4-H Shooting Sports

The goal of the 4-H Shooting Sports Program is youth development. Through participation in firearm safety training and shooting sports activities, young men and women are given the opportunity to learn responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline, and other qualities critical to the development of productive citizens.

4-H Shooting Sports is a national program with over 300,000 young people taking part, thus making it one of the largest shooting education programs in the United States. New Mexico 4-H Shooting Sports involves a diverse group of youth and continues to grow annually.

NM 4-H Shooting Sports Policy and Procedures

New Mexico 4-H Shooting Sports Certification

Location: TBD

Date: TBD

Certifications: TBD

4-H Shooting Sports Youth Leadership Summit

When: March 20-22, 2026

Where: NRA Whittington Center, Raton, New Mexico

Application Deadline: Feburary 13, 2025

Forms Due: Application Form, Medical/Liability Release Form (submitted through your County Extension Office)

What: Shooting Sports Youth Summit will be held on March 20-22, 2026, at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico (tentative). The event will be open to Senior Age 4-H Youth from New Mexico enrolled in a 4-H Shooting Sports Project. The Summit will be limited to 1-2 participants per county for a total of thirty (30) youth. Applications and Medical/Liability Release Form will be due by Feb. 13 in the State 4-H Office and the cost will be $250.00 per participant and will include housing and meals at the Whittington Center (tentative).

The activities throughout the weekend will be a “hands-on” approach. Each individual will have an opportunity to be exposed to all the shooting sports disciplines offered in the New Mexico 4-H Program and will learn safety and techniques to teach and help other youth in those areas. Leadership activities throughout the weekend will allow youth to become spokespersons and ambassadors for the New Mexico 4-H Shooting Sports Program and take what they have learned back to their County to be an asset to the program.

This is not an event to develop better shooters, but is a leadership event based around the 4-H shooting sports projects and to develop state-wide ambassadors for the program. The application process will give more weight to leadership activities than shooting sports activities.