The Pacific Northwest offers bountiful opportunities for an active lifestyle — and Sporting Systems wants to help you make the most of it. That’s why we provide you with the gear you need and the know-how to use it. One of the questions we get asked most often at Sporting Systems is: Where can I find a shooting range in the Vancouver, Washington area? As a service to you, we’ve compiled a short list of some local — and public — shooting ranges, along with pricing information and a few other nuggets of wisdom.
Shooting ranges
You can never have too much information on gun safety, weapons regulations and the latest safety recommendations. We recommend that you look over our post on the art and practice of target shooting. Our Sporting Systems website and our blog are both packed with insights on everything from pistols and rifles to transferring private gun ownership to teaching kids about guns.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Sporting Systems if you have any questions. Think of Sporting Systems as your personal firearms expert. We stock hundreds of pistols, rifles and accessories — Colt, Kimber, Sig Sauer, you name it — and our staff is excited to help you get to know these weapons.
Once you have done your research, selected a gun and undergone some basic gun training, it’s time to pick your range.
So get out there (or in there), relax, have fun — and start practicing!
Check our list below for a few options of public shooting ranges in the Vancouver area.
NOTE: Sporting Systems provides this information as a courtesy, not as an endorsement. This information is subject to change, so always check the specific shooting range website or call the individual ranges for specific information.
Public shooting ranges in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area
(in alphabetical order)
Clark County Gun Club at The English Pit
See website for current operating hours.
Touting itself as “the only public shooting range in the greater Vancouver/Portland metropolitan area with pistol, rimfire and large bore rifle ranges of any distance,” this site doesn’t require a membership to use. Offering centerfire rifle (100 and 50 yard); rimfire rifle (50 yard); and pistol (25 yard), the range fees are $18.45 for adults and $10 for minors (plus 8.4 percent sales tax on both). The English Pit gets pretty busy on the weekends, according to Google.
The Place to Shoot
Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Noon to 8:00 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed on Tuesday
Located in North Portland — just three miles from downtown Vancouver — The Place to Shoot offers firearm training, safety and practice sessions. It’s busiest during weekend afternoons, according to Google. Prices are substantially reduced for members, but nonmembers can shoot for $35 per person. (There may be additional fees depending on shooter’s experience level.). As a benefit to the public, we have provided Place to Shoot with a dozen different pistols that you can shoot for free; it only requires purchasing the ammunition. (No range or rental fee.)
Threat Dynamics
13565 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd #300
Hours (according to their website):
Monday – Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A bit farther away from downtown Vancouver, but still within easy driving distance, Threat Dynamics has a nine-lane range, including one extra-large shooting booth, and high-speed target retrievers. No appointment is necessary at Threat Dynamics, but it’s wise to consult their extensive list of rates and policies. The relatively small number of shooting lanes means they’re busy most days, especially on weekends, according to Google.
The Great Outdoors
There are many places in the local “woods” that are safe and legal to shoot. Knowing what’s safe and legal is critical to being a good sport when shooting on public lands.
Over the years, many locations have been closed to the public by private landowners or by state agencies due to abuse. Many forest roads are closed, as people have trashed the land with garbage and reckless behavior.
Sporting Systems supports Trash No Land, a Washington-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that actively cleans up popular outdoor shooting locations. This organization represents the best of the shooting sports community by volunteering to clean up other people’s messes. Their webpage is a great resource for learning the rules in each state — and a great opportunity to give back to your community.
