Kids Central MN BB gun team in need of a place to practice

  • MNdrifter
    Posts: 1671
    #2004103

    Sorry for the long post.
    25 years ago when I was in my early teens I was on a BB gun team sponsored by the Buffalo Jaycees. We shot competitive BB guns against several teams from around the state and had a state match each year somewhere (it was hosted by a different team each year). There was roughly 25 members or so on each team. Fast forward to last year I was shocked to find out Buffalo still has a team, and many of the old coaches still coach even though their children are long gone. This team has been going roughly 35 years! I was floored when at the first safety meeting they had roughly 80 kids! They had to split practice between two nights a week. Well my two boys joined last minute last year when I found out they were still going. I quickly found out that all the other teams throughout the state no longer exist. When I was in it I bet there was 30-40 teams! Buffalo is the last remaining team in the state so they practice weekly and go to a couple tournaments in South Dakota. Well my boys practiced a couple weeks and then the first Covid lockdown hit. The team tried to shoot again last year but it wasn’t feasible so they just called it a year. Recently I found out that over the summer, I don’t know what happened or why but they lost the privilege to shoot at the township hall between Buffalo and Delano they have practiced at for all these years. This team is looking for a place to hold practices weekly. Maybe a heated shed of some sort. I’m just wondering if anyone has any ideas in the central Wright county area (Buffalo, Monticello, maple lake, etc.)? They have a few ideas but they are coming to dead ends everywhere they look. Does anybody have any ideas where you could get roughly 80 kids to shoot BB guns. They could split nights so it could be only 40 or so two nights a week. I am not sure how many kids are interested in returning this year, all I know is last year’s numbers. I’m thinking roughly half will not participate this year due to covid and the fact that there will probably be no tournaments. So that would be roughly 40 kids, but I don’t want to turn any of the kids away. The season is roughly 12 weeks.

    Thanks in advance for any leads you can think of. )
    Drifter.

    Netguy
    Minnetonka
    Posts: 3169
    #2004141

    My daughter shot on an air rifle team in the winter of 2009-2010. They practiced in the basement of an American Legion. They only had ~10 kids, though.

    MNdrifter
    Posts: 1671
    #2004145

    My daughter shot on an air rifle team in the winter of 2009-2010. They practiced in the basement of an American Legion. They only had ~10 kids, though.

    Thanks! But the local legion and many other public establishments now strictly enforce no guns. Even BB guns.

    Dutchboy
    Central Mn.
    Posts: 16650
    #2004146

    What kind of distance to they need to shoot at?

    Hopefully something can be found it’s a good hobby for the kids.

    MNdrifter
    Posts: 1671
    #2004149

    What kind of distance to they need to shoot at?

    Hopefully something can be found it’s a good hobby for the kids.

    I believe it was roughly 25’

    buck-slayer
    Posts: 1499
    #2004161

    Check with local Rod and Gun club. A lot of empty office space around try calling leasing agent. My kids shot at Hudson’s rod and gun there had to be 75 kids.

    John Rasmussen
    Blaine
    Posts: 6334
    #2004172

    Is there an airport near by, maybe someone has a hanger? No clue if they would allow that nowadays.

    BackwaterICE
    Posts: 104
    #2004222

    how about a national guard armory near by?

    MNdrifter
    Posts: 1671
    #2004239

    All good ideas guys. Thanks! I’ll be googling phone numbers.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.