The White House has released a photo of Barack Obama firing a rifle, 2 days before he heads to Minnesota to discuss gun control.

The snapshot was released after some gun advocates raised doubts that the President had ever fired a gun.

Obama recently told  The New Republic magazine, "we do skeet shooting all the time" at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. Obama's daughters do not take part.

The White House photo released Saturday is dated August 4, 2012 & shows Obama shooting at clay targets.

Obama is pushing a package of gun-control measures in response to the Newtown, Connecticut school massacre.

(With files from the Associated Press)