National Range Day is an annual day set aside to honour and celebrate the people, places and events that shape the legal Canadian firearms community. Whether you’re interested in hosting an event, finding one near you, or just learning more, you’ve come to the right place.
An “open house” is likely the most ideal style of event to host, but there are a variety of other events that you may find more suitable; Ladies Range Day, Youth Shoot, Steel or silhouette shoot. The idea behind National Range Day is to celebrate the positivity of Canadian gun culture and expose more Canadians to the sport. Depending on the size of your space, number of volunteers, location and other variables, think about what would best suit your club.
You’re going to need a substantial volunteer team. Start recruiting help right now. The number of volunteers you’ll need will depend on the number of guests you will welcome and the number of shooting stations your range can accommodate. It is recommended to have a mentor for every new shooter at your event. You’ll also need a sizeable team for support staff. Consider sending out a call for help to your club members now and begin organizing.
You’re going to want a number of people to “work the line”, meaning a mentor for each person shooting at a station. Hopefully your range will host folks who have never held or shot a firearm before so having some one on one instruction is vital. Assuming you have about 5 stations; pistol, rifle, shotgun (stationary), trap or skeet and maybe cowboy or archery, you’ll need about 4 mentors per station. That’s 20 RSO’s or mentors. Extra help can be used to cover off for breaks, bathroom and snacks/hydration. A variety of other “support staff” volunteers will be required depending on the number of participants.
Getting the word out will be important to make sure your local community knows about it. Consider some of the following ways you can advertise your event:
