Gun Talk's Ryan Gresham shoots one of the guns from the pile of GLOCK 19 pistols provided on a centerfire stage of the Shooting Industry Masters.

If you're an outdoors hobbyist, you probably think that a job in the outdoors industry would be a dream come true; the new products, guns and ammo with lots of shooting. Right? Well, no. Jobs are jobs. It's work and you don't get to shoot as much as you'd like – unless your job is on a test range in which case all you do is shoot. Shooting then loses its allure. It's a job. So what do people in the outdoors industry do to get together and let their hair down? Well, they shoot – with a purpose – and make it a challenge. The Shooting Industry Masters is a 3-gun shindig that occurs in various places once per year. Put on by FMG Publications, the match is designed to pit industry teams against each other. The proceeds from the effort go to introduce people to the shooting lifestyle through the National Shooting Sports Foundation's First Shots Program. First Shots helps ranges across the country with a program designed to help non-shooters learn shooting and firearm safety. According to NSSF, it's a program they developed that is hosted by independent shooting ranges: ". . . the program provides participants with a comprehensive introduction to shooting by qualified range operators and instructors that includes firearm safety, local ownership requirements, shooting fundamentals, hands-on instruction and how and where to continue." It's a noble cause and one that FMG raises money for along with USA Shooting, HAVA and other shooting sports programs. The money is raised through the match and a series of auctions and raffles.

Yes, it's a competition right down to the side matches. In the Thompson Shootout, the Tommy Gun gets benched as the shooter lunges for the 1911A1, which is in Condition Three (loaded magazine under an empty chamber).

In previous years, FMG has raised more than $280,000 for First Shots, with a goal to raise $100,000 for the First Shots program this year. The event was hosted at the Claythorne Lodge in Columbus, Kan., July 24-25. The Claythorne Lodge provided 280 acres of the resort for the Masters matches and side matches. The lodge has private hunting areas, some on strip-mined land and is an upland game preserve as well as a shotgun clay sports facility. Claythorne has produced the World FITASC event, as well as the US Open (attended by 12,000 shooters). A shotgun clays range, it was a challenge to get the lodge ready for rifle and pistol games. A pair of bermed bays were already in place so setting up for side matches remained.

And the smile on this shooter's face is what the Shooting Industry Masters is all about: the enjoyment of shooting while giving to good causes.

According to the event schedule, around 65 teams were scheduled to compete. The Friday night "Big Shot Ball," as well as the match had a 1920s-1930s "gangster" motif. You could see some costuming in place at the match on Friday – hot as it was, the Kahr/Auto-Ordnance "Thompson Shootout" side match had workers in 30s fashions complete with shoulder holsters. The match consisted of Masters Centerfire Event, Masters Rimfire Event, Team Tactics Event and Sporting Clays event. Side matches were $5 each – and for about 16 events, there was a lot of activity. As if that wasn't enough, why not a First Shots class for industry team members who needed it? The Masters First Shots Orientation was provided. It's a beginners' class designed to help them learn basic shooting fundamentals and become familiar with the guns used during the event. Coaches for the event were two-time Olympian and 2008 Gold Medalist Keith Sanderson, Collin Wietfeldt, two-time Junior Olympic National Champion, Amber English, Alex Rennet, Sarah Beard and Tyler Froeba.

Firearms manipulation -- gun handling -- was part of the deal. The 1911A1 pistol was benched chamber-empty. The shirt says, "Leave the Gun. Take the Cannoli."

Just chatting with FMG's Sammy Reese, the Handgun & Rifle Stage Director, gave me some idea of the magnitude of the event. He'd arranged for the required 42,000 rounds of .22 LR ammunition and 18,500 rounds of .223, over 20 Glock 19s, Smith & Wesson M&P22 Compact pistols, M&P15-22 carbines, Ruger 22/45 Lite pistols, 10/22 carbines, Mossberg MVP Patrol carbines and many other guns. There were likewise a huge number of side matches, from the XS Sights "Snitches Get Stitches" to the Kahr "Thompson Shootout" to the MKS Supply/Inland "Audie Murphy Pillbox Showdown" and all the others. From my short exposure to the Masters last Friday, I can tell you it's a time for industry folks to get together. They talk business, sure. But they have a lot of fun and raise a lot of money. And it's all for a good cause. -- Rich Grassi