March 22, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 12

This Week:

Video

Legislative

News of Note

NSSF Members

An Organization That Represents
100 Million Sport Shooters Worldwide

NSSF PRESIDENT CALLS FOR STRONGER WFSA TO MEET HUNTERS' AND SHOOTERS' CHALLENGES 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. 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. Read more in the NSSF Blog.

Video

  • NSSF SHOOTING SPORTSCAST . . . NSSF today launched a video podcast that provides tips and news on hunting and the shooting sports. "Shooting Sportscast" is available for free download in high definition through the iTunes store. Episodes can also be viewed on NSSF's YouTube channel and in the hunting and shooting sections of nssf.org.

  • THIS WEEK'S VIDEO: PATTERN YOUR TURKEY SHOTGUN . . . Turkey season is getting under way in many states. The key in patterning your turkey shotgun is to be sure you have an adequate pattern density at typical turkey-hunting ranges. Watch this video on patterning your turkey gun and then head out to the range to be sure your choke/load combination is on target. Play Video

Legislative

  • VERMONT FAMILIES AFIELD BILL CLEARS HOUSE . . . The Vermont House of Representatives on Wednesday passed apprentice hunting legislation aimed at reducing barriers for new hunters. House Bill 243 now moves to the Senate for further consideration. The bill is part of the national Families Afield effort by NSSF, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the National Wild Turkey Federation. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Steve Adams (R- Hartland), will allow newcomers to try hunting under the close supervision of an experienced mentor prior to the completion of hunter education. Since the program's inception, Families Afield legislation has been passed in 29 states with more than 300,000 apprentice licenses sold to date. Other groups giving key support to the Vermont effort include the National Rifle Association, Vermont Traditions Coalition and Ducks Unlimited. Read more from the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance.

  • THE RIGHT TO HUNT . . . Momentum is building in some states for "right to hunt" legislation. States currently working to pass bills to make hunting a right include South Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona. In the last 15 years, right-to-hunt measures have passed in nine states, including Alabama, Minnesota, North Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Montana, Georgia and Oklahoma (Vermont declared hunting a right in 1777), according to FOXNews.com. FOX News' Douglas Kennedy discusses the legislation in a recent blog post.

  • NEW JERSEY DEP APPROVES BEAR MANAGEMENT POLICY . . . The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on Wednesday approved the state's proposed black bear management policy, which would likely mean the first bear hunt in the state in five years, NorthJersey.com reports. A public hearing will be held in May in Trenton before the final adoption of the plan. As reported in Bullet Points last week, New Jersey's black bear population -- and bear-related complaints -- have soared recently. There were 3,006 bear-related calls logged to wildlife officials in 2009, up more than 1,500 from just two years ago.

  • ATF / INDUSTRY QUARTERLY MEETING RESCHEDULED . . . The ATF / Industry Quarterly Meeting, which was postponed in February due to inclement weather, has been rescheduled for June 8 at the ATF facility in Martinsburg, W.Va. An agenda will be circulated as the meeting nears. Attendance is limited to NSSF and SAAMI voting members. Voting members interested in attending should RSVP to Marje Swarts at mswarts@nssf.org or 203-426-1320.

  • KEANE INSIGHTS: MINUTEMEN ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES . . . The "Shot Heard Round the World" was fired in Lexington and Concord, Mass., back in 1775 when individual colonists, aka Minutemen, came out with personally owned firearms to stop the "Redcoats" from seizing the colonists' store of firearms and powder. Well, those brave Minutemen are probably rolling in their graves after the Massachusetts supreme judicial court ruling that the individual right to keep and bear arms protected by the Second Amendment does not apply to Massachusetts. Read more in NSSF's Keane Insights Blog.

News of Note

  • PART 2: ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SHOT SHOW . . . Since the 2010 SHOT Show, NSSF has received feedback in all forms, including social media, a live chat held last month and surveys sent to all of the show's exhibitors and attendees. NSSF is posting answers to the many questions we've received on the SHOT Show Blog. Take a look at the newest batch of questions.

  • NATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING DAY PARTNERSHIP MARKS FIVE YEARS . . . This year marks the fifth anniversary of a special partnership to help reenergize National Hunting and Fishing Day. NSSF, which founded the annual celebration 39 years ago, in 2005 forged the partnership with Wonders of Wildlife museum, a state-of-the-art educational facility that now serves as the official home of NHF Day. Today, NSSF continues its leading role in NHF Day atop an impressive list of sponsors. Full story.

  • FIRST SHOTS ALUMNI COME BACK FOR MORE . . . Ten former First Shots participants -- all women -- reconvened this past weekend at Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center in Springfield, Mass., for a refresher on firearm safety rules and to learn more about handguns for personal protection. The reunion was put together as part of the NSSF's continuing efforts to promote, protect and preserve firearms and shooting. Delivered as a pilot program with the objective of providing an additional opportunity to learn more about their specific interest, the ladies were invited due to their primary interest in handgun usage for personal protection. Full story.

  • UTAH WELCOMES NSSF's MODERN SPORTING RIFLE CAMPAIGN . . . NSSF continues to correct misinformation about AR-style modern sporting rifles, bringing its campaign to Utah last week at the International Sporstmen's Expo in Sandy. Sportsmen attending the show attended two presentations by NSSF, and radio hosts Tim Hughes of Utah Outdoors and Cris Draper of Trailmaster Outdoors promoted NSSF's message on their shows. Last year, NSSF launched the nationwide campaign to remind hunters and shooters that AR-style rifles are not military rifles even though they may look similar to them. AR-style rifles should not be referred to as "assault rifles." These modern sporting rifles are semi-automatic, firing one round with each pull the trigger, and have taken their place in the long line of civilian sporting arms that have descended from military rifles. Watch the video to learn more, or visit nssf.org/msr.

  • MICULEK COMES OUT ON TOP AT REGIONAL REVOLVER CHAMPIONSHIP . . . Jerry Miculek of Princeton, La., won the open division of the Smith & Wesson ICORE Southern Regional Revolver Championship, held this past weekend at the Southern Shooting Center in Thibodaux, La. Miculek's score of 176.490 placed him high overall in the match. In the limited division, Elliot Aysen of Thibodaux, La., took first by outpacing Sam Keen of Ramer, Texas, by 33.51 points. Thibodaux's Annette Aysen took Top Lady, finishing 6th in the limited division and 11th overall with a score of 297.600. Read more about the event from the Houma Courier.

  • AMERICAN TAKES BRONZE IN PARALYMPIC GAMES, MAKES HISTORY . . . U.S. biathlete Andy Soule (Pearland, Texas) made history recently when he won the first-ever medal for the U.S. Paralympic Biathlon team. After placing fifth in the morning qualification race, Soule, a retired U.S. Army veteran, came from behind in the final race of the men's sitting 2.4 km pursuit to win the bronze medal.

NSSF Member News

  • NSSF WELCOMES K-VAR AND OUTDOOR CONNECTION AS VOTING MEMBERS . . . The newest companies to become NSSF voting members are K-VAR and The Outdoor Connection. Their applications were approved by the NSSF Board of Governors at its March meeting. "We are pleased that these companies have stepped up their support of NSSF and its mission of promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports," said Steve Sanetti, president of NSSF. "We look forward to welcoming even more companies into this group of dedicated businesses." K-VAR Corp., headquartered in Las Vegas, is a major importer and distributor of modern sporting rifles, parts and accessories. The Outdoor Connection, Inc., based in Waco, Texas, is the manufacturer of the Original Super-Sling and Padded Super-Sling, and the company's expanded product line includes gun cases, sporting bags and other shooting sports gear. If you are interested in becoming a voting member, please complete NSSF's voting member application or contact Member Services Director Bettyjane Swann at bswann@nssf.org for more details.

  • MERCHANDISING GUIDE FOR THE FIREARMS RETAILER . . . The third in a series of guides written by well-known author, retailer and speaker Tom Shay specifically for the firearms retailer is now available for free to all retailers who are NSSF members. Developed by NSSF's Association of Firearms Retailers, the 44-page manual will provide expert guidance on target marketing; terms and terminology of purchasing; shipping issues and costs, selecting vendors; sales representatives; order writing; Plano grams; targeting the right customer; departments and finelines (categories); inventory control; clearance merchandise and markdowns; managing the product mix; selecting pricing strategies; and attending a trade show. Two earlier titles in the series, "Financials for the Firearms Retailer" and "How to Write a Business Plan for the Firearms Retailer," are also available. For NSSF retailer members to receive a free copy of the Merchandising Guide for the Firearms Retailer, or for the earlier published titles if they didn't already receive them, contact Bettyjane Swann, NSSF director of member services, at bswann@nssf.org.

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COPYRIGHT © 2010 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, Web sites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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Covering issues affecting the industry, gun ownership and hunting and the shooting sports.

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SHOT Show Blog

Stay current on news and information about NSSF's SHOT Show -- the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry's largest trade show.

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An NSSF blog that takes on firearms-industry-related public policy issues.

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