And Heaven forbid that members of the military actually participate in the Olympics anymore, like in the old days...
Lieutenant George S. Patton:
Posted on 07/29/2012 4:41:52 AM PDT by jimmygrace
I'm watching the Olympics and am wondering why the U.S. can't even compete against third world countries in shooting events with air rifles. Are you kidding me? I think the NRA should take a more active role in turning our video game couch potatos into Olympic athletes. They already sponsor hunting sports, so this would not be far from their mission, and in my opinion would be a win-win for them.
Well, if your kid forgets his air rifle in the trunk of his car and goes to school, he gets expelled.
And Heaven forbid that members of the military actually participate in the Olympics anymore, like in the old days...
Lieutenant George S. Patton:
Every high school should have an air gun range and classes offered. Basic marksmanship is easily and economically learned with air guns.
Kids are exposed to shooting & gun education in schools, especially in communist countries. It’s part of their civic duty.
Good question. I’m thinking this is a sport where even a very poor country can afford to compete with the best. And so they put a lot of effort into it. Just speculation on my part.
We lost archery by one point.
I can’t imagine carrying my BB gun through the neighborhood like I used to as a kid. Cats, squirrels and birds used to disappear at my approach LOL. You NEVER see a kid with a BB gun anymore - he would probably be hauled of to jail before he made it a block.
My kids had BB guns when they were little and I was called a bad parent for letting them have them. I guess I should have set up an Olympic range an encouraged them more. They are good shots with anything I put in their hands.
I wholly agree with you. When I was a high school freshman (1950-51), were near Crosman Arms, who provided CO2 powered .22 cal pellet rifles, bullet traps, CO2 cartridges, and pellets to organize interschool rifle matches in the area. Our instructor and coach was an Army veteran, and we took time in our lunch hour/play time to practice.
That's where I started to learn to shoot, although I alrady had a BB gun. Later on, I was on the Syracuse University Rifle team; and received Army Expert rating in M1 Carbine, M1 Rifle, and BAR (plus Master Gunner 81mm Mortar).
In 1995 I shot in a DCM competition shoot, and (after 30 years) came in 3rd among regular shooters with the M1 Garand rifle. I still regularly shoot at age 75, as well as I did at 25.
With this score, and $265, I got my own M1, which I still have.
That, and the ever present danger of shooting your eyes out!
In a word...
...Screw...
...The Olympics. And the whole one worlder theme
I used to have a wimpy air pistol. Great for an apartment, it was pretty weak.
Danged if a bb didn't bounce off a piece of corrugated cardboard and come right back and hit me in the face.
Even though it was more of a pain and slower, I stuck to loading darts for a while after that. They stuck in the cardboard.
Styrofoam is a danger, too—BBs can fly back at you with almost the same velocity.
Blackpowder, flint and lead ball—NOW THAT’S REAL SHOOTING!!
Olympic air rifle is done using competition grade pellet rifles. To use one accurately is rather difficult. The bullseye on an olympic air rifle target is the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
Plus, it is a rather unglamorous sport (skeet is cool, airguns not so much), I imagine it gets less funding than, say, gymnastics, and of course America has lost its shooting heritage.
All adds up to us not winning.
http://www.nrahq.org/compete/nm_jr-airgun-champ.asp
How come you don't already know about these important programs? Are you not a member of the NRA?? If not, it only costs about $35 per year, and you get it all back with one of their monthly magazines. Usually, membership can be even less when you belong to a local gun club! Are you in a local club, fostering teen programs? If not, why not?
The biggest competitions the NRA particpates in strongly is the Annual Camp Perry National Marksmanship competitions, more important to the US of A than the Olympic shooting.
But you ought to know that many, if not most, colleges and universities have dismissed their activity in the shooting sports, and provide no more support, time facilities, or coaching. You might work on your local college to find out why.
Also, England's laws about owning, handling, and transporting firearms are so stringent that it makes participation in their Olympics a bummer, not worth it.
You say you are watching Olympic shooting. Don't you do a little yourself? If not, how about getting into some of the fun, and also support the NRA yourself!
Maybe an air rifle is the only gun these third worlders can legally own, and they get real good with it shooting the rats off of the nightstand in the dark.
Shotgun / skeet in about 20 minutes. We have Kim who is going for it again, 5th time. One hell of a shooter. She shoots double trap Aug5th
Lead, such as pellets, transfers its energy on impact. Much safe. Of course you have to deal with the higher velocity.
“Blackpowder, flint and lead ball—NOW THAT’S REAL SHOOTING!!”
Amen....Preach it Brother!
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