Good news folks — most states have lifted restrictions on shooting ranges. Subject to “social distancing” and safety requirements (masks etc.) many public ranges and private shooting facilities are now open for business. If the weather permits, we encourage readers to head to local ranges which are permitted to operate. Use the opportunity to get out of the house, enjoy some fresh air, and dust off those skills. To help you have fun on your range trips, here are 12 FREE printable targets.
FREE FUN Targets from NSSF
The Billiards Table Target above offers 15 brightly-colored numbered balls with the cue ball at the bottom. Aim for the numbers, shooting 1-15 in sequence, or alternate between stripes and solids. You can also draw an “X” on the white cue ball (or attach a paster), and use that to set your zero. This target is fun for shooting outdoors with rifles at 50 or 100 yards or indoors with pistols. This billiards target is part of a set of 12 Fun Targets from the NSSF. These were issued a couple seasons back for National Shooting Sports Month, held in August of each year.
FREE NSSF Fun Targets — Dartboard, Golf, Billiards, Bowling, Baseball and More…
HERE are a dozen FREE Targets. Along with Bullseye targets, there are some very cool specialty targets here, including a Golf Course Target, Baseball Diamond Target, Billiards Target, Light Bulb Target, Bowling Pin Target, and even a Windmill Target. Enjoy the myriad possibilities with these 12 fun targets.
In school districts in many states, public schools remain closed due to concerns over COVID-19. That means kids are home, and in the Northern States with snow on the ground, those kids are stuck inside all day long. With more gun owners at home with their kids for extended periods, firearms safety is more important than ever. Given that fact, the NSSF reminds gun owners to keep their guns locked up so they cannot be accessed by children.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and its partners urge gun owners to keep firearm safety a top priority and are making safety resources widely available as gun and ammunition sales increase, especially among first-time firearm purchasers.
“During this stressful time and with children spending more time at home, the firearm industry reminds gun owners that protecting yourself and your family includes making sure your firearms are stored securely when not in use”, said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “The last thing any firearm owner wants is to have their gun fall into the wrong hands, particularly those of a child or someone at risk of harming themselves.”
For anyone considering buying a gun, Project ChildSafe’s Road To Responsible Firearm OwnershipMany Paths to Firearm Safety video series helps gun owners determine the best safe storage device for their home/lifestyle. You also view the Safe Storage Options chart.
NSSF encourages gun owners and non-gun owners to use the firearm safety resources available on its Project ChildSafe website. These include the McGruff Gun Safety videos for young children and this educational video explaining how to discuss gun safety with children:
“More parents are assuming the role of educators in their homes, so it’s a good to time have a talk with your kids about gun safety, even if you don’t own a gun”, Bartozzi said. “If you do own a firearm, be sure your family understands the safety rules regarding firearms in your home, and always store guns responsibly when not in use.”
NSSF APPLAUDS OCC FINALIZATION OF FAIR ACCESS BANKING RULE
The NSSF, the firearm industry’s trade association, applauded the finalization of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) rule to end discrimination by financial service providers against the firearm industry and others. NSSF worked closely with the OCC and members of the U.S. Congress to ensure banking and credit decisions are based on credit worthiness and financial risk assessment for all legal businesses.
“NSSF has championed fair access to financial services for the firearm and ammunition industry and is pleased to witness the end of unfair and politically-motivated discriminatory practices by banking institutions that have a legal duty to service all legal businesses,” said Lawrence Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “This rule will ensure large financial institutions that are supported by taxpayer-funded resources…must provide fair and equal access to services based on their objective financial creditworthiness [not] ‘woke’ political considerations.”
The finalized rule ensures fair access to banking services provided by large national banks, federal savings associations and, federal branches and agencies of foreign bank organizations. It codifies more than a decade of OCC guidance stating that banks should provide access to services, capital, and credit based on the risk assessment of individual customers, rather than broad-based decisions affecting whole categories or classes of customers.
The finalized rule evens the playing field. It stops corporate banks from picking winners and losers based on executives’ personal politics. It protects banks from outside pressure from special interest groups seeking to use the banks as a political weapon. The rule enforces protections passed by Congress and signed into law with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
NSSF knows this finalized rule was only possible through the leadership and diligent efforts of many. NSSF is especially grateful to Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian P. Brooks, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.).
Spending by hunters on their activities helps the economy and funding from hunters helps preserve wildlife. According to the NSSF, sportsmen contribute more than $2.9 billion every year for conservation. And over the last century sportsmen have paid many billions for on-the-ground projects in every state, protecting the natural environment and our fish and wildlife.
Unfortunately, hunters and hunting are under attack from misguided environmentalists who are seeking to ban hunting in many areas, as well as restrict or even eliminate traditional lead-based ammunition.
The NSSF video above and Infographic below address the issue of traditional ammunition, explaining why the attacks on lead ammo are misguided. Lead pollution is a real issue, but the amount of lead left in the wilderness from hunter’s bullets is miniscule compared to most important causes of lead pollution such as industrial waste and improper disposal of lead-compound batteries. What is REALLY going on, particularly in blue states like California, is that the leftists are attempting to use “green” strategies to advance their anti-gun agenda. This really isn’t about “getting the lead out” — it is about getting rid of guns.
There will be no actual SHOT Show in Las Vegas next month — the huge trade show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) will offer an online learning experience, which it calls SHOT Show On Demand. Registration has just opened for SHOT Show’s “On Demand” offerings: SHOT University, Retailer Seminars, and Import/Export Webinar Series. These commence with Import/Export sessions on January 11, and conclude with a final Retailer Seminar on January 29, 2021.
Highlights of the 24 On-demand sessions for retailers and range owners will include:
Insurance for Shooting Sports Industry Ranges, Retailers, and Distributers
Firearms Ownership & Expansion in a growing American Demographic
The All-New Form 4473: You Have Questions, We Have Answers
Setting Your Range up for Success with First Time Shooters
Social Media Masterclass as a Team
2021 Annual ATF & NICS Townhall
The full lineup of available 2021 SHOT Show online education sessions can be viewed at https://shotshow.org/shot-show-on-demand-education. The Import/Export series (four live sessions) takes place Jan. 11-14. SHOT University (six live and two prerecorded sessions) takes place Jan. 18-20, while the 12 all-live Retailer Seminars take place Jan. 21-29. Registration for SHOT University, which includes all eight sessions, is just $265 for NSSF members. Retailer Seminars are available for $25 each to NSSF members, $50 each to non-members.
Here are the SHOT University offerings scheduled for January 18-20, 2021:
Session Recordings for Later Viewing:
For those who can’t attend the sessions at their scheduled times, recordings of all educational sessions will also be provided, which can be accessed at any time with your paid registration.
The NSSF, as part of its ChildSafe Program, has just released a 26-page PDF document covering all aspects of firearms safety and safe storage. We recommend that new gun owners review this Safety Brochure. In addition, NSSF and Project ChildSafe offer a variety of other educational materials and resources:
Message from the NSSF:
“With the holiday season upon us, the National Shooting Sports Foundation reminds Americans to practice responsible safety measures at home, including safe and responsible firearm handling and storage. “It’s important to remember that the holidays can be a challenging time of year for many, and that may be especially true this year — particularly for those who are unable to see loved ones due to the pandemic, or who may be feeling isolated or alone for other reasons,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “We want to ensure families are practicing safe firearm storage habits to reduce the chance of a firearm accident this holiday season.”
SAFETY QUIZ — NSSF has created Firearm Storage and Safety Assessment Quiz. This walks gun owners through questions related to safe handling and storage of firearms. Click Link below to take the Quiz.
Now this is definitely “putting your money where your mouth is”. Kudos to Smith & Wesson for helping fund the NSSF at a time when our gun rights are being seriously challenged at Federal, State, and local levels.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. announced today that it will donate $500,000 to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to help fund the Foundation’s continued efforts to advocate gun rights and support the firearms industry. SW declared that “The work that the NSSF performs on behalf of the firearms industry is unparalleled and [it] been instrumental to ensuring the success of the industry for almost 60 years.” This $500K donation adds to another half-million dollars S&W has given to the NSSF over the past 11 months.
“When the NSSF decided to cancel the 2021 SHOT Show, we felt it was important to show them that we stand behind them during these challenging times. Smith & Wesson fully supports the NSSF and the work that they continue to do on behalf of our industry”, said Mark Smith, S&W President and CEO. “The National Shooting Sports Foundation is a strong advocate for the Second Amendment and helps promote hunting and the shooting sports. Smith & Wesson is proud to have donated over $1 million in 2020 to support [NSSF] efforts.”
About Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI) is a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing, delivering a broad portfolio of quality handgun, long gun, and suppressor products to the global consumer and professional markets under the iconic Smith & Wesson®, M&P, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech brands. The company also provides manufacturing services including forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services.
Do you have a friend or family member who is a first-time gun owner? Then show them this article. It provides important guidelines for new gun owners. There’s an Infographic printed below. And, there’s a helpful Firearm Storage and Safety Assessment Quiz. This walks gun owners through questions related to safe handling and storage of firearms. Here is Part One of the Quiz. If you click on this part, you can complete the entire Quiz and see how you score.
NSSF Infographic for New Gun Owners
Below is the latest NSSF Infographic for new gun owners. This provides questions to ask before buying a gun, plus information on safe gun storage at home. This Infographic is part of a large collection of NSSF Resources for New Gun Owners.
Want to learn more? CLICK HERE for the Interactive Version of the NSSF Infographic. On that Interactive PDF, click on the smaller buttons to get additional information, or to watch related videos.
We first ran this article in 2012, and it was very well received. Since then, many Forum members have requested an explanation of MILS and mildots, so we decided to run this feature again…
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
Even if you normally shoot at known distances, the hold-off capability of milrad-reticle scopes can help you shoot more accurately in rapidly-changing wind conditions. And, when you must engage multiple targets quickly, you can use the reticle’s mil markings to move quickly from one target distance to another without having to spin your elevation turrets up and down.
WEB RESOURCES: If you want to learn more about using Milliradians and Mildot scopes, we suggest the excellent Mil-dot.com User Guide. This covers the basics you need to know, with clear illustrations. Also informative is The Truth about Mil Dots by Michael Haugen. Mr. Haugen begins with basic definitions: 1 radian = 2 PI; 1 Milliradian (Milrad or ‘Mil’) = 1/1000th of a radian; 1 Milliradian = .0573 degrees.
There has been a huge surge in firearm sales this year. October 2020 set a new, all-time record for the month. The October 2020 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,769,553 is a 60.1% increase over the October 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,105,335.
Even more telling, the 2020 year-to-date total of 17.2 million background checks shatters the previous annual record of 15.7 million background checks — and we still have two months in 2020! Notably, a high percentage of the purchasers are first-time gun owners. In fact the NSSF believes that nearly 5 million Americans have joined the ranks of gun owners for the first time this year.
Firearm sales are up 95% in 2020. And, according to the NSSF, there were nearly 5 million first-time-ever gun buyers in the USA this year. A NSSF dealer survey estimates that 40% of all gun sales were conducted to purchasers who have never previously owned a firearm. And women accounted for 40.2% of all first-time gun purchases. The NSSF estimates there are approximately 100 million gun owners in America.
Resources for New Gun Owners
With firearm sales continuing to surge across the country, NSSF President/CEO Joe Bartozzi welcomes first-time gun buyers in a new video with tips on how to safely enjoy the shooting sports. Here is the video for new gun owners.
“As a first-time gun owner, you’re going to want to spend time practicing with your new firearm … improving your gun-handling and marksmanship skills … and to educate [yourself] about personal and home protection, and to learn about keeping our guns securely stored…” says Bertozzi.
Firearm safety is every gun owner’s primary responsibility, emphasizes Bartozzi, a lifelong target shooter and hunter. As gun owners, “you and I are responsible for safely handling, transporting, and storing our firearms[.]” Newcomers are encouraged to watch NSSF’s Range Safety and Etiquette videos. You will find these on the NSSF YouTube Channel. Here is a basic safety video:
Where to Shoot Online Resource and Mobile Apps
If you are looking for a good indoor or outdoor shooting range near you, visit Wheretoshoot.org. On that website you can search by city, state, or zip code to find a range near you.
To complement Wheretoshoot.org, the NSSF also offers Where To Shoot Mobile Apps. These iOS and Android Apps quickly locate shooting ranges near you, drawing on North America’s most comprehensive range directory. Users can search by current location, state, or zip code. Once you locate a range, you can view activities offered along with a summary of range facilities. You can even get driving directions.
FREE FUN Targets from NSSF
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
