DeKalb County 4-H Shooting Sports

10/15/2026

Due to unforeseen changes to the 4-H program, which are beyond our control, we must delay the start of all shooting sports this fall. We apologize for the confusion as we recently learned about these changes ourselves. Please pay attention to the following dates.

· Enrollment for the 2027 4H calendar year opens Sunday, November 1st.

· Archery level 3 will start on Tuesday, November 3rd and run until December 15th.

· Air pistol will start on Thursday, November 5th and run until December 17th.

· There will be no classes the week of Thanksgiving.

If you are going to participate in either archery or air pistol, you must be enrolled prior to the starting date listed above.

If you have questions, please reach out by email: [email protected]

Send a message to learn more

10/08/2026

NO CLASSES NEXT WEEK.

(see comments below)

Send a message to learn more

09/12/2026

07/06/2026

Still a lot of help needed! Sign up now for premium selection! 😁

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Drop of items is planned for the afternoon of Sunday, July 12, at the Exhibit Hall. If you need an alternative arrangement, please reach out. Thank you!

07/06/2026

Another successful .22 R***e season. Many thanks to the Auburn Conservation Club for allowing us to use their range.

06/28/2026

The registration for the National Muzzle Loading R***e Association Youth Shoot has now been posted. The link for the event is below. Copy and paste it into your browser of choice. The first link is to view the event and the second link is to the "store" to register online. The opening ceremonies are on Saturday at 9:00 am.

https://www.nmlra.org/events/2026-national-matches/
https://www.nmlra.org/product/2026-nmlra-national-youth-shoot-registration/

This event is open to all youth under the age of 18. You DO NOT need to be a 4H member to participate as there is no affiliation with 4H. The cost to participate is $30 per participant. Camping is free if you have a participant however it is only the electric only sites. Full hookup is extra. The town of Friendship, IN is a 1 stop sign town and you can plug in the following address if you want to view the town. 7436 S Co Rd 575 E, Versailles, IN 47042. The nearest hotels are 20-30 minutes away.

My family (the Schlabachs) has participated since 2018. It is very well run and the instructors love working with the youth. The competition portion will be held on Saturday July 11 with awards on Sunday July 12. In the past, every participant walked away with something so make sure to stay for the awards ceremony. On Sunday morning, the range will open back up from 9:00ish until 11:00 where the kiddos can go back and shoot any station they want. Parents have even been known to get a little time at the firing lines on that Sunday as well.

If you have any questions, please reach out.

Plan for the 2026 NMLRA National Matches with schedules, ranges, classes, vendors, and championship shoot information.

06/24/2026

We are just a few weeks away from Summer Judging!

The Food Stand is a significant fundraiser for DeKalb Shooting Sports. We are working toward replacing some very old equipment (particularly in the R***e disciplines). Any donations will help. If you know of any corporate or other sponsors, please feel free to make that connection. If you know of any person or entity that might want to make a donation, please let us know!

We need help in 2 ways:

Cashier/Service Sign-Up (1 hr slots) (easy for kids/parents to do in between their project judging slots--I know some of you will be there nearly all day :-) ):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B44AEA62FA3FE3-64620289-4hserver

Supplies/Food Donation:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B44AEA62FA3FE3-64620254-donations

Katy Hobbs and Naomi Hovey are leading the way on this again. Drop-off/delivery of food/kitchen items is requested on the afternoon of Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the Exhibit Hall. Setup for Summer Judging will be going on at that time. EXCEPT: If donation of the Ground Beef is offered, an earlier date is preferred so it can be prepared in advance (please make contact if you'd like to help with this item).

If you have questions, please fire away.

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Drop of items is planned for the afternoon of Sunday, July 12, at the Exhibit Hall. If you need an alternative arrangement, please reach out. Thank you!

03/07/2026

Interested in an opportunity to help 4-H Youth learn the shooting sports?

Instructor training registration is now open! Approved Volunteers are eligible to attend and we have the money to cover your registration fees, if you are willing to committing helping for a couple of years.

We can always use more help and we know you will find the experience fulfilling.

Attached is a flier and below is a screenshot with more info. If you have questions, please fire away!

03/01/2026

ADVANCED AIR R***E will start MARCH 19, and run for 8 weeks. Advanced class will typically only run for 1.5 hours (6:30 - 8 pm).

Here's what I need:
If you have a student that completed Beginner or Advanced in 2025 or before that wants/plans to do the Advanced class, please reply with name and year Beginner was completed by Thursday, March 5.

Those replies will be used to build the expected class list/size.

For current Beginner students, if there is desire to go the Advanced class, please consider that now. Announcement will be made on openings after response opportunity for past students.
Students MUST pass the Beginner course to do Advanced. This includes Instructor evaluation of shooting discipline and safety on the range. If students are still working through the progression of Beginner targets but are showing the ability (simply not had enough range time to complete), they may be permitted to do Advanced but may be required to finish the seated/supported targets before moving to other positions.

COMPLETION of at least one (1) year of Advanced is required before doing .22 R***e (can be the same year). Once competency is demonstrated in the Advanced class, students may return to Advanced and/or .22, as desired.

Other considerations, students in the Advanced class will shoot the larger air ri**es and will be expected to handle (and pump) the ri**es on their own. They will also learn and shoot 4-position R***e standards (prone, sit, kneel, stand). Those of smaller stature may struggle. Some have done it and done it well, but it requires patience and endurance. Parents/Guardians, consider this in your discussions with your kids. If they are struggling, they likely will not enjoy it.

Instructors reserve the right to remove students if they cannot be safe, but we would much rather NEVER have to do that. We want them to enjoy the activity and the experience, with the hope it will be something they stick with their entire life.

If you have questions, please fire away.

02/20/2026

Big thanks to Auburn Police Department for coming out to talk to the Beginner Air R***e class, and for bringing the bearcat for some hands on learning.