National Shooting Sports Month!
August is National Shooting Sports Month. Why is that a big deal?
Well, for most American’s summer is precious time. It’s time to bond with our children, relax and connect. Time to just get a breather from the rushed pace that life often takes on. But the end of summer also marks the time that many shooting sports are in full swing, or ramping up!
Growing up, one of the ways my family enjoyed down-time of summer was with shooting. My family did a lot of BB guns and soda can plinking at barbeques and birthday parties in the summer. As my boys have grown, we have always tried to sneak in a few summer afternoons shooting clays, or showing new guns to family and letting them try them out.
Nowadays during the month of August, our competition season is in full swing. We don’t necessarily have a relaxed pace, but we do enjoy some fun shooting. Whether it’s building a new rifle and getting it zeroed, or just spending time with our favorite pistol, the end of summer has always held some precious time to enjoy shooting with friends and sharing what we love about the shooting sports.
If you want to learn about ways to find events that people of all ages can participate in, go to NSSF.org or Practiscore.com and enter your zip code to find places to shoot. For info about events your kids can get involved in, be sure to check out Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation. They have opportunities in competition for youth, from elementary grades through college, in-action shooting and shotgun sports!
For our readers who didn’t grow up involved in shooting sports, you need to know that Americans have SO MANY choices! There are casual leagues and club shoots, to organizations like the ones listed above, to national and international events coordinated through the NRA, USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association), IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation) and others. From rifles to pistol to shotguns and even air guns, you can find an event that fits your abilities and needs. And you’ll make great friends in the process. Maybe it’s even paintball...but no matter the shooting sport, get involved and share an American pastime!
Here’s a few ideas of ways to bring your family and friends to the range: Head to your local trap league. Watch a shoot-off. Tag along with your dad/mom to the range. Take your kids to watch a match. Pull out BB guns and soda cans. Ask grandpa to tell you stories of hunting and shooting back in his younger days, and #LETSGOSHOOTING!
