National Shooting Sports Month Kicks Off with Reminder: “A Day at the Range is a Day of Fun”
National Shooting Sports Month in August provides the perfect opportunity for experienced target shooters and newcomers alike to head to a shooting range in your area and experience what millions of Americans have long appreciated — that a day at the range is a day of fun!
This 31-day celebration of the shooting sports, developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) in 2017, reminds people that everyone can enjoy these safe, fun and social activities. It’s also the perfect time for an experienced shooter to mentor a newcomer in a sport that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment at every skill level.
National Shooting Sports Month has been growing steadily since its inception three years ago. This year’s celebration includes more than 2,000 events at ranges and retailers across the country — a new record! — and all-new Gearbox Giveaway drawings for some stellar prize packs. Experienced shooters will also discover how they can give the shooting sports a boost when they mentor someone new as part of NSSF’s nationwide +ONESM Movement.
“When you take someone to the shooting range, whether a newcomer or an experienced shooter, youth or adult, you’re going to have a good time,” said Zach Snow, NSSF Director, Retail & Range Business Development. “Whether it’s breaking clay targets, knocking down steel plates or shooting long distance, the shooting sports are exciting, safe and social. A day at the range is a day making memories.”
The information hub for National Shooting Sports Month and its numerous Gearbox Giveaways is LetsGoShooting.org. There you can learn information about dozens of target-shooting sports involving rifle, shotgun and handgun either in a recreational or competitive format. You’ll also find the shooting ranges and firearms retailers near you, learn about National Shooting Sports Month events in your state, enter the Gearbox Giveaways, print targets, watch instructional videos and learn how to safely handle and store firearms.
For those taking the +ONE Pledge and mentoring someone new, our Range Safety and Etiquette video is a great way to kick off that first visit to a range for both. “Extend that invitation,” encouraged Snow. “You’ll be glad you did.”
Don’t have a mentor? No problem. Shooting ranges work with newcomers all the time and can help you get started with safe, supervised instruction.
Snow encourages the use of the hashtag #LetsGoShooting on social media, saying, “Sharing your experience reminds others of what they’re missing and encourages them to spend a day at the range,” said Snow. “It’s going to be a great month, and we want to know how everyone is celebrating.”
Win a FREE Ruger 10/22 Shooting Package from Gunz and GunLink
#LetsGoShooting this National Shooting Sports Month… with a Free Rifle Package
August is National Shooting Sports Month – 31 beautiful summer days to celebrate a time-honored pastime and a part of our American heritage.
This month is the perfect time to get out to the range and do some plinking, participate in a shooting course or competition, or – with fall just around the corner – get your hunting rifle zeroed in. It is also the perfect opportunity to take someone who is new to the world of firearms and shooting out and introduce them to firearms safety and other basics.
Whether you are a long-time shooter or just wanting to start dabbling in firearms, GunLink has teamed up with Gunz Incorporated to give away a fantastic shooting package that is equally well suited for popping cans at the range, qualifying at an Appleseed event, or taking down small game this hunting season.
Included in this great shooting package is America’s favorite .22LR rifle, the Ruger 10/22 semi-auto carbine with 2-position cross-bolt safety, Satin Black finish, 1:16 twist 18.5″ barrel featuring gold bead front sight and folding rear sight, and Hardwood Stock. It also comes with Ruger’s famously reliable 10-round rotary magazine, a Weaver 3-9×40 Scope, a Taylor Targets Spinner Target, and Ruger Branded Hard Case.
With more than a dozen ways to enter, this is the perfect way to get involved in this month-long celebration of shooting activities. Get started with the widget below and don’t miss out on the opportunity to score TEN entries just for posting the phrase “#LetsGoShooting with a FREE Rifle” in the giveaway thread on the GunLink Forums!
Be sure to check out our partner and giveaway sponsor, Gunz, Inc., on Facebook. While you’re there, don’t forget to follow GunLink if you aren’t already.
Ruger 10/22 Package Giveaway Presented by Gunz and GunLink
August is National Shooting Sports Month
24 million Americans are interested in trying target shooting, says NSSF.
August is National Shooting Sports Month, a time to celebrate one of America’s great pastimes — target shooting — a safe, fun activity enjoyed by millions of people across the country, with millions more wanting to take their first shots.
Research by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) shows that 24 million Americans are very interested in learning about the shooting sports, making National Shooting Sports Month the perfect time for someone to give target shooting a try. There are dozens of sports from which to choose, from hitting steel targets with handguns and rifles to breaking clay targets in the shotgun sports of trap, skeet and sporting clays.
“The shooting sports truly offer something for everyone,” said Steve Sanetti, NSSF President and CEO. “A day at the range gives people an opportunity to tune out distractions, learn a new skill, socialize and share their experiences.”
LetsGoShooting.org, a new website developed by NSSF, is the place to find information about National Shooting Sports Month and the many target shooting sports available. At LetsGoShooting.org, you can also find a shooting range or firearms retailer near you, learn about shooting and sales events, print targets, watch instructional videos and learn how to safely handle and store firearms.
And don’t forget the Trigger Time Sweepstakes, which is a big part of National Shooting Sports Month. You’ll be able to enter the sweepstakes at LetsGoShooting.org for a chance to win great prizes totaling more than $35,000 in weekly drawings.
NSSF, the trade association for the firearms industry, launched National Shooting Sports Month last year to great success. During that time, recent shooting sports trends, such as more women taking up target shooting and more first-time participants, were obvious at ranges and firearms retailers across the country.
“One of the many people interested in trying target shooting may well be in your family — a daughter, son or spouse — or a friend just waiting for you to ask them to spend a day at the range,” said NSSF’s Zach Snow, Director of Shooting Range Services. “Extend that invitation — you’ll be glad you did.”
Don’t have a mentor? No problem. Shooting ranges work with newcomers all the time and can help you get started with safe, supervised instruction.
Snow encourages the use of the hashtag #LetsGoShooting on social media. “Tell us about your experience on our Facebook page, share your Instagram and Twitter posts,” he said. “It’s going to be fun month, and we want to know how everyone is celebrating.”
Spend a day at the range. Learn more about National Shooting Sports Month and target shooting at LetsGoShooting.org.
Getting Women Involved
Earlier this year, as I prepared for SHOT Show 2018 coverage, I asked some of my girlfriends who own firearms or are involved in the shooting sports what they were wanting to see this year from the show. During our conversations, an unexpected theme emerged. In addition to the same requests for better concealed carry options, and weapons/gear that are designed to better fit a woman’s anatomy, there was a more intangible concern: the social aspect of women in shooting. Almost all of my friends wanted three things: to know more women like themselves, ideas on how to get more involved in shooting, and to feel more included in the shooting world.
There are enough women becoming involved in the shooting sports that the NSSF felt it necessary to do an extensive study on the female shooting demographic and the NRA now has an entire section (including a TV channel) dedicated to women’s interest. Many manufacturers make specific models of rifles (like Savage and Weatherby), shotguns (such as Syren), and handguns (such as EAA) that have been designed specifically with a woman in mind. These companies did not simply take an existing model and then apply the “Shrink It and Pink It” (SI-PI) cosmetic makeover. There was actual thought put into these weapons to improve the shooting experience for women. Firearm design is not the only part of the shooting world trying to play catch-up. There are now many concealed carry options that were designed specifically with a woman in mind, including more and more in off-body carry options. Several companies have even tackled the gear portion by designing hunting clothes, law enforcement uniforms, and backpacks, to name just a few, to fit the female body better. While many women may not be happy with the available options, many more choices are coming to market every year. Many companies are also open to suggestions for how to improve existing designs, but changes do not happen overnight. Continue reading
NSSF Declares August National Shooting Sports Month
There are countless celebration days and months in America, and now the shooting sports have one of their own. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has declared August to be National Shooting Sports Month, a time to celebrate one of America’s great pastimes — target shooting — and to encourage newcomers and experienced shooters to #LETSGOSHOOTING.
NSSF developed the celebration month to focus the attention of everyone in the shooting sports community — shooting ranges, firearms retailers, manufacturers and recreational shooters — on the fun and excitement of target shooting.
An estimated 50 million Americans participate in target shooting sports, and millions more have expressed interest in learning about rifle, shotgun and handgun shooting, according to NSSF research.
“With so much going on in people’s lives today, the shooting sports offer an opportunity to tune out distractions, learn a new skill, socialize and share their experiences,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti. “It’s important to remember to pass on our traditions and to reflect on our unique freedoms that make participating in them possible.”
Experienced shooters are encouraged to introduce family members and friends to this rewarding lifetime activity, and newcomers without mentors will discover a safe, supportive introduction to recreational shooting at a range near them.
To help people find ways to celebrate, NSSF has launched www.ShootingSportsMonth.org. Among its many interactive features, the site contains an easy range search by state, events and sales promotions across the country and many other resources for target shooters of all skill levels.
Safety, of course, goes hand in hand with enjoying the shooting sports. Following safe firearms handling procedures and securely storing firearms when not in use are priorities for shooters. Find more about firearm safety at www.ShootingSportsMonth.org.
“It’s going to be fun month,” said Zach Snow, NSSF Director, Shooting Range Services. “And we want to know how everyone is celebrating. Tell us on our Facebook page, share your Instagram and Twitter posts with the hashtag #LetsGoShooting, let’s make this month one to remember.”
Learn more at www.ShootingSportsMonth.org.
Gear Up for SHOT Show 2017 with GunLink
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) annual Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) is just around the corner and, as usual, the GunLink team will be there to cover it all. From the opening shots of the pre-show Industry Day at the Range through the last booth of the show floor, be sure to follow our coverage on our family of websites and social media outlets.
Join the discussion on the GunLink Forums in the 2017 Industry Day at the Range thread and in the 2017 SHOT Show thread. For more in-depth coverage, reviews and more, stay right here on the GunLink Blog. If instant gratification and up-to-the-second updates, photos, and reports from the range (as if there was cell service out in the desert) and SHOT Show floor is what you are looking for, find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget that you can use all of these avenues to connect with us to let us know what type of shooting and firearms news you want to see covered from the show. Continue reading
