Surrounded by the picturesque mountains of northeastern New Mexico, the NRA Whittington Center (nrawc.org) is a unique sight to behold and a shooting sports adventure facility without equal in the world.
Founded in 1973, the center offers: numerous ranges, from shotgun to pistol to rifle; specialized training; a firearm museum, store and research library; guided and unguided hunts; RV and tent camping; and adventure experiences for young shooters and wildlife seekers. The center’s 33,000-plus-acre property courses with elk, pronghorn, mule deer and turkey, and, no matter where a visitor stands, remarkable panoramic vistas include distant mountains rising nearly twice its 6,500-plus-foot elevation.
Like most NRA members and many employees, I had never been to the center, but an invitation from The Shootists (shootists.org) for an event there in June proved to be irresistible, so my wife, Kathleen, and I decided to add it onto a vacation itinerary. The group consists of friends and firearm enthusiasts who have met annually for an event called the Holiday since 1985 with the stated purpose to “gather together with people who have similar interests and enjoy one another’s company, learn from each other, test new ideas and products, have fun, and educate and train new shooters in the proper and safe use of firearms.” And while membership in the organization is by invitation only, such groups, along with NRA members and the general public, are always welcome at NRA’s premier shooting facility, which features an entranceway off Highway 64 that is lined by the flags of all 50 states. At this year’s event, many attendees stayed on site in RVs or facility housing, but Kathleen and I found a comfortable hotel just minutes down the road in the town of Raton whose lodging and restaurant establishments are accustomed to welcoming visitors to the center year ’round.
Describing themselves as “lawyers, clergy, teachers, businessmen, farmers, ranchers, law-enforcement personnel, judges, writers, artists, computer programmers, and those in the firearms industry,” the Shootists nonetheless are bound together by common values—along with a penchant for single-action revolvers and other cowboy-era designs. “We look for people of integrity, who have character and conviction and whose word can be trusted. Those who would ‘stand in the gap’ or who could be described as someone you could ‘ride the river with.’”
The organization’s roster includes gunwriter and founding member John Taffin, Freedom Arms President Bob Baker, gunsmith Bobby Tyler, Cold Steel Knives founder Lynn Thompson, lever gun guru Paco Kelly and the late big-bore cartridge designer John Linebaugh, who is one of several past members listed on the organization’s website as having “crossed the river.” Group Secretary Jason Cloessner, one of my hosts, is a vice president at firearm distributor Lipsey’s and The Shootists’ chairman, Mark Hargrove, is a noted attorney and rancher in Texas. Another familiar gunwriter in attendance was American Rifleman contributor and former Texas sheriff Jim Wilson, who allowed me to engage in a busman’s holiday of sorts as we discussed his upcoming contributions to the magazine.
Our two days at this year’s week-long event included plenty of casual gun talk and range time, too, with all manner of revolvers and both lever- and bolt-action rifles. On the second day, we accompanied a group of 18 shooters—from kids to retirees and including Kathleen—in navigating the Jeff Cooper Memorial Rifle Walk. The decidedly non-square-range experience consisted of shooting reactive, mild-steel silhouettes at varying distances across the undulating high-desert terrain. Kathleen shared a Ruger American Gen II rifle in .223 Rem.—generously provided by our co-host and Skinner Sights owner Andy Larsson—with Justin Dyal, an American Rifleman field editor and nationally recognized firearm trainer who graciously offered her pointers throughout the event, bolstering her confidence and boosting her skills. In fact, as she successfully engaged each target, I found myself filled with a pride that far exceeded any I’d ever taken in my own marksmanship abilities. The experience more than made up for my minor regret of having decided to shoot the event with a camera rather than a rifle.
In all, our first time at the NRA Whittington Center—our organization’s jewel of the West with its world-class facilities, professional staff and expansive scenery—was both unparalleled and unforgettable. Whether or not it was our last visit there or our sole opportunity to share a range with The Shootists, it was well worth the time and a “holiday” that will remain a fond memory until we ourselves have “crossed the river.”
The NRA Whittington Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and relies on the generous contributions of donors who want to preserve our heritage of freedom for the next generation of shooters and hunters. Please call (800) 494-4853 ahead of a visit for availability, especially during the summer and holidays.
