4-H Shooting Sports Program

Shooting sports

Participants in 4-H shooting sports programs learn the safe, appropriate and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment while gaining marksmanship skills. The shooting sports program  helps young people learn life skills, build self-worth, strengthen conservation ethics and become more effective environmental stewards.

Shooting sports program participants must enroll through ZSuite and be ages 8 to 18 as of Jan. 1 of the current 4-H program year. Requirements for each discipline can be found on the 4-H project website. Volunteer instructors must be certified in each project discipline they teach.  

See the Idaho's 4-H shooting sports rules (pdf) for specific event details and the 4-H shooting sports plan (pdf) for state and national program requirements.

Getting started

To get started, contact your UI Extension county office to enroll. Youth must be able to handle shooting sports equipment in a safe, responsible manner. Failure to do so may result in dismissal from that project discipline.  

4-H offers projects in:

• Archery
• Handgun/pistol
• Hunting
• Muzzleloader
• Rifle
• Shotgun  

However, not all clubs and/or counties have certified instructors available in all disciplines. Please check with your local UI Extension county office.

Equipment

Providing your own equipment is recommended but may not be required; some clubs have a limited supply of equipment for loan. Idaho's 4-H recommends that club and county-owned equipment be inspected at least once a year by a certified technician.

Most members quickly discover that they want their own equipment. This allows them to choose equipment that fits well, maintain personal sight settings and in some cases to practice between meetings. Ask your instructor for specifications before buying equipment. Below are basic equipment requirements:

• Archery uses recurve or compound bows with a maximum draw weight of 60 pounds; arrows must have field or target points.
• The handgun/pistol and rifle disciplines have divisions for air (.177 caliber) and small bore (.22 caliber rimfire) firearms.
• Shotgun uses any firearm 12 gauge or smaller.

Refer to the shooting sports rules (pdf) for more specific details regarding equipment for each discipline.

Rules

Members will compete with others of similar age and equipment, and it is the responsibility of all competitors, volunteers and coaches to know and abide by the rules.

These rules align with those of the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships and will apply to all of Idaho's 4-H shooting sports participants. Exception: Some adjustments for younger age divisions are recommended for distances and course of fire for club, county, regional and/or invitational shoots.

Parent Involvement

We encourage parental involvement and support. Parents can help the certified instructor, including monitoring safety. For safety and liability reasons, all members and parents must follow the certified instructor’s directions.

Contests and events

Youth can participate in local, district, state and national shooting sports contests. Learn more about shooting sports events.  

Instructors

Certified instructors are critical to the 4-H shooting sports program. Learn more about the process to become an instructor and find necessary documents and forms for current instructors.

Donations

Donor contributions help secure equipment and expand opportunities to teach the safe and appropriate use of firearms and archery equipment to Idaho youth. To donate via credit card, please visit the University of Idaho Giving page and type in 4-H Shooting Sports when asked for your designation. If you have questions or need additional information about becoming a 4-H shooting sports program donor, please contact Tami Goetz at 208-292-1401 or tgoetz@uidaho.edu.

Meet our people  

Connect with 4-H professionals who oversee the shooting sports program. Find your local 4-H program to contact 4-H educators and program coordinators.

District leader — Dana Miller, 4-H program coordinator, fremont@uidaho.edu or 208-624-3102