4-H Shooting Sports is a youth development educational program. It uses the skills and disciplines of shooting to assist young people and their leaders in obtaining knowledge and developing skills. Development of skills within the discipline of shooting and "life skills" is implicit in the program curriculum and explicitly stated for volunteers. It appeals to young people and volunteers from a wide range of urban and rural backgrounds. 4-H Shooting Sports promotes positive youth-adult interaction and peer leadership. 

All 4-H members wishing to enroll in a Shooting Sports project (SS741-SS749) for the first time must complete 6 hours of instruction in shooting sports safety. Young people are encouraged to enroll in a shooting sports discipline project (SS741-SS749) during the same year. The SS740 project does not count against the project limitation.

Procedure for the SS740 Shooting Sports Safety project:

• The project should be completed in a short time period — in two or three meetings within a week.

• Local certified 4-H Shooting Sports volunteers present the 6 hour safety instruction.

• All shooting disciplines of the 4-H Shooting Sports program are to be covered in the 6 hours of safety instruction.

• Instructions must use the draft 4-H S Safety Curriculum as the core curriculum.

• The SS740 Shooting Sports Safety course must be completed prior to the youth participating in a discipline project (SS741-SS749) but need only complete it once.

• It is strongly suggested that 8- and 9-year-old members* repeat the safety instruction a second year.