Pierre Junior Shooting Club

Pierre Junior Shooters has been training the next generation of competitive shooters since the mid-1970s. This isn't a retail operation—it's a community-based club dedicated to gun safety instruction and marksmanship development for youth in the Pierre and Fort Pierre area.

Gun safety is the foundation. Every youth who joins goes through structured safety instruction before touching a gun. The club believes that hands-on training prevents accidents and builds the skills needed for hunting and lifelong shooting sports participation.

Marksmanship training follows three separate disciplines, each designed for different age groups and skill levels:

• •BB Gun Program (ages 8-15)
• •Air Rifle (ages 11+, requires 2 years BB gun experience)
• •Air Pistol (ages 11+, requires 2 years BB gun experience)

This club doesn't just teach—their shooters win at the national level.

9 Daisy National BB Gun Championship titles (2004, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019)

Their competitive teams regularly place in the top 10 nationally, with individual shooters earning medals in prone, standing, and kneeling positions. Alumni have gone on to compete in college and beyond.

BB Gun Program - Uses Daisy airguns and .177 pellets - Shooting positions: prone, standing, kneeling - Competitive team matches with written safety tests - Club provides guns for members who don't own their own

Air Rifle - Sporter Division: Primarily Air Arms Model S200 rifles ($400-600 range) - Precision Division: Competition-grade rifles ($1,500-$3,000) for shooters aiming for collegiate and Olympic competition - Same ammunition and targets as BB gun; same three shooting positions - Precision shooters wear specialized gear (shooting coats, pants, shoes)

Air Pistol - Primary gun: Daisy Model 747 - Multiple rule sets depending on competition organization (Progressive, International, 4-H) - Emphasis on trigger control—described as 95% of pistol shooting - Serves as foundation for free pistol and sport pistol disciplines

Membership costs are low—$25 for BB gun, $30 for air rifle/pistol. This covers ammunition, targets, instruction materials, and insurance (4-H and Izaak Walton).

Age Requirements: - BB gun: 8 years old by January 1 - Air rifle/air pistol: 11 years old, plus 2 years BB gun experience - Club operates seasonally (January through late April)

• •Practice Schedule (varies year to year):
• •BB gun: Two sessions Sundays
• •Air rifle: Monday evenings
• •Air pistol: Tuesday evenings

The club is moving into a dedicated 50' × 100' facility being built south of the current Izaak Walton Clubhouse. This specialized shooting building includes: - 50' × 75' shooting area - Work room for maintenance - Storage and warming areas - Bathrooms - Space for archery, trap shooting, and HuntSafe classes

Much of the construction labor comes from Izaak Walton members and PJS parents.

Most youth start with BB gun at age 8-9. Those who want to continue typically move to air rifle around age 11 (sporter division is the common entry point). Advanced competitors transition to precision air rifle if they're targeting collegiate or elite competition. Air pistol is offered separately for those interested in pistol disciplines.

The club's philosophy is straightforward: structured instruction in safety and technique creates responsible shooters, prevents accidents, and builds a foundation for competitive shooting, hunting, and lifelong participation in shooting sports.