Venture Crew shoots pistols two Sundays a month from 7pm to 9pm at the Oakland County Sportsmen's Club indoor gun range. Membership is open to young men and women who are at least 14 years old and have completed the 8th grade, but are not yet 21 years of age.
Adults supervise the shooting sessions to ensure that guns are handled safely and to help the shooters develop their shooting technique and consistency. The Crew provides Ruger 22/45 .22 caliber pistols for the members' use, some with iron sights, and some with red dot sights. Paper targets are located 50 feet away.
Our program is designed to develop the shooter's firearm safety awareness, discipline, patience, persistence, concentration and consistency. Prior to shooting at the Crew meetings on a regular basis, the shooter must attend a NRA course on firearm safety, and pass a written test.
Our members progress individually through the NRA Bullseye Pistol Marksmanship program. NRA Bullseye is a structured qualification program that starts the shooter off using two hands to slow fire (10 rounds in 10 minutes). Once the shooter has demonstrated proficiency with two hands, they progress to shooting with one hand. The shooter then advances to shooting timed fire (10 rounds in 40 seconds) with one hand and finally to shooting rapid fire (10 rounds in 20 seconds) with one hand. Each target is scored and then recorded in the Crew's database and progress reports are made available prior to the next session.
The Venture program is a division of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It is a co-ed program for older youth (14-21) which concentrates on special interests, such as marksmanship, rock climbing, law enforcement, etc.. Venturing provides positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Venturing provides the skills needed for young adults to make ethical choices, experience a fun program full of adventure and challenges, acquire leadership skills, and to take advantage of opportunities to advance their skills and knowledge in the areas of high adventure, sports, arts, hobbies, religious life and Sea Scouting. For additional information, go to the Venturing web site in our Links section. The Venture programs in our area operate under the oversight of the Clinton Valley Council of the BSA.
The cost to join Crew is currently $125 for the first year. The membership dues are $70 per year after the first year. The crew also collects a $3 shooting fee from each shooter who participates in a shooting session to cover the costs of ammunition, targets and cleaning supplies. Membership fees include membership in the BSA, and accident insurance. Purchase of a Crew shirt and an optional junior membership to the OCSC is additional.
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