Indiana has never been a bastion of registered skeet shooters, but when I was shooting we easily had over 100 shooters at the annual state shoot. The state shoot was just held last week and I was told they only had 20 shooters. A C class shooter was the only one to break a hundred in the 12 ga event. Is skeet going to go the way of the dodo bird, the passenger pigeon, and the Tasmanian tiger ?
Where was the state shoot held this year? I shot it a few times when help at St. Joe. Haven't shot registered skeet in about 4 or 5 years.
I looked up last year, 2020, and saw they only had 23 in attendance. Last one I shot 4-5 years ago there were maybe 50 -60.
I can't speak to Trap shooting here because I just joined ATA and will start registered this year. Registered Skeet is almost dead here. We had a grand total of 7 HOA shooters at the State Shoot with 6 Sub-Senior and above and one Triple Sub. We have 6 ranges in the state with Skeet fields and only 3 that throw registered targets. Ten to fifteen shooters max is considered good attendance. Recreational Skeet leagues produce 30 plus attendees all the time. Registered Skeet, IMHO, is dying for sure.
i warned nssa gods years ago this would happen. and it did. as the wealthy stick to their guns, registered remains for them. but the others would return to smaller clubs and stop spending money for registered birds, and enjoy local venues more than large venues where no one knows you. viola. i was always a supporter of small venues and ive been lambasted for years on the internet over it. looks like the turtle beat the rabbit afterall.
Trap is not too far behind, as the senior vets slowly die off there will be but few left.youth programs help but as youth leave high school or college, they join the work force and start a family.
youth shooting is a fad for the most part....until something else becomes more interesting to them. sometimes all that effort parents put into it to save the sport goes out the window for the most part. what a lot of people miss is that youth shooting programs do have a hidden or tempting purpose...which is, to offer college scholarships. parents sometimes push kids to shoot for the soul purpose of saving their wallets from college costs. granted, if youre good, and can shoot, and make your grades, great! but to graduate, sell the gun, and move on to something else comes across as usery to me. seems everyone in life has a means to an end. and nothing lasts a lifetime anymore.
If you think "usury" is the goal for parents encouraging their kids to shoot for the purpose of obtaining scholarship dollars you may be right. But I doubt it. I doubt you could coerce a kid now a days to really do anything He/she doesn't really want to do. And even if they did the kid would still have to be good mouth to get recognized and obtain scholarship dollars. Regardless, you use the word "usury" seemingly in a derogatory manner. I would submit that if even one kid shooting continues on past high school that would be a win for shooting in general. The high schoolers of today will be the ones to replace us old farts. If not them, then who ?
and for the record, I speak with facts observed as a range owner/operator, not feelings. parents buy the guns, blow in to gleen my knowledge for their kids, blow out, go to the big shoots with schools, get scholorships, kids graduate and I never see any of them again. the kids get jobs, serve our country, move in to rents, buy cars, get married or shack up, have babies, buy houses.........and not necessarily in that order. goodbye shooting. sometimes you bet on the wrong horse. it was the introduction of the middle class that saved clay sports and it still is. kids don't have money. parents do. we need to market the parents. but in most cases, they treat some ranges as if its a day care and could care less about guns or shooting. tuff row to plow. regards...
Many Kids shoot until something better comes along like the opposite sex and dating Skeet need to find a way to market itself to the Golf crowd (early 30s good income) this years NC state did not have a single vendor.
I think as much as anything that is a reflection on Ft Bragg itself. I'm shooting two events there this year and that is it. Southern Virginia and South C arolina clubs are so much more inviting.
ft liberty lol I plan on shooting the nc state again this year Other than that will mostly be small shoots on VA NC line will try to shoot the one at old hickory in nc then airfield and ft lee in va
I just refuse to call it anything other than Bragg. No need explaining WHY. I have been to the US Open and Zone there last several years. I'm done with Ishoots. The US open is ridiculous at nearly 70 a gun with NO pay back The Zone is not much better. I'm traveling a little this year. Seniors in St Augustine. Masters Richmond for Pletcher and fathers Day shoots. Years ago the military awarded BRAGG 300,000 dollars to get the drive into the place paved. They sat on it for a year and Katrina hit. Army took it back and now you have that dusty mess and when it rains its no better. For personal reasons which was knowing well both Henry Grubb and John Scott I will attend the April tourney in their honor. State shoot is the only other one. Rowan Wildlife is having a 4 gun shoot in August.
