkably, all these things are also said of persons over the age of eighteen.

Many people have downplayed the serious threats to minors. All one has to do is watch the news to see the alarming rate of crime against young people, such as sexual assaults, kidnappings, and other acts of violence.   Criminals rarely observe an age limit. Many are outraged at child molestations, killings, etc, against people that are underage but no one stops to think “If that sixteen year old had a firearm they’d still be alive today.” (Many would not object if an individual carried a firearm and used it in any of the situations mentioned above if the victim had been a few years older.)

Another argument against young adults being approved to carry permits for concealed weapons is that adolescents are not mature enough. I am not suggesting that small children be given guns, but I am suggesting that anyone who owns a firearm should be responsible enough to use it. But if an individual can pass a concealed carry course, why should they be denied a permit?

One fact that stands as one of the most unjust restrictions in all governmental policy is thus:  from the age of 18 you can be drafted, liable for taxes, can be sued, and are legally considered an adult. In contrast, at this age you are unable to obtain a concealed carry permit, or even own, or purchase, a handgun. This age is considered an adult in almost every way but this. Even though an individual carries the burden of society and faces full responsibility in a court of law for their actions, they cannot legally defend themselves or their family until they are 21. I believe that the right to defend your self is a fundamental part of human nature. In short, the rights of human nature are deeply wounded by this infamous practice. Most gun owners give little thought to young people defending themselves.

I would be very surprised if many shared my views on the subject.  But the fact remains: young people are capable of self defense and are targets for criminals mainly because we are perceived as weak victims, but this is not their fault. They have the capacity to defend them selves responsibly. What have they done to forfeit the right?

Editor’s Note: The author presents some interesting questions that are quite controversial but are well worth contemplation. I disagree with part of the author’s first paragraph: “Among this group of individuals most believe young people should be trained from an early age to shoot. In this community many encourage self defense, but almost none feel that young people should be trained, or allowed to use firearms to defend themselves.” Many of the people I know in the shooting industry believe juniors should be trained and actually most shooting sports provide some amount of such training; some more than others such as action shooting disciplines.

However, the “right” of someone below the age of 21 to have a concealed carry permit is another matter. At what age should there be restrictions to gun ownership or gun carry. It seems to me that if an individual can be drafted and have the possibility of dying defending their country at the age of 18 they should also have the right to bear arms as a civilian, and thus be allowed a concealed carry permit if they pass all of the qualifications. Providing people younger than 18 the right to have concealed carry permits will take some further thought on my part. It is a very difficult subject. Even if there were enough people to vote to make it happen, I expect the reality of life today would mean it would only be approved with some restraint and additional qualifications.

Please feel free to email me, Andy Fink, your opinions at publisher@juniorshooters.net

Copyright & Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. Dec 2009

Category: gun laws, Miscellaneous | 9 Comments »
Tags: 2nd amendment, carrying concealed, concealed carry, concealed carry for young adults, gun laws, gun owners, gun rights, 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, shooting, shooting sports, the right to bear arms, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on December 6, 2009

By: Andy Fink

Some of the best ideas for shooting gifts for Christmas come out of holiday catalogs. It is not too late to check out catalogs from three of the best: Brownells, Competitive Edge Dynamics, and MidwayUSA. Each of the thee has a large list of shooting related products that are perfect for Christmas gifts or birthdays. The prices will meet anyone’s budget as they range from items as low as $3.00 on up.  You should check them all out. Each of these companies are sponsors or advertisers in Junior Shooters, so not only do they have great gifts for the holidays but we appreciate you supporting these companies that support us and take an interest in youth shooting.

Brownells: We have been working with Brownells for a long time. They have just about every type of gun part you might need and an extensive list of shooting and gunsmithing accessories. In fact, it would be a rare item I could think of that they wouldn’t have. Check them out at www.brownells.com.

Competitive Edge Dynamics: Known mostly for their shooting electronic products such as timers & chronographs, this company has really expanded its products. They now have a variety of shooting accessories such as shooting mats, range bags, IPSC targets, hearing protection, spotting scopes, red dot scopes and a variety of products associated with the competitive shooting sports. Please check them out at www.CEDhk.com.

Midway USA: Midway is another company with a host of great products. Their new Gunsmithing Catalog #32G has just about every item you might want to modify, enhance performance and maintain your firearm. You should also get on the mailing list for their monthly catalog which has a variety of shooting products on sale. I read this catalog from cover to cover as soon as it comes in and always see something I want. Check them out at www.midwayusa.com.

Copyright & Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. Dec 2009

Category: Guns & Acc. | No Comments »
Tags: Aimpoint, ammo pouches, ammunition, barrels, bolts, bore light, brass, Brownells, bullets, c-more, caliber conversions, calibers, carriers, CDE 7000, CED, CED 8000, chokes, chronograph, cleaning accessories, cleaning kit, compensators, competition holsters, competition sights, Competitive Edge Dynamics, competitive shooting, countdown timer, dvds, ear protection, electronic hearing protection, field gear, flash hiders, flashlights, gas blocks, gas tubes, gun accessories, gun cases, gun lasers, gun lights, gun mounts, gun parts, gun stocks, gunsmithing, gunsmithing tools, handguards, hearing protection, holsters, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, lowers, mag pouches, magazine accessories, magazine loader, magazine pouches, magazines, magwell, micro dots, midway, mounts, multi-tool, Olympics, optic mounts, optics, pistol bags, pistol grips, plinking, range bags, range gear, receivers, recoil buffers, red dots, reloading presses, reloading tools, scales, scopes, screwdrivers, shooters vest, shooting, shooting accessories, shooting bags, shooting belts, shooting brass, shooting glasses, shooting mats, shooting pole, shooting rest, shooting sports, shooting stick, shooting timers, shooting vests, shooting videos, shot timer, sights, sling adapters, slings, spotting scopes, springs, tactical flashlight, tactical sights, tape gun, targets, timers, triggers, upper receiver assembly, uppers, usa shooting, utility knife, walking pole, youth shooting

Posted By admin on November 29, 2009

By: Andy Fink

A nice shooting accessory to have around the shop is a trigger pull gauge. Having an accurate gauge that is easy to use allows you to measure your trigger pull so that it can be adjusted to a specific setting. The best trigger pull for a specific gun may vary for each user, the type of firearm your are using, and the shooting sport you are participating in.

Lyman’s advertises their Electronic Digital Trigger Pull Gauge as the “fastest, most accurate, most advanced trigger weight gauge.” I tend to agree with them as the one we tested worked very well. It was quick and very accurate

State of the art strain gauge technology allows for accuracy to 1/10 ounce over a working range of 0 to 12 pounds. The Digital Trigger Pull Gauge is equipped with a large, easy to read LCD display and is push button operated for zero, clear and averaging functions. It can also can be converted to read in kilograms. Unlike other gauges, there are no weights or sliding pointers to worry about. Simply place the gauge on the trigger and pull! Lyman’s Digital Trigger Pull Gauge accurately records the results. You can also take multiple readings and the Digital Trigger Pull Gauge will tell you the average weight for the string. This is the perfect tool for target shooters, silhouette shooters, gunsmiths, hunters or anyone who wants to adjust their trigger pull weights accurately and easily.

Check it out at www.lymanproducts.com or go to Midway USA.

Copyrite & Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. Nov 2009

Category: Guns & Acc. | No Comments »
Tags: adjusting trigger, gauge, guns, gunsmithing, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, lyman, lyman products, measure trigger pull, measuring trigger pill, midway usa, Midwayusa, Olympics, pistol, pitsols, Rifle, rifles, shooting, shooting accessories, shooting products, shooting sports, shotgun, shotguns, trigger adjustment, trigger pull, trigger pull gauge, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on November 21, 2009

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) just came out with two new announcements important to juniors and their families.

The U. S. Army Junior Open Air Rifle Championship is now taking entries for the 2009-2010 State Championship postal competition. This Championship is sponsored by the Army Marksmanship Unit and is open to all junior shooting organiza­tions that have school-age juniors as mem­bers or enrollees (high school seniors or be­low). Participation by as many junior teams, clubs, 4-H clubs, JROTC units or other organi­zations around the country is encouraged.

New CMP JROTC Scholarship Program.  The CMP Board of Directors recently expanded and modified the CMP Scholarship Program to give additional opportunities for JROTC cadets to earn scholarships to aid them with their post-secondary educations.  The traditional CMP ROTC Scholarship Program has awarded up to 100 one-thousand dollar scholarships to students who excel in rifle marksmanship and enroll in ROTC in college.  The total number of one-thousand dollar scholarships to be awarded by the CMP for the 2010-2011 academic year will be in­creased to 150, with 75 allocated for the traditional ROTC college pro­gram and 75 allocated specifically for JROTC cadets who qualify with their teams or as at-large individuals to participate in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force Service Championships that are scheduled to take place at Camp Perry, Ohio in February 2010.  This will give added incen­tive to JROTC units and cadets to participate in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force Postal that must be entered before 20 November 2009 and fired by 4 December 2009.  Unlike the ROTC scholarships, the 75 new JROTC scholarships can be used to pay educational expenses for any accredited post-secondary program.  Additional information, official regulations and application forms will be available in the next few weeks.

Check out CMP Articles and more at http://www.odcmp.org/1109/default.asp

Category: Airgun, Associations, Clubs & Teams, Events, precision shooting, Rifle | 1 Comment »
Tags: 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, scholarships, shooting, shooting scholarships, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on November 20, 2009

By: Andy Fink

Daisy Announces its 45^th Annual International BB Gun Championship Match July, 2010 to be hosted by the City of Rogers, Arkansas. This is a location change so make sure you plan appropriately.

“Rogers is the home of Daisy – and has been for over 50 years.  It makes sense to bring this nationally-recognized event home to Rogers”, stated Daisy President & CEO Ray Hobbs.  “Until recently, there just hasn’t been a facility which could accommodate this match.  The citizens of Rogers, the Mayor and the Rogers Public School system have all recently invested in some tremendous facilities at two state-of-the-art high schools.  The field house, gymnasium and commons area at Rogers High School certainly meet our needs for hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, meetings and the matches themselves.” 

Daisy’s International BB Gun Championship Match (IBBGCM), the nation’s premier 5-meter BB gun match competition will be conducted in 2010 in Rogers, Arkansas, home of Daisy Outdoor Products since 1958. 

The Daisy IBBGCM will be celebrating its 45^th anniversary in 2010, the match has been held in several locations around the country, but never in the company’s hometown of Rogers.  For 16 of those 45 years, including the past 6 years, the match has been held during the July 4^th weekend at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

“We’re grateful to the Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mayor Womack, the Rogers Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and the Rogers Public Schools for making it possible for us to bring this significant match to Daisy’s hometown,” added Hobbs.

The Daisy IBBGCM attracts forty to fifty 5-meter teams, each of which has trained in shooting safety and marksmanship skills and become eligible to attend the IBBGCM by qualifying in their respective state matches.  In 2009 43 teams of young athletes, shooting the Daisy Model 499 BB gun at 5 meters in four positions (standing, sitting, kneeling and prone), competed for this prestigious national title. 

Daisy provides a $1000 grant to each qualified team attending the IBBGCM.  Team coaches use the grant money for equipment as well as travel expenses.

The IBBGCM not only attracts participant athletes, but coaches, parents and siblings, many of whom make a vacation out of attending the match.  Additionally, Daisy hosts a 10-meter, 3-position pellet rifle match in conjunction with the IBBGCM, attracting athletes up to 18 years of age.

Hobbs went on to comment about the excellent relationship the company has had with Western Kentucky University and the City of Bowling Green.  “For years Western Kentucky University has been a great place to conduct our match”, stated Hobbs, “and the city of Bowling Green has been very cooperative and supportive.”

Check Out These Articles

• My Journey to the Daisy International BB Gun Championship 2008 located at: https://www.juniorshooters.net/2009/01/30/my-journey-to-the-daisy-2008-ibbgcm-daisy-international-bb-gun-championship/
• Daisy’s International BB Gun Championship 2008 (Volume 4) at: https://www.juniorshooters.net/Documents/Articles/Daisy_Int_BB_Champ_08.pdf
• Daisy’s International BB Gun Championship (volume 6 Winter 2009 Print) under ARTICLES

Contact Information:

• Susan Johnston, Public Relations Manager: (479) 636-1200 sjohnston@daisy.com
• Daisy: www.daisy.com
• Daisy’s Internal BB Gun Championship Match (IBBGCM): www.daisy.com/ibbgcm/

Copyright & Published By: Junior Shooters and Junior Sports Magazines Inc. November 2009

Category: Airgun, Events, Rifle | 4 Comments »
Tags: BB gun, Daisy, daisy's ibbgcm, dasiy's international bb gun championship, ibbgcm, international bb gun chapionships, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, nra, Olympics, precision shooting, shooting, shooting clubs, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on November 20, 2009

By: Andy Fink

You can now check out the official NRA rule books for all of the NRA shooting sports on line. Just got to: http://www.nrahq.org/compete/nra-rule-books.asp

This lets new shooters and their families check out rules and know what equipment is needed to get involved in all different shooting sports.

There are rule books for each of these sports:

NRA Official Rule Books

Action Pistol
Muzzle Loading
BB Gun
Police Pistol Combat
Black Powder Target Rifle
Precision Air Rifle Position
Conventional Pistol
Silhouette Pistol
High Power Rifle
Silhouette Rifle
High Power Sporting Rifle
Smallbore Rifle
International Pistol (Includes Air Pistol)
Sporter Air Rifle Position
International Rifle (Includes Air Rifle)
NRA International Fullbore Rifle Prone

Copyright & Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. November 2009

Category: Action Pistol, Airgun, Clubs & Teams, Events, High Power, Pistol / Revolver, precision shooting, Rifle, Shotgun Sports, Smallbore | No Comments »
Tags: Action Pistol, air gun, air rifle, Airgun, BB gun, black powder, black powder target rifle, conventional pistol, Daisy, daisy bb gun, high power rifle, high power sporting rifle, ibbgcm, international bb gun, international bb gun championship, international bb gun championship match, international pistol, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, muzzle loading, nra, nra bb gun, nra rule books, Olympics, pistol, police pistol combat, precision air rifle position, revolver, Rifle, rule books, shooting, shooting information, shooting sports, shotgun, silhouette pistol, silhouette rifle, small bore rifle, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on November 6, 2009

By Michael Molinaro
USAMU PAO
Photos By: Michael Molinaro

FORT BENNING, Ga.- After spending all day in school, learning about math and social studies, most children can’t wait to get home and start playing with their friends. Two days a week, however, some kids from the area descend on Fort Benning to continue their education from the best in the business with an eye to towards their future. (FORT BENNING, Ga.–Staff Sgt. Armando Ayala, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, shows the proper positioning to Breanna Kasl, a member of the Fort Benning Junior Rifle Club, at Pool Indoor Range. Kasl hopes to attend the West Point Academy after high school and compete on its shooting team.)

The Fort Benning Junior Rifle club, started in the 1970s, was formed to help junior shooters raise their level in competitive shooting and assist them in getting recognized by college coaches. It is organized and run by members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s International Rifle team, whose roster includes Olympians and national champions.

(FORT BENNING, Ga.–Spc. David Sprecher, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, monitors a group of young boys as they participate in training at the Fort Benning Junior Rifle Club Oct. 1 at Pool Indoor Range.)

"The kids are extremely motivated," said Staff Sgt. Armando Ayala, the club’s head coach. "These shooters are exposed to the USAMU work ethic and our accomplishments, and it really motivates them."

There are 52 kids in the club this year, Ayala said, which is almost double the number of shooters from last year. There are two training sessions a week during the school year with a break during the winter holidays. Besides Ayala, who attends every training session, two of his teammates rotate from week-to-week, allowing the students a chance to work with the entire IR team.

(FORT BENNING, Ga.–Staff Sgt. Armando Ayala, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, gives instructions to members of the Fort Benning Junior Rifle Club at Pool Indoor Range. Ayala and his teammates run the program, providing instruction and guidance that the juniors carry with them into the future.)

We teach shooters from beginners all the way to advance levels," he remarked. "We essentially take them from never shooting to the U.S. National junior team-level."

The biggest reward for the juniors is that they have been able to take the skills and lessons learned as members of the club and translate that into success geared toward their futures, Ayala remarked.

The West Point Academy has tapped into the program and recruited future officers through the academy’s shooting team, and many former and future members made the military their career choice after being tutored within the military environment.

Coaches from Columbus State, University of Kentucky, Memphis University, Texas Christian University, Nebraska and others have scouted the club’s members and brought scholarship offers with them.

"This is a ton of fun," said Mackenzy Crawford, 14, of Columbus.

"I started shooting when I was six and wanted to join the school’s rifle team, so I needed to get practice and coaching here."

(FORT BENNING, Ga.–Spc. David Sprecher, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, answers questions from Mackenzy Crawford (right), 14, Columbus, Ga. as Glenn Fausti (left), 13, Columbus, fires his rifle at Pool Indoor Range. The two youngsters are among 52 kids who make up the Fort Benning Junior Rifle Club, instructed by members of the USAMU International Rifle team.)

Crawford said he has improved tremendously in a short amount of time. He has gotten a lot more comfortable in his stance and has learned how to sight his target more properly. This is his first year in the club.

The club members compete in a number of matches year-round. The biggest matches are sanctioned by USA Shooting, including the national championships and spring and fall selection matches for juniors. They also travel to Camp Perry, Ohio each summer to compete in the Smallbore National Championships and compete in regional postal and invitational matches

"To see our juniors develop into motivated young citizens and accomplish great things is very rewarding," Ayala said. "I know what they learn here they carry into all aspects of their lives because the examples set for them affect their lives. What we do here really inspires and motivates young people."

USAMU: www.usamu.com

Category: Action Pistol, Events, Pistol / Revolver, Rifle | No Comments »
Tags: army marksmanship unit, 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, USAMU, USAMU/MGM Junior Camp, USPSA, youth shooting

Posted By admin on October 12, 2009

By: Cathy Williams
Photos courtesy SCTP
Edited By: Andy Fink

Sparta, Illinois (July 30, 2009) – Youth shooting teams from 24 states captured medals and nationals honors at the 2009 Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) National Championships held at the World Shooting and Recreation Complex in Sparta, Illinois on July 23 – 26, 2009. With the support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) and other major sponsors including Beretta, Browning, Remington and White Flyer, over 1,500 shooters competed in trap, skeet and sporting clays events throughout the weekend.

“We are happy to report that the 2009 SCTP National Championships had the atmosphere and excitement of an Olympic competition and was without a doubt the most successful youth shooting championships held to date. The quality of shooting, added to the quality of the character and perseverance of the shooters at all levels, leaves little doubt that the SCTP is a program that will continue to grow in the years to come,” says Dr. Bill Christy, Executive Director of SSSF, “and we could not have done it without our sponsors, parents, coaches and volunteers that helped organize the National Championships.” Added Christy, “of course all of these combined with a first class shooting complex allowed for the most exciting SCTP Championship ever.”

Browning Day kicked-off the weekend’s festivities which included the Opening Ceremony, an exhibition shoot by Winchester’s Patrick Flanagan and the awarding of the Sporting Clays National Awards. The day’s events also included the Ruger Rimfire Challenge and the Kaskaskia Single Action competitions. These events continued throughout the weekend.

Saturday was slated as Beretta Day which began the trap and skeet competitions, along with the annual Beretta cookout and concluded with a shooting exhibition by Beretta’s shooter Scott Robertson and the Last Competitor Standing competition. Over 225 shooters competed in this hour long event which was won by Travis Wagner of Virginia with Jon Ebbers of Wisconsin as the runner-up.

The National Championships concluded on Sunday with Remington Day and included the final competitions in trap and skeet, along with the closing ceremonies and the award presentations in trap, skeet and high all-around. Award presenters included representatives from Winchester, Remington, White Flyer and Olympic Gold Medal winner Kim Rhode.

The ultimate goal of SCTP is to instill in young participants a commitment to safe firearm handling, teamwork and leadership. This was certainly evident throughout the entire weekend with each and every participant.

In terms of sheer numbers of participants, the eight-year-old SCTP is one of the most successful youth-oriented program ever established. Nearly 30,000 middle and high school students have participated in the program, which includes trap, skeet, sporting clays, Olympic Trap, and ISSF Skeet competitions.

The SSSF is responsible for all aspects of SCTP, including participant registration, coaches, state coordinators, state and national championships, promotion, communications, websites, public relations and growth strategies. To learn more about how your company can become a SSSF donor and to learn more about the SCTP, visit the newly launched website at www.sssfonline.org.

Category: Associations, Clubs & Teams, Events, Shotgun Sports | No Comments »
Tags: jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, NSSF, Olympics, sctp, sctp nationals, sctp nationals 2009, shooting, shooting sporting clays, shooting sports, shooting trap, shotgun, shotgun shooting, skeet shooting skeet, sporting clays, trap, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on October 9, 2009

Need ammo using new brass? Are your orders backordered and six or 12 months out? Well, Sheep Dog Ammo has new .223 manufactured ammunition available and it is good stuff. Junior Shooters has used a bunch of it. Sub-minute groups have been achieved and it runs flawlessly through our ARs. They have frangible, FMJ, Hollow Point, HP Boat Tail, and Soft Point (SP) in a variety of weights from 55 grains on up.

Check them out at www.sheepdogammo.com

Category: Guns & Acc. | No Comments »
Tags: .223, 223 ammo, 223 ammunition, 40S&W, 45acp, 9mm, ammo, ammunition, ar-15, 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, M&P15, M&P15T, Olympics, plinking, sheep dog, Sheep Dog Ammo, shooting, shooting sports, usa shooting, youth shooting

Posted By admin on September 24, 2009

By Travis Gibson

If you have ever mounted a scope on a rifle, you know there is a huge difference between a set of cheapo scope rings and a quality mount set up.  Warne Scope Mounts has some of the best engineered, most heavy duty mounts I have ever seen.
                                    (Shown mounted on a S&W M&P15 tactical with a Leupold
                                           scope, Trijicon red dot & MGM Switchview) 
Warne puts a lot of thought into their products and it really shows!  Instead of the usual two or four screw mounts, on their tactical models, these guys put in EIGHT…PER RING!  Like I said, they are really heavy duty.  The mounts are Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machined from sintered steel, which provides you with a heavy duty, durable product that you will be able to give to your kids.

Warne followed that same train of thought with their new red dot offset mounting system.  This system allows you to mount a medium to long range scope on your gun along with a removable section of a picatinny rail on either side to mount a close range reflex site system such as a JP, Trijicon, or Burris Fast Fire.  This enables you to slightly roll the gun to the left (for right handed shooters) and look through the reflex site to engage closer targets.

This isn’t a new idea.  Probably five or six years ago competition shooters started mounting these all over their guns which significantly increased the speed with which they were able to engage close targets.  I have tried quite a few of these systems and the Warne mounting system is by far the fastest I have ever used.  Every time you roll the gun over, the dot is always right on target.  I put this on three different AR’s with three different types of stocks, and they all worked like a charm.

My son Wyatt, 11, used it recently in his first three gun match and he said, "I thought this mount was really cool because it had the red dot on it and you could switch to shooting close targets really easy.  It was not hard to get used to at all; it was really easy to adjust to."

RAMP, the Rapid Acquisition Multisight Platform, is the name for the new mount from Warne. The scope mount that Junior Shooters received for testing came with a Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex (RMR) red dot scope which has a minimal footprint and a red dot system that automatically adjusts the brightness for the lighting conditions. It also came with a Leupold Mid Range Tactical (MR/T) 1.5 X 5 scope with yardage markings. This combination of a fantastic new scope mount with these two sights, each of which are outstanding on their own, combined with the MGM Switchview I installed for fast magnification adjustment would be hard to beat. What a combo!

One of the things we did when testing the RAMP mount from Warne is to shoot five rounds using the Leupold scope then rolled the gun to the left and fired five rounds through the Trijicon RMR red dot. It took only 0.73 seconds to transition from the regular scope to the red dot – that is fast! The time was measured from the five shot using the Leupold scope to the first shot using the Trijicon red dot.

These scope mounts are still in the testing phase, but should be out in January 2010 in both 1-inch and 30-mm rings. The Manufactured Recommended Retail Price (MSRP) is probably going to be about $219.  Whether you need a mount for your long range bolt gun, your 10/22, or your competition AR, Warne Scope Mounts are the guys to call.  They have a great product at a reasonable price. 

If that isn’t enough reason for you, next time you go to a shooting competition, look through the sponsor list, you can almost bet you’ll find Warne as a sponsor.  I can’t remember the last major match I went to these guys didn’t support.  Remember to take care of the companies that support the shooting sports which directly relates to the support of the 2nd amendment!

Oh, the Switchview from MGM is a lever that enables you to easily and quickly change the magnification of your scope.  These are great for 3-gun rifles, and they are a great tool for long range rifles as well.  Being able to look for a target, and then zoom in on it, in less than two seconds, without taking your head off the gun is a huge advantage. These are currently available for Leupold CQT, Leupold Mark IV w/Illuminated reticule, Burris, Millet, for the VXIII, and Night Force by the end September. They retail for $59.95 and are available in an assortment of colors.

Contact Information:

Warne Scope Mounts: www.warnescopemounts.com
MGM Targets: www.mgmtargets.com
Leupold: www.leupold.com
                                                Trijicon: www.tirjicon.com

Copyright and Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. September 2009

Category: Guns & Acc., Modern 3 Gun, Product Reviews | 3 Comments »
Tags: 3 gun, jr shooter, jr shooters, junior, junior camps, junior shooter, junior shooters, junior shooting camps, junior writers, juniors, kids, learn to shoot, learning to shoot, leupold, Olympics, rifle scopes, scope mounts, scopes, shooting, shooting sports, tactial scope mounts, tactical scopes, three gun, travis gibson, trijicon, usa shooting, warne, Warne Scope Mounts, youth shooting

Posted By admin on September 24, 2009

By: Terry Bowers

The Beretta Neos U-22 .22 caliber pistol has something for everyone. Beretta’s design challenges the imagination with its space age looks but is it the correct pistol for you? We tested the Neos in several general categories: hunting, plinking and target shooting. The last category was broken into gallery and action shooting. (A Bushnell pistol scope was mounted and used for squirrels)

Beretta provided Junior Shooters with two different models of the U22 Neos .22 semi-auto. One has a 4.5-inch barrel and has a black matt finish and the other has a 6-inch barrel stainless steel barrel and action with the matt finish applied to the rest of the gun. 
     (Both guns shown with Winchester, CCI, & Lapua .22 LR)         

Each pistol has a picatinny rail mounted on the top that comes with an integral rear and front sight. The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation and has standard “U” shape outlined in white making the black front sight easy to pick up. The picatinny rail runs just about the whole length of the frame and barrel. The pistols come in a hard, black, pistol case; each has two magazines, and they come with a safety lock.

(Shown with orange chamber safety indicator that comes with the gun and Lapua .22 LR)

The grip is angled at 60-degrees, is fairly thin, and very comfortable. Both models come with ambidextrous safeties which are really nice as we had both right and left-handed juniors shooting them. Each came with a plastic, orange, chamber safety indicator insert which can be placed in the chamber indicating that the chamber is empty. This is really nice to have when working with juniors.

(The rear of the frame also has a cocking indicator – Left is cocked & right uncocked)

As a junior’s coach, one of my goals is to create an environment where young shooters are challenged, but are also enjoying themselves. This can present a problem when it comes to pistol shooting. Start a new shooter with a large caliber or in a threatening competitive situation and you will lose their interest.
(Sarah Bowers at the indoor range)

Many of the more common action pistol events are dominated by larger framed semi-autos in various center fire calibers, by rim fire pistols made for hunting, or gallery (indoor) shooting. All are good for what they are intended for. So where does the Neos fit?

         (Hannah Bowers at the indoor range in Payette, Idaho testing out the Neos)

Well let me tell you we used it for all of the above. Our first test was indoors at fifty feet shooting both off-hand and from a bench using the adjustable iron sights which is part of the Weaver integrated rail on the barrel.

I found that all of the juniors I gave this pistol to did very well. Our groups were very good and the Neos digested all sorts of ammo which included Federal CCI, Lapua, Remington and Winchester.             (Nick at Emmett shooting steel)

(five shots in the X ring at 50-ft.)  
A five shot group was kept inside the black at 50-ft. The more we tested, the better we liked this gun.

Next we added a Bushnell Elite pistol scope in anticipation of ground squirrel hunting. I found this to be a challenge        for me but the pistol worked great. Ground squirrel characteristic movement made it difficult to follow in the narrow field of view but once they were in view it was a dead on shot.

 
(Hannah Bowers testing the Neos)   Of course this narrow field of view wasn’t a problem using the iron sights. The gun is easily broken down into two sections by pushing in on the barrel screw lock just in front of the trigger guard and rolling the wheel lock that holds the barrel in place.

When the Steel Challenge match season came around and I had the opportunity to try the Neos in action type shooting, I was very pleased with the results. The versatility of this pistol in the hands of young shooters and adults really impressed me. On one occasion my daughter Hannah, 12 at the time, shot the Neos starting from the low ready position and consistently shot less that six second runs and that was only her second time shooting steel. She, said, “The Neos is a cool pistol. It is very easy to sight in and has a comfortable grip. My pistol is black but some Neos’ come with stainless steel barrels. The fun thing about shooting the Neos is the user friendly design. I would recommend this pistol to anyone who likes the shooting sports.”

(Cody shooting Steel Challenge at Emmett, Idaho with the Beretta Neos)

All of the testing we have done makes me conclude that the Beretta Neos is a great all around pistol for target shooting, plinking, action shooting, hunting, or around the camp. As a first gun, or an addition to your collection, I think Beretta has a winner.

                                 (The Beretta Neos breaks down easily into two parts for cleaning)

Contact Information:

• Beretta: www.beretta.com
• Federal CCI: www.federalpremium.com
• Bushnell: www.bushnell.com
• Lapua: www.kaltronoutdoors.com
• Winchester: www.winchester.com

Copyright & Published by Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. Sep 2009

Category: Action Pistol, Guns & Acc., Pistol / Revolver, Product Reviews | 4 Comments »
Tags: .22, .22 handgun, .22 handguns, .22 semi-auto, beretta, beretta neos, gallery 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, neos, Olympics, plinking, semi-auto, shooting, shooting sports, steel challenge, terry bowers, usa shooting, youth shooting