NRA grant helps gun club update range

A large-scale renovation of the pistol range at the Bigfork Gun Club south of Ferndale is complete thanks to a $4,600 grant from the National Rifle Association.

Club chairman Jim Losee said the club built a new structure for shooters, re-aligned the range to improve safety and nearly doubled the height of the berms around the range.

'We spent their money wisely," Losee said.

The new building has a large shooting bench for members to use, a stark improvement from the old wooden cable spool that was serving as the defacto staging area before the renovation. The covered building also features a large storage closet to keep targets and other materials out of the weather.

With around 300 members, the Bigfork Gun Club is a big operation, and a big draw for sportsmen in the area, as well as those from out of state. The club is open only to members and their guests — though they are accepting new members all the time — and hosts competitions and special events such as cowboy shoots and United States Practical Shooting Association tournaments.

Losee said the pistol range hasn't had as much popularity as other spots at the gun club in the past, but that the new renovations should help change that.

In addition to simply making aesthetic improvements, the new structure also features a portion of the shooting deck that is adjustable so that people in wheelchairs can utilize the deck.

In addition to the NRA money, the club spent $1,400 from its own coffers, according to Losee.

To join the Bigfork Gun Club, interested parties are encouraged to attend one of their monthly board meetings at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at the club, which is located about 3 miles south of the Rocky Mountain Roadhouse on Highway 83.