"Youth learn responsibility, sportsmanship and perseverage, and those lessons stay with them long after the event is over."
— Scott Stuhr, 4-H Shooting Sports national coordinator

That's true, and it undersells the technical side. These kids are running air rifle, smallbore, muzzleloaders, shotgun — not just punching paper once and calling it a day. Structured coaching and match pressure will teach a young shooter things that a range trip with dad, however well-intentioned, usually won't.

The muzzleloader entry caught my eye — three competitors from East Pottawattamie County. There's something right about a program that still runs kids through the discipline of a charge, patch, and ball before they ever touch a modern rifle.

Anyone here have kids or grandkids who came up through 4-H Shooting Sports? Curious whether the local club coaching made a noticeable difference once they moved into adult competition or just general range habits.

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By Steve Duskett