NSSA - National Skeet Shooting Association

The National Skeet Shooting Association is the world's largest organization dedicated to the sport of Skeet Shooting.

August Is National Shooting Sports Month

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National Shooting Sports Month® in August provides the perfect opportunity for experienced target shooters and newcomers alike to head to a shooting range in your area and experience what millions of Americans have long appreciated — that a day at the range is a day of fun!

This 31-day celebration of the shooting sports, developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®) in 2017, reminds people that everyone can enjoy these safe, fun and social activities. It’s also the perfect time for an experienced shooter to mentor a newcomer in a sport that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment at every skill level.

National Shooting Sports Month has been growing steadily since its inception three years ago. This year’s celebration includes more than 2,000 events at ranges and retailers across the country — a new record! — and all-new Gearbox Giveaway drawings for some stellar prize packs. Experienced shooters will also discover how they can give the shooting sports a boost when they mentor someone new as part of NSSF’s nationwide +ONESM Movement.

“When you take someone to the shooting range, whether a newcomer or an experienced shooter, youth or adult, you’re going to have a good time,” said Zach Snow, NSSF Director, Retail & Range Business Development. “Whether it’s breaking clay targets, knocking down steel plates or shooting long distance, the shooting sports are exciting, safe and social. A day at the range is a day making memories.”

The information hub for National Shooting Sports Month and its numerous Gearbox Giveaways is LetsGoShooting.org. There you can learn information about dozens of target-shooting sports involving rifle, shotgun and handgun either in a recreational or competitive format. You’ll also find the shooting ranges and firearms retailers near you, learn about National Shooting Sports Month events in your state, enter the Gearbox Giveaways, print targets, watch instructional videos and learn how to safely handle and store firearms.

For those taking the +ONE Pledge and mentoring someone new, NSSF’s Range Safety and Etiquette video is a great way to kick off that first visit to a range for both. “Extend that invitation,” encouraged Snow. “You’ll be glad you did.”

Snow suggests the use of the hashtag #LetsGoShooting on social media, saying, “Sharing your experience reminds others of what they’re missing and encourages them to spend a day at the range,” said Snow. “It’s going to be a great month, and we want to know how everyone is celebrating.”

Former NSSA-NSCA Executive Director Don Snyder Passes

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We are very saddened to report that Don Snyder, former NSSA-NSCA Executive Director, passed away Wednesday, May 30. Don was a World Champion skeet shooter, many-time All-American, and a member of the Armed Forces Skeet Association Hall of Fame.

After retiring from the Air Force, Don began working for NSSA and the National Shooting Complex, filling numerous roles over the years. He served as NSSA Chief Instructor, managed the NSCA 5-stand truck and trailer program, and was the personnel director for the National Shooting Complex. He later became the NSSA Director prior to becoming the Executive Director.

“Don and I started working for the NSSA at around the same time 25 years ago,” current Executive Director, Michael Hampton, Jr. recalled. “He was great to work with and for, and he always wanted what was best for the associations. He loved the game of skeet, having fun, and telling jokes. Not all of his jokes were funny, but man, did he enjoy telling them and laughing at them. He was a co-worker and, more importantly, a friend who will be missed.”

After his retirement from NSSA, Don enjoyed focusing on his skeet game and instructing. He won the Champ of Champs title at the 2012 World Skeet Championships.

The staff of NSSA-NSCA and the National Shooting Complex extend their condolences to Don’s wife, Bertha, his family, and his many friends. He will be missed.

Services for Don Snyder are as follows:

    Memorial Service
    Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 11:30 a.m.
    Porter Loring North Chapel
    Procession will follow service for interment in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with full military honors.
    Celebration of Life
    Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 4:00 p.m.
    National Shooting Complex
    A meal will be provided. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Amber Schwarz at aschwarz@nssa-nsca.com or 210-688-3371 x 125.

View Don’s obituary at: http://porterloring.tributes.com/…/Donald-M.-Snyder-1061668…

Thank You to World Skeet Championships Sponsors

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NSSA and participants in the 2017 World Skeet Championships wish to thank the many sponsors of this year’s event, without whom the World Shoot would not be the same. From funding to shooters’ gifts to winners’ awards, the contributions of our generous sponsors are essential to having such a memorable, world-class event. We urge our members to consider the contributions of our sponsors when you are making decisions about purchases in the future.

Sponsors of the 2017 World Skeet Championships include:

Academy Sports & Outdoors
Ainsworth Trucking
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
Blaser USA
Briley Manufacturing Co.
Browning
Chick-fil-A
Decot Hy-Wyd
Elite Shotguns
E-Z-Go
Federal Ammunition
Kolar Arms
Krieghoff International
Laporte
MEC
Negrini Cases
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Paxton Arms
Remington
Rio Ammunition
Sportsman’s Insurance Agency, Inc.
Tachyon GunCam
White Flyer
Winchester Ammunition

Long-time Member Howard Confer Passes

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Howard and Letitia ConferNSSA regrets to report the death of Howard Confer, one of the association’s longest-serving active members and the person most responsible for the high-quality targets thrown at the World Skeet Championships. He died peacefully at home on October 23, 2016, at the age of 97.

Howard was an ambassador for the game of skeet in his home state of Michigan and the nation. He was inducted into the NSSA Hall of Fame in 1975 as the Ray Boller Award recipient and as a shooter in 1979. He is also in the Michigan Skeet Hall of Fame. Howard attended the World Skeet Championships 54 times, shooting in 52 consecutive World Shoots and winning a world championship in 1954. He served as NSSA president 1976-1978.

Howard Confer’s estate encourages his friends to donate to NSSA’s general fund,
youth shooting initiatives, or NSSA Museum in his memory.

Click here to donate.

As a long-time member of the Detroit Gun Club, Howard was a member of the famed Michigan Wreckers 5-man team that dominated team events in the 1960s and holds a number of team world records. Until the past few months, he was still active in the game and was still coaching at the Detroit Gun Club, as well as remaining busy designing clay target traps and installing sporting clays courses across the U.S.

Although he served his club and NSSA tirelessly in many ways, his greatest contribution was his quest for perfection in the targets thrown at the World Skeet Championships and other events. Howard wanted every target thrown to be perfect, and it especially mattered to him that the World Shoot throw targets worthy of the status of the event. That meant no broken targets from the machine and every target flying the same. To reduce the number of broken targets, he started by having referees count them, then analyzed the reason for the breakage: was it the manufacturing process, the way they were shipped and handled, the way they were loaded into the machine, a problem with the machine, or something else?

“At first he would ride on the back of the truck, watch us unload the boxes, and make sure we were handling targets correctly,” said Barney Brown, a trap expert at the National Shooting Complex and protégé of Howard’s. “He developed an 18-point checklist for every machine. If there were too many broken targets, his common phrase was ‘pull it,’ meaning we had to pull the machine and determine what the problem was.

“Howard was absolutely committed to ensuring quality in each and every target, in each and every machine and event. He certainly helped me become better at serving the industry. He revolutionized quality control and checks and balances in targets. I’m a better man for even meeting him. At first he was a mentor, making sure I was learning and doing what I should, but he evolved into an honest friend and someone I looked up to,” Brown said.

“Howard was a fixture in NSSA for over 55 years,” said Louise Terry, an NSSA past president who served with Howard in many capacities over decades. “His life was dedicated to our sport and he gave willingly of his time to the association. Howard was the primary person who dedicated years of focus to target quality, especially at the World Shoot. Anyone who has attended the World Shoot can attribute the high-quality targets to his work. Nobody loved skeet more than Howard, and this is a great loss to our association.”

Howard is survived by his wife of 71 years, Letitia; children Daniel (Debbie) and Sheri (Steve) Confer; grandchildren Carrie and Cole (Maria) Confer and Hunter and Sara Dzierbicki; and great grandson, Xavier Confer.

Funeral Service will be at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home in Clawson, Michigan, on Monday, October 31 at 11 a.m. Obituary and condolences are at lynchfuneraldirectors.com. A memorial service will be held at Detroit Gun Club on December 23 at 1 p.m.

Howard Confer’s estate wishes to encourage people to give to the NSSA in memory of Howard. At their request, we have set up a donation form for that purpose. Those who wish to remember Howard and his love of skeet shooting can click here to make a tax deductible donation online.

If you prefer to mail a donation, you may send a check to NSSA with the following on the memo line, or provide a separate letter accompanying the check:

In memory of Howard Confer to support (a) the NSSA Skeet Program, (b) NSSA Youth Skeet Shooting or (c) NSSA HOF/Museum.

For your tax records, the Federal Tax ID number of NSSA is 75-0108632.

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Thanks to World Skeet Championships Sponsors

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NSSA and participants in the 2016 World Skeet Championships wish to thank the many sponsors of this year’s event, without whom the World Shoot would not be the same. From funding to shooters’ gifts to winners’ awards, the contributions of our generous sponsors are essential to having such a memorable, world-class event. We urge our members to consider the contributions of our sponsors when you are making decisions about purchases in the future.

Sponsors of the 2016 World Skeet Championships include:

Academy Sports & Outdoors
Ainsworth Trucking
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
B & P
Blaser
Briley
Browning
Chick-Fil-A
Decot Hy-Wyd
Elite Shotguns
E-Z-Go
Federal
Kolar
Krieghoff
Laporte
L & B Elite
NSSF
Paxton Arms
Rio Ammunition
Tachyon GunCam
Sportsman’s Insurance Agency, Inc.
Viola’s Ventanas
White Flyer
Winchester Ammunition

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