NSSF Target Shooting Activity Report: States Benefit from Economic Impact of Target Shooting
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released a major new report documenting the importance of target-shooting activities to the U.S. economy.
The report, Target Shooting in America: Millions of Shooters, Billions of Dollars, was released today in conjunction with a press conference at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), the largest trade show of its kind in the world and a showcase for the firearms and ammunition industry.
NSSF, which owns the SHOT Show, is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.
The report provides a first-ever look at U.S. target shooting-related expenditures. Also included are state-by-state statistics for the number of target shooters, retail sales, taxes and jobs. The target-shooting report complements the Hunting in America report released by NSSF and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies in March 2013.
The money target shooters spent in 2011 resulted in $23 billion being added to the nation's economy and supported more than 185,000 jobs nationally.
"More people target shooting is good news for the industry, and it is equally good news for America's economy," said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti.
Retail sales related to target shooting account for nearly $10 billion, with rifle and handgun shooting being the leading contributors, followed shotgun and muzzleloader shooting. California and Texas are the top two states ranked by retail sales, each topping $800,000,000.
Combining data from Target Shooting in America and Hunting in America shows that target shooters and hunters together poured more than $110 billion into the nation’s economy, fueling more than 866,000 jobs. “Communities and businesses of all sizes benefit from these activities,” said Sanetti.
Target shooters ($8.2 billion) and hunters ($8.4 billion) spend near equal amounts on equipment common to both pursuits, such as firearms, ammunition and accessories. Hunters spend more overall than target shooters when factors such as fuel, food, lodging and transportation are included.
“The Target Shooting in America and Hunting in America reports give us a more complete understanding of the economic importance of the shooting sports in America,” said Sanetti. “We’ve long known about the recreational benefits of these activities, and now we know how much they contribute to our country’s financial well-being.”
Read Target Shooting in America: Millions of Shooters, Billions of Dollars or view the report as a printable PDF.
To request hard copies of the report, email Jim Curcuruto (limited quantity available).