Boy Scouts of America

Shooting Safety

SUMMARY

The Boy Scouts of America and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have worked together for more than 100 years to develop a strong shooting sports program. Many NRA trained men and women in BSA local councils are willing and available to work with units and youth. Too often, individual units want to go shooting with whatever guns they have at whatever location they think is safe. However, the BSA Shooting Sports program is both age-appropriate and structured with specific types of firearms and the appropriate places to shoot. Leaders and chartered organizations need to know and follow the program.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This Safety Moment is not an all-inclusive document of every shooting rule available to you, but should serve as a reference document for you to make sure the shooting activities your Scouts are participating in are conducted appropriately and in the safest manner possible.

Safety considerations should be on the top of everyone’s list, especially when dealing with firearms.

  • Every council generally has a Shooting Sports Committee to manage and provide resources for all activities involving shooting sports whether during summer camps or during year-round shooting opportunities.
  • Age-appropriate guidelines limit the shooting sports in Cub Scouting to council and district activities.
    —– Cub Scouts in the Tiger, Wolf, and Bear ranks can only shoot BB guns. Webelos Scouts can shoot pellet rifles only at long-term camps.
  • Unit level activities only occur in Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting.
  • Some programs in are limited to council camps and special safety programs (pistol and cowboy action shooting).
  • An established public range is preferred for any live fire.
  • There are provisions for set-up and use of private ranges, if not at council range. These provisions involve council and landowner approvals. (See filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Outdoor%20Program/Shooting%20Sports/430-065_WB.pdf)
  • Using appropriate and adequate eye and ear protection will help to minimize the risk of injury.
  • The proper ratio of range personnel and youth.
  • Both instructors and range safety officers are needed for live fire. Each has a different role.
  • Permission slips from parents are important, and required by states, for youth who will be shooting.
  • Know and follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) for any range being used. Review the council range SOP in advance.
  • The BSA shooting sports program does not include any firearms or devices regulated by the National Firearms Act, including machine guns, silencers, and short-barreled firearms.
  • Use appropriate targets. The BSA program does not include the use of humans, human representations, animal targets in Cub Scouting, or incendiary or exploding targets.
  • When handling firearms or operating a shooting range, take a PAUSE for safety: Pause before you start. Assess possible hazards. Understand how to proceed safely. Share your plan with others. Execute the activity safely.

RESOURCES

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.