Some people have played a couple of interactive online marksman game or once visited a shooting range for civilians, and for the passion of it decided to give firearms sports a shot. Or perhaps an older relative was a gun enthusiast and has made you develop an interest in pursuing a professional career as a marksman. For you to follow this passion as a starter, here is some information that would be expedient for you to digest.
Firearm sports: what is it?
Just like the shooting activities that were practised as a pastime in the early ages of gun usage in the US, the early eighteenth century saw the rise in popularity of firearms sports. However, these shooting activities are not limited to competitions; it could merely be practised as a hobby, and in some rare cases – as therapy for bad temper.
Firearm sports are categorized based on things like gun type, target, shooting distance. Guns used for competitions are either rifles, pistols or shotguns; these gun types equally determine the stance of contestants – lying, kneeling, standing, single-handed or double-handed grip. Targets could also be static bull-eye markers or moving objects like flying clay ducks.
Shooting sports are not gender restrictive, though some categories at the Olympics are limited to only men. The International Shooting Union (UIT), which is today regarded as the body regulating the sport, was established in 1907; the US joined this umbrella body in 1908.
Regulations on firearms possession and usage
Unlike other democratic nations of the world which place considerable restrictions on civilian possession of firearms, the US merely has a ban on the importation of guns and any form ammunition – according to firearms legislation applicable in the US. Though anyone who is above the age of 21 can purchase and obtain a license for firearms, they will still have to scale a series of background checks. The ATF does checks about the buyer’s validity of citizenship, crime records, drug use history, and records of mental illness before firearm licenses are issued.
Due to loud noise that firearm shots cause, and the potential of this activity causing unrest or lethal harm, regulations in the US require fireman sporting activities to be done in designated shooting ranges or remote areas far away from populated settlements. With an estimated figure of 10,000 shooting ranges in the US, finding a place to sharpen your marksmanship should not be a problem.
Required gear to get started in firearm sports
To be on the safe side, and to avoid harassment by law enforcement; it is fitting for a person looking to get required gear for firearm sports to read reviews about firearm companies, before going ahead with any purchase. Just like individuals required to obtain a license for their firearms, dealer companies are needed by legislation to receive a Federal Firearms License (FFL), have an official premise for transactions, and undergo similar background checks as individual carriers of a firearm.
Online orders are also possible in the US; the customer will, however, have to pick up the gear from a physical store of an FFL license holder; this enables background checks stipulated by legislation to be run by the dealing company hands over firearm gear to the buyer.