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Shooters can try out
the new range and receive a free hour of shooting.
St. CHARLES, Mo.—The
Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) brand new shooting range on the
August. A Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles will open to the
public on Saturday, Oct. 28. To
celebrate, MDC is holding a special grand opening from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Attendees will receive one hour of free shooting at the
rifle/pistol range, or a free 25-clay target round of trap or skeet. The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation
will provide to the first 500 shooters a grand opening gift of commemorative
set of cased earplugs. There will also
be special, commemorative grand opening targets for rifle and pistol range
shooters to use. Trap, skeet and
five-stand shooters will enjoy use of Orange Crusher flash target clays for
this event. Five stand shooting,
normally open April 1-Aug. 31, will be available for the grand opening.
“The Department is excited to open the new range ahead of
the firearm deer seasons,” said Deputy Director Aaron Jeffries. “The new Busch
Shooting Range is a world-class facility for hunters and shooters to practice their
shooting skills.”
In addition to being
a state-of-the-art facility, the new shooting range provides more shooting
lines than the old shooting range. The new shooting range features 20 positions
at 100-yards range, and 15 positions at 50 yards for rifle and pistol use. Concrete
floors, walls and overhead steel baffle structures are in place to control and
contain projectiles. A bullet trap on
the far end is designed to decelerate bullets and deposit them into sealed
plastic buckets at the base of the trap for recycling. Shooting booths are now
handicap-accessible. There is also
lighting for nighttime programs, sound-reduction guards, and public restrooms
with full plumbing.
In addition, shotgun shooters can enjoy five trap/skeet
overlay ranges with electronic controls, and two shotgun patterning
ranges.
The new range incorporates archery facilities on site,
including a static archery range with an elevated shooting tower and broadhead
pits.
Use fees for the new range will remain the same as the
previous facility; three dollars per hour or round of trap or skeet and
includes paper targets or 25 clay targets and basic ear protection.
The new education/office building at the shooting range
offers an 80-person classroom to host educational programs onsite.
The new Busch Shooting Range is located at 3550 Route D,
approximately five miles west of Highway 94.
Shooters can keep informed about range
happenings by texting “MDC Busch” to 468311 and signing up for text alerts.
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