BB rifle team season comes to a close
Georgia 4-H Project SAFE uses the shooting sports to teach many valuable life skills. Project SAFE (Shooting Awareness, Fun and Education) provides youth a place to develop a sense of belonging, learn teamwork in a safe environment and increase concentration skills. Safety and the responsible use of firearms and archery equipment is a primary goal. Trained volunteers lead clubs in BB, air rifle, air pistol, .22 rifle, shotgun and archery in over 110 counties. Gordon County 4-H had youth participate in three of the six disciplines; BB rifle, shotgun and archery. This article is the second in a three part series on each of these teams’ state matches.
State competition for the discipline of BB rifle was held May 4 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. In the BB rifle competition, youth shoot a standard Daisy 499, a single shot muzzle-loader designed to be utilized in the one-on-one coaching style used by Georgia 4-H. Competition consists of a four position shooting demonstration, where youth shoot 10 bulls each in the positions of prone, standing, sitting and kneeling, for a maximum score of 400, as well as a written safety test for an additional 100 points.
In order to attend the Target Challenge Weekend, youth must have attended a previously held area match and posted a qualifying score of at least 310 out of a possible 400 points as an individual, or a team score of 1,550 for teams of five to seven youth, where the top five scores count as the team score.
Gordon County 4-H’ers that competed at the state BB rifle match were:
Emma Derrick, Sawyer Derrick, Bryce Holmes, Bryleigh Holmes, Cheyenne Mathews, Zack Mulkey and Anna Cheyenne Smith who competed as a team and placed 37th out of 73 teams, and Colton Holder and Kaleb Stephens competed as individuals. Sawyer Derrick, a
Gordon County 4-H’ers compete at state competition at Rock Eagle 4-H Center.
fifth-grader, placed seventh out of 500 shooters in the prone position with a 99 out of a 100, with six center shots on his target.
As a wrap-up to their season, the Gordon County 4-H BB rifle team also competed at the Georgia Games BB rifle Match held in Carrolton on May 18. Competing as a team was Cady Angel, Emma Derrick, Sawyer Derrick, Colton Holder, Cheyanne Mathews and Anna Cheyenne Smith, and competing as individuals were Hunter Angel and Zack Mulkey.
The team was coached this year by Dawn and Stacey Garlin and Jackie Mulkey.
The BB rifle team is open to all students in grades 4-8.
For more information about the 4-H BB rifle team or to learn how to join, contact the Gordon County Extension/ 4- H office at 706-629-8685.
June 10-14 – 4-H Junior Camp (grades 7-8)
June 17-21 – 4-H Cloverleaf Camp (grades 9-12)