See important changes to the program effective September 1, 2024 here
About Us
The goal of the Old North State Council (ONSC) Range & Target Activities Committee is to offer fun and interactive firearms, archery, and hand-held throwing sports programs of the highest caliber to youth in and around the Old North State Council service area.
We maintain a volunteer group know as the Rangemasters Team. Each member is a NRA Certified Instructor/Range Safety Officer who is willing to help units get involved with range & target activities. The registered Scouters are available to teach the range & target activities merit badges, NRA Basic Firearm Shooting courses, USAA Archery Skills and provide supervised shooting opportunities for Youth in Scouting. Adult Volunteer opportunities are available on this team; TheONE Shot.
Instruction to youth is conducted as part of a unit meeting or at camp on the weekend. All live-fire shooting will utilize camp firearms, ammunition and operate on established target ranges at Cherokee Scout Reservation (CSR), located just outside Yanceyville, NC.
Our Scout BSA reservation maintains 8 permanent ranges with outstanding access to the best target configurations in the Southeast Region of the USA. 
The reservation property supports shooting for Rifle Target, Pistol Marksmanship, Archery Static block, Archery Advanced Trail, Muzzleloading Rifle and Rustic Trail, Shotgun 5-Stand and a 1.5 mile 10 station Sporting Clays Course ranges.
Our Cub Scout equipment provides access to BB, Slingshot, & Archery events for the younger youth in Scouting programs. Additional space is available for a Rocket Launching field. The camp is fully equipped with age appropriate gear to operate within all local and national requirements for our youngest shooters.
Most year-round events are scheduled on-request in coordination with a unit camping trip, while district or council events are scheduled during the annual calendar process. Reservations will need to be made well in advance for any course to be scheduled on the date of your unit’s preference. We request that range reservations be made 90 days out from the shoot date. To reserve a Scouts BSA Range – email Chris Murphy, murphy.firearms@gmail.com
Let us know what Target and Range Sport shooting experience program is desired and we will make every effort to make it happen within the guidelines of our Standard Operating Procedures and National BSA Shooting Guidelines. Take a moment to browse through the activity descriptions below.
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Programs for Scouts BSA and Venturing |
Programs for Cub and Webelos Scouts |
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Scouts BSA range and target activities are based on age appropriateness and safety with the goal of developing a positive shooting experience for each youth. Archery, Muzzleloader, Rifle, Shotgun and Pistol shooting can be offered by a council as a year-round or summer camp programming. Appropriate for Scout Units, Venture Crews and Sea Scout Ships. |
Archery, BB rifle, and slingshot shooting are restricted to day camps, Cub Scout/Webelos Scout long term camps, council-managed short-term camps or council activities where there are properly trained supervisors and where all standards for BSA shooting sports are enforced. Archery, BB and slingshot shooting are not approved unit activities. |
Policy in Practice for Safe Programs
Range and Target activities for all youth programs* should use the following resources as a guide to appropriate events:
• The ONSC document, “Shooting Sport: Informed Consent“, from a parent to participate in Shooting Sports that are appropriate for the participants age category.
Youth will ONLY shoot if the completed form is supplied to the Rangemaster in charge of the range per each event.
• ONSC Standard Operating Procedures document (SOP): This is the Old North State Council Range & Target Activities core policy guide.
• Guide to Safe Scouting
“A Unit Leader’s Guide for Current Policies & Procedures”
-Shooting Sports excerpts for Guns and Firearms including:
- – Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA and Venturing Standards
- – Cannons and Large Bore Artillery
- – Age Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities
• BSA National Shooting Sports Manual (online) provides guidelines for outdoor program shooting sports:
- Scope of Shooting Sports (SS); type and level
- Shooting Sport Personnel and Range Safety Supervision
- Archery
- BB Gun Shooting
- BSA Safety and Pistol Marksmanship
- Multi-Gun Airsoft
- Muzzleloading Rifle Shooting
- Rifle Rimfire Shooting
- Shotgun Shooting
Key Shooting Sport Resources:
Appendix 4: Shooting Decision Tree
Chapter 1: Qualified Supervision & 5 Levels of Shooting Activities
Chapter 3: Merit Badge Counselors
Section V: Cub Scout Shooting Sports
* Age Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities (#680-685)
Lesson Plans for firearm course delivery
Resource Library for Cub Scout Rangemaster, Cherokee Rangemaster and Shooting Sports Merit Badge Counselors
Instructor Resources:Range Checklists, Safety Briefing, Range Binder
NOTE: Cub Scout Archery and BB shooting are only authorized for District or Council events and must be supervised by ONSC certified Instructors and Cub Scout Rangemasters (CSRM).
THE Volunteer Team: Rangemasters
Get involved with Shooting Sports and serve a few weekends on the range helping Scouts learn about target shooting. TheONE Shot
For more information:
Chris Murphy <murphy.firearms@gmail.com>
ONSC Rangemaster Chair
NRA Training Counselor
OR
Rick Dunnuck <rick@rickstimeshop.com>
ONSC Range & Target Activities Committee Chair
Chief Range Safety Officer; NRA Training Counselor
The Committee
ONSC Range & Target Activities Committee has overall responsibility for the council’s Target and Range Sport activities in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Exploring.
RAnge & Target activities include: Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloading Rifle & Shotgun, Pistol, Archery, BB rifle and Rocket activities.
The Range & Target Activities Committee operates as a sub-committee under the council Camping Committee, within the VP of Program’s structure. The Rangemaster Volunteer Team reports though this committee.
Member Skill Assets Include:
BSA Regional Shooting representative, Master Armor, Technical Equipment Engineers, NRA Training Counselors, Cannon Expert, National Camp School Directors, Council NCAP Chair and ONSC Properties Committee liaison.
Boy Scouts of America Resources
The National BSA Outdoor Programs useful link:
Go to Range & Target Activities
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