A new shooting sports complex is now available to Central Oregon residents.

The Redmond Rod and Gun Club celebrated the grand opening for its new digs early last month. The new location is about 230 acres and has multiple ranges. Active ranges now available for use include sporting clays, trap, cowboy action, 50-yard pistol and 100-yard rifle.

The club bought the land, about five miles south of Redmond off U.S. Highway 97, about two years ago after deciding to move from the old location off Highway 126 east of Redmond. The old location was in the flight path of landing planes at the Redmond Municipal Airport and was undesirable.

The club began work at the new location last summer and have received generous support from the community, including roughly $80,000 from Smaf Construction in donated heavy equipment use and volunteer work. Other companies who have donated support include Pape, Latham Excavation, and Robinson and Owen. The National Rifle Association and Friends of the NRA have also granted more than $40,000.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Paul Dixon, Redmond Rod and Gun Club president. “Everybody has been so good.”

The High Desert Shooting Sports Foundation is the club’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The club itself is a 501(c)(4), and having the foundation allows the club to accept donations that can be included on taxes. The foundation was created when the club bought the property.

“The camaraderie we have is great,” Dixon said. “A lot of times I don’t even come to shoot because there are things to do, but it’s enjoyable because of who is here.”

Although the new complex is open to members and the public, it is nowhere near finished. The club hopes to add a static archery range as well as 3D(figurine) archery range. They want to finish a 300-yard rifle range, now under construction, and hope to someday build a 600-yard rifle range as well. A skeet range is under construction, and the trap range is looking to add more shooting stations. The club of more than 500 members doesn’t have a set picture of what the complex will look like when it’s finished because they don’t ever expect to stop adding to the 230-acre location. Current projects are going slowly due to lack of funding. The club staff is made up of volunteers as well as any club working parties, which have done a major portion of the work.

“This is going to be like the Winchester Mystery House, we’re never going to stop building,” Dixon said.

For nonmembers who want to visit, it’s as easy as going in on an open day, paying a club staff member at the range to be used, they inspect your rifle or pistol and then the range will go hot. Membership dues start at $100 for a year and cover an entire family, with children 17 years old and under.

The club chose the new location, which previously was home to a skeet-shooting range, based off it’s convenience to the community. The next closest shooting complex is Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association, which is nearly 40 miles away, east of Bend. While Dixon gives COSSA props on the quality of their shooting complex, he said it can sometimes be difficult to make it out there. The club’s new location is between Bend and Redmond, and Dixon said he could see people stopping by on their way home from work to squeeze a couple rounds off.

“This is a good location,” Dixon said. “I can definitely see someone coming in on their way home from work to shoot off some rounds. It’s just convenient.”

The club is also excited to be able to play host to future events. They already host monthly hunter education classes and the annual Youth Hunter Education Challenge State Championships. Multiple groups from the community have also used the complex as an activity day for their organization. Ladies’ Night is Every other Tuesday at 5 p.m. and the club hopes to add more specialty classes and events as time goes on.

Entrance to the complex is off of Highway 97, and takes visitors past a solar farm, owned by Saturn Solar, that is under construction. Two tenants also rent homes on the property.

The club looks to continue to grow, and have added nearly 75 new members since they bought the property. More nonmembers visit the new location as well and Dixon said he sees new shooters everyday.

“It’s exciting,” Dixon said. “I have been seeing a lot of new faces, the move has been great for us. And i enjoy helping new shooters.”

— Reporter, 541-548-2185, cbrown@redmondspokesman.com