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What could it take to get more young adults into airguning?

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What could it take to get more young adults into airguning?
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I belong to a reddit forum .r/airguns. There are alot more young people than you think participating in airguns. The majority buying pistols and C02 guns. And some of them probably shouldn't own one. But most are good with them. This forum could use some older members to bring some knowledge to it.

AGE POLL

https://www.reddit.com/r/airguns/comments/lyttqg/what_is_the_average_age_of_members_on_rairguns/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
 
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I am of the opposite opinion. At the moment this community is small. If it gets larger, it will attract the attention of the authorities and more and more regulations and restrictions will be the result. I say that because we all know that statistics indicate that a percentage of new enthusiasts will be irresponsible and that will force the authorities to act accordingly. 
 
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I have the privilege of running a kids club for elementary age children at our church. I have a fantastic relationship with them. On occasion we will have a few over to the house. I find they are all individuals and some are really excited to shoot the air guns and some are not really interested. I have a compact tractor, some 4 wheelers and a small lawn tractor. The kids each have favorite activities. One kid wants to ride the lawn tractor or drop the Gannon and make a road for the other kids ridding the 4 wheelers. One wants to play with the chickens. One of the boys loves shooting. I let them shoot the 1720 and 1701, one likes the red dot another likes the scope. And one wants to watch cartoons. It is odd when I was a kid I would have rode till the wheels came off the wheelers and shot till the pellets were gone. I guess different times.
 
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I am new here, but I am a middle school teacher (Computer technology and robotics). I have a thought but would require concerted commitments. 



Approach several local school boards with a training and competition plan, along with a commitment to provide equipment and coaching. Schools are frequently looking for competitive activities for "less athletic" students. I coach a robotics team and we take part in both local and regional competitions. It is very well received by the school board and I suspect that a planned approach to airgun competition would be too.



I am aware that the board, in the district, I am in, has recently approved an air gun competition programme for the high school. It is back to what others have said, hook 'em while they are young.
 
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Some years back I was ask to put on an airgun clinic for a local explorers club. Had about a dozen to start with, a few lost interest quickly. Those that remained were very interested but had no money and parents were not spending a couple hundred on an air rifle! I shared a couple of mine with the boys, but when the parents came in, they were upset thar each person didnt have there own rifle! Yep, the parents said the club should furnish each young person a rifle of their own, and if we didnt, they wete pulling their kids from the program! The kids were quite dejected at the thought of not being able to shoot anymore but the parents of that time were obviously city folks that had no shooting background and expected others to support there childs interests. What a shame!
 
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Simple ways to get a kid of today into air gunning, and I’m targeting the age of 15 to mid twenties-

1. Tell them the air gun is theirs and it’s free, along with all the pellets that go with it

2. Has to be a Delta Wolf because it has a touch screen 

3. Tell them they’re a great shot even though they are shooting 3” groups at 25 yards. 

4. When he gets bored with the DW and wants something more BA get him the Benjamin bulldog in .357 or an Airforce in .457(for free of course), even though your suburbia backyard is only 25’ to your shared neighbors fence

5. The whole experience has to be tied in to an ap, instagram, and FB

6. You do all the hand pumping while they check their targets and take pics for social media 

7. Finally, when the days all done with shooting, they get to nap while you put everything away.



disclaimer- not all kids in this age group will fall under #1 thru 7. And if your kids don’t, I applaud you as a parent
 
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Well I can tell my personal experience is the lack of ammo and ridiculous prices of it for powder burners has brought me. I feel you will see many more like me. Honestly I’m new tot his but I’m seeing it here as well. So much is out of stock. I bought two break barrels and have had a ton of fun. I ordered my first pcp and think the low availability made me make a mistake. I have a beeman chief synthetic coming as it was about the only entry level gun available. Should have told me something...lol. Now I have discovered parts are basically non existent for it which makes no sense to me as they just came out with this version of it. How can it not be supported?? Anyway I hope if any problems arise they are just oring problems. I used to be into paintball years ago and that was most of the issues with those guns. Anyway I really think an influx into airguns will happen this year due to the above issues I have mentioned. They are a good way to feed the shooting hunger when 9mm is 65 cents and up per round.
 
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Trickle down demographics. Till then, its mostly old farts who plink with air guns due to hearing issues and other co-morbidness, and frankly...the youth today ain't giving a crap about what gramps is doing... 



I'd rather my kid be on a console/phone than a gun anyhow. Everything in this world rots your brain, and video games are a much funner way of going about it ;)
 
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Trickle down demographics. Till then, its mostly old farts who plink with air guns due to hearing issues and other co-morbidness, and frankly...the youth today ain't giving a crap about what gramps is doing... 



I'd rather my kid be on a console/phone than a gun anyhow. Everything in this world rots your brain, and video games are a much funner way of going about it ;)
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oh! Ouchie! Old fart alert! Nice to see you posting again.

I don't know though. Those keyboards and consoles are becoming a mechanism for controlling all our inputs. A mind like yours will fully understand the implications of that. I like my games, been playing Eve for about 15 years, but I don't find them to be more healthy than time at the bench (even alone time).


 
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A lot of good answers here. I agree with affordable and reliable air guns with a good warranty. Also believe not letting them play with their cell phones and video games as much. But that’s something that’s hard to do. I don’t get it with kids these days .You don’t even see kids riding bicycles as much as you used to.If It don’t have a button on it ,They are not much interested in it. Video games came out when I was a teenager and we didn’t play with them all the time. Times sure have changed. Maybe one of the things that could be done is take them camping in More secluded areas and go fishing and take a air gun with you.
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I think one of the causes of kids not doing out door stuff is twofold. The parents are inundated with horror stories about abducted and molested kids to the point that they are more comfortable keeping the kids indoors. The climate controlled life style has led to kids becoming climatized to the point that they don't even enjoy a day of rough and tumble outside because it is either too hot or too cold on any given day. And of course your point about keyboards and screens, smart phones and games is spot on. I was watching "Fluffy" complain in his routine that he would come home and call to his son, "Did you take out the trash?" and directly his phone would beep with the text message his kid sent from the back of the house... I fear it is probably a true story, much like the commercial of the kid sitting at the computer calling grandma to ask for another soda.

What can we do? I am a pessimist. I think we have missed that window. I hope I am wrong. Engage them. Encourage them. Get a handle on the way tech is manipulating everyone and monitoring/monetizing every click, every step, and every word? Maybe place some sort of restrictions on what technology can and can not do to their young minds? Like I said, I think we have missed that window.
 
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Takes effort on our part as parents or guardians for sure esp up against the conveniences and comfort we've unravelled on ourselves past 20years. I'm sort of with you @cornpone ...somewhat pessimistic about the future. However knowing that, I do my best to engage with my kids. I always think back to my dad and the effort he made to get involved with me on things even if its just around the house; as an immigrant family at the time, working 6-days a week... he still made time. We didnt have much money at the time having come from war torn country. Still he found the time and things to engage w me. Thats what gives me hope, that its up to you/me to our kids. My 6 and 8yo, love tv and their iPads... but I've raised them to where when its time to unplug, its time; they complain all the time like a broken record. But after I follow up with whatever outdoor activity; my 8yo always enthusiastically tells how shes loves this or that about it, and being of outside...also like a broken record, lol. Anyway for sorry yapping on. Yes the future for outdoor play/awareness doesn't look too bright esp for urban kids. They (and prob some of us) are not prep for when the lights go out. Hehe. Its up to us to change that. Starts in the house.
 
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Guest said:
oh! Ouchie! Old fart alert! Nice to see you posting again.

I don't know though. Those keyboards and consoles are becoming a mechanism for controlling all our inputs. A mind like yours will fully understand the implications of that. I like my games, been playing Eve for about 15 years, but I don't find them to be more healthy than time at the bench (even alone time).
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RIP Vile Rat. And nobody was held accountable for Benghazi.
 
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Around here, the kids that are the most amenable to airguns would be those in our Cadets program (Canada). These kids get "gun practice" but more often than not it's with electronic simulated guns. So airguns are the most affordable functional firearm you could put into the hands of kids. So far I've only been showing my son, but I might start taking bigger groups of Cadets to the range, in the future.
 
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This has been discussed for ever it seems . Here in Kentucky "we" still have shooting .22pb's in some schools , used to be part of the high school GYM classes all schools in KY . but now only a few , Still have teams in Young Farmers of America and 4 H with a lot of kids involved .
I run the Air Gun booth at my range once a year open house day . Others run .22 Squirrel shoot ,paper target 25 and 50 yards and it is advertised in all local media for weeks in advance . clay trap shooting lessons and steel plate shoot is very popular with the new shooters
 
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