At eight years of age, Cheyenne Dalton took her first shots with a firearm. Her father, Terry, started her out with a Henry lever-action rifle in .22-caliber. She admits that she was apprehensive at first, but the nerves quickly gave way to excitement.

“I enjoyed target shooting because of the challenge,” the young teen told me, “It made me feel great when I heard the steel targets ring.”

Terry eventually took his daughter to the Ruger Rimfire World Championships at the USSA range in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in August 2013, to see what the Rimfire Challenge was all about. There she watched another young shooter, Allie Barrett, and she decided that the sport looked like a lot of fun. Cheyenne is always up for a challenge and, with Allie’s help, the new competitor shot her first match in Iowa a couple months later. The rest, as they say, is history.

“I really like the camaraderie at the matches,” Cheyenne explained. “It’s great how everyone is helpful and friendly. I especially like how the more advanced shooters are always willing to help new shooters. Oh, and it’s fun to win trophies, too!”

I asked her what she thought about the NSSF Rimfire Challenge program, as that was her first introduction to firearms competition.

“I think that this is a fantastic program for shooters of all ages and skill levels!”

Indeed, Cheyenne tells everyone whose ear she can catch about how much fun NSSF Rimfire Challenge matches are.

“I really encourage girls to start shooting Rimfire Challenge as much as possible. Today’s girls are tomorrow’s future of the shooting sports.”

Cheyenne is now 13 years old and has been shooting competitively in NSSF Rimfire Challenge matches for nearly two years, and it seems she’s off to an excellent career in the shooting sports. While competing in the 2014 World Championship match, held in Fort Smith, Arkansas, last October, Cheyenne was asked by TandemKross, one of the World Championship’s sponsors, to join their shooting team. Congratulations, Cheyenne, we look forward to seeing you at many matches to come!

*This interview with Cheyenne first appeared in the inaugural issue of NSSF’s new quarterly Rimfire Challenge eNewsletter. To learn more about the Rimfire Challenge, visit nssf.org/rimfire. To subscribe to the new Rimfire Challenge eNewsletter, with shooter profiles, shooting tips, rule clarification and Rimfire Challenge match updates and listings, click here (need a subscribe link).