For the image-conscious.
https://welikeshooting.com/featured/bre ... ownership/

Gun owners have an image problem. While an extreme minority of gun owners may be responsible for a large portion of these misconceptions, it is also propagated, amplified, and disseminated through traditional media, social media, and people’s personal experiences with  gun owners (good or bad).

Let’s start with the good news. Polls from the Pew Research Center show that there has been a massive shift in the demographic trends of gun ownership. Of people who live in households that have guns, men make up 38%, with women not far behind at 31%. White people represent the majority of gun owners at 41%, Blacks and Hispanics make up 19% and 20% respectively. And while many gun owners live in rural settings the overwhelming majority of gun owners live in urban and suburban areas

It really should have started about 20 years ago if they want to change the image. It took at least that long for "bikers" to not be instantly thought of as criminal gang members, and some still do. I don't know if the image can be changed enough to get the majority of anti gun owner crowd to feel better about gun owners, in the time we may have left. I would think any change over at least the next couple years will be seen more as a farce than reality to these people, and at best a small majority of the upper class gun owner population will only get a pass. Still not enough to quell the outrage by those who want guns wiped off the face of the earth though.

I recall back in the 80s, and maybe even into the mid to late 90s on terrestrial tv they use to show gun sporting events. They even came up with night time trap shooting with glowing grid layout to give the viewer a little more pizzazz. I recall when they use to have the competition tryouts for Olympic shooters on Saturday or Sunday sports , where today its golf or cars that constantly turn left. Maybe we need more of that, and not inundated with politically charged sponsor or Hoosier redneck commercials and defiantly not any presence by the extremely controversial NRA . Nothing that would make the viewer associate gun use with killing of people , or idiots with guns. Oh, no self defense, military combat or even hunting shows might not be a great idea, as killing bambi doesnt always set well with the anti gun crowds either.

I'm certainly glad more gun folks are speaking up about this. What else to do about this? I guess just outreach outreach outreach. Maybe invite a co-worker to go shooting, especially if they fall in a group that one doesn't typically associate with gun ownership.

a great article and something really needed....

well and endless steam of back to back cop shows on TV and Movies with bad guys with guns killing people, and cops overstepping their authority and laws to bring the culprits to justice, and the current crop of radicals who are what is mostly seen in the media representing gun owners sure isnt going to do it. And I fear at this stage of the game, its going to take mass marketing saturation before people will even consider changing their minds. A whole lot of men, women, kids , all enjoying the skill and and fun of shooting targets. Trap and Skeet , Long Distance, Olympic and such as a family friendly SKILL based sport.

The Liberal Gun Club should be listed down there at the end.

CDFingers

Polls from the Pew Research Center show that there has been a massive shift in the demographic trends of gun ownership. Of people who live in households that have guns, men make up 38%, with women not far behind at 31%. White people represent the majority of gun owners at 41%, Blacks and Hispanics make up 19% and 20% respectively. And while many gun owners live in rural settings the overwhelming majority of gun owners live in urban and suburban areas

This is going to be a terrible blow to the hopes and dreams of the people who were counting on a demographic shift that would make severe restriction and/or repeal of the Second Amendment a possibility. Sorry kids, I know you were planning on firearms ownership dying off with the old white guys, but they're being replaced by women and POC.

They do stuff like this here. http://www.cornhusker-trap.com/ They obviously spend more time shooting than making websites though.

2,532 high school kids came and shot 30,000+ rounds of shotgun ammunition if you include practice time. They have high school teams competiting on weekends all around the state.

My 11 year old niece shoots and will soon start competing in the junior division. My daughter has a friend that shoots rifle competition at the junior level nationally and will probably get a college scholorship for it. Our college women's rifle team is very good.

Imagine something like 2,500 armed junior high and high school kids congregating in one place happening in a state like NY or NJ. It shows you the divide we have in the country.

inomaha wrote:They do stuff like this here. http://www.cornhusker-trap.com/ They obviously spend more time shooting than making websites though.

2,532 high school kids came and shot 30,000+ rounds of shotgun ammunition if you include practice time. They have high school teams competiting on weekends all around the state.

My 11 year old niece shoots and will soon start competing in the junior division. My daughter has a friend that shoots rifle competition at the junior level nationally and will probably get a college scholorship for it. Our college women's rifle team is very good.

Imagine something like 2,500 armed junior high and high school kids congregating in one place happening in a state like NY or NJ. It shows you the divide we have in the country.

I am so jealous. why cant we have that around here where I live. I mean, Missouri is a gun friendly state, but St. Louis is full of complainers and the few Jr gun clubs we had were reduced to air rifles, and then completely phased out due to a couple in the public loudly complaining. The closest we have now is over an hour drive away..

dandad wrote:

inomaha wrote:They do stuff like this here. http://www.cornhusker-trap.com/ They obviously spend more time shooting than making websites though.

2,532 high school kids came and shot 30,000+ rounds of shotgun ammunition if you include practice time. They have high school teams competiting on weekends all around the state.

My 11 year old niece shoots and will soon start competing in the junior division. My daughter has a friend that shoots rifle competition at the junior level nationally and will probably get a college scholorship for it. Our college women's rifle team is very good.

Imagine something like 2,500 armed junior high and high school kids congregating in one place happening in a state like NY or NJ. It shows you the divide we have in the country.

I am so jealous. why cant we have that around here where I live. I mean, Missouri is a gun friendly state, but St. Louis is full of complainers and the few Jr gun clubs we had were reduced to air rifles, and then completely phased out due to a couple in the public loudly complaining. The closest we have now is over an hour drive away..

If my numbers hit on Saturday, the West Alton Gun Club will open after the Spring floodwaters recede.