New member and this is my first question (not the same guy that's in the military)

K

Kbowers6938

Inactive
Hey folks, my names Kevin, I'm a 22 year old trucker from Texas. I have tons of questions, and hopefully yall don't fry tired of me too quick. But on to my first questions.

1: I would like to get into competition shooting possibly, but where do I start?

2: My nephew will be 10 in February, and I asked him if he'd be interested in learning to SHOOT (not just plinking but really learn to shoot as in competitively). I heard on a radio show I listen to (gun talk), the producer said if he could start all over again that he'd start at an early age and start training for competition, because apparently there's scholarships for it, and I'm assuming prize money would help out too, and my sister is a single mother, and my parents have dealt with 3 kids, so I don't think they want to fund another in 8 years. So I thought it would be a great idea to give him something he could do for the rest of his life, and possibly help him basically pay his own way through college. But once again, where do I start?

I don't want to start him off and possibly teach him a bad habit for competition right off the bat. And also how can I keep him focused on it (reacting targets of some sort to keep his attention and keep it fun). He's not the most mature 9 year old I've ever met, but I'm hoping teaching him to shoot will help that as well as teach him responsibility. But how do I do all this correctly?

Thank you too those that get all the way through this and thanks in advance for the responses. I know I wrote a book and its probably not always well received when a new guy shows up and starts writing books for posts but just wanted to give everybody as much info as possible about where I'm coming from and what I'm shooting for. Thanks again
 
Your first step is to contact the match director. Check USPSA.com and IDPA.com for club listings near you. Each club has a different policy on what age shooters can start, but it's still up to the match director. USPSA also has a juniors program. Keep in mind that competition shooting is inherently dangerous, so there has to be a certain level of maturity and phsical ability to hold up a gun. It's not like standing behind a bench shooting a box target. Some clubs allow rimfire at the local level.

Another good way to start is with an airsoft replica gun and instruction from a local competitive shooter who could also asses if the kid is ready or not.
 
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The best place to start would be at the beginning.
Rimfire rifle with the Appleseed Project is as good as any.
Just do a web search for them.
If there's none near you, then find a range with instructors to start.
The shooting sports that will probably suit your purposes best would be the shotgun sports - trap, skeet, and sporting clays.
 
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I can recommend an Appleseed clinic.

Regarding competition, an excellent place to start, especially for kids, is rimfire steel challenge. All you need is a .22 pistol, some extra mags, ammo, as well as eye and ear protection. Many really love shooting steel for the speed, and the feedback they get from the "ping". Rimfire steel challenge is also about the most affordable form of competition there is.
 
Another idea is to check for local club with a Junior Rifle Marksmanship Program. Many times the equipment is provided and the program is low cost or even free. .22 rimfire position shooting which could lead to college scholarships if the young one likes it and gets serious.
Picking a discipline with a National or International governing body will have rules recognized throughout the country.
 
Honestly, I would call 5-10 local clubs and ask what they have available regarding those 2 situations.

If you called the club I belong to, you would talk to the president or treasurer. You would hear we have non-sanctioned IDPA once a month....actually, it might be sanctioned if you shoot it right with a 2 x per year sanctioned qualifier. You can shoot as a member or not.

They would also tell you we have a youth rimfire league and in their teens, they could move to IDPA, bowling pin league, highpower or sporting clays. In addition, we have lots of club level shooting competitions.

The range of skills is wide, but if you win our IDPA, YOU ARE FAST. I suspect we are a decent launching pad to get serious in all competitions.
 
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