TargetTalk

My American Legion Post wants to start a Junior Air Rifle Program.
We will be starting from the ground up.
I would love to hear any advise on the best steps to take.
Finding a range.
Insurance.
Guns.
Promoting and finding Juniors.
Getting by the anti-gun bias.
Any other item I haven't thought of yet.

Trooperjake wrote:My American Legion Post wants to start a Junior Air Rifle Program.
We will be starting from the ground up.
I would love to hear any advise on the best steps to take.
Finding a range.
Insurance.
Guns.
Promoting and finding Juniors.
Getting by the anti-gun bias.
Any other item I haven't thought of yet.

1) Contact Colin Short at The American Legion and get your post to fill out the TAL affiliation paperwork.
The programs for the 2014 match should be out within a few months ... the TAL match is a 3 stage match ... 2 qualification stages and the National Championship event .... firing for the quals starts in Nov with the championship in Late July or early August next year. (Just completed this past weekend)
In my mind The American Legion National Champion is THE premier national championship for 3-P Air Rifle ... The American Legion makes this a First Class event for the competitors who make it all the way to the Nationals. (plus $2500 scholarships for the winners)
http://www.legion.org/shooting
(check out the pretty girl who won the precision event this year!)

2) Consider using a 4-H program to host the program ... the insurance that can cover you there makes it worth that part and gives you a stream of youth that may be interested in the shooting sports ... there are some issues with 4-H to be sure, but they can usually be overcome.
Also, as a 4-H club you can affiliate with the CMP at no cost ... you want to be affiliated with the CMP

3) Guns & equipment ... check out the NRA foundation grants. Don't ask for all at once ... it took us 4 years to get our program to the point where we only need pellets for our airgun program. If the post is serious, then they can pitch in some money as well.

Rough costs here (per gun/equip) --- conservative:
A) Rifle - $500 (Daisy has cheaper ones...)
B) OH Stand - $125 (you can make these yourself for about $50)
http://vc4hss.com/_Coaches/images/Offhand_Stand.pdf
C) Scope - $100
D) Scope stand - $125
E) Mat - $75
F) Kneeling roll - $50
G) Glove - $35

A "Lujan" style target stand/pellet trap is about $75 each to make.
http://www.odcmp.com/Training/TargetStand.htm

Other Coaching resources at CMP:
http://www.odcmp.com/Training/CoachingResources.htm

4) Gun bias .... ignore it, you probably won't change folks minds, but the best you can hope for is that they will not see it as a negative for youth.

5) Get your Level-1 (or above) Coach certificate ... you'll learn a lot at that class.

6) The range ... I feel you need a space year round ... your shooters really need to practice all year ... not just a few weeks before the state match. We are fortunate that our county fairgrounds has a part of a building that we use all year except for county fair time. Try and get a space big enough you can get 8-10 lanes in.

7) Do a search in this forum ... there are lots of threads with topics such as yours ... all the way back 9+ years ... lots of info in the old posts

Thanks jhmartin
Good advise, I am already a level II (B) coach, I let my rating expire 6 years ago. But I still have 2 CMP ratings active and my NRA Rifle/pistol instructor rating.
I ran a Junior Rifle Club for 30 years, but that was a program in place with equipment and range when I started. This will be from the ground up.
I don't think 4H would be a help, as this has to be a American Legion program.
I am already in contact with the Legion headquarters.
I think I would need 2-3 years to bring a program to the level of a traveling team. At this point I don't even have one junior.

Trooperjake wrote:I don't think 4H would be a help, as this has to be a American Legion program.

Note that the vast majority of TAL affiliated clubs are either 1) High School JROTC programs; B) Private gun clubs; or C) 4-H programs. Very few are only American Legion Post clubs.

Being associated with JROTC, Clubs, or 4-H does bring in sometimes interesting aspects to club administration but can give you an infrastructure with which to recruit shooters.

If the Post has the ability/desire/commitment to put together and fund it's own range then it makes sense, but trying to run a long term program without a dedicated range will be a tough nut to crack. (IMO)

Actually, our club is both American Legion Affiliated and 4-H. That being said, our Legion doesn't provide anything that I am aware of.

SailAwayAK wrote:Actually, our club is both American Legion Affiliated and 4-H. That being said, our Legion doesn't provide anything that I am aware of.

From what I've seen most Legion Posts contribute mostly motivation & recognition ... which is very helpful in communities that are either ambivalent or somewhat hostile to any shooting sports.
Some can even contribute monetarily, especially if they have any gaming in the Post (I think they have to donate the "profits" to community organizations).

That's why I was somewhat surprised that a Post wanted to take on sponsoring/forming/supporting a shooting program in it's entirety. If TrooperJake has a Post willing to do that ... fantastic, but I think most of us are happy with the positive community attitude of support they give.

The American Legion National Championship is a perfect example of their enthusiasm for the junior shooting sports programs. One of the best matches a junior can be invited to attend.

jhmartin wrote:......From what I've seen most Legion Posts contribute mostly motivation & recognition ... which is very helpful in communities that are either ambivalent or somewhat hostile to any shooting sports.
Some can even contribute monetarily, especially if they have any gaming in the Post (I think they have to donate the "profits" to community organizations).

Hmmmm I should ask if we can get on that list....LOL~

The American Legion National Championship is a perfect example of their enthusiasm for the junior shooting sports programs. One of the best matches a junior can be invited to attend.

Very true. Hopefully I can get a kiddo or two to qualify!

Well, Hopefully he can get going with a great program. My point would be not to drop the idea of a 4-h infrastructure, insurance, training....and be able to have American Legion work with you to get everything going. Especially if they have a large room that you can start shooting Air Rifle in. ;)

Just some late night rambling but I'm sure the posts legionares have children/grandchildren, neighbors, etc. I wouldn't worry too much about recruiting. As far as anti gun bias only faaaaaar lefties would flip over "bb guns"
As for the match itself it's definitely something to strive for. I won it in 2011 and got a VIP trip to Minneapolis, the scholarship, and met Obama.

it's very closely watched by certain people at USA shooting that may or may not be in charge of certain teams that represent us. There's a pattern of American legion champions going on to the junior national team and national team.


From what I've seen for the last few years is that it takes about a 580 to get an invite. Usually averaging in the low to mid 590s win it.

Dan L
It is not a BB gun program,
It is Air Rifle.

Dan L wrote:From what I've seen for the last few years is that it takes about a 580 to get an invite. Usually averaging in the low to mid 590s win it.

Exactly ... although it is a 2 stage qualification process.
The American Legion has added an endurance twist as well. At the National Match shooters fire 2 3x20 matches for each of 2 consecutive days (4 matches total). Those that don't train for the endurance aspect can be easily left behind early in the match.

CMP 3-P air (and thus the TAL National match) is still using the old final where the scores from the qualifying matches are carried over into the final so wide gaps can be carried into the final.

I think if Dan won it a couple years ago, he knows its not BB gun! Hes won a lot of matches since too

Here is a good paper to get you started. But in brief, your first choice should be the Crosman CH2009S. If you can't afford that your next choice should be the Daisy AVANTI Gold Medalist Model 887.

Your third choice should be the Daisy AVANTI Medalist Model 888, although you will have to watch the front sights on the 888 as they will move. We secure ours with a small amount of JB Weld. Also, this rifles grip can be problematic, especially in the standing position.

You will also need slings and handstops, along with the charging equipment for the rifles's cylinder.

Please do not waste your time with any pump rifles. All your rifles should be PCP for optimal training using the CMP and MEC methods.