Shooting Industry Masters

FIRST SHOTS BENEFITS . . . A modern version of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show came to Cody, Wyo., last week in the form of the 11th Shooting Industry Masters, the annual fundraising 3-Gun match owned and organized by FMG Publications. Plenty of cowboy hats, boots and lace were on display as a record number of industry representatives rode into town to support the event. NSSF’s introduction-to-shooting program, First Shots, is the chosen beneficiary of the Masters. Competitors were tested by fun and challenging rifle, handgun and sporting clays events. Equally enjoyable were the side matches, where participants could shoot everything from a Gatling gun to a Sharps rifle. These popular side matches raised over $20,000 alone, and the event’s GunBroker.com auctions brought in approximately $22,000. The USA Shooting Team also benefited from a separate auction. The town received the Masters with open arms, as nearly 100 volunteers assisted at the Cody Shooting Complex. One of many highlights was the opening reception at the Buffalo Bill Center for the West’s world-class firearms museum. For a list of Masters sponsors and a soon-to-be-posted fundraising total, visit the S.I. Masters website. Any NSSF member shooting range in the country can host a First Shots event. Learn more at www.nssf.org/firstshots.