One of Weber County’s best-kept secrets is going on display this weekend.
The Weber County Sport Shooting Complex will host an open house beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Weber County Sport Shooting Complex, 2446 N. 1500 West, in the Weber Industrial Park near Farr West. The event continues until 3 p.m. that day, after which a free range shoot will be offered from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission to both events is free.
Zeke Swander, range manager for the Weber County Sport Shooting Complex, said the complex has never hosted an open house before.
“It used to be a law-enforcement tactical range,” Swander said. “Then, four years ago, it opened to the public.”
Swander said the complex still has ranges that are reserved for law enforcement and military, but there are also two public ranges — a 50-yard shooting range and a 300-yard shooting range.
“It should be a good time,” Swander said. “A lot of people don’t even know we’re out here. They think it’s still a military and police training facility — which it is — but we also have public ranges. We just want to give people a chance to see exactly what we’ve got here.”
In addition to tours of the shooting complex, 30-minute classes will be held at various times throughout the day. Among the classes offered will be “Precision Scope/Turrets,” “First Time Shooter,” “Wound Care/CPR,” and “Gun Safety” classes led by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The open house will also include vendor booths, raffles, and free cheeseburgers, chips, cookies and soda pop.
“And Smith and Edwards will have an array of guns here,” Swander said. “If people have never shot an AR-15 they’ll be able to purchase some ammo and shoot it to see what it’s like.”
There will also be cowboy fast-draw demonstrations, and Colonial Flag will host a groundbreaking ceremony for a 120-foot flagpole at the range. County commissioners will be on hand for that groundbreaking, according to Swander.
Range officers will also be available to answer the public’s questions.
Normally, the charge is $5 an hour to shoot at the indoor-outdoor range. Swander insists the Weber County Sport Shooting Complex is not like a normal indoor range.
“I don’t know of any place that has a 300-yard range,” he said.
Swander said the open house gives the complex a chance to show the public all the features that have been added.
“We invite people to come in and take advantage of the open house,” he said. “It’s just basically to let people know we’re here. People are finding it harder to find places to shoot guns in open ranges, and some are closing down, but here we’re making it bigger and better.”
For more information, visit www.webercountyutah.gov/wcsportshootingcomplex or call 801-778-6991
