AUGUST IS NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS MONTH

National Shooting Sports Month, the annual month-long event dedicated to America’s gun owners and the sport they love, is now underway.

An initiative of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the 5th annual month-long event is dedicated to the tens of millions who participate in hunting and sports shooting which, through Pittman-Robertson excise taxes, fuels conservation and safety efforts nationwide. The 31-day celebration encourages visits to shooting ranges, preferably with a friend, spouse, or partner, in conjunction with special offers from sporting goods retailers.

In 2020, the domestic firearms industry supported 340,000 jobs that paid $19.3 billion in wages while the total economic impact of shootings sports in the country was close to $63.4 billion.

The NSSF points out that state legislatures and governors are busy issuing official proclamations of their own to mark the impact that shooting sports have in their states:

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed an NSSM proclamation celebrating the $2.1 billion economic impact the shooting sports supports in Georgia, the nearly 11,000 jobs and the $21 million in Pittman-Robertson funding the state received in 2020. Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed one too. The Magnolia State is home to 4,800 jobs related to the shooting sports which contributed over $900 million to the state’s economy in 2020. Mississippi got back more than $10 million in Pittman-Robertson funds. Several other governors have signed proclamations showing their support to the industry and highlighting August, including Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Nebraska Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee, West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice, Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. Many more are expected to as well as NSSM officially kicks off in a week.

As part of the event, the NSSF encourages those interested in the sport to head to the Let’s Go Shooting website to locate local ranges and retailers near them to participate in local events and invite others to join in the fun. It’s a great way to get newcomers involved and share in a growing love for the rewarding sport of target shooting.