NRA marksmanship program?

[RandyD]

This brings back fond memories. I joined our JROTC rifle team at the start of my freshman year in high school. We practiced every Wednesday evening at a local gun club. We shot prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing at 50 feet, in an old two-by-four, plywood building.

I had been shooting and hunting on a regular basis for years. I quickly learned that shooting for a score on a target verse hitting a beer can in the desert was a vastly different world. I thought I could ace the course of fire with my Remington 572 pump action .22. I learned differently. The club had a Winchester Model 52 that I could use, which was far superior to my 572 pump.

I had the benefit of an excellent coach. He was a frequent member of the prestigious U.S. Palma Team. He took me from shooting beer cans in the desert to a High Expert classification in .22 smallbore. I highly recommend introducing teenagers to this sport.

[Zenderfall]

ORNGXTC,

That's great that your daughter is proceeding along to getting her Distinguished Expert (DE)! Even better that she's halfway there! Don't give up. A lot of people give up and walk away with E's, but never making DE's. It's actually the rank that people seem to be comfortable walking away with, as they struggle for the final. It's an accomplishment well worth the effort, believe me. My wife is almost there, my daughter is only five years old, but she'll go through the program when she gets old enough, I'll make sure of that.

While the NRA coach creds is the top goal to get, those classes are very few and far between, you might have to make a long drive. meanwhile, you can get at least the NRA rifle instructor creds to start, that way you can even host your own NRA MQP sessions/events.

You might be surprised to know that most of the shooters in this program are not youngsters, but at the opposite end - retirees, people who have money, time, and the patience to go for the DE. It's an interesting mix, lots of youngsters, lots of "young-at-heart" but not very many in-between those two age groups. Like someone mentioned, that generation seems to be more interested in action sports like USPSA/IDPA, which is also fine. They got the energy and drive to make it there too, and the club also runs those events as well.

Good luck to all who push for the elusive DE, and those who are starting up their own programs!

I'll leave you all with this:

If every school across America offered marksmanship programs in 7th-8th grade, we would not be in the political situation we are in now.

[sarbiker]

Getting shot at? What kind of NRA or IDPA competition targets shoot back?

I think Voda offers that option in the advanced tactical courses. In the beginner and intermediate courses he just lets you point your gun at each other..!!

[Gun Kraft]

I actually run NRA MQP for the club I'm in, rimfire rifle, standard pistol, and conventional (bullseye) pistol. So far, there's four distinguished experts in the club, which tells you how difficult it is to become one. Took me six years to make it.

I run the MQP .22LR benchrest for local Civil Air Patrol cadets. One cadet got to DE after five events without practicing between events. They use Savage MkIIs with peep sights. I expect a couple more will get to DE after five events as well. At least for rimfire getting to DE isn't difficult.

[IVC]

So far, there's four distinguished experts in the club, which tells you how difficult it is to become one. Took me six years to make it.

This is an interesting statement because it addresses training. Whether it's just plinking or a full dry firing regimen, you do need training to make a DE. Does it *require* years? No. But only if you train.

If you start with a lot of deficiencies in your shooting technique and if you don't train to correct those deficiencies, you might never make it. Not because it's hard, but because you never put in the work. Just like any other activity.

[IVC]

Getting shot at? What kind of NRA or IDPA competition targets shoot back?

The "Compton Special" ones. Although I'm not sure those drive-bys are officially sanctioned NRA or IDPA events, hard to tell without being judgmental...