Youth Shooting Opportunities Fall 2024
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Looking for youth target shooting opportunities?
Two popular programs offer training and competition. Here's how to join
Scholastic Action Shooting
Mill Creek Rifle Club has a Scholastic Action Shooting Program team for children elementary through high school. The program is designed to instill in children a set of values and character traits for fair play, compassionate understanding, individual responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline, and personal commitment, as well as safety in gun handling.
Youth participate in action or speed shooting using .22 rifles, .22 handguns, pistol caliber carbines or PCC, and centerfire handguns, aiming at a series of five circle or rectangular steel plates. The sport is similar to the Steel Challenge events hosted by Mill Creek Practical Shooting League here at Mill Creek Rifle Club.
The KC Steel Raiders team at Mill Creek practices on Sundays, with set up starting at 10:30 and practice going from noon until 3 pm. The season runs similar to the school year, with state match (June), regional match (March), and a national match in July at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo Ohio.
If you have school aged kids or are interested in learning more about the program, please either stop by a practice or email Jennifer Gibson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
4-H Introduction to BB Gun and Air Rifle
Johnson County, Kansas, 4-H’s popular BB Gun and Air Rifle introductory programs return for the season starting in October. The program’s objectives are to introduce youth and their parents to safe and responsible use of firearms; to promote the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship, and ethical behavior; to acquaint youth and their parents with fundamentals of competitive air-gun shooting; and to foster shooting as a fun, family recreation.
The 4-H Shooting Sports BB Gun and Air Rifle projects are administered under the K-State Research and Extension 4-H Youth Development program and operated by a team of adult volunteers who are experienced in shooting and youth instruction, who have been recommended and background-screened by the county Extension office, and who have received mandatory intensive training and state-level certification in the rifle shooting discipline and in youth development training techniques. Several 4-H instructors are Mill Creek Rifle Club members.
The competitive squad portion of the project consists of a combination of live-fire shooting instruction and class-room lecture covering general gun knowledge, proper gun handling, and procedures for participating in competitions. The BB-Gun program is open to beginners and assumes no previous shooting experience or training. The competitive season lasts from October until the state 4-H championship in early April, and it includes weekly practice meetings and participation in about six competitions throughout eastern Kansas during the winter. Youth who have a successful foundational experience in the BB Gun and Air Rifle programs may be invited to compete in more advanced 4-H precision shooting programs, including smallbore rifle at Mill Creek Rifle Club.
Youth do not have to own their own equipment to participate. Mill Creek's youth affiliate, the Kaw Valley Junior Rifle Club, and the 4-H Rifle Club have an available supply of safe and proper equipment to outfit most youth who are interested in participating.
If you know of a youth who may be interested in this program, please read the following:
- 4-H BB Gun is open to youth between age 9 and 15 as of Jan. 1, 2025.
- Air Rifle is open to youth aged 12 to 18 as of Jan. 1, 2025, who have successfully completed at least one season of the 4-H BB gun program
- Interested youth must attend the initial introduction to 4-H BB-Gun safety classes scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. October 15, 22, 29 and 30. Participation in these classes is required in order to be considered for invitation to participate in competitive match season shooting with the Johnson County 4-H BB Gun and Air Rifle squads. Participation in 4-H Shooting Sports with the competitive squad is by invitation only. Invitations will be extended by the 4-H instructors based on student performance in the introductory class and available resources.
- As soon as possible, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to introduce yourself and let us know you plan to participate and then enroll in 4-H, at https://4honline.com. Be sure to enroll in the BB Gun and Air Rifle projects as appropriate to your participation plans. You must be enrolled in 4-H to attend any meeting at which live shooting takes place. Youth will only be permitted to shoot at any of the safety classes if you can demonstrate your enrollment is official—no exceptions will be permitted.
Additional questions? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..