Link to news and webtv from the event:
http://nrk.sesam.no/search/?c=n&ss_lt=sitesearch&ss_ss=nrk.no&ss_pid=nrk&ss_vpos=top&userSortBy=datetime&q=landsskytterstevnet

Link to the shooting organisation w this years results:
http://www.dfs.no/./?module=Articles;action=Article.publicShow;ID=9834

Link to the “producer”, the target support service with manufacturer in earlier post.

With the potential you should have for audience and “consumers” I’m quite surprised that rifle shooting is such a “lowly” event in the US. How much money is spent on ammunition in the US market? Must be tons compared to Norway.

EDITOR: Tom, could you do a short report on your Norwegian Championships for the Bulletin? Maybe with a photo or two? I think our readers would be VERY interested in learning more. I did find some images of the 2005/2006 event, but nothing for 2007.

I’ve read and re-read your post and have given it some thought.

I feel that Shotgunning has become more acceptable due to the fact that it is looked on as a genteel sport. Let’s face it, the rich control the country. The rich play golf, shoot clays, play tennis, and play polo. All of which draw big media attention and purses.

In this neck of the woods to go shoot sporting clays can run you $50 for one round, and that’s just the range fee, it’s not a poor mans pastime.

How can golf, tennis, and shotgunning get such high purses, and media attention? Because the rich who own company’s, who are CEO’s, and are corporate VP’s of the sponsors see to it that their “interest’, or “sport”is taken care of.
Golf in the beginning was solely a pastime of the Country Club set. It was never intended for the working class. Same goes for the equestrian sports. Shooting clays was a gentleman’s pastime, again not for the unwashed masses. Tennis the same it was for the rich and Royalty. Look at Wimbledon. It gets a solid week of major network time. What other sport gets that? Not to mention “the Royal box” for the royal family.

If there ever is gun control you better believe the rich will still have their Holland and Holland’s for their trips to the wild, and will keep their expensive shotguns.
Don’t think so? Look at England.

Rifle shooting will never get the sponsorship, huge purses, and media attention, because every commoner can own one and compete. Go to any country club and sit at the 19th hole, sip a gin and tonic, and bring up the topic of hunting season and see what kind of response you get. Talk about noses in the air. And if you want to get the full impact go to a Polo match or the Derby and bring up anything other than golf, tennis, or Polo. Hell, they’ll have you mucking out the stables!

Another thing that hurts us, which I hate to even mention are the fact that Ar-15’s, 50 BMG’s, and anything tactical reflects poorly on competitive rifle shooters. I own both an AR15 and a Remington PSS set up for tactical competition and I guarantee you a lot of people shake their heads and wonder why I even have such things. My in-laws included. Most semi automatic handguns get the same reception.

I didn’t mean this to be a rant, it’s just some thoughts going through my head.

Danny

The big difference is action. Shotgunning has allot of action. For broad media interest, you’ve got to find a way to entertain non shooters and that takes action. I think tactical has a better chance as it has so many aspects that are more similar to other sports than even shotgunning.

They also like photogenic subjects that can become celebrities.

I think it could be neet though to bring in the hotshots from different specialties and make they all shoot each others game. I bet they would enjoy that too. Kind of a shooter-cathalon.

Organizing a pro-curcuit seems real attractive. Would probably be on the cheap for the first few years while promoters, the media, and sponsors figured out how to do it. Kind of a Nascar clone with guys traveling in motorhomes pulling a gunsmithing trailer. They could also appear at county fairs doing exibitions to make more money and spread the word.

best wishes
mark

Because there are a lot of knuckle heads that think money will ruin the sport. Just look at the fiasco that Springfield Armory Inc. created by not awarding an overall award and trying to massage the award schedule to make it fair.

There is also a strong socialist leaning among some shooters that feel it is not fair if good shooters win matches as well as prizes. God forbid if a High Master were to win a match and take home a rifle or something better. That wouldn’t be fair to the guy that sux.

I have not seen the Sportmans Challange on network TV lately, but they attempted to creat a nice, visually-appealing event. If we can attract that kind of sponsorship we will be a world ahead. How about something like the Carolina egg shoot? That is visual, could use some more pizzaz, but it has potential.