The Sunshine Coast Rod and Gun Club’s new youth target shooting program has attracted about a half-dozen participants so far, with lots of room to grow, according to organizer Allan Harding.
Harding, a champion air pistol shooter from Gibsons, approached the club about starting a program earlier this year, and they held their first sessions in November.
The kids who’ve signed up so far range in age from seven to 16 and come from all experience levels.
Harding said they’re starting everyone on club-owned .22 rifles, and following the Shooting Federation of Canada’s recreational target shooting program (RTS).
“I want the juniors to go through that program first and really get a sense of the fundamentals and then switch over to pistol,” he said. “It’s really a lot tougher, you’re going from two hands to one hand. There’s strength and core stuff you need for that. The fundamentals around visualization, breathing, follow-through, trigger control – that’s all very similar. If someone shows me that they can go through that and they get it, I’ll show them everything I know with a pistol.”
Harding is working to acquire air pistols suitable for competition, which he plans to donate to the program. “I want to get something that, if we develop someone here who could compete, they could take one of those to the type of competitions I go to within Canada. I want to make sure the right equipment is available for them to learn and be able to compete with.”
As well as the skills needed to hit the mark on the range, the program puts a strong emphasis on safety, responsible handling of the firearms, and maintenance. Range officers work with the kids on those areas, after every round of shooting.
At the second session, Nov. 16, Harding said he and the club volunteers are still fine-tuning details like how many volunteers they’ll need for each night, and the next step will be more active promotion.
The youth target shooting program meets Thursday evenings at the Sunshine Coast Rod and Gun Club. There’s more information at the club website, www.sunshinecoastrodandgunclub.com and its Facebook page. You can also sign up for email updates at http://eepurl.com/c83yhb
