Collegiate Shooting Sports Education

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College Courses

Hillsdale College students can choose from six courses of instruction offered at the Halter Center.

Scholarships

The majority of Hillsdale students receive some form of institutional aid through scholarships, loans, or student employment.

Teams and Clubs

Hillsdale College’s shotgun team is a co-ed varsity athletic program that started during the 2011-2012 school year.

All classes are taught by a certified instructor

College Courses

Hillsdale College students can choose from six courses of instruction offered at the Halter Center:

Introduction to Firearms/Shooting Sports

Basic Shotgun

Intermediate Shotgun

Basic Rifle/Pistol

Indoor Air Rifle/Pistol

Introduction to Archery

Hillsdale College students can choose from six courses of instruction offered at the Halter Center: Introduction to Firearms/Shooting Sports, Basic Shotgun, Intermediate Shotgun, Basic Rifle/Pistol, Indoor Air Rifle/Pistol, and Introduction to Archery. Registered students receive one credit hour for successful completion of each class. All equipment is provided, including firearms, appropriate ammunition, and safety equipment. Students of all experience levels are welcome; in fact, most students enrolled in basic or introductory classes have no previous experience with firearms. All classes are taught by a certified instructor.

HILLSDALE COLLEGE CATOALOG

A young man stands with his feet apart taking the proper stance while practicing on the pistol range.

Scholarships Key to Attracting Talented Students

Scholarships

Hillsdale College annually refuses more than $6 million in federal- and state-funded student aid.

Awarded to the Shotgun Team Members

Awarded to Action Shooting Team Members

Awarded to Other Students that Compete at the Club Level

Because Hillsdale College annually refuses more than $6 million in federal-and state-funded student aid to maintain its independence, privately funded scholarships are key to attracting talented students. The majority of Hillsdale students receive some form of institutional aid through scholarships, loans, or student employment. Hillsdale’s supporters have helped meet this need by establishing scholarships that assist students who demonstrate exemplary citizenship and ability. Scholarships are awarded to members of the Shotgun Team and Action Shooting Team, and others are available to students who compete at the club level.

Students are welcome to join the firearms or archery clubs

Teams and Clubs

Clubs offer an alternative way to improve marksmanship while creating friendships with those who share a similar passion.

Shotgun Team

Action Shooting Team

Olympic Air Rifle and Pistol Club Team

Hillsdale College’s shotgun team is a co-ed varsity athletic program that started during the 2011-2012 school year. In that first year, the team won the Association of College Unions International Collegiate Clay (ACUI) Target Division III National Championship. It repeated this accomplishment in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021. The team now competes at the Division II level and continues to see success. The team is coached by Jordan Hintz.

The Hillsdale College Action Shooting Team was founded as a club team several years ago and achieved varsity status in 2021. The team competes shooting 9mm handguns at steel targets in competitions of speed and accuracy. The team earned its second consecutive national championship at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program’s College Nationals. The team is coached by Adam Burlew.

Hillsdale’s co-ed air rifle and pistol team meets two to three times per week for practice and competes monthly. The team’s coach is Andre Renier who also serves as an instructor for the Halter Center’s academic shooting sports course. The club team is a part of the Western Intercollegiate Rifle Conference (WRIC).

A young shooter participates in a skeet championship.

The Matt Suggs USA Shooting Travel Award

The Halter Center supports American shooting sports success on the world stage in partnership with USA Shooting.

Matt Suggs, former CEO of USA Shooting, was instrumental in establishing this partnership. A champion shooter himself, he greatly advanced USA Shooting and contributed to the continued development of the shooting sports at Hillsdale.

Matt passed away in December 2022. In his memory, Hillsdale College established the Matt Suggs USA Shooting Travel Award endowment fund. This fund will support unsponsored travel for student-athletes who make the USA Shooting team to compete in Olympic qualifying events such as World Cups, World Championships, and team trials. It will ensure that skilled student-athletes are not left out of these events due to lack of funds.

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