Texas R3 Shooting Sports Goals

Table of Contents

Skip to Goals

  1. Increase access to safe places to target shoot in Texas
  2. Increase shooting sports participation

Shooting sports consist of informal plinking, organized programs, competitive events, and the sighting-in of rifles, shotguns, handguns, air guns, muzzleloaders and bows at indoor and outdoor ranges throughout Texas. In 2018, 20.1 million people participated nationally in target shooting using rifles, shotguns, handguns and air guns (Figure 5) (National Sporting Goods Association, 2018; NSSF Report, 2019), and over 8 million more using archery equipment (Responsive Management/ NSSF Report, 2019).

Man teaching woman archery shooting

In Texas, 3.6 million people participate annually in target shooting with rifles, shotguns, handguns and air guns, and over 600,000 participate in target-style archery (National Sporting Goods Association). Additionally, over 1.3 million Texas “license to/concealed carry” permit holders seek safe places to target shoot for self-defense purposes. People participate in target shooting for a variety of reasons, including preparation and practice for hunting, self-defense, formal competition, trying a new activity with friends and family, or as part of scouts, camps, school programs and business outings. Target shooting also allows many participants to build new confidence, enhance motor skills or simply do something that is fun. Federal excise taxes generated by target shooters are as significant as those generated by hunters – used directly by state fish and wildlife agencies to benefit the public (e.g., hunter safety, wildlife, and habitat conservation efforts).

Organized state and national shooting sports events and competitions include historic rifle and military-style events and “Cowboy Action Shoots” sanctioned by the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA). The widest array of events and competitions is held with shotguns and include trap, skeet and sporting clays hosted by various international, national and state organizations, some headquartered in Texas such as the National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association. Among the fastest growing and more popular activities, programs and competitions are with archery equipment, modern sporting rifles and handguns.

TPWD and its partners host and engage in many programs that motivate Texans to safely handle firearms and to try target shooting for the first time (recruitment), enhance skills (retention) or be reintroduced to such activities (reactivation). The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) specifically keeps track of data (firearm safety, participation), provides a directory of target ranges (wheretoshoot.org), provides safety equipment (Project ChildSafe® gun locks) and recruitment programs (e.g., First Shots®) used by TPWD. For example, the NSSF’s research team generated data showing that target shooting has experienced recent growth in participation, especially in archery and handgun shooting and among females and new shooters (less than five years of experience), non-hunters and urban/suburbanites.

Figure 5: U.S. target shooters (modern firearms), 2007-2018.

Line graph of U. S. Target Shooter numbers by type (i.e., rifle, shotgun, handgun, air gun, and total) from 2007 to 2018. Temporary increase in all but air gun totals from 2011 to 2012.

Outline of Shooting Sports Goals

  1. Goal 1: Increase access to safe places to target shoot in Texas
    1. Objective: Inventory existing public ranges in Texas
      Metric: Completed 2020 Range Assessment
      Target Audience: Texas Game Wardens, Hunter Education staff/instructors and range partners/organizations
      Timeframe: 2020
      1. Identify current Texas target ranges – public and private
        1. Formulate an electronic inventory survey for use by TPWD staff, Hunter Education program instructors, and game wardens
        2. Review existing data/range information generated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation including where existing ranges are located (wheretoshoot.org) and the quality of range services provided (NSSF 5-star rating system)
        3. Gather a comprehensive set of range data including number and type of shooters served by each range
      2. Work with NSSF and National Rifle Association on research, target range grant opportunities, range technical guidance assistance, and the listing and promotion of where ranges are located
        1. Send TPWD hunter education and/or target range staff to NRA Range Technical Guidance Training Workshops to gain the necessary qualification to inspect potential and existing range facilities for the purpose of increased safety and access
        2. Review range criteria for NRA and NSSF range development grants and encourage application by those ranges in Texas that can use such funding as match or as range development/enhancement dollars
    2. Objective: Increase the number of TPWD grant-assisted target ranges in Texas by 5% per year
      Metric: Number of new and existing ranges that receive financial assistance from TPWD
      Target Audience: New and potential range operators/owners
      Timeframe: Annually
      1. Prioritize range grant criteria to serve counties and entities serving higher populations of urban and suburban residents
        1. Market to and recruit cities and other large municipalities to apply for federal grant assistance to build or enhance public target ranges – primarily indoor facilities in urban locations and indoor/outdoor ranges in suburban locations
        2. Provide and process at least $1 million in TPWD/Wildlife Restoration federal “third-party” grants annually, with an emphasis on ranges in urban/suburban locations (greater than 500,000 within 25 miles)
      2. Integrate target ranges and activities onto lands owned and operated by TPWD and its agency partners such as TPWD wildlife management areas, TPWD state parks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Defense lands, and U.S. and state forest services, General Land Office, and river authority lands
        1. Explore opportunities for new types of TPWD ranges – either self/volunteer stations or concession-managed – such as hunter sight-in stations, archery, air guns, indoor classroom-style ranges and simulators
        2. Build one new park archery range/center annually using TPWD funds and funds from partners as coordinated with the Archery Trade Association and related partners (e.g., Easton Technical Products, USA Archery, National Archery in Schools Program)
        3. Begin development of a state-of-the-art range, classroom and visitor center at TPWD Headquarters (feasibility and cost study completed in 2018) to demonstrate the importance of target shooting, hunting and hunter education to conservation efforts
        4. Consider establishing a target shooting permit to gain access to agency shooting ranges
      3. Encourage development of ranges on private lands by providing technical guidance to landowners to consider ranges to increase recreational opportunities on their lands
        1. Create a brochure or information kit for landowners to consider range construction as a viable opportunity on their landscapes for both personal and commercial purposes
        2. Work with the Texas Wildlife Association, cattlemen/women and other landowner associations to promote ranges as a potential funding source for private landowners, focusing on smaller, more rural lands
        3. Work with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to provide range information as a landowner service that benefits conservation and youth through the 4-H Shooting Sports chapters in the counties
  2. Goal 2: Increase shooting sports participation
    1. Objective: Increase opportunities for Texans to shoot
      Metric: Number of events (output); Number of participants (outcome)
      Target Audiences: Hunter Education and Outdoors-Woman program graduates, existing target shooting clubs and ranges, camps, boy scouts, 4-H
      Timeframe: Annually
      1. Develop youth shooting sports programs that are measurable and impact more constituents
        1. Use National Archery in Schools Program model to develop Student Air Rifle (SAR®) school program in Texas
        2. Continue the growth of the NASP and Community Archery programs by reaching additional schools and organizations
        3. Host one-day Outdoors-Woman programs that include shooting sports as primary, hands-on activities held during the workshops
        4. Work with ranges and sporting arm/ammunition companies to host 3-gun (rifle, shotgun, handgun) introductory opportunities (Shooting Sports 101s) for the general public and sighting-in or practice opportunities for hunters
        5. Work with existing events such as range/sighting-in days, 3-gun shoots, sporting clays events, Operation Game Thief events, and Take your Daughter to the Range Days
      2. Promote shooting sports programs and opportunities
        1. Promote target shooting sports as school-related (elementary, middle, high schools and university sports) curricula or after-school activities including WHIZ Bang, Ag Clays, Scholastic Clays and target sports (rifle and handgun), outdoor education, physical education, BB/air guns and competitions
        2. Facilitate additional NASP competitions between schools beyond the statewide tournament
        3. Develop and/or acquire TPWD target shooting simulation/kiosk/actual shooting game that is mobile, user-friendly and easily used at events, retail stores, shops, etc., that actively promotes safe target shooting, hunting and hunter education opportunities
        4. Focus on recruiting women and other adults through presentations at civic centers, business groups, media and others by inviting them to an introductory session at the range
    2. Objective: Form a group or organization to promote the development of urban ranges and provide training opportunities and events for the public to safely enjoy shooting sports/ opportunities
      Metric: Team formation in 2021
      Target Audience: Target shooters and shooting sports organizations, parks and recreation centers, range owners/operators, sporting arms and ammunition companies, 4-H Shooting Sports, clubs and competitions
      Timeframe: 2021 and ongoing
      1. Form a “Texas Shooting Sports Partners” (TSSP) program, organization or advisory committee
        1. Recruit advisors who are knowledgeable about every aspect of target shooting
        2. Seek advisors who represent and/or work with underserved audiences