One of the locations that Sniper Central conducts our Long Range Precision Marksman shooting classes at is the wonderful facilities at the Butte Gun Club located on the outskirts of Butte Montana. Butte has a very colorful mining history and provides an interesting location to visit for any occasion. The shooting range has a high power range that goes out to 1000 yards and a wide open Silhouette range that allows us to place our unknown distance targets wherever we need or want. When we conduct these classes we are granted full access to the entire shooting range allowing us to create a varied mix of engagement scenarios. For our advanced classes we are even able to conduct moving target engagements using the butts system.
Butte is nestled at the bottom of Homestake pass in the Rockie Mountains at an elevation of 5400′. The high elevation provides experience in thinner air and how it impacts the flight of the bullet, and at the same time it can also provide for some chilly evenings, so be prepared for all weather conditions. Typically during the summer and fall months the weather is very pleasant with only an occasional thunder shower rolling through. Of course, in the winter, snow and ice are very common with the lows going below freezing at nighttime a majority of the year.
The most convenient places to stay for housing are located on Harrison Avenue in the heart of Butte which is less than a 10 minute drive to the range. You can find a map to the range in relation to the city of Butte here:
There is an older classroom on the range that we use for all of the blocks of instruction and it is literally a walk out the door to be at the firing line. The 100 yard range and the unknown distance ranges are covered, but the known distance ranges from 200-1000 yards are uncovered and as such, shooting mats are recommended as well as rain gear for those occasional showers that pass by.
There are traditional outhouses located on the range, but there is no running water. There is also the occasional Mule Deer that passes by and some beautiful country to enjoy while learning the art of long range shooting. We love the Butte range and all the opportunities it affords us and hope that all of our students feel the same.
