The Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match (Daisy Nationals) brings teams of youth ages 8 to 15 from across the country to the Rogers Convention Center to compete for the National BB Gun Shooting Championship. This NRA-sanctioned 5-meter, 4-position match is in its 56thhe year of competition and crowns of Individual and Team National Champions.
The teams are made up of five shooters and two substitutes. These teams have practiced and competed all year for a chance to qualify for the Daisy Nationals and must place in the top three at a state game to receive an invite. In the match, the competitors shoot at an official target placed 5 meters away. They shoot 10 shots standing up, 10 sitting down, 10 kneeling, and 10 in the prone shooting positions. All competitors shoot a Daisy Model 499B, touted as the most accurate 5-meter air pistol in the world.
Each shot is worth 10 points, for a possible total of 400, but each competitor must also take a test covering gun safety and general gun/combination knowledge. The test is worth 100 points, so each competitor aims for 500 points. Proof that these kids are good comes from last year’s National Individual Champion, Zoe Dissing. She set a new record with a score of 494, just six points short of perfect.
But it’s not just the competition that makes Daisy Nationals a hit with young people. Events and fun make these three days kid-friendly. There are costume and car decorating contests sponsored by Academy Sports & Outdoors, Barter Bar (a local fetch swap night), and an evening at Rogers Aquatic Center.
As usual, teams come from as far away as Oregon to compete, with South Dakota, Virginia, and Georgia also being among the states represented. This year 15 states will be represented. Any organization can start a BB team, but most come from the 4-H Shooting Sports program. New teams must complete a 10-hour daisy shooting sports curriculum before taking up an air pistol.
“Some coaches bring their teams here every year,” said Daisy Director of Public Relations Lawrence Taylor. “I’m not sure of the exact number, but I do know that coach Howard Baker has taken his Oregon Timber Beasts to Nationals for 18 or 19 years in a row.”
Early bird registration begins July 5 and continues on July 6he. the 7thhe, Competitors get their practice time on the line and take the safety test, then attend opening ceremonies where they compete for prizes in the patriotic costume, t-shirt and more contests. The competition kicks off over the next two days with the Closing Ceremonies ending that night just in time to head to the water park. (Daisy Outdoor Products, 1700 N. 2North Dakota St., Rogers, AR 72756)