Shooters with disabilities now have a national competition for air rifle thanks to the National Rifle Association, which has also launched a special event for children with disabilities involving shooting, archery and fishing. The NRA’s new Manager of Disabled Shooting Services, Vanessa Warner, began both programs to increase involvement of the disabled community in the well-known gun organization.

People with Disabilities at Air Rifle Championships
Clubs across the country conducted the first Air Rifle Championship series for disabled shooters early in 2009. Competitors with disabilities could compete nationally in both individual and team events since conditions are nearly identical in indoor ranges across the country.

Wintertime Sectional Championships for five gun divisions are the largest event of the NRA’s indoor season, and now people with disabilities are part of the action.

“This championship was created with the goal of full integration into the NRA Open Indoor Air Rifle Championships in the future,” Warner says. “The plan is to eventually … allow both disabled and able-bodies to compete shoulder-to-shoulder for the title of national champion.”

A typical competition begins with a safety briefing, after which competitors report to the line for the first of three stages of fire. Each stage lasts 40 minutes, followed by a target change. Then the shooters get back to work.

Six targets are used for each shooter, and each is worth a maximum of 100 points for a possible perfect score of 600. Competitors anxiously await the judges’ determination of their score at the end of the morning’s work.
Standards are high: at the first event in Birmingham, Ala., the top three scores were 567, 560 and 551.

Check out a top-notch website for disabled target shooters with contributions from Michael Johnson, winner of gold medals at the 2004 Paralympics and 2006 World Championships. You’ll find knowledgeable tips for positions and equipment, as well as a complete explanation of classifications and rules.

Special-Needs Children and the NRA
Children with disabilities are another focus of Warner’s efforts. She started the Kids Excel Without Limits (KEWL) program for children with physical disabilities between the ages of eight and 18. The one-day event introduced participants to the .22 rifle and air rifle, as well as archery and fishing.

The free program “… was created to show children with disabilities that participating in the world of outdoor sports can be a reality,” Warner says. “This inaugural event is to be the pilot for what we intend to become a national program that will help other clubs to bring children with disabilities to their facilities.”

You can learn more about the NRA’s Disabled Services online, or contact Vanessa Warner at NRA headquarters at (703) 267-1495.