So I've been pretty busy recently

Dave951

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I haven't been on in a while since starting up on a project with some fellow NSSA competitors in the Carolina Region. So here's what we've been doing-

After a discussion on the situation regarding declining memberships in shooting orgs, bad 2A press, serious misinformation in the media, a group of us decided that we were going to start doing something about the issue in an early demographic before the kids can get contaminated. We decided to start volunteering in the shooting sports as instructors in youth orgs. We met several who work with the BSA and there is a shortage of instructors in the shooting sports and most acutely in black powder/muzzleloading. The issue stems from current BSA regs that stipulate the needed certifications to work with youth in the shooting sports. First you have to have NRA Basic Instructor cert. Next you need a NRA cert in the firearm you're going to work with. Then you need NRA Instructor rating in that firearm. Then you have to pass a background check and go through the BSA Youth Protection Program. At camp this summer, to my knowledge, there are only 2 instructors with muzzleloading/black powder in the entire program and neither of them are really a black powder shooter. Yeah, it's quite a bit of stuff. We did it and have been volunteering and instructing with the BSA at Camp Raven Knob this summer. Our format- one day per weekly session at the camp. Morning and afternoon sessions are spent in the primitive Mountain Man area helping to instruct in muzzleloading/black powder. Then we go to the main camp for dinner and conduct an open shoot in the evening for those Scouts who want to experience shooting a Civil War musket with live ammo. We secured corp support from Schutzen powder for powder and caps. S&S and Lodgewood have been providing logistical support for musket parts. NSSA member PJ Kelly donated the 5 muskets we're using. We start our sessions with a brief lecture and get right down to shooting. The shooting part, we instruct in loading and then watch and observe the first shots. From there, we work with the Scout to improve marksmanship and we're often very successful. Many times, kids haven't been able to hit a paper plate at 25yd and we help fix that, then we finish with the "Cracker Challenge", they're having a ball competing who can pop the most "Ritz" crackers off the 25yd line with Civil War muskets or camp muzzleloaders. Think that's easy offhand? Try it sometime. A "Ritz" cracker presents the same aspect ratio as a clay pigeon at 50yds, basically an 8moa target, pretty much the black for most offhand competition paper targets. So I'd say dramatic improvement is usually the order of the day.

So a couple pix of the fun-


Merit Badge session lecture part at the Mountain Man primitive range
IMG_7055.JPG


NSSA member working with Scouts with Civil War musket IMG_7073.JPG

NSSA member working with Scout in open shoot at main range. We normally run 3 positions for this.
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NSSA member working with Scout in open shoot at main range IMG_7122.JPG

NSSA member working with Scout at Mountain Man primitive range IMG_7211.JPG

The sessions have gone quite well. We've had Scouts who took the Riflery Merit Badge with 22lr but couldn't hit a barn from inside a horse stall with a muzzleloader and gotten them to where they can knock a cracker off the target at 25yd with a Civil War musket shooting offhand. The Scouts at the open shoot at the main range shoot at 8in gongs at 50yds. With a 22lr it's just a little tink when they hit, but a 400+gr minie ball hits with quite a bit more authority. In several sessions, we've had the shooters knock gongs off the chains and the kids get pretty excited when that happens. In every case, we've been able to instruct in positive 2A values with regards to firearms, firearms safety both in modern and muzzleloaders, we've instructed in safe handling of black powder arms and opened up the world of black powder competition shooting in a manner most would have never known.

Yeah it's been a lot of work. We still have 2 more weeks of camp sessions to go and we're getting requests to conduct the Riflery Merit Badge sessions after camp is done for the summer so we'll likely still be shooting through the winter months with the Scouts. This was conceived as a pilot educational outreach effort of the North South Skirmish Association Carolina Region. Our Board of Directors will receive a report on our success and will work on how to expand it next year in conjunction with the NMLRA.

There's lots of negative publicity out there in the media with regards to firearms. We feel the best way to counteract this is one on one instruction with in a safe, positive, fun manner with youth and it will take effort on our part. If the kids have a great time shooting these guns, or any gun, they're more likely to be somewhat innoculated against the anti 2A propaganda from the left. So even if you can't pitch in and help, take a kid to the range today and make sure they have a good, safe time. Stress positive 2A values for all firearms, not just your black rifles or 1911s. Learn to teach marksmanship. Nothing gets kids going like being successful in popping a gong or a cracker after a lesson in shooting fundamentals. And it's also a great feeling to help a kid learn and have fun!
 
It's great that the kids are getting started shooting that young. You're doing a lot of good there!
 
That’s awesome man, I remember going to raven knob as a Boy Scout and loved it. Definitely have memories from there that I’ll hopefully never forget.
 
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