The youth is our future. They will eventually take over the responsibilities to run the Association according to members’ needs and expectations. As hunters and nature lovers it is important that SA Hunters equips youngsters to appreciate conservation, hunting, firearms and nature.
All training, especially shooting training, at SA Hunters branches is mentor-based and takes place on the shooting range. With more than 100 shooting ranges managed by SA Hunters branches across South Africa, members have access to a shooting range at every branch where formal and informal shooting is done. With more than 700 official branch shooting days per annum, opportunities for basic shooting training on request at the branches are available.
Competent sport shooters at branch, regional and national levels are available for advice and training needed by new sport shooters.
Branch shooting events provide the ideal opportunity to introduce children to firearms on condition that their parents give consent. All safety rules, safe firearm handling, and range safety rules are taught to the children as a priority and must be adhered to throughout the event. Fun or informal shooting exercises should form a large part of these activities.
Junior shooting exercises with air rifles and 22 rimfire rifles in different age classes were created to give juniors the opportunity to participate in standard shooting exercises. These exercises can be shot without the rule restrictions, e.g., coaching a person, and shooting the exercise more than once. However, the score cannot be recorded, and the juniors will not qualify for shooting badges.
Junior shooting disciplines with air and 22 rimfire rifles for an under 9, under 13, under 16, under 18 and under 25 year age groups.
When juniors attempt to qualify for gold, silver, or bronze shooting badges the rules for the shooting exercises should be strictly adhered to.
Cloth shooting badges in gold, silver, or bronze are available as acknowledgement in every standard shooting exercise. The qualifying criteria for shooting badges are included in the rules of every shooting exercise. Shottists can order the badge at a nominal fee from Inyathi Park through the branch office.
The junior shooting competitions create an opportunity for juniors to compete at regional and national level with air rifle and 22 rimfire rifles in different age classes. Regional rankings are created for each one of these competitions on the SA Hunters member administration system. Juniors qualifying for the national competitions participate annually to determine the top shottists in each discipline.
Junior shooting disciplines with air and 22 rimfire rifles for an under 9, under 13, under 16, under 18 and under 25 year age groups.
Juniors can also participate in other regional and national shooting competitions provided that:
Junior classes in other shooting disciplines
Shooting disciplines open to all ages
