Shooting Sports in Nebraska                                                                     

 By Chris Zeeb

 There are a ton of different shooting sports activities across the state of Nebraska. Many people participate in various shooting sports for many different reasons. For some it is a hobby or game (Better than Bowling or Golf for many!), for others shooting sports are a way to train and improve their firearms skills. Shooting sports are a family affair for many, with Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters spending quality time together.

There is a section of our forums dedicated to shooting sports. Whether you are a veteran competitor, or just looking into getting started but don't know how, what, or where, you can go to our forums to find and discuss information on events, rules, locations, or anything else related to shooting sports here in Nebraska.

Below I have listed just a few different disciplines of shooting sports. If I tried to make this a complete list, we would be here for a long time! Here is a taste of what is out there though:

Shotgun Sports

Trap Shooting - Shooting clay targets from unexpected angles from a single trap house located directily in front of the shooter.

Skeet Shooting - Clay targets thrown at distances of up to 60 yards from usually two throwers, the intent of this sport is to simulate bird hunting.

Sporting Clays - Clay targets thrown in a variety of angles in atempt to better simulate many hunting scenarios.

Rifle Sports

CMP Matches (Civilian Marksmanship Program) - Long distance Military style rifles shooting on paper targets

Silouette Matches - Shooting at steel animal silouhette targets.

NRA High Power - Long range (usually 200-100 yards) rifle shooting on paper targets

Smallbore Rifle Matches - Usually .22 rimfire rifles fired at distances of 50-100 yards

Handgun Sports

USPSA - Action pistol shooting, shooting on the move, around barriers, moving targets, falling steel, shooting through windows, doors and many unimaginable situations.

IDPA - Defensive pistol shooting, meant to simulate defensive handgun situations one might face.

Steel Challenge - Shooting from one position at stationary steel targets that "ring" when hit.

Bowling Pin Matches - Typically in a man vs. man format, the compeitors race to see who can shoot their bowling pins off of their table first.