Here's what we've been up to

[dave951]

Since I don't like duplication, here's the text I put on another forum, doesn't make it less relevant.
**********
Most folks just like pew pew and I get that. I used to play in that world in 3G, IPSC, USPSA, IDPA etc, but there is more to shooting than pew pew, so I ask, please read to the end of this post.

So onto my soapbox-

Muzzleloading shooting can be very challenging. FACT Muzzleloaders can be as accurate as most modern current factory guns. FACT. Muzzleloading is often an introduction to other shooting sports in a youth organization. FACT So where am I going with this? Take a kid to the range, give him/her an enjoyable experience with shooting, make a convert to the shooting sports. Expose the kid to as much of the shooting sports world as possible, get another "gun guy" for life. For many, that first experience is in muzzleloading in a summer camp setting. Even if you don't like muzzleloading, keep reading, it's still relevant.

In the Firearms Instructor world, the certification in Muzzleloading is pretty rare. Rarer still is an Instructor who is an active muzzleloading competitor/enthusiast. Many of the few with the credential only hold it to be able to perform their jobs in a youth shooting sports program. Our competition organization, the North South Skirmish Association is working to change that. For the youth to get the best, positive, fun muzzleloading experience, we believe that the Instructor must also hold enthusiasm for it. To that end, we just completed an intense Instructor training session at our home range, Fort Shenandoah and we now have 20 certified Muzzleloading Instructors who are also avid competitors and very knowledgeable in muzzleloading accuracy and marksmanship (didn't I mention we are competition shooters?)

We will be getting our new corps of Instructors organized and tasked to work with various youth camps/orgs to maximize our efforts.

Even if you don't like muzzleloading, we could use help in the form of donations or assistance. This effort is going to be expanded in the future. Our goal is to expose as many to the world of muzzleloading shooting sports as possible. If they stay with it great, if not but they move on to other shooting sports, that's still great, but NOTHING is going to happen without that first effort. Our contact website-
Muzzle Loading Youth Training – A North-South Skirmish Association Committee
http://muzzleloadingyouthtraining.org/

Please consider how you could help, even if only linking to our site.

[ioon44]

What is a pew pew match?

[dave951]

What is a pew pew match?

Typically 3Gun, IDPA, IPSC, USPSA, SASS. They have in common fast shooting. The difference between what we do as N-SSA competitors is all the previously mentioned ones shoot as individual competitors, we shoot as a unit (team) of 8 guys at once against a bunch of other units (teams) all at the same time. Open fire, clocks running, shooting a muzzleloader, fastest time wins, no pressure, GREAT FUN!

Here's a link to more of what we do-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp1qho8DLuw

But recently, a group of us decided to start an outreach to youth organizations who are struggling to have qualified firearms instructors. Rifle and Shotgun Instructors are fairly common. Muzzleloading (Black Powder) not so much and of those, very few are active muzzleloading shooters so muzzleloading gets the short end of the stick in the budget.

My point is we all need to make sure kids get to the range and have a quality, safe, fun shooting experience if all our shooting sports are to survive.

Do nothing, sit on your hands, get Virginia.

[ioon44]

OK, I just never did hear the term.