How to Earn the Cub Scout Shooting Sports Awards

One of the most popular day camp activities is the Cub Scout shooting sports program. Find out the awards requirements and safety rules.

Because the BB gun and Archery belt loops and pins are no longer available, Cub Scouts needed a new way to be recognized for this shooting sports achievements.

You can find a detailed guide for shooting sports by clicking here.

While the program is brand new, a couple of things haven't changed.

1. Shooting sports are only allowed at district or council events. This means you can't have shooting sports at a pack campout.
2. Shooting sports must be under the direction of a qualified leadership–a trained range officer.

Here's how it works. Cub Scouts can qualify for the award in archery, BB guns and slingshots. 

Scouts will start by picking a discipline and completing the Level 1 requirements for that discipline. Level 1 requirements are different for each discipline, but they are the same for each rank.

For example, the Level 1 requirements for BB guns are the same for Tigers, Bears, Wolves and Webelos. There is a different set of Level 1 requirements for archery, and a different set for slingshots. 

These sets of requirements are the same for all the ranks, so regardless of rank. everyone will have the same Level 1 requirements within the discipline.

The requirements for Level 1 are teaching the Cubs safety while they learn about the equipment for that disciple.  Upon completion of Level 1 in any discipline, Scouts will receive a shooting sports patch for their rank.  You can see these in the image above.

The patches are considered temporary patches and will need to be worn on the right pocket of the Cub Scout's uniform.

Next, the Scouts will work on the Level 2 requirements for the same discipline as their patch. 

For example, Grant can't complete Level 1 requirements to get his patch in archery and then work on Level 2 requirements to earn his BB pin. Instead, he must complete the archery Level 2 requirements.

Level 2 requirements are rank specific, so Tigers will have different requirements than Bears or Webelos.

After the Scouts have earned their patch and first pin, they may choose to earn the award for a second discipline.

For example, Grant has earned the award for archery and wants to earn the BB gun award.

Since he already has a rank specific badge, he will not earn another badge. Instead, he will receive the pin for that discipline after he completes Level 1 requirements and Level 2 requirements.  The pin can be added to the rank specific patch.

If a Scout wants to earn the award in the third discipline, the process is the same as the second discipline.

When a Cub Scout moves up to the next rank, their shooting sports awards “reset.” They will begin again with the Level 1 requirements for the discipline of his choice.  This will help ensure that our children remember what they have learned.

After the Level 1 requirements have been completed, the Scout is awarded the shooting sports badge for their rank, and they then can work on the pin for that discipline.

The file are available on the Scouting website, but I'm posting them here to make it easy for you.  Just click on the links to download the files.

Cub Scout Shooting Sports Awards Requirements 2016

FAQs for New Shooting Sports Awards

Shooting Sports Tracking Template

I would love to hear what you think about the new awards, so leave a comment below.

Yours in Scouting,
Sherry

P.S.  Sign up below to keep up with all the latest Cub Scout news.