What state comes to mind when you think of gun ownership? Surely Texas, with its cowboy history and Alamo spirit would be many people’s first choice. Or perhaps Wisconsin, famed for its hunting heritage. You may even suggest Live Free or Die, New Hampshire, the best state for gun laws. Or the frontier of Alaska, where a gun can often mean the difference between life and being a bear’s lunch. But America’s number one state for gun ownership, according to a new study is The Treasure State, Montana. David Beasley reports in Just the News:
Montana leads the nation in gun ownership, a new study by the personal finance website WalletHub found.
Montana’s gun ownership rate is 65%, and the state also ranks fifth in the study for its “dependency on the gun industry,” which the website measured using three dimensions (firearms industry, gun prevalence and gun politics) and 16 metrics.
Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, is not surprised by the state’s ranking, he told The Center Square.
The group estimates that 90%-95% of the homes in Montana contain firearms, Marbut said, with hunting being one reason for that high percentage.
“There are people who live in Montana just for the hunting,” he said. “In the fall, there is deer and elk hunting. In other times of the year, there is bear and mountain lion hunting, moose hunting, sheep, goats, game bird and waterfowl hunting. When none of those is in season, there is always gopher hunting and prairie dog hunting, coyote hunting and other kinds of hunting of unregulated species.”
Marbut added that the state also has a very strong competitive shooting community.
“There are all kinds of shooting communities,” he said. “There is bullseye and high power, smallbore, long range, metallic silhouette, trap and skit, sporting clays, practical pistol and long-range precision rifle and others.”
Action Line: You don’t have to live in Montana to get your gun and your training now, but it is one of my Super States. Places like Billings have been a big draw for Americans looking to escape the city. If you’re looking for a better life in America, I can help you achieve success for your family. Click here to sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, or contact me here and we can talk.
E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy
Latest posts by E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy (see all)
- Don’t Invite Problems into Your Portfolio - September 16, 2024
- The Stock Market Woodchipper - September 16, 2024
- To the Media, Some Lives Matter More than Others - September 16, 2024
- 529 to Roth IRA - September 16, 2024
- Do You Look Marvelous? See My Friend Marc - September 13, 2024