Lincoln County teens interested in marksmanship competition, gun safety and Olympic-style experience are invited to consider participating in The American Legion Junior Shooting Program.

It's a three part program that combines the Basic Marksmanship Course, Qualification Awards, and Air Rifle Competition.

Participants in The American Legion Junior Shooting Sports Program can be any gender, ages 14 through 20. Handicapped youth are encouraged to participate.

Basic Marksmanship Course

Is a comprehensive instruction package for the beginning shooter that has little or no marksmanship experience. The course insures understanding by the student and easy use by the instructor. Gun safety and marksmanship fundamentals are taught through a balanced mix of short lecture or discussion followed by hands-on activity. The package of instruction and support materials include:

Instructor's Guide: Detailed information for the instructor to teach the course.

Student Handbook: Now in its third edition, this popular handbook is a comprehensive reference text for beginning shooters, thoroughly covering the fundamentals of position shooting.

Learning Tools: Six quizzes and a final exam.

Qualification Awards

If an effective job is done presenting the BMC, most graduates will want to keep improving their marksmanship skills. The National Rifle Association provides the Marksmanship Qualification Course for Air Rifle. These courses offer a personal skill development ladder where individual shooters work to achieve established performance standards. For each level of success, a sew-on patch and certificate of achievement are presented. Marksmanship Qualification Course offer family fun and enjoyment that can last a lifetime. Junior shooters may enroll in these programs upon graduation from the Basic Marksmanship Course.

Air Rifle Competition is not a sport which gives an advantage to individuals of great size or strength. Physical fitness and stamina are important, but it is mental toughness and self-discipline which determine success. Competitive shooting is also one of the few sports where men and women can compete as equals. It is truly a sport which is open to anyone willing to practice and to test their shooting skills on the firing line.

The American Legion Junior Position Air Rifle Tournament is an annual tournament that begins with postal matches to determine state and/or regional champions. The next stage is a Qualification Round (also a postal match) to determine shooters who will earn expense paid trips to compete in the National Championship. The National Championship is a shoulder-to-shoulder match held during the summer, and is conducted at the Olympic Training Center/USA Shooting Range Facilities in Colorado Springs, Colo. This is the same facility that our Olympic shooters train and practice on.

To sign up for this year’s Jr. Shooting, contact American Legion Post 36 Commander Robin Ford at 607-2965 by Oct. 15.