The Journal Sentinel has posted an article about the growth of shooting sports …

According to a study conducted by Responsive Management, 34.4 million Americans went target shooting in 2009.

For comparison, 28.6 million Americans golfed (a minimum of one round) in 2008, according to the National Golf Foundation.

The Responsive Management study included a wide spectrum of shooting activities at gun clubs and ranges, including hunters sighting in rifles, trap and skeet shooters and handgun owners practicing marksmanship.

Although the number – about 15% of the nation’s population – is not insignificant, target shooters are a distinct minority in America.

And unlike golf, shooting carries a negative stigma in much of mainstream America.

[Hat Tip: Rustmeister’s Alehouse]