private shooting range open to the public. At the same time there are

lineup of programs for beginning literally tens of thousands of acres of state and federal land where I can shooters as well as those looking to both plink and shoot my bows and arrows. Truth be told, I do most of my

gun work here since I prefer the more informal setting.

become more proficient, including hunter education and firearm safety

training, something the department

That’s not the case for millions poll showed that 2.5 million more has been doing for more than 50 of shooters across America, though. Americans nationally are target years; shooting range development Simply stated, we need more places shooting now than were six months (the Arizona Game and Fish Com-for people to go shooting. As a re- earlier. Additionally, 43 percent of mission owns six shooting ranges cent survey commissioned by the those polled (representing nearly 98 and continues to identify areas that National Shooting Sports Founda- million people) had some interest in need a local range); providing grants tion showed, more people are—and trying shooting sports or hunting. to local not-for-profit, public ranges want to—go shooting these days. With firearms sales remaining for improvements, expansions, and The study, “Shooting Sports relatively strong—especially the developments; introductory shoot-

Participation Survey in the United sale of the modern sporting rifle, ing programs for air guns, archery,
States in 2009,” was conducted for in which the Survey showed that pistol, rifle and shotgun, focused
NSSF by Responsive Management 8.9 million Americans went target primarily on kids, women and fami-
through a random-digit dialing tel- shooting with AR-style rifles in 2009 lies; team sport-based programs, like
ephone survey of 8204 U.S. residents and that participants using this type the Scholastic Clay Target Program
ages 18 and older. Mark Damian of rifle were the most active among (SCTP) and Archery in the Schools
Duda, executive director of Respon- all types of sport shooters—one big (AIS); shooting leagues and clinics;
sive Management, said “This was key for our industry downstream and Olympic training at the Ari-
a highly scientific study with the is providing both old and new par- zona Game and Fish Department’s
sample meticulously developed on ticipants with a place to go shooting Ben Avery Shooting Facility near
a state-by-state basis to construct that is both fun and convenient for Phoenix, which has hosted the USA
the national number. Both landline them. My home state of Arizona is Archery Olympic Team Trials, while
and cell phones were utilized in the creatively doing its part to meet this the facility’s Clay Target Center is a
actual proportions they exist within growing demand. certified USA Shooting Regional
the American population.” Duda “When the firearm industry and Training Center for Olympic shot-
said this type of telephone survey firearm ownership grows, so does gun shooting.
yields a 95 percent confidence level. the demand for a place to shoot, and With our federal, state, and local
The report’s sampling error is plus that’s where we come in,” said Jay governments bleeding red ink faster
or minus 1.08 percentage points. Cook, shooting ranges branch chief than the gulf oil spill disaster, odds
The study showed that 15 per- of the Arizona Game and Fish De- are that funds devoted to new shoot-
cent of the U.S. population, repre- partment. “Our shooting range pro- ing range development will become
senting 34.4 million people, went gram is committed to assuring that harder to come by in coming years.
target shooting in 2009. This number the public has a safe, controlled, and That leaves it up to us. Part of that is
surpasses all other previous survey convenient place to shoot their fire- helping ensure that public lands re-
estimates of annual sport shooting arms. And, as an agency that doesn’t main open to informal plinking and
participation. “This study measured receive any funding from the state’s target shooting, a practice that has
all shooting participation—from general tax fund but rather operates come under fire in recent years.
hunters sighting in, to friends going on a user-pay, user-benefit business You can view the full NSSF/Re-
shooting with friends who own fire- model, our primary source of rev- sponsive Management “Shooting
arms, to womenpracticingtheirself- enue is from license and tag sales, Sports Participation Survey in the
defense skills. This study measured some range fees, and federal appro- U.S. in 2009,” by going to http://nssf.
the full range of shooting activities priations.” Cook was referring to the org/newsroom/pollresults/. -SSR
across America,” Duda said. And a $11 million in Pittman-Robertson Comment? Write to:
separate March, 2010 NSSF/Harris monies the state received in 2009. SSREditor@klapublishing.com