Stephens County 4-H Rifle Team to hold Range Day tomorrow

Last year, the Stephens County 4-H Rifle Team brought home seven state awards.

Tomorrow, August 30, the team will be holding a Range Day and Hotdog Cookout as the new competitive season gets ready to get underway.

The event will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Georgia Mountain Shooting Range in Eastanollee, and will serve as an introduction to prospective team members, providing information, and a chance to experience the atmosphere and activities of the team, said coach Bruce Grant.

Students interested in learning marksmanship, firearms safety, and becoming a 4-H Rifle Team member through the 4-H Rimfire Sporter Program, are invited to attend. Parents are welcome also, as well as any siblings of the prospective team member. Team members can be from Stephens County or surrounding counties that do not have a 4-H Rimfire Sporter Rifle Team program. Team members can be students at public schools, home schooled, or from private schools. 

The 4-H Rimfire Sporter program is a competitive shooting sport that will consist of learning shooting techniques in a competitive setting, which culminates with the Georgia 4-H State match in spring of 2024. 

At the meeting, parents will fill out required paperwork, learn equipment information, team competition dates, and practice schedule and location.

Grant said the range day event allows existing team members a chance to catch up with fellow teammates, and a chance for prospective team members to learn about the sport

Grant stressed the safety of the event, and the emphasis on safety on the team during the season. 

One of the goals for the three coaches – Grant, and Mike and Stephanie Mayo, is to teach responsibility, and a part of that is requiring commitment to the team, Grant said, talking about the season length and practice schedule.

While there are many benefits to team members outside competitive wins, such as gaining confidence and maturity, the 4-H rifle team is a competitive sport, and the team saw a good deal of success last year in both open site and telescopic site divisions, with both senior and junior teams.

A part of that success is the Coaches’ emphasis on teaching the team members not just the mechanics of shooting, but to think through the process, and to think for themselves, and not rely on outside help.

While many team members provide their own guns and shooting kits for practice and competition, Grant said that , for students and parents who may not have the resources to fully invest in the equipment needed, the team has a number of generous supporters locally that make it possible for the team to provide full shooting kits for up to 12 team members.

Team sponsors and donors include the Georgia Mountain Shooting Association, Rick Phillips/Phillips Group, Martin Construction and Grading/Harlan Martin, the NRA Foundation, Upstate Curb/Tal Martin, Toccoa Machine Products/Mark Fulbright, Stephens COunty FFA Alumni Sheriff Randy Shirley, Goods Furniture and Jeff Slocom. 

The Range Day will be held at the Georgia Mountains Shooting Association, 291 Oakway Estates in Eastanollee. For more information about GMSA, visitgmsaclub.com

Learn more about the 4-H rimfire sporter program and competitive team, search online for 4-H Project Safe and select 22 Rimfire.

For information on 4-H transportation to the event from the Middle School, and the required paperwork for current 4-H members, contact Susan Yearwood at 706-779-5501.