Tomorrow is the first day of August, the beginning of National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). Each August, throughout the month, America’s shooters come together to celebrate our sport and get newcomers involved. To help grow the ranks of shooters, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) asks you to bring a new shooter to the range in August. That’s a good mission — adding to the ranks of shooters is the best way to preserve our Second Amendment rights.
This coast-to-coast celebration spotlights the fun and enjoyment of target shooting. Newcomers can take their first shots, and experienced shooters can invite someone new to the range or help an erstwhile shooter rediscover the fun of target shooting. This month-long event involves all the shooting sports — rifle, pistol, and shotgun.
Find Shooting Sports Events Near You
The NSSF’s ShootingSportsMonth.org website offers a comprehensive, searchable database. This lets you search by state, to find ranges, events, and sales promotions near you. Visit the NSSF online database of NSSM shooting events to find matches, clinics, training sessions, special sales — and much more.
Great FREE Targets for Fun at the Range
To promote National Shooting Sports Month, the NSSF offers 17 FREE Downloadable Targets. There are regular bullseyes, as well as Darts, Golf, and more. We really like the Billiards target and kids love the Water Balloons target. You can download all 17 targets for free, and then print them out, ideally with a color printer. Below are six of our favorite targets. Click HERE to download these six targets (3.5 mb ZIP).
What Shooters Can Do to Promote National Shooting Sports Month:
The NSSF says: “As shooters, you serve a critical role in the continued growth of gun ownership and shooting sports participation. We urge you to join us this August for National Shooting Sports Month.” There are a variety of ways you can help this August:
— Introduce a family member, friend, or group of friends to the shooting sports by taking them to a local range that’s hosting an event.
— Spread the word to family/friends and encourage them to get out to the range in August.
— Encourage the ranges and retailers near you to host an event this August and add them to the official events calendar at www.ShootingSportsMonth.org.
Want to learn more about Long Range Shooting? Check out the NSFF “Elements of Long Range Shooting” videos hosted by ballistics guru Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics. In this multi-part series, Bryan covers a variety of topics of interest to precision shooters. For today’s Saturday at the Movies special, we feature seven of Bryan’s videos. Watch other informative Long Range Shooting and Ballistics videos with Bryan Litz on the NSSF YouTube Channel.
Atmospherics and Density Altitude
Bryan Litz explains: “An important element in calculating an accurate firing solution for long-range shooting is understanding the effects of atmospherics on a projectile.” Atmospherics include air pressure, air temperature, and humidity. Bryan notes: “Temperature, pressure, and humidity all affect the air density… that the bullet is flying through. You can combine all those factors into one variable called ‘Density Altitude’.” Density Altitude is used by the ballistic solver to account for variables that affect bullet flight.
Bullet Ballistic Coefficients
A bullet’s ballistic coefficient (BC) basically expresses how well the bullet flies through the air. Higher BC bullets have less aerodynamic drag than lower BC projectiles. You will see BCs listed as either G1 and G7 numbers. These correspond to different bullet shape models. Generally speaking, the G7 model works better for the long, boat-tail bullets used for long-range shooting. Notably, a bullet’s drag is NOT constant in flight. The true BC can vary over the course of the trajectory as the bullet velocity degrades. In other words, “BC is dynamic”. That said, you can make very accurate drop charts using the BCs provided by major bullet-makers, as plugged into solvers. However, long-range competitors may want to record “real world” drop numbers at various distances. For example, we’ve seen trajectories be higher than predicted at 500 yards, yet lower than predicted at 1000.
Transonic Range
When considering your rifle’s long-range performance, you need to understand the limit of your bullet’s supersonic range. As the bullet slows below the speed of sound, it enters the transonic zone. This can be accompanied by variations in stability as well as BC changes. Bryan explains “once your bullet slows done below supersonic and you get into transonic effects, there are a lot more considerations that come into play. The drag of the bullet becomes less certain, the stability of the bullet can be challenged, and things related to long times of flight, such as Coriolis and Spin Drift, come into play. So whenever you are shooting long range you need to where your bullet slows down to about 1340 fps.”
Ballistics Solvers — Many Options
Bryan Litz observes: “When we talk about the elements of long range shooting, obviously a very important element is a getting a fire solution, using a ballistic solver. There are a lot of ballistic solvers out there… Applied Ballistics has smartphone Apps. Applied Ballistics has integrated the ballistic solver directly into a Kestral, and the same solver runs (manually) on the Accuracy Solutions Wiz-Wheel. The point is, if it is an Applied Ballistics device it is running the same solutions across the board.”
Bullet Stability and Twist Rates
In this video, Bryan Litz talks about bullet in-flight stability and how to calculate barrel twist-rate requirements for long-range bullets. Bryan explains that bullet stability (for conventional projectiles) is basically provided by the spinning of the bullet. But this spin rate is a function of BOTH the nominal twist rate of the barrel AND the velocity of the projectile. Thus, when shooting the same bullet, a very high-speed cartridge may work with a slower barrel twist rate than is required for a lower-speed (less powerful) cartridge. For match bullets, shot at ranges to 1000 yards and beyond, Bryan recommends a twist rate that offers good stability.
Scope Tracking — Tall Target Test
Have you recently purchased a new scope? Then you should verify the actual click value of the turrets before you use the optic in competition. While a scope may have listed click values of 1/4-MOA, 1/8-MOA or 0.1 Mils, the reality may be slightly different. Many scopes have actual click values that are slightly higher or lower than the value claimed by the manufacturer. The small variance adds up when you click through a wide range of elevation. In this video, Bryan Litz shows how to verify your true click values using a “Tall Target Test”. The idea is to start at the bottom end of a vertical line, and then click up 30 MOA or so. Multiply the number of clicked MOA by 1.047 to get the claimed value in inches. For example, at 100 yards, 30 MOA is exactly 31.41 inches. Then measure the difference in your actual point of impact.
Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis Effect comes into play with extreme long-range shots. The rotation of the earth actually moves the target a small distance (in space) during the long duration of the bullet’s flight. Bryan Litz notes that, in most common shooting situations inside 1K, Coriolis is not significant. At 1000 yards, the Effect represents less than one click (for most cartridge types). Even well past 1000 yards, in windy conditions, the Coriolis Effect may well be “lost in the noise”. But in very calm conditions, when shooting at extreme ranges, Bryan says you can benefit from adjusting your ballistics solution for Coriolis: “The Coriolis Effect… has to do with the spin of the earth. The consequence of that is that, if the flight time of the bullet gets significantly long, the bullet can have an apparent drift from its intended target. The amount [of apparent drift] is very small — it depends on your latitude and azimuth of fire on the planet.”
About Bryan Litz
Bryan began his career as a rocket scientist, quite literally. He then started Applied Ballistics, the leading company focusing on ballistics science for rifle shooting. A past F-TR Long-Range National Champion and Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets, knows his stuff. His Applied Ballistics squad was the winning team at the 2017 King of 2 Miles event, and Applied Ballistics has earned major U.S. defense contracts.
A new report from a voter registration group demonstrates the big impact hunters, recreational shooters, and other American gun owners could have on federal, state, and local elections if they register to vote and then vote in the upcoming November election. The Second Amendment community needs to make sure that the 22.3 million new first-time gun owners since 2020 are registered to vote and then vote this November. NSSF’s #GUNVOTE initiative was created to do just that and according to the newly released survey data from Vote4America, the outcome of the upcoming November presidential election could be determined by Second Amendment supporters.
The key objective should be to increase voter registration numbers for firearms owners, and encourage them to vote this November. According to the Vote4America survey, large numbers of gun owners and hunters in critical swing states are NOT registered to vote. Nationwide, an estimated 10 million gun owners and hunters are NOT registered. In a breakdown by state, the data shows unregistered hunting and Second Amendment supporters total at least 515,277 in Pennsylvania. That number is closer to around 370,000 each in Michigan and North Carolina. In addition, Georgia, Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia “all have more than half a million hunters and gun owners unregistered,” and in Arizona that number totals approximately 133,000.
In a District of Conservation podcast, Vote4America adviser Baker Leavitt said, “If we could convert 2% of all licensed hunters and get them to vote, [the] GOP would win in a landslide.”
INFO on Registering to Vote, Voting Process, and Polling Places
The GunVote.org website has links to official state websites where more details about registering to vote, early voting protocols, and the entire process can be found. For those who wait until election day to cast their ballot, GunVote.org also has comprehensive lists of polling place locations where citizens can vote in their city/state.
Second Amendment rights and the rights of hunters and recreational target shooters are on the ballot every election. If you have a friend or loved one who loves hunting and recreational shooting sports, do your part and make sure they register to vote and then vote in November. If they have questions about how to register, send them to GunVote.org.
Article based on NSSF Report by Matt Manda
There has been a very significant trend since 2020. Firearm industry data reveals something very notable. The NSSF reports: “In a major shift since 2020, a population the size of Florida has become first-time, brand-new gun owners. That’s right — more than 22.3 million people who previously had decided firearm ownership wasn’t for them looked around, decided they didn’t like what they were seeing, jumped off the fence and lawfully purchased a gun at retail. 22.3 million. One thing’s for sure, those Americans can make a difference on Election Day.”
We hope those new gun owners vote for candidates that support their Second Amendment rights. Four more years of Biden will not be good for our Second Amendment rights, as the NSSF explains:
“It is abundantly clear that there is a brand-new Florida-sized population that is giving gun rights a heavier weight as they consider how to cast their ballots. Those 22.3 million Americans need to register and on Election Day to #GUNVOTE® so they don’t risk their rights. With federal elections just five months away, control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate are up for grabs while crime and neighborhood safety continue to be at top of mind for voters. And above all, voters will decide whether or not to give President Biden, who continues to support severe gun control restrictions and uses executive actions to implement them on his own, another term.”
Nearly 30% of all firearm purchases in 2021 went to new gun owners, according to data from the Firearm Trade Industry Association.
About the Surge in First-Time Gun Buyers
Midway through 2020, first-time gun owners accounted for approximately 40% of buyers, according to retailers. The “normal” is usually somewhere around 20-24%. All told in 2020, there were approximately 8.4 million new first-time gun owners. In 2021, the initial surge in first-timers subsided a bit and the number totaled about 5.4 million first-time gun buyers. The percentage dropped to around 30% of all buyers. In 2022, totaled approximately 4.2 million and 2023 actually rose just a bit to 4.3 million, according to industry data.
The 2024 figures aren’t finalized yet, but so far there have been just north of 6 million total FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) verifications processed for the sale of a firearm. If the percentages hold to average, that could mean another million more first-time gun buyers for the year so far. According to industry data, those first-time buyers are spending an average of $500-$700 on their purchase (mostly for 9mm handguns).
Gun Storage Check Week is the time to ensure your firearms are stored safely and securely. This week, make sure your guns are secure. NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, is promoting Gun Storage Check Week, June 1-7, 2024, to remind gun owners to review their storage practices to prevent accidents, suicides and thefts.
“Securely storing guns when they’re not in use can save lives. It’s really that simple,” said Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO of NSSF. “No one wants their gun in the hands of an unsupervised child, a person in crisis, someone who does not understand how to safely operate firearms, or a thief. If something bad happens because your gun isn’t stored securely, you’ll regret it, probably forever.”
This video covers gun safety rules and secure storage of firearms.
Gun Storage Check Week’s safety resources highlight many options to store firearms securely so that guns are off limits to unauthorized persons. Secure gun storage devices include:
Cable Locks — Available free of charge through NSSF’s Project ChildSafe® program Lock Boxes — Secure storage solution for guns kept for home security and in vehicles Lockable Gun Cases — for security, portability, and travel Full-size Gun Safes — For owners with multiple firearms to protect against fire and theft.
Win a FREE Lockbox and/or Get a FREE Cable lock
Lock boxes come in a range of models using keys, access codes or biometrics to open them. Go to gunstoragecheck.org to enter the Gun Storage Check Week Sweepstakes for a chance to win one of 25 ShotLock Lock Boxes. To enter, CLICK HERE, then scroll down page and fill out the online entry form. Even if you don’t win, FREE cable gun locks are also available through NSSF’s Project ChildSafe program.
Team Smith & Wesson shooter Julie Golob has a message for Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12th). Julie writes: “While some are using Mother’s Day week to push a gun control agenda, I’d like to encourage moms to ‘Take a Moment’. Talk to your kids about firearms safety. Help them learn what to do around firearms and have an open, honest discussion about guns and gun safety.
I truly believe that, no matter if you are pro-gun or anti-gun, everyone should know and understand the basic rules of firearm safety. It is equally important for parents to have the discussion about guns and what to do if your child finds one. Both the NSSF’s Project ChildSafe and the NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program are excellent. They offer resources for parents, educators, and child care providers to help ensure kids stay safe.
In this video, Julie encourages parents to have “the talk” about firearm safety with their kids sooner rather than later, and provides tips for how to have a helpful discussion. Sherra Scott, a mom and a certified NRA instructor, agrees with Julie: “Whether you have firearms in your home or not, if you have children in your life, please watch this video and talk WITH them about firearm safety and what to do if they come into contact with a firearm.”
2024 marks the 25-year anniversary of Project ChildSafe®, the firearm safety and education program of NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association. Since its inception, Project ChildSafe has raised awareness about safely handling and securely storing firearms when not in use, along with educating children about firearm safety. Marking this milestone, NSSF aims to raise $250,000 over the next year to provide more free gun locks and educational materials to gun owners across the country.
Project ChildSafe Has Distributed over 40,000,000 Gun locks
Started in 1999, Project ChildSafe began in just five cities in the USA. Now it has grown to serve all 50 states and the five U.S. territories. To date, Project ChildSafe has distributed more than 40 million safety kits, which include a cable-style gun-lock and educational brochures. The firearm safety kits are distributed through partnerships with more than 15,000 local law enforcement agencies and 13,000 organizational partners.
Click image for larger version (easier to read small print).
“For 25 years, Project ChildSafe has operated on both the national and local levels to provide genuine firearm safety solutions to communities that need them most,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “Since its launch, fatal firearm accidents have dropped to historic lows. The program also aims to prevent firearm thefts and suicide.” Bill Brassard, NSSF Communications director added: “[O]ver the years we’ve heard stories firsthand of how our safety kits have saved lives by preventing accidents and suicides[.]”
To mark 25 years of Project ChildSafe, NSSF hopes to raise $250,000 in funding for the program over the next year. Individual supporters and organizations are invited to donate to Project ChildSafe. Project ChildSafe is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, and all donations to the organization are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Firearms Industry Economic Impact Rises 371% Since 2008
The total economic impact of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $90.05 billion in 2023, a 371% increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to over 384,437, a 131% increase in that period, according to a report released by the NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association.
On a year-over-year basis, the industry’s economic impact rose from $80.73 billion in 2022, to $90.05 billion in 2023. The firearm industry has broader impacts throughout the economy. It supports and generates business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms, such as banking, retail, accounting, metal working, and printing among others.
Shooting Industry Generates $11.8 Billion in Tax Revenues
The firearm and ammunition industry paid over $10.90 billion in business taxes, including property, income, and sales-based levies. An additional $944 million was paid in Federal excise taxes, which directly contributes to wildlife conservation. The combined business and excise taxes adds up to a total of $11.8 billion in tax revenue!
“Our industry is a vital economic contributor to every state and every community. These are companies employing men and women from all walks of life and they prove daily that the American firearm and ammunition industry is strong”, said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “This industry proudly provides the means for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights, enables them to hunt and is the primary fiscal force behind wildlife conservation in America. The growth of the firearm industry equals more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $67,500 in wages and benefits, up from $65,000 reported last year. Since 2008, federal business tax payments increased by 353%, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes on firearms and ammunition that support wildlife conservation by 168% and state business taxes by 215%.”
Firearms and Ammunition Industry is Vital Part of America’s Economy
Companies in the United States that manufacture, distribute, and sell firearms, ammunition, and hunting equipment employ as many as 154,611 people in the country and generate an additional 229,826 jobs in ancillary industries. These include jobs in supplying goods and services to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, and those that depend on sales to workers in the firearm and ammunition industry.
The annual Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report provides a state-by-state breakdown of job numbers, wages and output covering direct, supplier and induced employment, as well as federal excise taxes paid. CLICK HERE to get the full 7-page NSSF report (PDF).
New Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act Introduced in Congress
NSSF commends the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, proposed legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), which would ban the use of a firearm retailer-specific Merchant Category Code (MCC). The legislation would protect firearm and ammunition purchasers from financial service and payment card providers compiling purchase history. This could be used effectively to create a nationwide database of gun users, though a Federal gun registry is explicitly forbidden under Federal law.
We have seen that transactional info from gun and ammo sellers has already been exploited by the federal government for political purposes. And some states are mandating gun-specific MCCs — California enacted legislation last year requiring the use of a firearm retailer-specific MCC and Colorado is considering legislation that would do the same.
Federal Agency Has Already Collected Gun Purchase Info
The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) admitted to U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in a letter that it violated the Fourth Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens that protect against illegal search and seizure when it collected the credit card purchase history from banks and credit card companies of individuals who purchased firearms and ammunition in the days surrounding January 6, 2020. Treasury’s FinCEN had no cause, and sought the information without a warrant, to place these law-abiding citizens on a government watchlist only because they exercised their Second Amendment rights to lawfully purchase firearms and ammunition.
Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior VP & General Counsel noted: “The Biden administration has already proven they cannot be trusted to respect the private firearm transactions of law-abiding citizens. Without a warrant, federal agencies collected financial information on private firearm and ammunition transactions to create an illegal government watchlist of gun owners. Representative Elise Stefanik’s legislation would rein in federal overreach to use the private financial transactions of law-abiding citizens against them for political means. No American should be concerned that the federal government is employing this scheme, concocted by gun control cheerleaders, that weaponizes an individual’s finances and their free exercise of Second Amendment rights to wrongly identify them as a criminal-in-waiting.”
NSSF thanks Representative Stefanik for leading the fight against big government lawmakers whose goal it is to monitor and deny lawful transactions by law-abiding Americans.
The need for a federal policy has become necessary since several states have enacted similar legislation to protect the privacy of firearm and ammunition purchasers, including Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia. Several additional states are currently considering similar legislation. Unfortunately, some blue states are doing just the opposite — in fact California passed a law requiring the use of firearm retailer-specific Merchant Category Codes. So a Californian could be placed on a gun-owner watch list if he/she bought anything from a listed store, gun-related or not.
In NSSF v. Bonta, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Schopler has granted a Preliminary Injunction prohibiting the enforcement of California’s AB 1594 law that exposes firearm industry members to lawsuits in California for activities outside the state of California. The ruling by Federal Judge Schopler enjoined the enforcement of California AB 1594, the so-called “Firearm Industry Responsibility Act”. In 2023 the NSSF sued to challenge the law and moved for an injunction. In granting the injunction, Judge Schopler found that AB 1594 is likely unconstitutional because it violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
“We are thankful the court enjoined the state from suing members of the firearm industry under this unconstitutional law that attempts to use the real threat of liability on commerce beyond California’s borders and impose its policy choices on its sister states”, stated NSSF Senior VP and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. CLICK HERE for more details of NSSF v. Bonta legal case.
NSSF Opposes Unconstitutional California Firearm Industry Liability Law
NSSF argued that California’s firearm industry liability law is preempted by the Federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) which was passed with bipartisan support in Congress and subsequently signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005. The PLCAA was specifically enacted to stamp out frivolous lawsuits sought by activist politicians, gun control lawyers and greedy trial lawyers seeking to bankrupt the lawful firearm industry by blaming them and their lawfully-sold and non-defective products for the violence and harm caused by criminals who misuse firearms to commit their crimes.
“It’s no surprise California’s rabidly antigun General Assembly would pass and Governor Gavin Newsom would sign into law a blatantly unconstitutional attack on the lawful firearm industry instead of looking in the mirror to see how their own policies are leading to historic levels of criminal violence and endangering law-abiding and innocent Californians every day,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “NSSF will not stand by and allow the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans … to be trampled upon while criminals committing acts of violence are handled with kid gloves by soft-on-crime prosecutors. California’s industry liability law is in blatant defiance of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen and is preempted by the PLCAA.”
Among other provisions, California AB 1594 bans the manufacture, sale and marketing of firearms the state deems “abnormally dangerous”. It allows civil lawsuits against a firearm industry member to be filed by the Attorney General, any municipality and any person who claims to have suffered harm from the misuse of a legal, lawfully sold firearm by a remote third party. The law unconstitutionally invades the sovereignty of sister States by directly regulating lawful commerce occurring entirely outside the state of California in violation of the Commerce Clause and the United States’ system of federalism. The law also violates the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) enacted by Congress in 2005 to stop just these sorts of frivolous lawsuits against members of the industry.
The NSSF argues that AB 1594 also directely linfringes on the Second Amendment and chills First Amendment rights by restricting protected free-speech advertising of Constitutionally-protected products that are lawfully made and sold — even when that advertising takes place outside of California’s borders.
Team Smith & Wesson shooter 
