Marksmanship Season

Season Information

DURATION: September – December 2024 AND January – July 2025
The Marksmanship program focuses on preparing student athletes for competitive rifle and pistol shooting. Scoring considers accuracy, but may also be based on a combination of accuracy and speed. Weekly practices prepare the athlete for multi-disciplined matches designed for either slow-fire accuracy, action steel, or practical and defensive action matches designed to combine the skills of accuracy and speed.

Initial Meetings:

Informational Meeting:

SharpShooters Indoor Range. Learn more about the Hurricanes Marksmanship team season, practices, events and matches. Get your questions answered, meet coaches, meet returning athletes, watch a match, learn about action steel competitions and the other events we are planning for the team.

Discovery Day:

Held at SharpShooters Indoor Range in September. For new shooters and their families- NEW KIDS LEARN TO SHOOT FREE after going through instruction on the safe handling and use of firearms as well as proper operation of a rimfire rifle. Following demonstrations, hands-on, one-on-one instruction with a coach will be offered to students that would like to experience shooting a rifle. Rifles and ammo will be provided. Meet the Hurricane athletes that medaled in the South Carolina State Championships and the National Championship Team. See them in action with their guns.

Orientation Meeting:

Held at SharpShooters Indoor Range in September and October. For ALL registered Marksmanship athletes and their families. League registrations, forms, paperwork, and season preparations.

NRA Basic Shooting Safety Certification Course:

Held at SharpShooters Indoor Range monthly. Mandatory training as a prerequisite to join the team. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend this firearms safety training. Hurricane athletes are free, Parents of athletes are discounted to $50 (one or both parents may attend for the price of $50). Preregister at SharpShooters.

GearUp Greenville:

Held at SharpShooters Indoor Range in the Fall. More than just a gun show experience! With gun demos on the range, specials on the latest guns and gear in the industry and special items for youth target shooters, this annual event is a BLAST! Meet team sponsors and vendors that are supporting the marksmanship team. See the guns and gear used in competitive matches and the swag to go along with it. Random prize drawings throughout the day including GUN giveaways!

Age Classifications

At match competitions, boys and girls under 18 years old are classified as “Junior” Shooters. There are further class designations, or age categories, in the primary organization we participate in- SASP, Scholastic Action Shooting Program:

4th-5th GRADE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROOKIE

6th-8th GRADE

MIDDLE SCHOOL INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED, or ENTRY (1st year)

9th-12th GRADE

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR VARSITY, or JUNIOR VARSITY (1st year)

Prerequisites

  • Copy of Birth Certificate (new Hurricanes athletes only–returning Hurricanes athletes already have their birth certificate on file)
  • NRA Basic Shooting Safety Course qualification is required. Sign up at SharpShooters. There is a written test and a shooting test after the training has been completed. Guns, ammo, targets, eye pro, ear pro, and training materials provided. Certificate issued. There is a $50 fee to secure a spot for parents with limited spaces available. Returning Hurricanes and SharpShooters Summer Campers have already completed this requirement. We encourage parents to get certified with their child. If certification is needed, register at SharpShooters.
  • Orientation meeting September at SharpShooters Indoor Range.

Gun Divisions

For a limited time, new shooters may use a team gun at practices if they do not yet have one. A .22LR rimfire rifle is required to participate on the Marksmanship team. We understand it may take some time to decide on the model that fits best. Hurricanes will have until November 1 to decide on a rimfire rifle. Suggested models are the Ruger 10/22, Tippman Redline, WilandUSA, Volquartsen, Custom built TacSol or Tactical Innovations Rimfire Rifle.

Gun divisions used throughout the season are:

Rifles

Rimfire Rifle Iron sights, Rimfire Rifle Optic sights, PCC Pistol Caliber Carbine, High power Rifle, Precision bolt action rimfire rifle with any sight system

Pistols

Rimfire Pistol Iron, Rimfire Pistol Optic, Rimfire Revolver Iron sights, Centerfire Pistol Iron, Centerfire Pistol Optic, Centerfire Revolver Iron, 1911 model

Responsibilities

To remain on the Hurricanes Marksmanship Team, athletes must follow the safety rules below and always be quick to follow all instructions given by Range Safety Officers, Coaches, Instructors and adult assistants.

  • All guns must remain empty and cased until a coach instructs them to uncase.
  • Always keep the gun muzzle in front of all flesh, pointed in a safe direction at your target down range.
  • Always keep your finger off the trigger until instructed to fire and you see your sights are on your target.
  • Always know your target and what is beyond it. Be aware of your surroundings.
  • Always keep the gun unloaded until instructed to load, only at the firing line.
  • Always assume all guns are loaded and treat them safely with the well-being of others in mind.
  • Always listen carefully to important instructions given by coaches and range officers.
  • No horseplay, yelling, pushing, touching, grabbing, jumping or running on the range.
  • No threatening words or gestures, written, verbal or physical. These will NOT be tolerated, whether meant to be funny or otherwise.

Equipment

Athletes will need to bring their own gear to each practice and competitions.

  • Personal Eye and Ear protection

  • Gun(s) and appropriate Ammunition

  • Gun cases or bags

  • Personal Eye and Ear protection

  • Cleaning equipment and tools

  • Range bag to hold ammo, eye and ear protection, supplies, gear, cleaning equipment and tools

Practices

Athletes are expected to attend practice at least once a week. The season schedule will be released on TeamSnap (our team communication app) in September. Practices will be after school on Mondays and Tuesdays. Additional practices will be scheduled on Saturdays. Home schooled athletes may attend a Friday morning practice. Thursday nights at SharpShooters provide another opportunity to practice in a competitive match setting.

Practices provide an opportunity to develop skills and friendships while surrounded by teammates, coaches and instructors encouraging each other to improve. Practices will be used to review safety standards; to learn and exercise a particular shooting discipline; to prepare for specific upcoming matches; to understand a course and its rules; and to achieve individual NRA skill qualification level medals.

For those wanting to participate in a match, squads of 4 athletes in the same division will be formed based on results at practice and results from matches. The Team will host several local matches in the upstate competing against other individuals and/or teams in the area. In addition to those matches, the team participates within several other leagues, organizations, and qualifiers.

Season Costs

Your registration fee pays for a team uniform (shooting jersey, long sleeve T, hoodie, shorts and at least one other t-shirt), individual range membership to SharpShooters (an upgrade to a family membership may be purchased for an additional $100), free access to other facilities and ranges, Awards, 1,000 rounds of .22 match competition ammunition, Private coaching sessions, squad coaching sessions, 5 match entry fees, targets, annual dues for SASP, Hurricanes organization overhead fees, use of team guns and targets throughout the season, team insurance coverage, fees that organizations charge for registering a team and their coaches which are needed for participation in matches. Most athletes will have their season registration fee paid for by sponsors. Businesses may benefit from a tax deductible donation of at least $500 when they support our community youth development organization.

At registration, there are 4 payment options:

  1. Secure a sponsor before September 9, and receive a discount code to register free.
  2. Work toward finding a sponsor to pay your season registration fee. Select to pay $199 at registration, and commit to attend fundraisers, fill out a Sponsor lead form with at least five potential contacts to support the Hurricanes, then when your support comes in, you will receive a credit of at least the $199 you paid initially.
  3. No sponsor needed, choose the payment plan instead. Select to pay $199 at registration, then an additional $100/month for 3 months will be charged on your credit card. (If a sponsor is found later, you will be reimbursed what you have already paid or receive a credit to use for ammo/match fees/gear depending on the sponsor’s level of support.)
  4. Select to pay for the entire season in full for $449 without using a sponsor. (If you secure a sponsor later, you will receive a minimum $500 credit for ammo/match fees/gear depending on the sponsors level of support.)

Additional expenses include:

  • Ammunition
  • Personal eye and ear protection
  • Match entry fees
  • Guns
  • Cases
  • Cleaning kit
  • Optional gun upgrades
  • Travel expenses
  • Optional shirts, jackets, hoodies, hats, holsters, belts, mag carriers

Ammunition:
.22LR for rimfire rifles and pistols.
9mm for centerfire rifles and pistols.
The amount of ammo needed in a season is dependent on an athlete’s participation level in practices and matches. Plan on a minimum of 1,000 rounds of .22LR ammunition in the first half of the season. Several athletes that enjoy being active will shoot 5,000-10,000 rounds of .22. World class shooters can shoot 70,000-120,000 rounds a season. If shooting 9mm, most athletes go through 1,000-3,000 rounds a season, or more. The team attempts to keep ammo on hand to sell at a discounted price. There is no additional charge for tax or shipping through team purchasing. Prices fluctuate, but currently, pricing for the team is as follows: .22LR cci mini mag, high velocity 1235 fps, 40 grain, copper plated round nose

Ammunition costs:

FREE Each athlete receives their first 1,000 rounds of rimfire ammo
$10 -100 rounds
$45 -500 rounds
$80 -1,000 rounds

9mm American Patriot match grade factory new brass, low velocity 870 fps, 147 grain, copper plated round nose, low recoil with 127 Power Factor
$40 100 rounds
$190 500 rounds
$370 1000 rounds