Target Sports Senior Project Guide

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Georgia 4-H Project Achievement empowers young people with skills for a lifetime. Through a competitive process, students explore their interests, unleash their creativity, share their work, and celebrate their achievements! This guide provides 9th – 12th graders with examples for getting started with their project exploration.

Overview of Project Achievement Process

1) Choose project
2) Develop skills in leadership and service
3) Prepare portfolio for work completed from January 1 – December 31
4) Prepare presentation
5) Practice
6) Compete
7) Reflect

Description of Target Sports

4-H’ers may explore the leisure activity and sport of shooting at targets
including the use of bows and firearms. Through this project 4-H’ers may:

• learn how to safely handle and use bb guns, air rifles, air pistols, .22
rifles, shotguns, recurve bows, or compound bows
• develop knowledge in the history, care, and variations of various
firearms and shooting competitions
• acquire an understanding of specific safety practices to protect against
personal injury or property damage while shooting
• develop an understanding in the selection of a firearm for a specific
shooter or style of shooting
• acquire an understanding of how air-powered and regular firearms work
• develop skills in shooting at a target
• explore career opportunities related to target sports and wildlife
management

Examples of Project Development Experiences

• Participate in target sports activities as often as possible
• Attend a shooting match, gun show, or compete in 4-H Shooting Sports competitions
• Tour places such as gun shops, shooting ranges, hunting preserves, sporting goods stores, etc.
• Take lessons from a trainer/instructor, attend a workshop, and/or participate in the Georgia Hunter Education Safety Course and potentially NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge
• Interview wildlife biologist, game wardens, gunsmiths, park and conservation rangers, sporting goods store owners, camp managers, parks and recreation personnel, etc.
• Acquire and read books, magazines, and pamphlets that relate to your project
• Research applicable rules, regulations, laws, history, and origins of a target sport
• Learn and demonstrate MAT Safety: Muzzle, Action, Trigger

Project Sharing and Helping Examples

• Start a project club and lead others in your target sport. Contact your local Extension staff to discuss plans
• Shadow an adult range safety officer and, under the adult’s guidance, demonstrate at a club meeting or make a tutorial how to video of how to safely handle a firearm, including muzzle control, loading, unloading, and passing firearms to others
• Learn the history of a target sport, present it to a class, and discuss how others can get involved
• Show younger 4-H’ers how to properly string and unstring a recurve bow and explain the proper care and storage of the bow, bowstring, and arrows
• Under the supervision of your coach, demonstrate the fundamentals of proper shooting and sighting in a firearm
• Lead a group to assist in range setup and cleanup
• Schedule an expert to share experiences in shooting sports
• Explain Georgia 4-H Project SAFE rules to new members
• Help raise club funds by holding an invitational match
• Promote a shooting sports team for youth in your community
• Mentor a younger 4-H’er in the Target Sports project

Special Considerations

Youth should seek adult supervision and training prior to beginning target sports.
• Follow all safety guidelines when setting up shooting ranges.
• Remember to reference official guides, rules, and regulations.
• Youth should practice safety, handle tools and equipment with care, and include friends or parents in all interactions.
• Carry a water bottle and drink water often to stay hydrated.
• Live animals and weapons are not permitted in this project.
• Ask your local Extension Agent to clarify what shooting sports equipment may be used in 4-H Project Achievement presentations, in club meetings, in 4-H team practices, etc.

Recommended Resources

• Georgia4h.org/ProjectAchievement
• Georgia4h.org/safe
• 4-hshootingsports.org
• georgiawildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources
• olympic.org/shooting
• nssa-nsca.org
• shootata.com
• usashooting.org
• home.nra.org
• archery360.com
•thecmp.org

At Competition

Target Sports 4-H projects may use posters, artifacts, biofacts, and/or technology to support their presentation.

The time limit for these presentations is 12 minutes.

Computers, projectors, screens, and other technological devices may be used.

Prepared by: Gabrielle Buono, Keri Hobbs, Jason Estep, and Craven Hudson
Reviewed by: Charlie Wurst