SHOOTING has become so popular in the area, a Port Macquarie school has added it to its sports program and those involved say students are reaping the benefits. Westport High School students spend their sport time shooting mostly 22 calibre rimfire rifles every Thursday afternoon. Vice chairman of the Regional Shooting Complex and chairman of the Hastings Valley Hunting Club, Keiran Dick, said the school students thoroughly enjoy the sport and it is growing rapidly in popularity. Club membership has increased over the last two years and it has added another 60 to its ranks since Christmas. The news of the increase of shooters at the range comes after a story in Monday’s Port News about the number of Mid-North Coast and Port Macquarie residents who hold gun licences. It was revealed Port Macquarie accounts for 1874 licence holders, almost half of the total of the Mid North Coast (4108). Mr Dick said he has witnessed the affect the Thursday shooting lessons have had on the youngsters attitude in the time he has spent with them. He said he has also received positive feedback about the change in the participants general school behaviour from their teachers. “When they first started coming here a lot of them would be on their phones or Ipads or what have you,” he said. “Now they are interested, interacting and focused on what they’re doing. It’s not exactly a glamorous sport, but it’s a well disciplined sport. “Club membership has been flying up, interest in shooting in both seniors and juniors is sky rocketing. It teaches discipline and it is better than walking around the street drinking and smoking and it’s cheaper than golf.” President John Tingle said the school sports participants have a one-on-one supervisor throughout the time on the range. He also pointed out a very interesting fact when it come to girls versus boys. “The girls outshoot the boys 5-1,” he said. “For some reason, for the most part they are much better. “They seem to have a different attitude and more control.” Mr Tingle added his own facts to the original story about the importance of owners securing their firearms. “The police got it wrong about the regulations,” he said. “The bolt of the gun does not have to be kept separate from the gun, in fact, it can be dangerous to take the bolts out of a gun.”

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