shooting sports in trouble?

[yukonjasper]

I am seeing a notification that the CMP EVENT has been canceled due to lack of interest.

Are the shooting sports dying?
What can you do to keep them alive?
At the events you attend, what is the average age of the participants?
What are your thoughts on why this is a problem, cost,availability, urbanization?
I don't think we want to let shooting sports die, so what can be done to keep them alive?

For me it's availability to a place to practice and time to spend participating.

[Ron Burgundy]

You can shoot USPSA about 5 nights a week in the Metro. That's pretty good. Age ranges from young to dinosaur.

If there isn't interest it is probably the game (I've never shot CMP) or the people running the game.

[MJY65]

I'd say yes due to the lack of available venues. Formal competition doesn't appeal to everyone, and the days of just shooting in an old gravel pit are pretty much gone. The ranges are crowded due to their scarcity and limited hours.

[xd ED]

There's been at least 2 new metro indoor ranges open in the passed few years, with another one coming soon.
The clubs I belong to are either at/ near full membership, or full with a waiting list.
One of those is 10 mn from my home.
Given the recent history of gun sales, if even a small portion of new gun owners take an interest in sport shooting the ranks will be swelling
Trap shooting is the fastest growing high school sport in the state.

If you want to promote the sport it's simple:

Be a positive role model
Invite/ encourage others, particularly women and children to participate.

Poor promotion of one event is not indicative of interest, or the general health of the sport.

[870TC]

I belong to 3 outdoor ranges, and see steady membership and use. All are open to new members joining. I do see a shift towards Rifle/handgun and away from shotgun.

[Rip Van Winkle]

The CMP Minnesota Games were canceled because of poor coordination and promotion. Even though they've been canceled, you can still participate in other local CMP matches through the summer.

Are the shooting sports dying? No, but they could use some more help getting properly promoted.

[andrewP]

You can shoot USPSA about 5 nights a week in the Metro.

^ What he said. I'm not sure about attendance at other places, but it's common for 60+ people to show up for the Thursday night USPSA matches @ Oakdale, and there are always folks shooting Trap there at the same time. I believe the Trap/Skeet/5-stand scene up at BESA is pretty popular, too. I'd say that's quite healthy. Perhaps CMP just is less popular or less well promoted?

Of course, none of that is meant to imply that we shouldn't be continually encouraging more participation on all fronts, but I hardly think the shooting sports are "in trouble."

[bucktail]

I think that they're doing OK. High school trap is one of the fastest growing sports in the state. I think 3 gun is doing OK.

[870TC]

High school trap is growing....but once the academic league is over I don't see many of those kids out shooting trap by themselves. They also force older shooters out, just by there shear numbers...ie you cant get in to shoot if the H.S. leagues are at a range. I've talked to many shooters from the MPLS gun club that just stop shooting until the H.S. leagues are over.

[bucktail]

There's certainly growing pains associated with HS trap. At Delano, we shut down the rifle and pistol ranges to shoot trap. For the weeks that HS trap overlaps with summer league, that's 4 evenings a week 2 league and 2 HS). With a HS team of about 60, we're seeing probably 15-20 HS kids shooting winter league. It's harder to tell in the summer because there are 2 days of league. Buffalo is nearby, and has more than one trap house, so some of them might shoot there as well.
We would like to expand our trap facilities and move them out of our rifle range. MSHSL has only sanctioned trap for 2 years, and Delano has only had a team for 3, so it's kind of early to tell what it's going to look like when it settles out. There would probably be more teams if they had somewhere to shoot. The HS team may be stressing our capacity, and may be inconvenient at times but I've mostly heard positive feedback from the trap shooters at Delano. One of our girls shot 98 at state.

[ex-LT]

I think that they're doing OK. High school trap isone of the fastest growing sports in the state. I think 3 gun is doing OK.

FYP

[MJY65]

I think that they're doing OK. High school trap is one of the fastest growing sports in the state. I think 3 gun is doing OK.

It seems like we may be seeing far fewer people doing far more shooting each. Absolutely, there are more people in leagues and competitions than any time in my life. Those that are there own dozens of guns and are shooting many thousands of rounds per year. On the other hand, the number of people that consider themselves active shooters or hunters is a fraction of what it once was. Heck, when I was in high school, they closed the dang school on the second Friday of deer season because they knew that most of the boys would be gone.

[yukonjasper]

Good point and I agree that there seems to be a definite difference in competition shooter and recreational or hunters. I think the latter group is in decline. How many competitive shooters are hunters?

[shooter115]

How many competitive shooters are hunters?

>>>>This guy<<<<

In fact I shot a duck just the other day.......with a .380 LCP none the less.

[Jack's My dog]

How many competitive shooters are hunters?

>>>>This guy<<<<

In fact I shot a duck just the other day.......with a .380 LCP none the less.

Me too... the hunter/comp shooter... not the duck, but along those lines.... don't you think the 380 is a little under powered for ducks?