From Russ Chastain,
Your Guide to Hunting / Shooting.
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Your best first step when starting any type of shooting activity is to learn about gun safety. Reading and putting into practice common-sense guidelines for firearms safety is a good place to start, but you might also want to opt for some hands-on training.

One logical place to start would be one of the member clubs associated with USA Shooting (USAS), since that's the governing body for US Olympic Shooting. They have a good "get started" page on their Web site, and at press time they included a handy link to find member clubs in your state. It's likely that you could receive instruction at these facilities, and if not, someone there should be able to point you in the right direction.

Once you're ready to compete, you'll need to join USAS so you can take part in their sanctioned events. You'll want to start with local matches, and then move on to regional and national competitions. Top scoring shooters who are also citizens of the USA can work their way to the top, and if they meet the requirements of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), and the International Shooting Sports Foundation (ISSF), they may be selected for the US Shooting Team (USST).

What Qualifies a Shooter for the Team?

To become a member of the US Shooting Team, shooters must:

• Be a citizen of the United States of America.

• Meet the requirements set forth by IOC, USOC, and ISSF.

• Compete in a USST selection competition, and score well in it (competing and doing well in the National Championships or Junior Olympics may also suffice) to become a member of a USA Shooting national team.

• Through participation in a USA Shooting national team, you may be selected for the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team.

This is not a fast process. Years of shooting and active participation in USAS are usually required.

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