Jr.Rifle Training

Junior Rifle Marksmanship Program

Maspenock Rod and Gun Club believes the future of our club depends on the sportspersons of the future.
With this is in mind Maspenock acknowledges that we must be able to provide education of juniors in the safe and responsible use of outdoor sports equipment and help them become proficient in their use.

Scouts and "civilians" are given the same basic course of instruction, with the Scouts using the Rifle Merit Badge handbook and the other students using the NRA Basic Marksmanship handbook. The course of instruction generally starts around Labor Day and is held on Tuesdays through the Memorial Day. The first classes forcus on the standard fundamentals of gun safety, rifle parts and operation, and range procedures and commands. The students do not start shooting until this portion of the lesson is completed.

All shooters begin with the bench-rest position. Once non-scouts are comfortable with the rifle, they begin the NRA Qualification course of fire. Here, they shoot for qualification in rank, starting at Pro-Marksman and advancing towards Expert, becoming proficient in the three shooting positions. As they attain each new rank, they are awarded with the appropiate embroided patch and NRA certicate.

During the year juniors compete against other juniors
from clubs in the region.
For the last few years Maspenock has provide funds
for juniors from the training program to attend
and represent Massachusetts
at the shooting competition at Camp Perry.

For the Boy Scout to earn the merit badge, he must be able to repeatly place 5-shot groups within the 8-ring on a standard NRA TQ-1 (50-foot) target, using the bench-rest position. This equates to hitting a quarter-dollar coin with every shot. Once he has completed the shooting portion of the merit badge work, he joins the non-scouts in shooting the NRA Qualification course of fire. It is not unusual, by the end of the season, for most participants to have advanced through Marksman First Class and be working on one of the Sharpshooter stages. Many of today's educators claim that it is their responsibility to give their students self-esteem in order for them to suceed in life. Self-esteem is not a gift from one person to another: it is pride that each person earns from his own accomplishments. Maspenock students have learned patience, concentration, self-reliance and the rewards that these disciplines bring. They leave this class with real self-exteem. They know that they have done something difficult, on their own, that few of their peers have done. They have been equipped with skills that will be of enormous benefit if any should join the Armed Forces. Moreover, they have started a hobby that will last them a lifetime, and which they will hopefully pass on to their children.