Youth Training Program

Bristlecone is proud to have one of the largest Youth Training Programs for firearms in the state of Colorado! We are passionate in teaching kids about firearm safety while providing them with a fun and lifelong hobby. Check out what our Youth Training Program can do for your kids.

Youth Classes

Are your kids interested in shooting? Join our Youth Training Program’s classes to teach your kids about firearm safety and shooting fundamentals! Our youth program teaches kids ages 10 to 17 how to have fun with firearms with safety as the number one priority. We have pistol and rifle classes that teach safety, fundamentals of shooting, anatomy of the firearms, ammunition, different shooting positions, and more! Students get the opportunity to shoot 22LR pistols, Ruger 10/22s, and a 22LR AR-15 in our classes. Check out our youth classes and provide your child with an amazing hobby! 

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Youth Competition Camps

YOUTH COMPETITION CAMPS

Here at Bristlecone we love providing kids with the opportunity to learn about the wonderful world of competitive shooting sports! We offer the Youth Bowling Pins Camp and the Youth USPSA Camp where kids get to learn how each type of competition works! Each camp has three or four sessions where they get to work on skills associated with the match, how matches are run, scoring, working against a timer, and more. By the end of the camp, you’ll have a kiddo who loves to shoot and compete!

Venture Crew 1911

Venture Crew 1911 is a Boy Scouts of America sponsored inclusive group that meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month (6-8pm) at Bristlecone. The crew is appropriate for boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 20 that are looking to advance their skills in the shooting sports. Each meeting includes time on the range where participants can learn in a supportive environment amongst other youth and adult leaders. Email venturecrew1911@gmail.com for more information, or just come to one of the meetings to see for yourself if this is the right activity for the young sport shooting enthusiast in your family!

Meet Our Youth Instructors!

Steve “Pancho” Harpham

Pancho’s specialty is teaching the next generation the safe and responsible use of firearms in the shooting sports. As a lifetime firearms enthusiast, he became a certified instructor and Chief Range Safety Officer about 15 years ago when his son joined the Scouting program and has been actively teaching students the safe and responsible use of firearms ever since. He also helps provide shooting program opportunities to practice and hone skills while developing proficiency with new ones. These activities are held at Bristlecone through youth training, Scouting Venture Crew 1911, and through his involvement in the Denver Area Scouting programs. Ensuring that beginning shooters have a positive and fun experience is the key to a enjoying lifetime of shooting sports activities. His goal is to prepare beginners for success with their first shots to accomplish the goal. Honestly, this is his passion and his reward is seeing the smiles on their faces during and after the activities. Pancho currently teaches various adult and youth classes at Bristlecone, and is available for private instruction upon request.

Steve Hartel

Steve grew up in Colorado and was active in the Boy Scouts as a youth. He has been an NRA Pistol and Personal Protection Instructor for over 20 years and an NRA Training Counselor for over 10 years. In addition to his extensive NRA training, Steve has been trained at several well-known firearms schools around the country. Steve’s travels took him to the Boston area, where he became a Certified Basic Firearms Safety Instructor with the Massachusetts State Police and was the Chief Handgun Instructor for the Andover Sportsmen’s Club. Steve currently volunteers with the Scout Venturing Crew youth group that meets at Bristlecone and teaches shooting safety to boys and girls aged 14-20. Steve loves teaching and is particularly good at explaining complicated concepts in easy-to-understand language. Whether you are an experienced shooter looking to up your shooting game or a never-touched-a-gun before person who wants a gentle introduction to guns, Steve can be a great resource for you. Steve currently teaches various adult and youth classes at Bristlecone, and is available for private instruction upon request.

Filipp Dedogryuk

Ever since he was young, Filipp has been fascinated by martial arts, archery, and swordsmanship! In college, he was introduced to firearms and very quickly fell in love with shooting sports - starting off in a 22lr pistol bullseye league, bowling pin matches, Amateur Trapshooting Association shoots, and gravitating towards USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association). Filipp became an NRA instructor in 2017, specializing in pistol, shotgun, family firearm safety, and muzzleloading disciplines, and has collected six NRA Distinguished Expert awards. He enjoys working with youth while passing on the spark of excitement to his students. His favorite part of teaching is inspiring his students to achieve greater heights and exploring their potential while focusing heavily on firearm safety. Filipp currently teaches various adult and youth classes at Bristlecone, and is available for private instruction upon request.

Cindy Coker

Cindy was born and raised in a small town in NE Texas. Cindy grew up shooting Competition Skeet as well as hunting with her father. In 2012, Cindy started shooting USPSA as well as 3Gun in late 2014. Cindy currently shoots for Troy Industries on their 3 Gun team. She has a passion for introducing people to firearms and providing proper fundamentals and firearms safety for a successful ownership/training journey from the very start. Throughout the years, Cindy has built the Youth Training Program and developed youth pistol, rifle, and competition classes. She loves to see kids find a passion in the shooting sports. She teaches intro to advanced classes across all three platforms in both women’s only and co-ed formats, and is available for private instruction upon request.

YOUTH CLASSES AT BRISTLECONE

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