In a recent press release, American Sportsman Shooting Center is putting together a summer camp for high school/middle school teenagers (it actually doesn’t specify an age limit, but this is what I am assuming). –

Grapevine, TX – American Sportsman Shooting Center, home of the nation’s only indoor, live-fire cinema range, has announced a summer Youth Shooting Academy, presented by K-5 Arms Exchange, that will be conducted from July 20 – August 13, 2015.  Each weekly session will introduce and educate young shooters between the ages of 13 and 18 in basic rifle fundamentals, and safe gun handling. Students will learn from Sportsman Shooting Center’s experienced NRA certified instructors, utilizing modern indoor electronic range facilities.

In additional to outstanding rifle instruction, students will have an opportunity to win a portion of over $16,000 in sponsored prizes. The top student in each session will win a “Radical AR-15” rifle provided by TK Tactical and valued at $1,000.  The top overall student of the summer academy will win a Blaser R8 Professional rifle package (valued at $4,500) courtesy of Blaser USA, as well as a guided Oryx hunt donated by Droptine Ranch in Trent, TX (valued at $7,500). Total prize value for the Overall Top Shooter is $12,000.

“A high level of rifle instruction, and close attention to a shooter’s needs are what you expect from the American Sportsman Shooting Center,” said Steven Giordano, Executive Vice President of the American Sportsman Shooting Center. “Very few shooting centers in the world can offer what we have: a 100 yard indoor sighting tunnel, a laser simulator, and the nation’s only full size, live-fire cinema projection rifle range make this an unbeatable location to develop outstanding shooters. The fact that these students will also have a chance to win the level of prizes offered by our generous sponsors just makes a great opportunity even better.

Some more details on the program are as follows. The best students get some pretty nice equipment as well. It doesn’t specify if the tuition includes accommodation as well-

Four – 4 day Sessions Available. Each session holds 12 students, and goes from 9:00am until 3:30pm.

– Session I > July 20-23

– Session II > July 27-30

– Session III > August 3-6

– Session IV > August 10-13

Tuition: $1,000 per/Student-per/Session

Top Student FROM EACH SESSION (written Exam and Practical shooting score) earns a Radical AR15 Rifle (Engraved w/TK Tactical Logo). Overall Shooter from all Four Sessions (written Exam and Practical shooting score) receives a Blaser R8 Rifle Package and a Guided Oryx Hunt on the Droptine Ranch.

Each session also inlcudes:

– $250 Annual membership

– Lunch catered by Dickey’s BBQ

– Ammo sponsored by Norma Ammunition

– Micro sights provided by Aimpoint (Radical and Blaser packages only)

Their live fire cinema target system looks really sweet! It’s a projector that puts various images or games onto their indoor range, and is somehow coordinated with the motion of rounds passing through it, and thus gives feedback on whether or not the targets were hit.

When I was in my teens, I was lucky enough to convince my parents to send me to a camp such as this, at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. It was called Adventure Camp (is still ongoing), covered all four disciplines in 2 weeks (Rifle, Shotgun, Handgun, and Muzzleloader) in addition to a simulated hunt, Hunters Education Certificate, Archery, camping, outdoor cooking/animal skinning, trapping, and various other classes on fieldcraft. Absolutely outstanding program, and the only reason I didn’t continue on with it as a Counselor was due to my own immaturity at the time.