over 40

[villaman]

It seems to me that most who shoot airguns are over 40 . Most up our club i would say the average age would be late 40's early 50's.
Does not seem to be many youngster coming into our sport . what are your findings ?

[Turnup]

It seems to me that pretty much all shooting sports have an aging population. It's so difficult now to get the youngsters along to have a go. I am sure that many would take to it but the opportunities to recruit them are just not there.

[Zomboid]

I agree to a point. Though I think more youngsters turn up for competition shooting because that's when "Dad" goes... or lines along that. It might also be that airgunning is something people return too later in life when chasing girls has become pointless (they are faster and use apps).

I usually go late in the afternoon so on reflection the sport is dead with only 2 other people on the planet choosing to plink.

[gunsnlandies]

I was brought up on farm, so were two of my mates. Shooting air guns went with the territory. Some of the lads at school had airguns, but only a few. This was in the sixties. Moving forward to today, those farms we lived on have all been sold. The land to the larger neighbour, the houses and barns sold to none farmers. Our dads job long gone along with there sons right to shoot it. How many time can this be multiplied across the country.
Today’s lads from school have been preconditioned to play computer games, not use real guns. The general public mostly programmed to find guns of any sort a threat. The police programmed to see the same way as the general public. Not a good recipe for promoting airgun use, is it?
While at school, I made a gun rack in woodworking class. I took the rifle on the school bus to use for measurement. Can you imagine the panic that would ensue from that scenario today. Mind you, all the woodworking classes have been turned into media teaching classes, so it wouldn't happen in the first place. Never mind, at least they can sing and dance, even if they can't mend a hole in the shed.
Governments play the long game. You gradually take away various rights in the shooting world and make ever tougher rules on what remains. You make sure the public doesn't know the difference between SMK B2 and AK47, so everyone with a gun is dangerous.
Yes, there will always be the kid who wants to shoot, and the more the merrier, but as I see it, the writing is on the wall for the demise of airgunning in the coming years. So I'm not surprised you notice that shooters are getting older on the whole. As for coming back to it later, I doubt they will be able too in few years.
Sorry for doom and gloom outlook.

[nimrod177]

The problem as i see it is that:
playstation/xbox two to three hundred quid.
a shoot em up game thirty ish quid
arm chair provided by mum and dad free and only five yards from the tv screen.
the game never runs out of bullets.
they never get wet playing it.
they never get cold playing it.
they never get dirty after a long crawl to the games console.
they never have to walk miles across a field to get to their quarry.
they can even shoot their mates without doing any real harm.
refreshment is only a few yards to the fridge door.
they don't have to practice breathing to take a shot.
practice hold over/under.
don't have to learn to squeeze the trigger instead just press a button.
they don't have to have an adult present to get more ammo or even shoot it.
they don't have to spend considerable amounts of money to change from one gun to another they just scroll down a choice of five million available laser guns, pistols, rocket launchers etc.
Their barrels aren't pellet fussy.
In other words they have become lazy to effort. If god forbid the planet went electric free and the supermarkets stopped providing nicely wrapped ready made meals etc and they had to fend for themselves then there would be an awful lot of hungry and thirsty children out there. And not just some children an awful lot of adults as well. Most of the air rifles i sell are to the plus thirty something generation or fathers/mothers that had an old air rifle when they were kids and want their children to learn how to shoot. It doesn't always mean that said child standing next to them wants the same thing. I have bought back many air rifles/pistols that were bought on a fad and have ended up unwanted/unused. Such a shame these days that the younger generation don't know how or want to know how their food is provided to them in those handy shrink wrapped bags.

[TonyL]

Sadly, all very valid posts up above.

Of all my kids, only the youngest is remotely interested. He's 11 now. About three years ago, I spent my birthday prezzie money on a mint little Diana 24D, with the ulterior motive of getting him into the sport. He's had a couple of shots with it and was positively beaming when he did. I'm desperate to get him to a Boinger Bash; I know he'd love it, but The Fun Prevention Officer (mum) doesn't want him to have anything to do with guns, despite my sound reasonings and protestations. So, resistance, even in my own household!!!

I know that there are various initiatives out there, however, encouraging youngsters into the sport, like the BSA backed ATEO scheme (think I got that right???).

Does the Scout movement still use / encourage airgun marksmanship?

Getting more and more youngsters into the sport is paramount for its survival, as we all know.

[lensman57]

It seems to me that pretty much all shooting sports have an aging population. It's so difficult now to get the youngsters along to have a go. I am sure that many would take to it but the opportunities to recruit them are just not there.

This is very true. The new generations idea of shooting sports and guns are what is on the American inspired TV and their two dozen channels of nonesense.

Getting the Scouts involved is one way of getting the young people interested in the sport of shooting.

A.G

[Deadeye18]

Shooting is it's own worst enemy these days.A few observations and speaking of where I live,#1 you can't get into a gun club unless you know an existing member and get an introduction so that closes the door to 99% of people that are intrested which is very frustrating!.#2 Airgun only clubs are virtually non existent so that's another thing that adds to less shooting.#3 Not eveyone knows a friendly landowner or has a garden big enough to plink in.#4 Lots of shooters keep their mouths shut about their hobby for unknown silly reasons so they're not introducing new blood to the sport.#5 Propaganda from the press of guns being evil doesn't help introduce new people to the sport.#6 government witch hunts trying to legislate against our sport all the time puts people off.All in all the sport is very closed down and not pro active and vocal enough to bring new blood in and if this doesn't change then when these older guys are gone then the club's will close,numbers will dwindle to nothing and there's no more shooting.

[peddy]

I've been taking my son shooting to my club since he was 12 and the main problem for him is that it's mainly my age (50) and older. He doesn't feel he can join in with any conversation, upto recently a lot were smoking in the sheds and the language was blue to say the least. A very non child friendly place. I accept most blokes go to let off steam and it's what blokes are like together. I still take him occasionally but we stay mostly in the pistol shed where its quiter. He gets bored hunting as its not enough action and shooting in the garden annoys the neighbours. I don't think he will carry on shooting much longer and TBH I'm glad, the future for shooting in general is bleak. My generation has had the best of shooting as in most things today. Guns are demonised, he doesn't tell anyone that he goes shooting. It won't stop me though from loving my life long passion.

[Deadeye18]

Decent folk would hold their tongues with bad language when a youngster is present.

[keithy]

It seems to me that most who shoot airguns are over 40 . Most up our club i would say the average age would be late 40's early 50's.
Does not seem to be many youngster coming into our sport . what are your findings ?

Hi at Atherton indoor range I have seen quite a few dads and sons coming in for a shot using the Huntsman hire guns even some teen age girls.

Sadly the youth of today don't have the freedom we enjoyed in our teenage years, I used walk the fields with an airgun with out any problems and along the canal after rats cant do that now. Have you seen the average age of Motorcyclist nowadays? we are all from the same era I remember when wheelies out of the pub carpark were compulsory and often after 6 or 7 pints as well. I shoot air rifles and ride motorcycles but unfortunately am to old and stiff for Martial arts again, enjoy air rifles while you can their days are numbered as most people cant relate to what they have never done.

[NewPaul]

My local Airgun range looks like The Departure Lounge to Heaven/Hell Great blokes though seen one or two youngsters (early teens) pop in with their Dad's over the past year but........ I dunno, it just doesn't seem to appeal to them like it did with 'us'. We really do try to make them feel welcome when they have turned up and try to make it fun for them. There seems to be a real lethargy with them these days, they don't even look at you when you talk to them ?? When I was young I really looked and listened to what my elders told me (street-wise enough not to get hoodwinked too) and as a result, learnt a lot. I keep trying though.