[BBowen]

I just read a press release from the NSSF press conference at the S.H.O.T. Show.
The press release gave some interesting numbers concerning target shooting in the U.S.A. for all shooting disciplines.

For some time, I have been watching trapshooting numbers in two states: California and Texas because they are big states with relatively small numbers of ATA shooters. I believe both states have over 30 million residents. Both states have approximately 100 squad state shoots.

According to the NSSF, California had over 800,000 shotgun target shooters and Texas had over 774,000 shotgun target shooters in 2011. According to an ATA average book, each of these states have fewer than 2000 ACTIVE, ATA registered shooters. I am not endorsing or disputing these numbers--I am just stating what is in the NSSF report which can be seen on their website.

I would be interested in a comment from the ATA.

Bruce Bowen
Sturgis, SD

 

[Setterman]

Good question Bruce, but I doubt you'll get a answer from here.

We need to send Trap Missionaries to these states?

Here's your chance. Go get'em Barry

 

[oleolliedawg]

Well, the ATA once considered moving the Grand to Texas. When asked for my opinion on that move I replied they wouldn't need many traps because within 2 years most of the aging members would die of heat stroke.

Cooler heads prevailed!!

 

[perazziuser]

Many of those shotgun shooters are shooting Sporting, especially in Texas.

Jeff Holguin

 

[Vince McNamara]

Calif probably has more shooting PITA than ATA. There is no ATA shot north of **** Creek which is just above Sacramento.

 

[Star4Ever]

One thing that comes to mind is that both are the largest states in terms of square miles. Thus when any Texas or Cal ATA shooter wants to shoot in his yearly state ATA program (15 shoots at different clubs), a REAL LOT of travel time is involved which, may, cause ATA state shoots from attracting participants, especially in the state wide ATA program.

Here in my state, I can get to 15 ATA shoots in under one hour drive one way and in most cases 1/2 hour.
I suspect in CAL and TEX that is NOT the case. The logistics and associated costs probably are an issue.
I may be wrong in this but it stands to reason.

Art

 

[crazyquik]

"Here in my state, I can get to 15 ATA shoots in under one hour drive one way and in most cases 1/2 hour. I suspect in CAL and TEX that is NOT the case. The logistics and associated costs probably are an issue. I may be wrong in this but it stands to reason."

Amazing. Ohio? Illinois?

Sadly, some of us live in trap shooting deserts. It's just not a popular sport in some parts of the country.

 

[Joe Potosky]

We all know the shooters are out there.......

This is where monies spent on a shooter survey would come into play. Shooters being surveyed at clubs by an independent organization.

 

[BBowen]

I only mentioned Ca. and Tx because I have been interested in those two states. Please take a look at the press release on the NSSF website. The numbers for the other states are in much the same proportion. The really interesting thing is the extremely large amounts of monies that are spent by target shooters. Doesn't look like an economy issue to me. For example, in our small population state of South Dakota there was over $83 million dollars spent by target shooters (all shooting disciplines) in one year.

Bruce Bowen
Sturgis, SD

 

[crazyquik]

It took me a while to find it. Here is the link to the press release:

http://nssf.org/newsroom/releases/show.cfm?PR=11514_TargetShootingSpendingUS.cfm&path=2014

 

[eightbore]

That is not a link. By the way, Bruce, in your early post, what is a "100 squad state shoot"? Does that mean a shoot in that state that fielded 100 squads?

 

[Not1/2Bad]

The number of shooters anywhere, in any state, might have something to do with the fact, that on an average, for just targets and ammo, at an ata shoot, an average cost for every shot taken is 61 cents. If any options or purses are played the cost goes up. This does not include any travel or meals etc. Now are we getting the real bang for our buck. The govt did it, you can have your guns sportsmen, but good luck being able to afford the ammo to shoot them. So now who has who.

 

[Brady509]

I;m assuming "100 squad state shoot" means 100 squads shooting any given event.


Brady

 

[Brian in Oregon]

It's <i>obviously</i> due to a lack of two hole targets.

 

[pyrdek]

Here is the link to the actual .pdf report, Please note that it is about 16 pages long and takes a bit of time to download;


Click HERE

I have to wonder just a bit about some of the numbers. I see that there are 53 clubs listed on the ATA state list for New York and 68 (or so) listed in the Pennsylvania list. I will grant you that there are clubs listed which have not had an ATA shoot for quite some time but I would think that the number of inactive clubs would fall into the same general ratio when comparing NY and PA. Also the number of ATA shoots on the ATA site shows a lot more activity in Pennsylvania than New York. Yet the NSSF shows NY as having about 20% greater economic impact for shotgun target shooting than what is listed for PA. Are NY prices that much higher that they can generate higher impact while having fewer clubs and fewer shoots than neighboring PA? Or is NY so much more heavily involved, compared to PA, in shotgun sports other than Trap shooting?

 

[$$$SHTR]

My guess would be the way the ATA and PITA treats new shooters. To shoot at an ATA or PITA event you have to, first join the association, be put in penalty class and yardage until you shoot X amount of registared targets. And, if I were lucky enough to find a couple of people who might be interested in shooting ATA or PITA, they could not shoot the whole program with me because of yardage. For a new person this is very intimidating. Not openly friendly to say the least. Having to join the association just to try to see if you like it turns many potential members away.

Sporting Clays on the other hand, is wide open. Anyone can shoot, just pay the same daily fees as everyone else and go shoot. Sporting Clays has the Hunter Class that all non-registered shoot in. And you can shoot with anyone, registered or not.

Look at the posatives of the open Hunter Class. Anyone can shoot. The association collects the daily and event fees but does not even try to track the scores (pure profit). The club throws more targets. More shooters shooting.

At the Sporting Clays events I've attended, there were as many Hunter Class shooters as registered shooters. If Sporting Clays were ran like the ATA or PITA there would be half as many shooters, meaning half as much money for the association, and half as many targets thrown for the club.

Maybe the ATA and PITA should wake up to the fact that they are not the only game in town. Open up the availability for people to shoot the events. I'm sure when people try the ATA or PITA events and see that they could of hit the lewis of added, they will be more tempted to join.

My 2 cents worth,

Tomas

 

[trw]

In the DFW area of N. TX places to shoot registered ATA events is major skinny these days. None in the winter & sporatic in the warmer months. Used to be much easier and more places to shoot ATA in the immediate area.

Without entering any dogs in the fight, I'd also note that bird populations are nowhere near what they used to be and native birds [quail] are gone from many areas altogether. I always considered trap or 'DTL' to be an excellent game for shooting rising targets that best simulated a flushing bird behind a dog or dogs. Sadly, moving many birds behind good dogs is fast becoming yesteryear for too many. Does that also affect the ATA numbers? I dunno, but perhaps in some of the smaller towns that all used to throw trap targets. DFW is not so much a small town, but the numbers of places one may shoot ATA registered events has dwindled in any case, urban sprawl being the most likely causative factor.

 

[b12]

$$$the nailed it. Let nonmembers shoot along side members. Only give some advantages to join in future. Such as bigger purses. Forget trinkets. Bill

 

[Joe Potosky]

RE: Let nonmembers shoot along side members.

It's already being done at a few clubs (unofficially). You have the option of not shooting with a non ATA shooter. Never seen a problem and nice to see an additional six or seven shooters at a small club shoot.

 

[wolfram]

Yes its just awful that PITA requires a person to join and pay dues if they want to be in a registered shoot. Oh wait a newcomer could join for free during the fall multiplex events. But golly that $20 per year really is what keeps people out of the registered target game.

Think starting a new guy in B class and 20 yards is a big penalty? Where would you start them? Hey thats great how about if we just pick our HC yardage based on what feels good that day. Your buddy can come join you at what ever yardage the two of you think is best. I kind of thought that was what practice shooting was for but evidently I was mistaken.

Now seriously what would the point be of shooting a game that had no rules in somekind of organization that had no structure?