Robin Collado steadied himself and his Kimber 260 caliber rifle as he took aim at a target 100 yards away at the Koko Head Shooting Range.
Taking Aim
The Shooting Sports Fair offers
the public the chance to try
different firearms
Guys, arm yourselves. Gals, and even kids -- you, too.
Whether you fancy shooting or simply want to learn how, cowboy-style pistols, black-powder muskets, shotguns, hunting rifles, military arms, bows and arrows and other firearms will be available for the public to try tomorrow and Sunday at the annual Shooting Sports Fair at Koko Head Shooting Range.
"The purpose of this -- and what it has been doing for many years -- is letting the public get a feel of what's available in the shooting sports, in a very safe, controlled environment," said Harvey Gerwig, president of the Hawaii Rifle Association, the event's main sponsor.
Shooting Stars
What: Shooting Sports FairWhere: Koko Head Shooting Range. Just past Hanauma Bay on the way to Sandy Beach.
When: Tomorrow and Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. both days.
How: Various firearms available, from cowboy-style pistols and black-powder muskets to shotguns, rifles and archery, and even air guns for kids.
Information: Call 261-2754 or visit www.hawaiirifleassn.org
"It's a chance to learn, and not with a bunch of whackos. It's really a tightly controlled, but fun, environment. And younger and younger people have been coming out, and that's dynamite."
Gerwig said that along with the other firearms, air guns will also be available for all to try, but that they are particularly well-suited for kids. There is no recoil or loud noise with these guns, and "nothing scary about shooting it when done properly."
Shooting the different firearms safely and properly, and then also having fun, is what HRA members say their organization and the long-running event are all about.
The HRA is the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association. In addition to HRA members, individuals from clubs associated with the various venues (shooting disciplines) will be there to set up different areas within the range, help instruct and offer their firearms for use free of charge.
Once decided on the type of firearm or firearms, attendees can purchase $1 scrip tickets for the rounds. The type of caliber dictates the amount of rounds received per scrip.
For example, muzzle-loaders and magnums will be offered at one round per scrip, while rounds for the rifles and some of the military arms come two per scrip and most of the pistols three per scrip. Various competitions -- including but not limited to the well-known skeet and trap shooting -- will be set up for the different venues.
With the fair, "we try to let people know about the other side to (firearms) than the negative side that's usually portrayed.
"For the general public, I've seen kind of a surprising reaction on how many disciplines there are, and how fun and how positive generally the sport is," HRA vice president George Neira said. "If someone gets really interested in one of the venues, then they can look into joining one of the clubs, which will all be there."
Added Gerwig: "Like any other sport, as your proficiency grows, your enjoyment of the sport grows. A lot of types of shooting are not 'thrill' sports, but they are very satisfying. Concentration is the key."
Among other programs, proceeds from the fair benefit community courses teaching proper handling of and safety with firearms, the Boy Scouts and the Eddy Eagle Program to educate elementary school-level kids on firearm safety.
And the event is not just for dads and their sons. Mothers and daughters are encouraged to attend too.
"We have a lot of women that have become involved with firearms recently," said Neira, who works as a civilian contractor firearms instructor for the Navy. "And women tend to be better shooters than the men, on the average."
