Junior Marksmanship Season Wraps With Strong Turnout

Whether you are looking for information pertaining to the activities of a shooting club, for general information pertaining to shooting activities, or information that pertain to safe shooting practices, remember to verify information regarding the source(s) of said information. Also verify the date(s) of events pertaining to said information, and request additional information from other club members as necessary to enable safe participation by themselves and/or their families in any related shooting activities.

Until such time that the information and programs can be spread throughout the island adequate time between programs will be necessary, as well as program structure that takes into consideration the various activities that families with shooting enthusiasts are involved in. Simply explain to your club members the necessary steps to safely and responsible shooting of firearms.

Practice is a process, not a performance

Beginning early is key to a good shooting day. Reviewing your shooting schedule for the day ahead of time, collecting all necessary shooting gear the night before, reading through in detail the range safety briefing for the day ahead and re-reading all relevant shooting commands the night before will get you off to a good start. Having identified one skill that you want to improve at shooting, spending time practicing that one skill until you get better at it is also important. Noticing small improvements in your shot over the course of the day is also key.

Make room for new shooters

A lot of gun clubs need new members. This is to shoot safely and responsibly. Detailing how a range or program operates, how members or participants can expect to be treated during a session and how they can expect members or participants to behave is key to making the shooting range or program more accessible to new members.

Review the day while it is fresh

Many chances exist to evaluate many aspects of shooting within a single session. Check leveling between shooting the various relays, sight in your rifle between shots, check reloading between shots, and other factors. Record all of the data from the session in as much detail as possible and then change one thing in your training plan for the next session.

A short checklist for members

• Confirm date, location and source of information before distributing.
• Ask one specific question.
• Don’t put yourself or others in danger.
• Treat everyone on the range with due regard.
• Be familiar with local rules governing firearms and their use.
• Record what you learned so the next member does not have to start over.
• Carry out any actions requested by a club, committee or association contact.

Closing note

Most all of the great work an association does is behind the scenes (briefings, records, great intro’s to other club members, etc…). That one can apply the information of this article in reverse order to that of application to one’s club or elsewhere – the most conservative interpretation possible in all cases.

What this article adds

Hawaii’s junior marksmanship program ended an another successful season of shooting instruction this past weekend with approximately 50 shooting sessions and some dozen young shooters plus their families participating in supervised shooting instruction this season. The young children of this season’s JMPI were particularly wonderful this past year and were very laudatory of the discipline and increase in shooting confidence that their kids acquired from participating in this program. Information regarding next season’s junior marksmanship program, including registration information, will be published in the association’s newsletter and through affiliated shooting clubs. The JMPI is always looking for volunteers with some shooting experience to assist with the teaching of next year’s students.

This year’s class of Junior Marksmanship Program youth shooters completed their full season of supervised shooting instruction several weeks ago. As always, the youths and their families conducted themselves with great maturity and shooting discipline. Family members of the students noted positive changes in the students’ focus and patience and said that they had great respect for firearms and the responsibilities of their use. Registration information for next year’s JMPI students and required volunteer shooting instructors will be published here, in the association’s newsletter and through affiliated shooting clubs throughout the state.