What Is The Airgun Sporting Association?

So what Is The Airgun Sporting Association? And why should I care?

Observant readers of Hard Air Magazine may have noticed a bold new banner ad that’s appeared on our Home Page. It says “Airgun Sporting Association. The industry working for you.”

Many airgunners have heard of Ed Schultz. He’s a lifelong airgun shooting enthusiast who has worked for almost 30 years in airgun product development at Crosman, SIG, then to Crosman again.

In addition – as of May 15, 2024, Ed became President and CEO of the ASA. It’s a well-deserved appointment! You may have read the HAM story about this from 2024.

With Ed’s lifetime of interest and passion for airguns, nobody’s going to argue that he does not bring a wealth of knowledge to the ASA. He’s “one of us” – a true airgun enthusiast, hunter, plinker and competitor – who has spent years fighting in the background of the industry to benefit our interest.

Over the coming months, Ed will be contributing updates about the ASA through Hard Air Magazine. Some will be simple updates, others may be more provocative.

What I do know is that Ed is enthusiastic to engage with all of us through the HAM Community. He will be looking for comments and feedback. When you meet Chief_Pellet_Officer in the HAM Community, you’ll know that’s him!

So today, Ed is updating us on his first year leading the ASA. He’s also covering the results of the latest ASA meeting. It was held in Las Vegas, at the SHOT Show.

Take it away, Ed…

---

As I reflect on 2025, my first full year with the Airgun Sporting Association, I am excited to share a review of our progress and the path forward. Transitioning from a career in product development to a role focused on expanding the airgun community and strengthening our collective voice has been incredibly rewarding.

A core focus of my work lately involves the ASTM standards committee, a group I have served on for over 20 years. This “behind the scenes” collaboration with organizations like the Consumer Product Safety Commission is vital for monitoring and improving our industry’s safety standards, and I am proud of the success we have achieved.

Attending SHOT Show in this new capacity was a significant shift. In the past, I spent my time scouting new product ideas and visiting competitors.

This year, I focused on visiting our partners and members at Hatsan, Umarex, Pyramyd Air, and Air Venturi. During our annual executive meeting, we were joined by Crosman, Daisy/Gamo (Iconic Outdoors), and Predator International.

Below. Ed with Richard Turner (left), President and CEO of Umarex USA at the 2026 SHOT Show.

We are also pleased to welcome New England Airgun as our newest retail member, joining a long time member Airgun Depot.

The meeting was also attended by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) to continue discussions regarding their 2024 resolution urging Congress to extend federal excise taxes to airguns and ammunition. I will share more updates on this matter soon.

Looking ahead, I am eager to engage further with the HAM Community and share the work we are doing. A primary goal for early 2026 is to revamp the ASA website to make it more user-friendly

We are also focused on increasing individual memberships and expanding our mission beyond hunting advocacy.

Finally, I am excited to share that the ASA and ASTM are collaborating to set standards for airgun slug sizes and calibers ranging from .177 to .72. While the committee is working with all major manufacturers, I am very interested in gathering input from the people actually using these products.

I hope that we will be able to have another post on this topic soon.

I look forward to your feedback as we move forward and hope that this helps to answer the question: “What is the Airgun Sporting Association?”

---

Thanks Ed. That’s a great start!


The post What Is The Airgun Sporting Association? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Billm Now I can better understand your position.

 

[Billm]

@Billm Now I can better understand your position.

Just to be clear, I’m not anti-ASA, I just would like to hear exactly what their position is on these issues and what their current vision is. I look forward to what Ed has to say.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Just to be clear, I’m not anti-ASA, I just would like to hear exactly what their position is on these issues and what their current vision is. I look forward to what Ed has to say.

@Billm I think I get it now. I’m glad you posed some of these questions. Thanks for being patient with me.

 

[Billm]

@Billm I think I get it now. I’m glad you posed some of these questions. Thanks for being patient with me.

Not a problem. I really do like all the discussion.

 

[Chief_Pellet_Officer]

***I am reposting this here on the "comment to Ham post" section. I was responding to the "Can of worms?" post. Newbe mistake***

I am thrilled by the level of enthusiasm here; it’s exactly what drew me to this community.

Regarding the minimums: The ASA currently recommends .35 caliber and 200 fpe as the baseline for big game. While I agree that a .45 often provides a better margin for success in the field, hunting is rarely one-size-fits-all. Ultimately, it comes down to the hunter knowing their limitations and their specific environment.

One of the primary reasons we focus on the .35 caliber mark is because it represents a critical "crossroads" for the future of the industry—specifically regarding where the Federal Excise Tax (FET) might eventually land. That limit is not yet set in stone, and establishing where that line is drawn is one of the key points we are working on.

I also want to respectfully address the idea that the ASA only cares about the "industry side" of things. To be honest, that couldn’t be further from the truth. If it feels like hunting has been the priority, it’s simply because that’s where the most activity is. The airgun hunters on Hard Air are an incredibly vocal and active group, and we are responding to that energy. However, we represent the entire community.

FET is a complex topic, and I don't want to get too bogged down in the details today. I plan on sharing a more detailed clarification of our positions in the future.

In the meantime, I am here to listen. I encourage you to join the ASA to help us steer this ship ASA Membership.
If you want to help shape the path forward for airguns, we need your input.

Thanks for the honest discussion, everyone.

 

[BSJ]

Didn't ASA get its start in the dieing moments of FXUSA's scams?
Lots of hype from them, influencers and a celebrity chef. Then poof...

Wasn't ASA. It was (dead link now) https://proairfederation.org/
FXUSA, and other monied interests, wanted to become the NRA of airguns. Send them money and they were going to protect you. Blah blah At the same time, the actual NRA was lining its board members own pockets. Guess they got the idea from them.

Smelled like a scam. I said so on AGN. Those posts got deleted... And then it was

 

[Ezana4CE]

Didn't ASA get its start in the dieing moments of FXUSA's scams?
Lots of hype from them, influencers and a celebrity chef. Then poof...

@BSJ I’m unfamiliar with that information. Can you share links to evidence of some of those claims?

 

[hameditor]

Didn't ASA get its start in the dieing moments of FXUSA's scams?
Lots of hype from them, influencers and a celebrity chef. Then poof...

I hope that @Chief_Pellet_Officer will reply to this. But I believe that the organization (?) you are thinking about was not the ASA but some alternative proposal at around that time. The ASA was in existence long before that...

 

[BSJ]

I hope that @Chief_Pellet_Officer will reply to this. But I believe that the organization (?) you are thinking about was not the ASA but some alternative proposal at around that time. The ASA was in existence long before that...

Wasn't ASA. It was (dead link now) https://proairfederation.org/

FXUSA, and other monied interests, wanted to become the NRA of airguns. Send them money and they were going to protect you. Blah blah At the same time, the actual NRA was lining its board members own pockets. Guess they got the idea from them.


Smelled like a scam. I said so on AGN. Those posts got deleted... And then it was

 

[hameditor]

Wasn't ASA. It was (dead link now) https://proairfederation.org/

FXUSA, and other monied interests, wanted to become the NRA of airguns. Send them money and they were going to protect you. Blah blah At the same time, the actual NRA was lining its board members own pockets. Guess they got the idea from them.


Smelled like a scam. I said so on AGN. Those posts got deleted... And then it was

@BSJ thanks for the background information.

 

[Billm]

Sounds like it was a great idea. I guess it didn’t age well.

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[BSJ]

Sounds like it was a great idea. I guess it didn’t age well.

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Good find! I failed to find it on the AEAC channel...

 

[Chris two-furs]

Thanks for all the discussion and the references. In my youth powder burn days as an avid hunter, I could easily see the NRA was and is now a corrupt organization. If the ASA can avoid the Corporate greed/ corruption we see in the NRA, I will support them as I never did the NRA. I'll be watching this with interest.

 

[Chief_Pellet_Officer]

Didn't ASA get its start in the dieing moments of FXUSA's scams?
Lots of hype from them, influencers and a celebrity chef. Then poof...

Wasn't ASA. It was (dead link now) https://proairfederation.org/
FXUSA, and other monied interests, wanted to become the NRA of airguns. Send them money and they were going to protect you. Blah blah At the same time, the actual NRA was lining its board members own pockets. Guess they got the idea from them.

Smelled like a scam. I said so on AGN. Those posts got deleted... And then it was

Please excuse my late response. Here is my perspective on the matter.

The Pro Air Federation was established around 2022, as noted in the RMAC video. However, the ASA was officially launched in 2018 and has no connection to that organization.

It is my understanding that Jonathan Tueller was involved with the federation. I suspect that following his involvement in the issues at FX USA shortly thereafter, support for the federation was withdrawn.

The vision presented by Pro Air was very appealing, and I would like to move the ASA in that general direction. While that is not our primary focus this year, I believe it is a goal we should be moving towards in the future.

 

[hameditor]

Please excuse my late response. Here is my perspective on the matter.

The Pro Air Federation was established around 2022, as noted in the RMAC video. However, the ASA was officially launched in 2018 and has no connection to that organization.

It is my understanding that Jonathan Tueller was involved with the federation. I suspect that following his involvement in the issues at FX USA shortly thereafter, support for the federation was withdrawn.

The vision presented by Pro Air was very appealing, and I would like to move the ASA in that general direction. While that is not our primary focus this year, I believe it is a goal we should be moving towards in the future.

Ed, thanks for the clarification!

 

[Billm]

Please excuse my late response. Here is my perspective on the matter.

The Pro Air Federation was established around 2022, as noted in the RMAC video. However, the ASA was officially launched in 2018 and has no connection to that organization.

It is my understanding that Jonathan Tueller was involved with the federation. I suspect that following his involvement in the issues at FX USA shortly thereafter, support for the federation was withdrawn.

The vision presented by Pro Air was very appealing, and I would like to move the ASA in that general direction. While that is not our primary focus this year, I believe it is a goal we should be moving towards in the future.

What is your primary focus this year?

 

[Chief_Pellet_Officer]

What is your primary focus this year?

Let me turn that question around. Other than than the topic discused in the above artical, what do you think the ASA should be working on this year?

 

[pan60]

why dont we have some type of national league like football or basket ball or auto racing or?
have events in every state building to national event.
sponsored teems.
sponsors that can help winners of local event with room, board and travel.
something that is done in other sports and events?

 

[Billm]

why dont we have some type of national league like football or basket ball or auto racing or?
have events in every state building to national event.
sponsored teems.
sponsors that can help winners of local event with room, board and travel.
something that is done in other sports and events?

That would take an organization or association etc. that appealed to a lot of airgunners. It would take both sponsors and volunteers. I agree with you, it would be very beneficial. That Pro Air Fed had some good ideas. I had a whole page of comments as my response to @Chief_Pellet_Officer but, I decided to save them and not post them.

 

[Billm]

Let me turn that question around. Other than than the topic discused in the above artical, what do you think the ASA should be working on this year?

I had a large response, but decided to keep it short. A concise answer: regulated airgun competition. Not 3 position or 10m per se, but field target and benchrest etc.. Not three or four sets of rules and targets for the same discipline. Not competition that mostly promotes a company’s sponsored shooters. Transparency.
Because of the lack of transparency, my initial conclusion, right or wrong is: a group of big bore airgun hunters and retailers got together and volunteered to sacrifice big bore airguns on the altar of the tax gods in exchange for more hunting privileges. Not a major issue if it stayed that way, but usually the tax demon wants more and more and eventually will apply it to all calibers and slugs and pellets etc.. if that is the only priority right now, that would mean my membership fee would be going to that and not anything that I’m actually participating in. In my particular state FWC is funded mostly by licenses and stamps and a big game airgun stamp could easily be added.