Invite Someone To Shoot

Shooting and gun ownership will last only as long as our interest. More people with positive gun and shooting experiences will lead to more support for guns and shooting. The best way to raise this is to directly invite new people. The National Shooting Sports Foundation created the following list of reasons to send those invitations based on their recent surveys and studies. Build the Base: Where will the next generation of sportsmen and women come from who will support our firearms, hunting and shooting freedoms?

Of course, they will be the ones who you introduce to our sports today. Invite someone to hunt or go shooting. More than 90 million adults in the United States 18 and over expressed at least some interest in participating in hunting or shooting, according NSSF/Harris polls. The top factor in getting them to participate was an invitation from a friend or family member.

Peer Power: Approximately 15 million youth who are not hunters or shooters and are between the ages of 8 and 17 would consider giving these activities a try if asked by a peer, according to a study commissioned by the Hunting Heritage Trust and NSSF and conducted by Responsive Management. Youth who are already in shooting programs should remember that their friends are waiting for an invitation to give shooting or hunting a try under adult supervision.

Approval: Approximately three-quarters of youth and adults approve of hunting and target shooting, so it is not surprising that people are purchasing firearms and participating in the shooting sports in records numbers. Safer Than Golf: Hunting is safer than golf and many other sporting activities, according to injury statistics. Shooting on the range is safer still. Giving Back: Educate anew hunter that he or she can donate venison to charitable food outlets to help feed those in need.

Hunter donations make possible about 11 million venison meals annually. Also, by purchasing firearms, ammunition and hunting licenses, sportsmen and women contribute more than $1 billion annually to protect wildlife and habitat and fund shooting range development. This funding mechanism has helped restore populations of species such as the Wild Turkey and White-tailed Deer that were struggling to survive 100 years ago.

Elevate Ethics: Firearms ownership and participation in both hunting and target shooting help youth and adults develop an ethical, responsible approach toward wildlife and wild places, and toward firearms. Learn more at www.nssf. org/lit/Ethical Hunter.pdf Did You Ever Consider?

With their newfound knowledge and perspective on hunting, target shooting and firearms ownership, newcomers can respond to misinformed statements about these topics at work and social gatherings with a simple, "Did you ever consider this?" NSSF provides a free and easy way to ask someone to join you on your next outing. Send a themed postcard by email from the NSSF’s Invite Someone to Shoot page (nssf.org/shooting/invite).