Shotgunners wanting to improve their skeet shooting skills and gain an introduction to the Olympic low gun mount should reserve a spot in the 2014 Fall 2-day Intermediate Skeet Instructional Camp, October 25-26. The Colorado Bears Junior Shotgun Team will be hosting the camp at the Olympic Shooting Park in Colorado Springs. Mike Gutirrez and Lloyd Woodhouse will be the instructors. Make your reservations soon, as participation is limited to 15 participants. The camp is designed for intermediate through advanced participants wishing to improve their shotgun skills with an emphasis on skeet, with an introduction to the Olympic low gun mount. Participants should be physically capable of handling their shotguns safely and shooting 100 to 200 targets a day without fatigue or discomfort. Click here for full details and registration information.
SPP will host a Northeast Fall Regional match at Camp Hinds Boy Scout Camp in Raymond, Maine on Saturday, October 4. Sponsored by Smith & Wesson, the match is open to all Junior, Senior, and Collegiate SPP teams. Match fee is $20 per shooter. Both Centerfire and Rimfire (JV) Divisions will receive awards, and endowment funds will be available. We will be offering the teams the opportunity to place an ammo order for the match. The ammo pre-order deadline is September 25. Loaner guns will be available for those who will need to borrow guns on the day of the match. Camping will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for anyone who would like to arrive on Friday or stay over on Saturday. Tent camping (must provide own tents), 4-person cabins, and multi-bunk bunk rooms are available. Cabins and bunk rooms have cots and field mattresses. Camping reservations must be made in advance by calling Tammy at 207-797-5252 ext. 10 or emailing tachapma@scouting.org.
Plans are coming together for the SCTP College Regional Spooktacular Tournament on October 31 – November 2 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois. The tournament is open to any college registered with SCTP and will offer 400 targets. On Friday, teams can shoot a 100-target sporting clays course ($55) and 50 5-stand targets ($25). Shooters can enter a Last Competitor Standing event ($5) for a chance to win a shotgun. We're also planning a Halloween costume competition for Friday. Saturday's events will include 100 skeet targets ($50), 50 wobble trap targets ($25), and a second day of 5-Stand. An early dinner at the Main Events Building will also be included. On Sunday, teams will shoot 100 trap targets ($50) before awards at noon. All events, including the early dinner on Saturday, will be $225 per person. We expect to offer two divisions: Class AA for larger or more established teams and Class A for newer or smaller teams. Over $80,000 in endowment money will be available at this tournament, including $1000 in attendance endowment funding for each team. Online registration will open September 15.
Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation made contributions of over $1 million this week to the MidwayUSA Foundation, Inc. accounts of 182 SCTP and SPP teams from 36 different states. The teams earned the endowment funds at recent national, regional, and state events. This week's total donation was $1,045,125. SCTP team accounts received $905,000 of that, which includes team earnings at the National Team Championships, regional events, and state shoots during the second and third quarters of 2014. SPP teams received $133,100, which included earnings from its National Junior/Senior Championships and recent state matches. “Through our broad membership base, we are fortunate to be able to support so many teams across the country," commented Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director. "These donations will help provide a perpetual funding source for local Scholastic Clay Target and Scholastic Pistol Programs. The funding we provide to team endowment accounts is another way for us to thank all of the teams, coaches, and athletes for their participation and excellent performance in SCTP and SPP events!” In addition, $7,025 was donated via internally generated endowment money through SSSF and SCTP fundraisers. These funds will be matched by Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA. “By providing teams with fundraising tools at the local level, we are able to help contribute to team endowment accounts. At the same time, teams have the ability to raise operating money and awareness about their programs in the local community. The SSSF looks forward to providing more of these opportunities in the future to our SCTP and SPP member teams,” said Berka. The donations bring SSSF's contributions to $1,461,175 to date in 2014. SSSF expects its annual contributions to total more than $1.7 million by the end of 2014. SCTP and SPP teams are awarded endowment funds through participation in sanctioned shoots. SSSF contributes the funding to the MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Account Program on behalf of the teams. The purpose of the endowment program is to provide sustained financial support for youth shooting teams. Teams with an endowment account are able to draw a grant each year to use for team expenses.
Congratulations to Tim Adams, winner of last week's Range Time quiz drawing! Tim correctly answered the quiz question and was drawn as the winner of a Hot and Cold Pack with SCTP logo. Last week's question and possible answers:The first inanimate targets used for shotgun shooting games were made of what material?
Dirt
Clay
Paper
Glass
Wood
The correct answer is Glass. It seemed very obvious to many of you that the answer was Clay, but the currently-used material came along much later. Previously, glass balls were used. If you're ever at SSSF headquarters at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas, stop by the NSSA-NSCA Museum and Hall of Fame, where you can see displays of beautiful and colorful glass balls. Watch next week’s Range Time newsletter for another quiz question and your chance to win a prize.
SSSF announces the hiring of two new Regional Field Representatives (RFRs) to serve the Scholastic Pistol Program. David Kirk, who currently coordinates the SPP at the Tallahassee Rifle and Pistol Club, was instrumental in establishing the Scholastic Pistol Program in Florida. He is a consultant with the award-winning Leon County Sheriff's Explorer Pistol Team, and with assistance from the Leon County Sheriff's Explorer Post, he is organizing the Florida Law Enforcement Explorer Shooting League. As a competitive pistol shooter, he has competed in Steel Challenge, GLOCK Shooting Sports Foundation (GSSF) Match, and USPSA. He is Match Director for GSSF Pistol Match and Steel Challenge. Bill Perkins has worked with the NRA Foundation as a Committee Chairman for seven years and as Arizona State Chairman for three years, where he contributed to the fundraising campaign and awarding of grants to many worthy shooting programs in Arizona. He is currently a Range Supervisor with the NRA where he is responsible for assisting shooting ranges throughout the U.S. Bill was introduced to the shooting sports through the Boy Scouts, where he earned the Rifle & Shotgun merit badge. He earned his first NRA Instructor rating in 1991 and became a Training Counselor in 2005. Bill spent 10 years working as the Camp Director for the NRA Whittington Center Youth Adventure Camp, which teaches the fundamentals of rifle, pistol, shotgun, and muzzleloader shooting to 112 campers each summer. He currently has an NRA/USA Shooting Level 3 Pistol Coach certification and is a member of the National Coach Development Staff. He is the Head Coach of a Scholastic Pistol Team in Arizona and he continues to participate as a competitive shooter in many shooting sports, as well as hunting. The two new Regional Field Reps will provide grassroots team and program development and support in their respective regions by interacting with existing and prospective SPP state advisors, coaches, and adult volunteers. They will assist in setting up new teams and growing teams already in the program.
We want to know what you think. With our 2014 SCTP and SPP National Championships recently behind us, we want to know how we did. Did we meet your expectations or leave you wishing for more? Were our new features hits or misses? We're already planning next year's Nationals, and you can help us make the events even better by giving us some input.
Didn't go to our Nationals events? We still want to hear from you! There are questions for shooters, parents, coaches, and everyone else who has reason to read this page. We've designed the questions so you can simply click to give your response, but if you have more to say, there are opportunities for you to get it all off your chest. To thank you for your input, we'll be drawing for eight (8) prize packages that will be won by respondents. Prizes include ammunition, logo clothing, and logo gear. Thank you in advance for your help in making next year's National Championships the best ever!
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever (PF/QF) have signed an agreement to partner on programs to introduce youth to shooting sports, hunting, wildlife conservation, and other outdoor experiences. SSSF and PF/QF will work together to develop new outreach programs, promote each other’s missions, and host joint introductions to shooting/outdoor events.Ben Berka, left, and John Linquist sign a memorandum of understanding between SSSF and PF/QFThe partnership focuses on strengthening the link between shooting and conservation, as SSSF and PF/QF will work together to educate and engage today’s youth to ensure a future of avid hunters and passionate conservationists.
Both organizations recognize that today’s youth are the next generation of outdoor leaders and conservationists. “Youth are making dedicated sport choices at a very young age these days,” explained Ben Berka, President and Executive Director of SSSF. “If we can make that choice a shooting sport, we can begin to influence the future of recreational choices for kids and families. “By operating through the proven model of organized youth sports, SSSF has the ability to recruit many urban and suburban youth who have very little awareness about wildlife conservation or the outdoors in general,” Berka continued. “Also, youth shooting sports have structure, social interaction, and trusted adult leadership — things that are attractive to busy families.” The memorandum of understanding between the two organizations came about through the efforts of Tom Wondrash, National Director of the SSSF’s Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and John Linquist, National Shooting Sports Coordinator for PF/QF, who recognized the compatible goals of the two groups. Initially, the two men partnered informally by pairing SCTP teams with local PF/QF chapters. Later, SCTP teams were the catalysts for forming new PF/QF chapters in areas where there were none. “Our mission is to get youth involved in shooting sports at an early age through team competition and to encourage their continued involvement when they graduate from our program,” said Wondrash. “Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever is an ideal partner to further our members’ interest and participation in the shooting sports as they reach adulthood, as well as enjoy these activities with their entire family.” For PF/QF, promoting shooting sports is an important aspect of the No Child Left Indoors® initiative, which includes the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program. “We look at this partnership as a way to groom future leaders who care about the legacy we are leaving and who will pass on our love for the outdoors. In turn, that connection to the land through hunting will foster a conservation ethic,” added PF/QF’s Linquist. “We look forward to expanding participation at youth events nationally through this partnership.” Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 745 local chapters across the United States and Canada. For more information about becoming involved with Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, contact John Linquist at 712-754-3221, jlinquist@pheasantsforever.org, or visit pheasantsforever.org.
The Ankeny Izaak Walton League in Elkhart, Iowa, will host a Level I Coaches Course on November 8-9, 2014. The training will be provided by the Iowa Shotgun Coach Development Team, who are select members of the NRA/USA Shooting National Coach Development Staff (NCDS). The Level I Coaches Course is a comprehensive program which covers American trap, American Skeet, Sporting Clays, International Skeet, and International (Bunker) Trap. Registration fee is $180. A 50% tuition reimbursement for Iowa-based SCTP-registered coaches is available through the Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program, Inc., upon successful course completion. Successful completion requires 85% on the written exam and recommendation from the coach trainer. The two-day course will run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Candidates should bring their own shotguns, eye and ear protection, shooting vest/shell pouch, and note-taking materials with them. Targets, 12 and 20 gauge target loads, and lunch will be provided each day. Junior Trainers are also encouraged to attend. The Junior Trainer provides support to the coach, helping younger shooters learn safety and helping the coach at team activities. The Junior Trainer is recognized only to work under the direct supervision of a Coach (Level 1), Certified Coach (Level 2), or Advanced Certified Coach (Level 3). This level of the Coach Education Program is designed for young people, age 15-17, who show leadership in shooting programs. The Junior Trainer must successfully complete the discipline-specific Level 1 Coach School and obtain the recommendations of a parent and a coach.
There's a good chance you can improve your shooting in just four minutes, the time it takes to watch this video featuring Matt Hopkins, CZ-USA sponsored shooter and USPSA Production Grand Master. Hopkins offers three excellent handgunning techniques for faster, more accurate shooting. The three techniques deal with sight alignment, correct grip, and trigger control.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to providing shooting-sports education and opportunities to school-age youths around the United States to encourage young athlete personal growth and development. Tax-ID number 20-8484121.
