Research conducted by Responsive Management annually for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS) found that, in 2025, 78 percent of adult residents in the United States believe learning self-defense skills with a firearm is completely acceptable. That figure is up one percent when compared to 2024’s findings.
Study results showed 74 percent approve of any form of recreational shooting. Broken down between genders, 85 percent of males approved of the pursuit and 63 percent of females. Those who were ages 35 to 54 were most comfortable with the shooting sports (77 percent), followed by the 55 and older (73 percent). Participants who were 18 to 34 years old were least likely to find it appropriate, but their rate declined only five points to 72 percent.
Approval rate among white or Caucasian Americans registered at 78 percent in the survey, with Hispanic or Latinos at 73. Blacks were a distant third at a 54 percent approval rate.
Regardless of their personal opinions about the Second Amendment, “…83% agree that it is okay for others to go sport shooting,” according to the CAHSS summary of the recurring study’s results. The organization also noted, “The large majority of Americans (69%) say that most sport shooters know how to safely handle firearms and are careful…”
Despite the heightened focus on self-defense, other firearm pursuits suffered a decrease in the general public’s acceptance. Competition, for example, dropped from 74 percent in 2024 to 71 percent in 2025—despite the Olympics being mentioned in the question. Practicing for hunting also dipped 3 points (to 70 percent). So did “for recreation” (65 percent) as well as “for the challenge” (61 percent).
In 2021—when the pandemic and widespread social unrest emptied FFL inventories nationwide—recreational shooting received an 81 percent approval rating. The decline after heightened personal safety concerns no longer dominated the headlines and nightly news was widely anticipated. Despite the decline, firearms for self-defense continue to be the most widely accepted use by the general public.
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