Many game and fish departments maintain a few small and informal shooting ranges sprinkled throughout their respective states. Their primary purpose is sight-in convenience before hunting season's opening day. Rules are strict, safety officers rare, and handguns are often not allowed. Most are small, underdeveloped and closed to the public large chunks of the year.
That rudimentary approach to serving the growing number of gun owners is quickly changing, at least in the western U.S. At least two states are managing large, family-friendly shooting ranges with amenities that attract firearm enthusiasts from hours away, often internationally. Another pair are in the planning stages of building their own.
Two New Ranges On The Horizon
On March 6, the Wyoming legislature approved a measure to invest $10 million toward the creation of a 2,000-acre Wyoming State Shooting Sports Complex near Cody, Wyo. On March 18, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed the expenditure.
The amount was $3.5 million less than organizers anticipated. Total cost for the 2,000-acre facility, according to Cody officials, is estimated to run $19.5 million. Despite that shortfall, the site is expected to open sometime in 2026 or 2027. Organizers anticipate it will attract more than 10,000 people annually to compete in national and regional events, shoot recreationally and attend training.
“Tourism is Wyoming’s second-largest economic driver,” said Nephi Cole, director of government relations/state affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “When people visit Wyoming, they come for the culture of the West. There is no better way to share that then through the frontier and firearms experiences the Cowboy State offers.”
Meanwhile, next door, South Dakota Game Fish and Parks (SDGFP) announced in mid-May that a major sponsor has been identified for the South Dakota Shooting Sports Complex. Several companies, organizations and individuals stepped up in a big way to support the complex, including Pete Lien & Sons.
The 400-acre Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex will offer long range, action shooting, pistol, shotgun, law enforcement training and archery ranges. Educational programs and training will be conducted, and the site will host a variety of matches, community gatherings and other events.
“We are extremely pleased with all of the support and excitement for the shooting sports complex and our Second Amendment rights in South Dakota,” said Kevin Robling, SDGFP secretary. “We want to thank all of our partners and everyone who has contributed to the complex, and we cannot wait to celebrate with them.”
Ranges Already In Operation
Colorado Parks & Wildlife, for example, opened its Cameo Shooting and Education Complex in 2018 near Grand Junction, Colo. Its long distance, five-stand, sporting clays, action shooting, steel target and 3D archery ranges—along with action-shooting pavilion and more—cover 2,000 acres. The site hosts a mountain bike biathlon each year, along with national and regional gun matches.
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility, north of Phoenix, Ariz., is a relative old timer by comparison. It covers 1,650 acres with handgun, rifle and archery ranges, as well as well as a world-class clay target center. The facility initially opened back in 1957, and at the time, it was known as the Black Canyon Shooting Range. In 1970, it hosted the ISSF World Shooting Championships. The name was changed in 1992 in honor the man who provided seed money for its construction and led the effort to build the range. Since 1996, the range has been owned and operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Dept.
