August 2, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 31

This Week:

More Than $230,000 to Shooting Ranges

One range last year helped increase traffic with the help of the above creative marketing campaign, funded to great extent by an NSSF Range Partnership Grant.

NSSF GRANTS AWARDED TO 9 RANGES . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation has awarded grants totaling $231,796 to nine shooting facilities through its Range Partnership Grant Program. New marketing strategies designed to motivate individuals, particularly youth and inactive shooters, to go target shooting and hunting dominated this year's winning proposals. Said Melissa Schilling, NSSF's manager of recruitment and retention, "We've seen how successful these grants can be in fueling growth at shooting ranges around the country. More people are interested in shooting than ever before, and the proposals NSSF has funded remind them to give shooting a try." This is the third year that NSSF has distributed funding to qualifying ranges through the program. Receiving grants this year were Wyoming Antelope Club, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Corry Rod & Gun Club, Corry, Pa.; Tripoli Triggers Firearms, Williamsport, Pa.; Cardinal Shooting Center, Columbus, Ohio; West Coast Armory Indoor Range, Bellevue, Wash.; A&S Indoor Pistol Range, Youngswood, Pa.; Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Lansing, Mich.; St. Maries Gun Club, St. Maries, Idaho; and Rushton Gun Club Inc., West Monroe, La. A total of 30 proposals were submitted for consideration. Find out what projects this year's grants will help these ranges accomplish.

Industry News

NSSF GOES MOBILE . . . NSSF has developed a mobile-friendly way for its members, media and others to get (and share) the latest NSSF news and information. Starting today, most touch-screen users (iPhone, iPod touch, Android, Palm Pre) are now able to access a mobile version of NSSF's website simply by visiting nssf.org on their smartphones. Read the latest news and legislative updates, watch all of NSSF's videos, find the latest version of Bullet Points, read up on the SHOT Show and more. Smartphone users are encouraged to bookmark the NSSF site and add it to their homescreens for quick access. NSSF is also in the process of developing a BlackBerry-friendly mobile site, which will be available later this year.
CABELA'S 2Q PROFIT NEARLY DOUBLES . . . Outdoor outfitter Cabela's Inc. (NYSE:CAB) says its second-quarter profit nearly doubled over last year when restructuring charges weighed down results, the Associated Press reports. Cabela's reported Thursday that it earned $18 million, or 26 cents per share, which is 98 percent higher than the $9.1 million, or 14 cents per share, reported a year ago.
RUGER REPORTS SECOND-QUARTER EARNINGS . . . Sturm, Ruger & Co. (NYSE:RGR) reported second-quarter sales of $64.4 million and earnings per share of 43 cents, compared with sales of $72.4 million and earnings per share of 46 cents in the second quarter of 2009. The company noted that new product introductions remain a strong driver of demand and represented $42 million, or 32 percent of sales, in the first six months of 2010.
FIRST QUARTER EXCISE TAX FIGURES RELEASED . . . The latest report of Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Collections released by the Department of the Treasury indicates that firearm and ammunition manufacturers paid $101.7 million in excise taxes in the first calendar quarter of 2010, down 7.38 percent over the same time period reported in 2009. The report, which covers the time period of Jan. 1 through March 31, shows that $31.3 million was collected in taxes for pistols and revolvers, $31.4 million for firearms (other)/long guns and $38.9 million for ammunition (shells and cartridges). Compared to the same time period in 2009, collections were down 5.19 percent for pistols and revolvers, down 19.32 percent for firearms (other)/long guns and up 3 percent for ammunition (shells and cartridges).
LIVE SHOT SHOW CHAT AUG. 11 . . . The next live SHOT Show chat will be held Aug. 11 at 2 p.m. EDT at nssf.org/shotshowchat. NSSF Senior Vice President Chris Dolnack will answer questions about the 2011 SHOT Show. NSSF is accepting questions in advance of the chat.

Legal & Legislative

URGE SENATE TO PASS FIREARMS EXCISE TAX REFORM NOW . . . On June 29, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (HR 5552) by a vote of 412 to 6. The bill is now pending in the Senate. Learn more about this legislation and call your senators today at 202-224-3121 and ask them to support Senate passage of H.R. 5552 before Congress adjourns for the summer.
NSSF HAILS LANDSLIDE HOUSE PASSAGE OF LAND AND WATER ACCESS LEGISLATION . . . By a vote of 404-1, important legislation targeted at expanding and enhancing access to public lands for hunting, fishing and recreational shooting has passed the U.S. House of Representatives with strong support from Congressmen Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). NSSF strongly supported this bill and continues to support its companion legislation in the U.S. Senate, introduced earlier this week by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev).
MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR FAILS TO PASS ONE-GUN-A-MONTH . . . This past weekend, law-abiding gun owners throughout Massachusetts scored a major victory as Gov. Deval Patrick's one-gun-a-month bill failed to pass. At midnight on Saturday, the Massachusetts Legislature ended formal sessions for the year under the watchful eye of the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL). The Governor's Lawful Citizens Imprisonment Act (H.4102) never came out of the House Ways and Means Committee for a vote due to the hard work of firearms retailers, law-abiding gun owners and GOAL. The lawful gun owners of Massachusetts should be very proud of a job well done, especially considering H.4102 was a top priority of the governor.
TRUCKERS, GUN OWNERS UNITE TO PROTEST CALIFORNIA AMMO LAW . . . The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association reports that it has joined with the Calguns Foundation, the NRA, the Folsom Shooting Club and two individual truckers to challenge California's soon-to-be-implemented ban on the interstate shipment of handgun ammunition to California. The law will criminalize the delivery and transfer of handgun ammunition not done in face-to-face transactions. A lawsuit, filed in Sacramento's Eastern District Federal Court, alleges that these provisions of the law violate the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, which prohibits states and local municipalities from interfering with carriers' rates, routes or services.

Shooting

THOUSANDS TAKE THEIR FIRST SHOTS AT BOY SCOUTS JAMBOREE . . . The Boy Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and are currently hosting a record-breaking Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Virginia. Thousands of scouts are learning about firearms safety and taking their first shots at the event, which has drawn huge crowds with more than 38,000 scouts in attendance along with thousands of volunteer adult leaders It has also attracted a new shooting range called Camp Thunder, sponsored by the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, where more than 700 scouts are given a chance to try sporting clays each day. Play Video

MORE THAN 1,500 YOUTHS COMPETE AT 2010 SCTP NATIONALS . . .The Scholastic Clay Target Program's 2010 National Championships attracted more than 1,500 young shooters to the World Shooting and Recreation Complex in Sparta, Ill., July 21-24. Overall, 28 states were represented with Illinois leading with 317 shooters, followed by Tennessee with 289 shooters. "I have never seen so many wonderful young ladies and gentlemen gather together in one place. The sportsmanship displayed by the shooters and coaches is an example of what the SCTP Program has always been about," said Interim Executive Director Russ Arnold. Read a complete wrap-up of the competition.
CHANGES AT SCHOLASTIC SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION . . . The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), which oversees the national Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), has announced that Bill Christy and W. Hays Gilstrap have resigned from the positions of executive director and chairman of the board to pursue other interests. Longtime SCTP volunteer Russ Arnold has been named interim executive director, effective immediately. SSSF has also added two new members to its board of trustees: Michael Hampton Jr., executive director of the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA), and Phil Murray, national sales manager for White Flyer.
TWO MEDALS FOR U.S. WOMEN JUNIORS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . The first day of the 50th World Shooting Championships, held in Munich, Germany, put two junior U.S. women into shooting playoffs, one for the trapshooting gold medal and the other for the bronze. Both emerged victorious, earning Miranda Wilder of Diana, Texas, first-place and Rachael Heiden of Clinton, Mich., third-place honors.
'TOP SHOT' CASTING CALL DEADLINE NEARS . . . Show off your shooting skills with pistol, rifle and shotgun and earn a chance to win $100,000 in prizes on the History Channel's competition show "Top Shot." Producers are seeking participants with outstanding shooting skills and a big personality to take on the show's physical challenges with multiple guns. To apply, e-mail TopShotCasting@gmail.com with your name, city/state, phone number, a recent photo of yourself and a brief explanation of why you should be on the show. You can also call 818-478-4570. Deadline to apply is Aug. 12. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and a resident or citizen of the United States.

Ranges

RANGE REPORT HELPS SILENCE OPPONENTS . . . Articles appearing in the Spring and Summer 2010 issues of The Range Report focused on successful court battles defended by shooting facilities that were sued on the grounds of excessive noise. Information in the Summer Edition article, "Sound Strategies," has already proven of value, writes Carol Katona, president of the Citizens Rifle & Revolver Club in Hamilton, N.J. Find The Range Report online at nssf.org/ranges. Learn about subscribing to and advertising in NSSF's quarterly magazine for shooting facilities.
FREE POSTERS AVAILABLE FOR RANGES . . . Posters that originally appeared in NSSF's Range Report, the magazine for shooting facilities, have been redesigned to reflect the NSSF brand and to bring continuity to the series. Five posters in 11x17-inch format are available for free to NSSF members from NSSF Director of Member Services Bettyjane Swann, telephone 203-426-1320, e-mail bswann@nssf.org. View the five posters.
VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE TO OFFER FIREARM RANGE WORKSHOP . . . In another new initiative to enhance the future of hunting and strengthen firearm range opportunities in Vermont, that state's Fish and Wildlife Department (VFWD) is hosting a special seminar on managing lead at shooting ranges on Sept. 11 at the Barre Fish and Game Club, reports the Times Argus. "Any fish and game club officer in Vermont or anyone with responsibility over an outdoor shooting range should attend this 'hands-on' seminar," said Mark Scott, wildlife director for VFWD.

News of Note

FIND THE LATEST SHOOTING AND HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES IN YOUR STATE . . . Acceptance of applications for Alabama's Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFD) Tenth Annual Youth Dove Hunts begins today for the North Zone and Sept. 20 for the South Zone. You can learn more about these hunts, as well as reports on a wide variety of shooting and hunting opportunities in the other 49 states, by clicking onto the state(s) of interest at Tracking Opportunities in Every State on the NSSF website. Know about upcoming opportunities? Send the details to the correspondent for the state in which the event is being held. You'll find a link to that person's e-mail address at the end of each posted event.
SURVEY RESULTS HIGHLIGHTED IN AR GUNS AND HUNTING . . . The results of the 2009 Shooting Sports Participation Survey are detailed in the latest issue of AR Guns & Hunting. The article shares some good news about shooting sports participation, including 2009's record-setting participation in all target sports with 34.4 million people heading to the range. Of particular interest to readers of the online publication will be that 8.9 million did so with a modern sporting rifle.
CONSERVATION RESERVE SIGN-UP BEGINS TODAY . . . A new general sign-up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program, the first since 2006, will run from Monday, Aug. 2, through Friday, Aug. 27, and landowner participation is expected to be strong, especially considering that soil rates have been updated, reports Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever. CRP acres provide the top nationwide habitat component in producing pheasants, according to Pheasants Forever.

Jobs

INDUSTRY CAREER CONNECTION . . . Visit www.nssf.org/jobs for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Log in to post a job opening.

NSSF's Mission

"To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports."

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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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