And Heaven forbid that members of the military actually participate in the Olympics anymore, like in the old days...
Lieutenant George S. Patton:
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.
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.
In a word...
...Screw...
...The Olympics. And the whole one worlder theme
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.
I still loved learning how to properly aim and shoot with a BB gun.
My friend’s dad, a Vietnam vet, taught us how on little metal targets standing, crouching, and on our stomachs. I think it’s the first skill I learned after reading and riding a bike come to think of it.
Because it’s boring?
However, I’m watching women ride like 100 miles on bikes and it’s kind of dull too.
My wife and my twelve year old went to Wal-mart to get some BB’s for his gun. She was hobbling on crutches following foot surgery so my son was carrying everything.
When they went to check out, the cashier wouldn’t let them buy the BB’s because my 12 year son was carrying them and they were supposedly for him. My wife got the manager involved, and finally got him to allow the purchase. She even had to explained that the local cub scout camp has a BB gun range and all from 1st to 5th graders get to shoot.
The boy scouts have a .22 range at their camp. (A pretty nice one since Sig Sauer paid to have it built).
This is was in Epping, NH. I can’t imagine what goes on in a place like NYC or Chicago.
A probable reason is that Americans do not consider air rifles good for much beyond teaching feral cats to stay off your vehicle.
Real guns are one thing, air guns are seen as akin to Air Soft toys, even though some air rifles are powerful enough to take medium sized game.
‘Cause BB guns will put your eye out. Safety you know.
My grandad was on the school rifle team. Used to take his single shot .22 on practice day on the school bus, put it in his locker until after school along with his ammunition. He couldn’t afford a rifle bag so he carried it openly, stood it between his legs on the bus.
I’ll bet if they add video games to the Olympic venue the US would be multiple gold medal winners. Likewise if snack eating and soda drinking coupled with tv watching on the couch the US would also excel.
BB Guns and mopeds have a lot in common. wink wink