Recreational target shooting is fun and affordable, and it's one of the safest shooting activities available. Recreational shooting can also be a lifetime pursuit for families to enjoy together! As an educational tool, it teaches the fundamental marksmanship skills required for hunting and provides multiple avenues for families to get involved in hunting or other outdoor pursuits. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission has a long-standing history of supporting and promoting hunter education, shooting sports, and the establishment of shooting ranges. It has incorporated that position into two Commission Policies, one on hunter education and the other on shooting ranges.
To help further these policies, and to meet the goals of the Shooting Sports Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has partnered with U.S. Forest Service, Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, Boulder County, Clear Creek County, Gilpin County, and Larimer County. These partners are known collectively as the Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership (NFRRSSMP). By providing programs and facilities for the shooting sports, the partners will help ensure the future of hunting, shooting and outdoor conservation for generations to come!
The Shooting Sports and Opportunities to Participate
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has developed these Shooting Sports pages to support the efforts of the NFRRSSMP and to provide information about the shooting sports and shooting opportunities in Colorado.
Learn about places to shoot in Colorado (including an interactive shooting ranges map), range and shooting sports safety, and shooting sports organizations.
Attention Public Range Owners and Operators!
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has initiated a grant program, the Shooting Range Maintenance Grant Program, to increase public recreational shooting opportunities for hunter education, marksmanship training, youth shooting opportunities, and other recreational shooting throughout Colorado. Grant awards may be used for creating new shooting ranges and shooting areas, as well as to enhance existing ranges and shooting areas. Funds for grants will come from either CPW cash funds or, in some cases, federal shooting range funds (from Section 10 of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act).
Find out more and get the application package on the Shooting Range Grants page.
CPW is offering another opportunity for non-CPW third party entities to apply for funding for improvements to public shooting range facilities through the Shooting Range Maintenance Grant Program. This program is a cooperative effort between the CPW and other public entities to enhance Colorado's shooting ranges. Approximately five projects will be selected annually, with a total of $20,000 available for grants.
Applicants must match the Shooting Range Maintenance Grant Program award with non-federal cash or in-kind services (donated labor and/or supplies and equipment use). It is very important that proposed grant activities will produce improvements at shooting ranges that are readily available for public use (some private use is allowed). A project proposal will be ranked primarily in terms of new and/or improved shooting range opportunities for the greatest number of users.
See the Shooting Range Grants for more information and links to the application packet. The application package contains the details you will need to know!
