Rossi will highlight the current season of "American Airgunner Challenge", airing now on Outdoor Channel. You don't have to know anything about shooting or airguns in order to watch this show and be entertained, Rossi says. The show pits eight men and women against each other in 10 intense shooting challenges. The challenges themselves are big and exciting and see contestants navigating ziplines and other obstacles and taking aim at huge explosive targets. Unlike many competitive shooting events, "American Airgunner Challenge" isn't a bench rest shooting competition. Instead, competitors face off in a wide variety of physical challenges that accelerate their heart rates and force them to shoot off hand from a variety of different positions, all with the expectation of exacting accuracy. In addition, they must be proficient with a variety of different airguns as they will be tasked with using anything from .50 Caliber rifles to arrow guns. Up for grabs at the end of the season is a $25,000 cash purse for the winner and the title of 2022 Airgunner Challenge Champion.
This is really the only shooting competition on air right now, Rossi says, and in addition to being fun and entertaining, he hopes it serves as a way to educate the general public about airguns. Airguns come in so many versions, there is something for everyone. Plus, they are just as satisfying and accurate to shoot as traditional firearms, he notes. Airguns are the fastest growing shooting sport segment in the country right now. These airguns are much more advanced than many people realize. Today's airguns aren't the Red Ryders, springers and pellet guns that many people think of. Instead, pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles are able to put 3,000 to 5,000 psi of compressed air onboard the gun to fire projectiles. That translates to the ability to shoot not just small game or targets, but also take down big game animals. Rossi talks about shooting a bull elk last year with an airgun, the capability to drop a bison with a .50 caliber airgun and an upcoming trip to Kodiak Island, Alaska where he will be hunting caribou and black-tailed deer with an airgun.
You really need to get an airgun in your hands to wrap your head around what they are capable of, Rossi says. It always surprises people and opens their eyes up to a whole new avenue of hunting, shooting and competition opportunities.
Don't miss an episode of "American Airgunner Challenge" airing Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on Outdoor Channel!
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