The shooting facilities in Central Alberta were sorely lacking on Wednesday; on Thursday they were among the best in Western Canada.
What changed in between was the opening of Red Deer Shooting Centre, a 15,000-square-foot building with a dozen indoor ranges: six extending 50 yards and the remainder 25 yards.
“The 50-yard range that we’ve built there is unlike anything anyone’s seen, I think, in Canada,” said Derek Bostock, president and CEO of Red Deer Shooting Centre Inc.
Both it and the shorter range feature 10-foot ceilings and four-foot-wide shooting lanes. The ventilation system pushes air from the shooting line and also draws it toward the opposite end.
“The air quality is really good inside the range,” said Bostock.
The targets are individually illuminated and computer controlled. They can be placed at any distance and retrieved with the push of a button. They can also be programmed to move and turn — including under changing light conditions — during a shooting exercise.
“The biggest thing, obviously, is for law enforcement and military,” said Bostock of the moving targets.
“But it’s also for advanced shooters. Shooters who run holster drills, target exposure drills, training.”
Located in McKenzie Industrial Business Park, south of Red Deer on Range Road 273 (40th Avenue), Red Deer Shooting Centre will produce very little exterior noise — the result of a sound-absorbing synthetic fabrics and acoustical batting in the walls. Bullets are absorbed in a 30-inch deep berm consisting of granulated rubber on a steel deck.
“When we shoot a traditional carbine rifle calibre, which is a .223 Remington, that goes in five inches,” said Bostock, adding that the system is effective for all calibres and types of ammunition, including steel core rounds.
“Because the bullets don’t fragment when they hit the trap, you’re creating zero lead dust,” he pointed out.
Spent ammunition will be regularly removed from the berm and recycled.
Sitting in his office on Friday, where the only noise from the nearby ranges was a muffled tapping sound, Bostock expressed satisfaction with the public’s response.
“We’re seeing this community call us and email us and come out in droves — and we’ve only been open for a day.”
Members include law enforcement officers, and Bostock is confident Red Deer Shooting Centre will be used for training centre by the local RCMP.
Recreational and competitive shooters have also embraced the new range, after struggling for years with a lack of shooting options in the area. Bostock hopes his locally-owned business will also draw new people to the sport.
Novice shooters can buy a day pass and rent a pistol or rifle at the centre. After undergoing safety training and an orientation, they’ll be able to try their hand at shooting under the supervision of a range officer.
They can also work toward obtaining their firearm licence.
“Training is a whole other division that we offer,” said Bostock.
A certified instructor will offer firearms licence training in an on-site classroom, with students able to apply their new skills on the range.
“With a full-service operation under one roof, I think the quality of licensed shooters we’ll produce will be a lot better than what we may be currently seeing.”
Red Deer Shooting Centre will also have a retail component, with firearms and related equipment and accessories available within a few weeks, said Bostock.
“Basically anything you need to be in here shooting,” he said, adding that the retail shop will carry items not available elsewhere in Central Alberta.
“We know what the trends are and we know what people want.
“All of our staff are shooters, so they know what they like and they know what others like.”
Located on a 1.7-acre parcel, Red Deer Shooting Centre has room to expand.
“What we’ve built here represents three bays, and we can build another five.
“We can grow with our market.”
In addition to day passes, shooters can buy premium, standard or affiliate memberships to the centre. Bostock plans to organize “house-league” competitions for members, including women and youths.
Red Deer Shooting Centre is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. For additional information about the facility, go to its website at www.rdshootingcentre.ca.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com