For the 2nd year in a row the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is championing August as the National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). The purpose of the NSSF’s mission for August being National Shooting Sports Month is to spotlight the fun and safe activity that is shooting firearms and welcome individuals who are curious or may have always wanted to try shooting. Numerous ranges throughout the U.S. will be hosting their own special events to highlight the month of August. The NSSF has established a website – LetsGoShooting.org – to aggregate all of these social happenings for people to check out.
The NSSF has accumulated research showing that 50 million Americans participate in shooting firearms recreationally or for defense with countless more willing to try. Firearms are something that can be adapted to nearly all shooter preferences, physiques and abilities. This is just a short list of the areas that new shooters could explore:
- Action Pistol Shooting
- Long-Range Rifle Shooting
- Shotgun – Skeet
- Shotgun – Trap
- Shotgun – Sporting Clays
- Blackpowder Shooting
- Cowboy Action Shooting
- USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association)
- IDPA (International Defense Pistol Association)
- 3-Gun Competition (Use of Handgun, Shotgun & Rifle)
People can go target shooting year-round, but the month of August is National Shooting Sports Month— a time for the community of firearms owners to celebrate and enjoy the shooting sports with friends, family and newcomers they want to introduce to these lifetime activities.
In 2017, the National Shooting Sports Foundation established August to be National Shooting Sports Month—and its declaration met with widespread approval. This first-ever national celebration of the shooting sports attracted thousands of participants to local shooting ranges, ranges and firearms retailers listed hundreds of special events and other segments of the firearms industry supported National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM) as sponsors and through donations of sweepstakes prizes.
So for the month of August, be sure to introduce someone new to firearms and… Get Out and SHOOT! Also, while you are out shooting in the month of August, be sure to use the NSSM hashtag of #letsgoshooting on all of your social media!