Shooting is a great sport for adults of all ages. New shooters aren’t just those in their 20s and 30s either. Older adults are discovering the benefits of hitting the range, too. Whether it’s an interest in starting a new hobby or a desire to learn how to shoot for home or personal defense, now is a great time to get started.
For those interested in competition, shooting sports use a classification system to rank competitors based on their shooting ability. These classifications are useful for newcomers to gauge their performance based on competitors who shoot similar scores. This allows shooters to track their progress and set goals for improvement. Most sports offer age categories for seniors and grand or super senior shooters too.
There are so many benefits to shooting. Whether you choose an organized shooting sport, league at a local club or prefer to hit the range when time permits, it’s a great way to meet new people while gaining a life skill. Whether you’re interested in shooting the smallest group possible on a target or want to see how fast you can shoot multiple targets in practical, defensive or steel speed shooting events, there’s a shooting sport for everyone.
There’s another added benefit to shooting and developing grip strength. Did you know that grip strength is linked to longevity? Adults in their later years are encouraged to improve their grip strength with weight-training exercises. Not only can learning to shoot potentially save your life, it also helps build grip strength with one-handed and two-handed shooting during recoil control.
If you’re interested in learning how to shoot, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) website letsgoshooting.org is an excellent resource. If you’re an experienced shooter, now is a great time to take a parent, older relative, friend or neighbor to the range. Introduce them to the shooting sports and join the +One Movement.
Julie Golob is one of the most accomplished professional shooters in the world and captain of Team Smith & Wesson. She has won more than 120 championship titles in international, national and regional marksmanship competitions in seven different shooting disciplines. Learn more about the champion, author, veteran, hunter and outdoor television personality at JulieGolob.com. View all posts by Julie Golob
