Mississippi 4-H is the first 4-H program in the country to offer slingshot as a shooting sports discipline. In 2023, two men at Mississippi State University Extension decided slingshots belonged next to .22 rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, air rifles and archery in the 4-H Shooting Sports lineup. Today hundreds of Mississippi kids shoot slingshots through 4-H, more than 60 trained agents and volunteers run the program, and other states are asking how to do the same.
Nathan sat down with Reid Nevins, the MSU Extension 4-H education specialist who coordinates Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports, and Jim McAdory, the MSU Extension agent who brought him the idea, to hear how it came together. This is the full interview, start to finish.
How slingshots got into 4-H
Jim had been watching slingshot videos on YouTube and saw a sport that taught safety, focus and marksmanship without a firearm or a range. So one morning he walked into Reid's office.
“He literally came in one morning and said, ‘Hey man, what do you think about adding slingshot to your shooting sports lineup?’” Reid remembered. “At first I went, ‘I like it.’ But I didn’t know anything about SimpleShot. I’m thinking wrist rockets, homemade things we had as a kid. I was like, ‘I like it. But what are we gonna do?’”
Jim brought in a modern slingshot, they found out about clay ammo, and Jim reached out to Nathan. “Jim reached out to me, I think it was back in ’23, and said, ‘Hey, we need to be shooting slingshots in 4-H,’” Nathan said. “And I said, ‘We want to help you.’”
Why slingshots fit 4-H
“It’s not about competition,” Reid said. “It’s all about education. Positive youth development is our underlying goal.”
Shooting sports can be expensive. A rifle or a shotgun costs money, and so does a place to shoot it. A slingshot changes that. There’s no dedicated range to find, and a bag of clay ammo costs less than ten dollars. Kids who would never pick up a firearm, by cost or by choice, can still learn to aim, breathe, release and hit, with the same safety and sportsmanship lessons taught in every other discipline.
Reid sees one more reason. “Anything we can do to get these youth off of these phones, from sitting in front of a video game, I’m all for it.”
Jim told the story of a boy in Newton County who couldn’t hold the frame right on day one. “That boy’s done won a couple of tournaments. To see them go from not even knowing how to hold it to hitting targets and winning tournaments is awesome.”
The state championship
The first Mississippi 4-H Slingshot State Championship ran on September 27, 2025, at the Jimmy Bryan 4-H Youth Complex in West Point, with 49 competitors. Shooters took a written quiz, ran a trail course of 20 steel targets with five tries at each, and finished on a speed range: five targets in one minute.
For 2026 the program split the championship into a north half and a south half so families wouldn’t have to cross the state. About 100 shooters came in all.
Nathan sent Scout LT2 4-H Edition slingshots for the state championships, and Reid handed them to the first-place winners. “I told them, ‘Right now we’re the only ones that have these,’” Reid said. “They were super excited to get them.”
Other states want in
Reid and Jim have already trained a group in Oklahoma, and they’ve talked with 4-H leaders in Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas. Reid’s goal is to see slingshot at the 4-H Shooting Sports national championships in Grand Island, Nebraska. “It may take a little time, but anything worthwhile just takes time.”
Jim put it the way we would. “Spread the joy of slingshots. We want to do that in the context of 4-H and youth development. These young people will grow up and spread it even further.”
If you’re a 4-H agent, volunteer or parent in another state, start with Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports. Reid has said he’ll share the curriculum, safety materials and score cards with any program that asks.
The Scout LT2 4-H Edition
The Scout LT2 4-H Edition is the official Mississippi 4-H slingshot: our Scout LT2 in bright green with white scales and clips. We made them as prizes for the program, and we made enough for everyone. SimpleShot donates 15% of the profit from every Scout LT2 4-H Edition to Mississippi 4-H.
4-H members, parents, leaders and agents get 25% off the Scout LT2 4-H Edition.
New to slingshots? Start with which slingshot is best for kids and why clay ammo is the right ammo for a youth program.
4-H slingshot FAQ
Does 4-H have a slingshot program?
Yes. Mississippi 4-H added slingshot to its Shooting Sports disciplines in 2023 and is the first 4-H program in the country to offer it. It held its first state championship in September 2025.
What slingshot does 4-H use?
Mississippi 4-H shoots the Scout LT2. The Scout LT2 4-H Edition is the official Mississippi 4-H slingshot, and SimpleShot donates 15% of the profit from every one to Mississippi 4-H.
What ammo does 4-H use for slingshots?
Clay ammo. It’s light and inexpensive, it breaks apart on impact, and it rings a steel target when it hits.
How can my state start a 4-H slingshot program?
Contact Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports through MSU Extension. Reid Nevins has said he’ll share the curriculum, safety materials and score cards, and he and Jim McAdory have trained groups in other states.
Do 4-H members get a discount at SimpleShot?
Yes. 4-H members, parents, leaders and agents get 25% off the Scout LT2 4-H Edition.
