NSSF Blog

An Organization That Represents 100 Million Sport Shooters Worldwide

There is an organization called the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities that hunters and shooters should know about because of the work it does on their behalf. It’s a unique organization—an international “association of associations”—that brings together national groups dedicated to preserving the freedom to own and use sporting firearms around the world.

If you don’t hunt or shoot internationally, you might not think WFSA matters. But it does. When other countries restrict the lawful ownership of firearms, that emboldens groups in the United States to pursue similar restrictions. On the other hand, if you do travel to hunt big-game in Africa, bird hunt in South America, shoot competitively in Europe or Asia, or want to enjoy recreational shooting anywhere, it’s much easier to see why the WFSA is so valuable to you. Even traveling through a restrictive country can cause problems for firearms owners. 

With politically powerful forces pushing diverse strategies to curtail gun ownership internationally, WFSA is the international organization best positioned to share information and empower national organizations to respond to such challenges. The group's annual meeting took place recently at the IWA trade show in Nuremberg, where Steve Sanetti, president of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, delivered the important closing "call to action" speech. His “call” was for a bigger, more powerful organization.

Sanetti began by pointing out that in its 14-year history WFSA has established its credibility internationally, becoming recognized by, and invited to provide its viewpoint to, the United Nations and many governments. Last year, for example, Sanetti addressed a U.N. audience at the Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms.

Over the past year, WFSA has had many successes, including organizing the groundbreaking "Ecologic and Economic Benefit of Hunting" symposium in Namibia, but Sanetti cautioned it will take a bigger, stronger organization to parry the many challenges sport shooting faces worldwide. The list of U.N. and regional initiatives the WFSA is engaged in is impressive--and daunting--including the arms trade treaty, U.N. firearms protocol, efforts to establish international small arms control standards, environmental issues (particularly related to the use of traditional ammunition) and countering attempts to restrict ownership of firearms.

"Last month . . . a government commission in Finland recommended the banning of all semi-automatic handguns--200,000 of the 600,000 guns legally possessed by the citizens of Finland," said Sanetti. "This was shocking . . . and it could be a portent of things to come." He pointed out that firearms used in the Olympics, for waterfowl shooting and for target shooting all share the same basic semi-automatic action--a fact most people do not realize.

"We cannot fall into the trap of saying that certain guns are good and certain guns are bad," emphasized Sanetti. The WFSA's Project on Myths works to counter this and other misunderstandings and distortions about firearms and their use.

Sanetti noted how hunters and shooters around the world rely on WFSA to protect their heritage and image, though they may not know it. "The average hunter or sport shooter in America, Italy or any other place . . . is only vaguely aware of what is in store for us in this new globalized environment."

National organizations are fully consumed with responding to issues of concern in their countries, as they should be, said Sanetti. It's up to WFSA, he stressed, to make the national associations aware of how international threats, such as a ban on traditional ammunition, can depress sport shooting and curtail opportunities for all hunters and sport shooters.

He called on members to "bring the message home" that WFSA is the international organization with the experience and expertise to represent the concerns of more than 100 million sport shooters worldwide.

Any association interested in joining the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities can learn more at its Web site.

Firearms Retailer Deserves to Sponsor Youth Baseball Team

NSSF has sent the following letter-to-the-editor in response to a New Jersey Star-Ledger story about a a youth baseball league that rejected an offer from a community firearms retailer to sponsor a team.

To the Editor:

To the youth baseball league board that refused to accept a team sponsorship from a local firearms retailer, we say, "Bad call!"

It's entirely appropriate for a federally licensed firearms retailer, who sells legal products used by participants of all ages for sporting purposes, to have the good name of his business proudly worn by youth baseball players.

As much as baseball is part of the history and fabric of American culture, so to is the Second Amendment, hunting and target shooting. The latter are activities that millions of youth participate in across America. Our organization, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, supports target shooting programs up to grade 12 and in college, and has provided over a million Junior USA Shooting Team patches to youth through Boy Scouts and 4-H marksmanship programs. Safe storage of firearms is promoted through our Project ChildSafe program, an effort complemented by all licensed firearms retailers who are required to provide safety locks to purchasers.

There should be no stigma attached to the responsible sale and use of firearms. The shooting sports are safe and fun for all, and a day at the range is an activity the entire family can enjoy. The lessons that organized youth sports teach involving sportsmanship, respect for teammates and authority, and winning and losing also apply to the shooting sports.

Since this was a policy call and not an "on the field" judgement call, we urge a review of the decision before the umpires yell "play ball!"

Sincerely,

Steve Sanetti

National Shooting Sports Foundation

11 Mile Hill Road

Newtown, CT 06470

(The writer is president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, trade association for the firearms, hunting and shooting sports industry.)

Tune In to NSSF's Daily Radio Show

Get the jump on your weekend entertainment by checking out NSSF's new Insights radio show. Launched earlier this week, Insights’ 90-second programs provide hunting and shooting tips that just might help you be more successful afield, post a better score at the range and keep your gun in tip-top shape.

Five shows are available so far, with many more on the way. The easiest way to listen to Insights is at http://www.nssf.org/insights. Click on the "Subscribe via RSS" link for a list of shows and to be notified when each show becomes available. The shows also are available in iTunes' podcast library.

Insights, which is broadcast Monday through Friday, is being carried by more than 120 radio stations nationwide. If you think listeners near where you live would enjoy the show, send an e-mail with the name of your local radio station and its call letters to Mike Walker at mike@walkeragency.com. We'll ask the station to carry the show. Interested station managers should also contact Mike Walker for details on becoming a broadcast affiliate. The show is made available on a barter basis (NSSF provides the content; the station provides the air time).

Long Time Between Game Dinners

A while back in an op-ed column, NSSF President Steve Sanetti pointed out how the growing movement toward eco-friendly eating habits, such as acquiring more foods locally, was actually not new to hunters, who have long lived that lifestyle. Hunters just didn't think of themselves as "locavores."

Increasingly, though, hunting has become part of the national conversation about organic, wholesome foods, as in this story on National Public Radio's Web site, which notes that public approval of hunting is up and that young urbanites are taking an interest in "the chase."

Food editor Bonny Wolf writes, "Some young urban dwellers are getting in touch with their inner hunter. A couple of 20-somethings in San Francisco started the Bull Moose Hunting Society — and I quote — 'for those of us who have lost our instincts, our predatory skills and our connection to the wild world.'"

Wolf, who went 37 years between enjoying game dinners, now says that she better understands her place in the food chain and declares it won't be so long until her next tasty game meal.

Read the story, which is accompanied by a mouth-watering photo of a venison steak and a recipe for venison tenderloin.

NSSF Hails Washington State Supreme Court Decision on 2d Amendment

The court's ruling holds that the Second Amendment is an incorporated right.

From the just released press release:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry – hailed today’s ruling by the Washington State Supreme Court holding that the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans are applicable to the states through the 14th Amendment.

“This decision by the Washington State Supreme Court is a welcomed development and victory for the rights of law-abiding firearms owners,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.  “America's firearms industry remains optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in the upcoming McDonald v. City of Chicago case that the Second Amendment is a fundamental individual liberty that all states and local governments must respect." 

The NSSF filed an amicus brief in support of the petitioner in McDonald v. City of Chicago, set to be heard by the High Court next month. 

The Hunter's Apprentice

We've heard a lot of good news lately about hunting and hunters--like the 3.5 percent increase in the National Shooting Sports Foundation Hunting License Sales Index and that most hunters went afield as much or more than they expected in 2009. Not to be overlooked, though, are the more than 300,000 apprentice hunting licenses that have been sold over the last three years thanks to Families Afield®.

This program, a joint effort of NSSF, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation, works to lower regulatory barriers that stand in the way of introducing a newcomer to hunting. The "apprentice," usually a young person, can then hunt deer and other big game under the supervision of a licensed adult mentor before committing to taking a lengthy hunter education course. Think about it. What youngsters do you know who will sit through approximately 16 hours of coursework in order to do something they have never even tried? Not many, we'd wager.

Research showed that too many states were imposing barriers to newcomers. Some states restricted youth from participating until age 10 or 12 or even later and required extensive coursework. Given these hurdles, it's no wonder that kids passed up hunting and instead turned to video games or organized sports.

Over the last five years, however, Families Afield has made considerable progress. In 2009 Nevada and Wisconsin became the 28th and 29th states to make their hunting regulations more friendly to newcomers. 

Why is it important to change these regulations? Research shows that the "hunter replacement ratio" is below 1.0 for the majority of states, meaning that hunters who drop out are not being replaced. Without an influx of new, young hunters to maintain the ranks, hunting, which is so important to wildlife conservation funding and America's economy, could be compromised. Not to mention that youth would miss out on what has been a rite of passage for generations.

A story called "Outfitters Lament: Too Few Kids With Guns" in The Wall Street Journal touched on some of the challenges that hunting faces, although we think the future is brighter than that article makes it out. Remember, you don't need an outfitter to introduce a youngster to hunting. Also keep in mind that research shows that supervised youth hunters are especially safe.

When newcomers go afield at an early age, memories are created of the sights, sounds, and excitement of the hunt. It's those memories that cause young people to insist in the future that their dads and moms take them hunting, and it's probably the reason the Ohio Division of Wildlife is retaining 47 to 53 percent of apprentice hunters. "This is the best retention rate of any program we currently operate," said an agency spokesperson. 

For hunters, mentoring appears to be natural instinct. A recent HuntersSurvey.com poll showed more than 77 percent of active hunters and target shooters had taken their sons and daughters hunting. Even adults without a child or stepchild heard the calling, with 56 percent of them reporting they also took a young person afield.

The work of Families Afield is helping to make it easier for hunters to act on this innate drive to teach youngsters about this ages-old, normal human activity. It doesn't take a "sorcerer's apprentice" to know that the future of hunting will have a bright spot as the figure of 300,000 apprentice hunters continues to grow. 

More Good News from HunterSurvey.com

Last week NSSF and the research firm Southwick Associates announced that hunting license sales rose by 3.5 percent in 2009 in 12 states that make up the NSSF Hunting License Sales Index.

Now more good news, as Southwick's HunterSurvey.com reports 25 percent of hunters saying they hunted more in 2009 and 40 percent saying they hunted about as much as they thought they would.

The increased activity in both cases appears to be the result of the slowdown in the economy, which may have provided hunters with more time to go afield or added incentive to pack their freezers with nutritious game.

We hope that sportsmen and women also had more time to mentor new and young hunters, thereby adding to the ranks of those who support Second Amendment and hunters' rights, and conservation.

If you want to participate in the monthly HunterSurvey.com polls, sign up at the Web site. Complete a survey and you could win a $100 gift certificate to the sporting goods retailer of your choice.

Good News About Adult Hunters Mentoring Young People

A recent HunterSurvey.com study commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation shows an impressive level of adult sportsmen and women mentoring young hunters, which is good news since developing new hunters means more advocates for hunters' rights and more support for wildlife conservation.

A news release points out that . . . 

--More than 77 percent of active hunters and target shooters indicated they had taken their sons and daughters hunting. Even adults without a child or stepchild got into the act, with 56 percent of them reporting they also took a young person hunting.

--83.4 percent of young people were introduced to hunting, even if they didn’t carry a firearm or bow, before they turned 13 years old, which is a critical factor in ensuring the next generation will be avid, lifelong hunters.  

--The average age of the mentor was 38, according to a concurrent study conducted by NSSF. A majority of adult hunters, 61.7 percent, first introduce a young person to hunting when they are between the ages of 30 and 45. Mentoring is an important component not only for recruiting new hunters but for ensuring experienced sportsmen and women continue spending time afield. 

--The majority of adult hunters, 55.3 percent, reported they took young men hunting while 10.1 percent said they mentored young females, according to HunterSurvey.com. More than 34 percent of hunters reported they mentored both sexes, though, which increases the percentage of adult hunters mentoring males into hunting to 72.6 percent while adults mentoring young women rises to 27.4 percent.

--With 10.3 million big game hunters in the United States according to the 2006 National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Associated Recreation, it’s no surprise HunterSurvey.com showed deer were the most popular game species pursued during a young person’s first hunt. Nearly 56 percent of youth deer hunted with an adult mentor on their first hunt, though the second most popular hunt was for small game with 40.7 percent participation. Upland hunting ranked third at 16.7 percent and wild turkey a distant fourth at 12.8 percent.  

If you hunt or target shoot, sign up to participate in www.huntersurvey.com. Just for completing the survey, you are entered into a monthly drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of your choice.

Three Accurate Stories About Modern Sporting Rifles

Writers Mark Taylor of the Roanoke Times in Virginia, John Weiss of the Post-Bulletin in Rochester, Minneosta, and Colin Moore of  ESPNOutdoors.com each filed stories recently that accurately discuss AR-style modern sporting rifles. NSSF, which has launched a campaign to correct confusion about these rifles, appreciates their professional reporting and invites you to read their pieces.

From Mark's article:

"[ARs are] one of the fastest growing segments in the market and if you've ever shot one you understand why," [John] Fink [of Remington] said. "They're just a lot of fun to shoot. They're light on recoil and they're surprisingly accurate."

Because the guns share the same basic AR-style platform -- the AR stands for ArmaLite, the company that launched the design 50 years ago -- there are many add-on parts and modification products available to shooters, many of whom are avid tinkerers.

From John's article:

Patrick Cellette, owner of Cellette's Guns Inc. of New Brighton, Minn. agreed that troops coming back from Vietnam set the stage for push to the modern rifle. "Everything just took off like a rocket from there,"he said. "These are not evil." About 90 percent of his business is AR-related. 

From Colin's article:

The growing popularity of these rifles follows a familiar pattern. The military adopts the latest, greatest fighting weapon, whether a Winchester lever-action or a Springfield '03 bolt-action, and soon those firearms enter the civilian market. That's also what happened with black rifles, whose fame began in the Vietnam War era. Vets, and second- and third-generation vets since then, notched out a place in their hearts for such firearms long after their terms of duty ended.

---

Read more about the modern sporting rifle and NSSF's educational campaign to correct the confusion surrounding these AR-style rifles. AR-style rifles look like military rifles, such as the M-16, but function like other semi-automatic civilian sporting firearms, firing only one round with each pull of the trigger.

Media and the SHOT Show

When it comes to firearms and accessories, there's no better place to soak up knowledge about them than at NSSF's Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. Media that cover these outdoor activities know this and use the SHOT Show as a combination story generator and education hub, which can pay dividends throughout the year and even for an entire career.

Last week, 1,800 members of the media made a point of coming to the SHOT Show in Las Vegas so they could learn about and ogle (sometimes not in that order) the latest gear the industry produces and sells. Having a better grasp of what products are designed for and how they function helps media gain a better understanding for why industry holds certain positions on legislation and regulations. For example, when you see how popular AR-style modern sporting rifles and accessories are, and that there's an AR for nearly every sporting use requiring a rifle, you can see why millions of owners of these modular rifles are concerned about potential legislation that would prohibit ownership of them.

Factual errors that appear about modern sporting rifles and many other gun-related issues in media stories often occur because of reporters' lack of knowledge about guns and gun ownership. The SHOT Show not only affords media an opportunity to see equipment on the show floors but to attend "media day at the range," where reporters can see, handle and test equipment, and then pose their questions about design and specifications directly to manufacturer representatives. Most "outdoor media" who attend SHOT know the value of this media day prior to the show, and we were pleased to see that mainstream media writers made good use of the range day to learn more about firearms in a hands-on way.

With nearly 40 million Americans active participants in hunting and the shooting sports, it's important that all media, not just outdoor media, better understand our sports and the equipment gun owners enjoy owning and using--lawfully and responsibly. There are many new owners out there after a record year for firearms sales. This sales surge, as NSSF President Steve Sanetti put it in his State of the Industry address at SHOT Show, "is a testament to the popularity of firearms ownership in America and proof that hunting and target shooting remain popular activities among all ages." 

The show itself was a big success. In an economy that is still sputtering, the 58,444 trade professionals who attended nearly matched the all-time record set at the 2008 show in Las Vegas. And there were positive signs that the industry would continue to see robust sales in 2010, building on the extraordinary sales of the last 15 months.

See NSSF's Bullet Points, the SHOT Show blog and @NSSFSHOT Show on Twitter for highlights of the show. There's also lots of show-related Tweets at #shotshow. And here's the SHOT Show wrap-up press release.