"Growing The Airgun Sport"

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Therealld

Member
Dec 12, 2018
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Ca, United States
I have read and heard this a lot since the Internet became popular with airgunners, and have even used the term myself on occasion, referencing activities of Club(s) I participated in. But the clubs were for purposes of competitive shooting. 

I don't think the diverse group of airgun Hobbyists should be collectively said to belong the an "Airgun Sport". I feel a sport infers more physical activity, or at least an element of practice for, or actual participation in a form of shooting competition using airguns. I would concede that outdoor hunting in more or less wildlands or woods requires exercise, if much walking and stalking knowledge is required is sporting, yet I don't feel driving around and shooting from a vehicle, or simply culling animals at a place they are known to congregate is a sport, as the element of chance, fair chase, and hunting skills are normally absent.

The airgun Hobby is large and growing, which is great, and many hobbyists either will, or are participating in shooting sports involving airguns, but i think lumping collectors and plinkers in with competitive shooters diminishes the Sports. I'm am an avid hobbyist, and like to plink, collect, tune, build, and discuss, about everything related to the hobby. I also compete in regular airgun benchrest and (nowadays less regular) Field Target matches. I enjoy both types of activities, and probably won't stop until I'm no longer able.




 
well......where to begin , if i got the jist of your post. you consider competative shooting and field / woods hunting the shooting sports exclusively. alright , i am for one , NOT a competative shooter , i also consider myself an airgun hobbyist. i do target plinking and occasional pesting. nothing more. now my pesting is close quarters. but as to why you don't consider shooters shooting in or out of trucks at ranges of 30-110 yds to not be hunters? it takes a lot of practice to account for drop / windage at those longer distances. also these people really are engaged in a different shooting discipline. that's all. they have skill. and as for me , waiting hours on end , in the dark , to get the opportunity to take out a trash panda under full stealth. it may not be deep in the smokey mountains , but it is still waiting in total silence for "the shot". 

i'm not looking to offend , but it almost appears you are engaging in sport label snobbery. now don't get me wrong , if your shooting is as good as you make it sound , then most if not all around you know it. if i'm off base , then sorry. i just had difficulty comprehending all aspects of your post. as it struck me as negative or critical of other members of the hobby. 
 
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Not to me. Collecting is a hobby. Not sport.

But fishing is normally a sport, Unless its commercial harvesting.

Reading about airguns is not a sport.

Not trying to denigrate hobbyists, since the hobby of air gun collecting, or discussion or study is great in of itself,

but these are not sports activities. I doubt more than a couple percent of airgunners are involved in an air gun sport for a long period.
 
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Culling animals at a place they are known to congregate is absolutely a form of hunting, and also fair chase, provided that the laws are being followed and the animals have a reasonable chance of escape. However, there is certainly a distinction between simple pest control and hunting, and it's up to the shooter to decide for themselves where that line is. But I've found that for me the label doesn't really make a bit of difference so long as I'm getting meat for the table, and I do that through both pest control and hunting.








 
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First Google result:

sport

noun


  1. 1.

    an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

    "team sports such as baseball and soccer"

    [/LIST=1]

    That definition makes it hard to call even field target, a sport, as there's really not much physical exertion, especially relative to less arguable "sports" like football, basketball, hockey, etc. I would hazard a guess that benchrest is even less physical exertion than FT, since there's no walking/carrying of gear from one shooting lane to the next, through the course/match. Of course, I feel the same way about golf, not much physical exertion there either. The "skill" and "compete" are applicable though. (Feel like I need to say that I'm very pro field target and compete in a match most months of the year).

    I think the term "growing the sport" is somewhat of a catch-all phrase for simply being outspoken about the positive attributes of shooting airguns. Trying to share what we enjoy and get others interested is kinda "growing the sport" in my mind. Although Im not sure that I've ever used the phrase myself. 
 
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