Target Shooting Means 4,460 Jobs And $459 Million For North Carolina

The National Shooting Sports Foundation just released a study analyzing the economic impact of target shooting in the United States in terms of jobs and money put into the economy. This economic impact is distinct from the influence of hunting. The study found that target shooting created 185,000 jobs and injected $23 billion into the US economy.

NSSF has broken this down by state and the impact on North Carolina’s economy is significant.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released a major new report about the importance of target shooting activities to the economies of North Carolina and the nation. NSSF is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.

The report, Target Shooting in America: Millions of Shooters, Billions of Dollars, was released today in conjunction with a press conference at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), the largest trade show of its kind in the world and a showcase for the firearms and ammunition industry.

The report provides a first-ever look at U.S. target shooting-related expenditures. Also included are state-by-state statistics for the number of target shooters, retail sales, taxes and jobs. The target-shooting report complements the Hunting in America report released by NSSF and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies in March 2013.

In North Carolina, target shooting-related spending contributed $459,373,038 to the state’s economy and supported 4,460 jobs.

Nationally, the money target shooters spent in 2011 resulted in $23 billion being added to the nation’s economy and supported more than 185,000 jobs.

“More people target shooting is good news for the industry, and it is equally good news for America’s economy,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti.

Retail sales related to target shooting account for nearly $10 billion, with rifle and handgun shooting being the leading contributors, followed by shotgun and muzzleloader shooting. California and Texas are the top two states ranked by retail sales.

Combining data from Target Shooting in America and Hunting in America shows that target shooters and hunters together poured more than $110 billion into the nation’s economy, fueling more than 866,000 jobs. “Communities and businesses of all sizes benefit from these activities,” said Sanetti.

Target shooters ($8.2 billion) and hunters ($8.4 billion) spend nearly equal amounts on equipment common to both pursuits, such as firearms, ammunition and accessories. Hunters spend more overall than target shooters when factors such as fuel, food, lodging and transportation are included.

“The Target Shooting in America and Hunting in America reports give us a more complete understanding of the economic importance of the shooting sports to America,” said Sanetti. “We’ve long known about the recreational benefits of these activities, and now we know how much they contribute to our country’s financial well-being.”

What We Did For Mother’s Day

The Complementary Spouse has two daughters – one in the St. Louis area and the other in the piedmont of North Carolina. In other words, not right next door to us. Thus, we were on our own for Mother’s Day.

After coffee and cake in bed while we attended the Church of CBS Sunday Morning, we finally got moving and headed out to Bear Arms in Brevard. I had scored a couple of Living Social coupons that gave us all day shooting for $5 each. We thought it would be fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.

The Complementary Spouse wanted to try out other 9mm pistols (in addition to her full-size M&P9) and I wanted to shoot my new Ruger SR1911 and my new-to-me EAA Witness in .38 Super. The Witness was a full-size, steel-framed pistol made in 1995 by Tanfoglio and had a tricked-out flat trigger for competition. This would be the first time I had shot either the SR1911 or the Witness.

We started by trading back and forth with my Ruger SR9 and SR9c.  The Complementary Spouse is coming along as a shooter and is growing in confidence. She just needs more practice and who of us doesn’t.

I then shot my SR1911 for the first time. I was amazed by how accurate it was. In the picture below, I have circled my first seven shots. It was done at 7 yards. I’m an OK shot but no where near a great shot. I was shocked that I could group it like that.

In addition to shooting the two 9mm pistols, the Complementary Spouse shot both the .38 Super Witness and the .45 SR1911. While she did OK, she really didn’t care for the additional recoil. Both are large pistols which are harder to grip with small hands which I think has much to do with the additional felt recoil.

I ended the range session by shooting the Witness at 10, 15, and 20 yards at a regulation USPSA target. My goal was to take my time, concentrate on the fundamentals (trigger control, breathing, stance, grip, and sight picture), and keep all my shots in the A zone. I succeeded at 10 yards and then it progressively worsened with the additional distance. That said, it was a good exercise and made me concentrate on the basics. It transitioned the range session from plinking to actual practice.

We ended the day out with a quiet dinner at a local cafeteria. Our Mother’s Day wasn’t exciting but definitely was satisfying.