How many of us took our very first shot with a Daisy BB gun? That tradition continues to this day, and Daisy celebrates it every year with the Daisy National BB Gun Championships, affectionately known as the "Daisy Nationals" to the thousands and thousands of competitors who have enjoyed it. It appears that 2019 won't be an exception, as 64 of the top BB gun teams in the nation will converge on Rogers, Arkansas, July 3-6 for the 2019 Daisy Nationals. This is truly a competition designed to help shape the next generation of Second Amendment supporters, as competitors are limited to the ages of eight to 15 years old...and that it's impossible for a team to win without each and every member knowing the rules of gun safety inside and out.
Here's how the Daisy Nationals unfold. Seven-person teams (five shooters and two alternates) ages 8 to 15, will be competing in this 5-meter, four-position match. The positions consist of standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. Competitors use Daisy Model 499B Champion BB guns. Daisy’s 499B is billed as the most accurate 5-meter BB gun in the world. It’s not your old Red Ryder – this muzzle-loading BB gun will dot the “i” every time.
After two days of competition, Daisy crowns the National Championship Team, Individual, Alternate and Champion titles. The Champion division consists of shooters who competed as a team member last year – each member must take a year off after competing to allow other shooters on their team to get the chance. After that year off, they may return as a team member. This gives more youth shooters the opportunity to compete in “the most prestigious BB gun match in the world.”
“Competitive shooting teaches mental focus, bolsters self-esteem and improves coordination,” said Lawrence Taylor, Daisy Director of Public Relations. “Every year we hear stories of how competitors have raised grades and became happier since they started the program. This is especially true for those who are dealing with a learning disability or other issue that can make excelling as a youth more difficult.”
Registration begins on July 3, and the written test begins at 3 p.m. Each competitor must take an extensive written test that makes up 20 percent of their final score. The test covers gun safety, technique and match rules, and is an extension of Daisy’s extensive youth gun safety initiative
Teams from 17 states will compete in this year’s event. Familiar teams such as the Oregon Timber Beasts and the Tennessee Awesome Possums join new-comer teams like the Coweta, Oklahoma Rangers and the Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania Sharpshooters as they shoot to knock off last year’s champion, the Wyandotte County 4-H Shooting Sports team out of Kansas City, Kansas. The event concludes on the evening of July 6 with the medal ceremony, followed by a party at the Rogers Aquatic Center.
“The Daisy Nationals is a celebration of youth shooting, and it’s all about the kids,” Taylor said. “Boys and girls compete against each other on an equal footing. And here’s something – if you look down the hall where everyone gathers, you’ll not see a single head buried in a phone. They’re playing cards and games and actually talking to each other. Daisy is very proud to be associated with these kids.”
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