Thread: Young Trap Shooters

Because we realize the importance of getting youth interested in the shooting sports our gun club sponsors a high school trap shooting team. We supply all of their ammo, when needed, shotguns, and coaching. We also absorb much of their expense when traveling to compete. Our team is the reining high school state champions. Interestingly, the girls are better shooters than the boys.

It seems to stun non gunners and enrage anti gunners - and change some minds.

I was a member of the collage full bore rifle shooting team , do they have any shooting sports in schools these days or has it all gone ?

Originally Posted by Phil_H

Hi @ChanceMcCall.

‘Because we realise the importance...... Who is the ‘WE’ ? NRA perchance ?

I ask because I find it interesting that I login this morning and there are about half a dozen new posts from new members from North America and all seem to immediately start discussing politics and gun rights. Are we here to discuss Hunting and Shooting or perhaps to promote NRA’s vision of the world as they would like to see it?

Just asking?

If you are here to discuss Hunting and Shooting, then welcome.

I cannot speak for any other people who have been allowed to join your forum. That said, I do think that gun owners from the USA are surprised by the attitudes we think we see in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada among gun owners regarding government mandates on firearm possession, so I suppose we might ask about that first. Actually, my goal (I can't speak for others) is to mostly lurk and try to learn and understand, and that is what I intend to do.

The "we" you asked about was referring to the individuals who belong to one of the gun clubs I belong to and shoot trap at most frequently. I think that many people have bought into ideas propagated by anti gunners in the USA. I am a Life Member of the NRA and a regular financial contributor to the Institute for Legislative Action. I have been a member since 1960. However, they do not tell me or any other member what to do. Quite the contrary, members often tell them what to do. At one time, the NRA supported gun control. In 1974, I am many others plotted the overthrow of the NRA Board of Directors and paid leadership. In 1975, the NRA was a "new" organization going after gun control efforts with a vengeance. This did not come from the long standing leadership, but rather from the membership. Leadership and the Board work for the members rather than the other way around. The NRA "vision of the world" is directed by the visions of the membership, one member at a time.

That our countries are different, despite a shared distant history and similar language is obvious. I would guess we confuse you as much as you confuse us regarding gun ownership, defense of property, or self-defense.

Regarding Hunting and shooting, I obviously am interested. At times I suspect I will be asking questions, and less frequently, offering information. Mostly however, I will be lurking and learning.

Originally Posted by Boaraxa

I was a member of the collage full bore rifle shooting team , do they have any shooting sports in schools these days or has it all gone ?

Rifle teams are less frequent than they used to be. Trap shooting is growing by leaps and bounds. Some colleges and universities offer scholarships to high school champion trap shooters, and even more colleges have trap shooting teams. Some do contribute to the rifle and pistol teams for Olympic teams.

I think the big pivot in terms of where we diverge as nations in our understanding of what firearms are meant to mean in the life of the ordinary man, is the right and duty to bear arms in American law and culture.

The same mentality is not really present as much in other english speaking nations.

To bear arms is seen more as a privilege and less of a right.

Welcome.
Where I’m from in the UK most college and universities have sporting clay teams.
Highly normal that the girls are better at it than the boys. Girls don’t grow up picking up the all those bad habits from watching Hollywood’s war and cowboy and indian movies. So when they come to a clay or shooting ground they are taught correctly.

I took an interest in this thread as its exactly what id been talking about with my neighbour , if someone else from another country wants to chime in it could be interesting to learn something new , must say over the last few weeks shooters have not had a nice light cast apon them mostly by nitwits ...welcome

Here you go for long range. https://www.marlboroughcollege.org/2...-team-success/

For college clay shooting 23 teams
https://basc.org.uk/blog/press-relea...ge-clay-shoot/

Originally Posted by Phil_H

Thank for taking the time to reply @ChanceMcCall.
My suspicions this morning were raised in that logging on I saw posts from new members from the North America, some who launched into sympathetic political positions - to gun owners that is - with regard to our recent political machinations of our government.

While I don’t agree in total with what has been enacted and as to it ability to fix a perceived problem, I believe it is our problem and I am sure we will find a resolve in time.

I do, though, have a real suspicion of any political interference from any other country be that from their official government or a private organisation, specifically I refer here to the NRA.

Given the choice of of living in NZ with severely restricted gun ownership or, in a worst case scenario, no guns at all, or living in the US with easy gun ownership and all the incidents of mass killings by guns, I choose NZ in a heart beat.

Always happy to see new members here contributing to discussion on Hunting and Shooting, but not so keen if I believe there is an underlying agenda of trying to persuade New Zealander’s on how we should think or react to matters of governance here in this country. We can work that out for ourselves thank you very much.

One final question, of interest.
This forum has been going for a good number of years. Why is it now that you have decided it would be a good time to participate in it?

Cheers
Phil

As much as a gun owner from NZ has trouble understanding gun owners from the USA, so too do we have trouble understanding gun owners from English tradition and language countries whose views on the rights to own guns are different from our own. Personally, I joined for two reasons:

First, I really want to learn and understand the thinking and beliefs;
Second, I want to be well-informed about the technics of gun seizure and the resultant compensation.

The vast void in the difference in thinking is, I think, important to understand. If the same events were happening in many parts (rural) of the USA, it is highly likely that a substantial portion of the law enforcement community would refuse to enforce those orders, and those that did would often be met with armed resistance not only by the subject, but by their friends and neighbors as well. Part of the feeling is that many want their guns not only for the standard reasons but also to have the ability to resist and overthrow any government that stops treating them as citizens rand considers them serfs or slaves. That is something which apparently does not exist as part of the culture in yours and other countries.

On the other hand, we do see a lack of active resistance on our East and West Coasts which puzzles us as well.

The other thing I'm trying to learn about is how this confiscation compensation works. What does your government do when they confiscate firearms of great value? I recently sold a WWII presentation pistol using the Rock Island Auction for $85,000. Would they pay me what the gun was worth, or just a token amount of money?

Now, this is pretty one sided and mostly I hoped and still hope to mostly just read. But, in return, I would be willing to trade any information or expertise I could when a question comes up that I might have unique experience that might be helpful. From time to time some Australians do visit some USA based forums looking for information or a different perspective and most of us try to help them with their goals. I would certainly do the same for those from NZ.

I hope this answers your question.

As far as compensation for high value (and indeed, any) firearms are concerned:

We don't know yet. And we are very keen to find out.

All I can say is what I suspect:

The Police have been thrown in the deep end on this one, and are trying to learn how to swim.

In the interim, you might get a clearer idea looking at the Australian model which is far and away more established.

The Govt will rip us off no doubt, for a $3500 gun will get $400, no proof only guessing but the Govt will cheat us out of a lot of $$

Unfortunately no one knows whats happening with the buy back yet. Not even the people that are meant to carrying it out. With the way our government usually works they'll rip off everybody concerned and a percentage will disappear causing society to become less safe as a result.

Again @ChanceMcCall I reiterate......
“Always happy to see new members here contributing to discussion on Hunting and Shooting, but not so keen if I believe there is an underlying agenda of trying to persuade New Zealander’s on how we should think or react to matters of governance here in this country. We can work that out for ourselves thank you very much.”

Well so far we,v failed pretty miserably , in fact have the govt listened to anything at all the shooting community has put forward ?
I believe the only thing that has stopped them taking an even bigger swipe at removing guns from responsible licenced law abiding gun owners is the fact the govt don't have the funds to do so ...else wed be more toasted than we are now , so at this rate by the time we "work it out for our self's " it,l be game over , next reloading will be gone ...

Quote “One final question, of interest.
This forum has been going for a good number of years. Why is it now that you have decided it would be a good time to participate in it?


Strange you would ask that question,like a lawyer who asks a question as he/she would obviously know they answer.The New Zealand gun issue has garnished a lot of attention,why would that not stimulate or be the catalyst for anyone to join in the debate...the last time I checked there was an offer from this website to anyone wishing to partake in a variety of issues and subjects,just not shooting and hunting.

I think most “outside” viewers are well aware that “we can take care of our own issues”,yes there are some that push an agenda,but people are interested in a plethora of issues surrounding what is happening in kiwi........then again,you can always ignore ones post,not required reading by any means

Growing up we didn't have organized firearms competitions in the schools I went to but they did in the High School my wife went to and she competed in small bore shooting, she continued into college. Where I lived each little town had a Sportsmans Club and had a trap shooting league. Local businesses sponsored five+ man teams. I shot for a bar in town from the time I could drive(10th grade) and shot in as many as four different leagues(towns) on teams sponsored by the same bar. So in high school I shot league trap weeknights and registered birds on the weekend.

I had no idea there was a NZ Forum until a friend told me about it. It is interesting to hear about different game, styles of hunting, thoughts on guns, scopes, reloading and favorite equipment. I stay as far away from political discussions as possible, it's your country and you have to figure out what will work for you.