*UPDATE NOVEMBER 2018
The Billings Rod & Gun Club is excited to announce that work will continue on the Master Plan improvements to the pistol range over this coming winter. The work includes reconstruction of existing berms, the addition of two new shooting bays, and installation of storm drainage improvements to make the range more of an all-weather facility. The improvements are being funded by a grant from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and by the contributions made to the Master Plan fund via membership dues.
The construction is scheduled to start the last week of November and is expected to be complete by the end of March.
Due to the location of the work, and with safety the paramount consideration, both the rifle and pistol ranges will be inaccessible for use while the work is progressing. However, no work will be done on the weekends and the ranges will be open.
Please watch the newsletter and your email for updates to the progress of the work. We appreciate your patience while the construction is being done and trust that you are as excited as we are for the improvements to our facility.
*UPDATE MARCH 2017
This phase of the Master Plan addresses the height of the berms on the Pistol Range and straightening out the sides of the far east bays along with the issue of drainage.
Bids were sent out and a contract accepted to complete Phase I and II. Work will begin on April 3, 2017. Since the contractors will be on the north and east sides of the Rifle and the Pistol ranges, those ranges will be closed Monday – Friday. Both ranges will be open Saturdays and Sundays with scheduled events as shown on calendar.
*UPDATE JANUARY 2017
Rifle range was completed in 2015 and the Master Plan fund started growing again.
A piece of property to the east of us was purchased and small portion of the Master Plan fund is used every month to pay on the loan that was taken out. The loan is mostly being paid using funds from another account, but supplemented by the Master Plan.
The next phase of the Master Plan will be happening on the Pistol Range. The back and side berms need to be raised and the far east bays need to be straightened out. There is a drainage issue that also will be addressed. We are in the process of getting bids right now and as soon as one is accepted, the work can begin.
*UPDATE JANUARY 2015
1) The 300 yard berms are almost complete and they are starting on the back of the 300 yard targets.
2) The maintenance road access wall footings have been excavated through the berm and they should pour the footings this week.
3) The RR Tie wall behind the warning light should start this week.
4) The borrow area looks very good – they did a nice job at keeping it flat.
Click below for some progress pictures:
Rifle Range view from benches
Borrow Area behind the Pistol Range
Back of 100 yd berm-Rifle Range
Left side of 100 yard targets-Rifle Range
300 yard range-Rifle Range
*UPDATE DECEMBER 2014
Work began on the rifle range berm and safety improvements during the first week of December and the moderate weather has allowed the contractor to make significant progress in a short time. Work is nearly complete on the 100-yard berms and work is progressing on the 200-yard and side berms. The recent return to more typical December weather may slow work down slightly, but a lot of the work has already been completed. This will allow construction of the shelter and baffle improvements to begin this winter and we are hopeful those improvements will be completed sooner than expected.
Click below for some progress pictures:
100 yd berm-Rifle Range
200 yd berm-Rifle Range
Back of 200 yd berm-Rifle Range
Rifle Range from the benches
As a reminder, the rifle range will be closed every day, and the pistol ranges will be closed on weekdays, until the work is complete. Beginning the weekend of January 3-4, members can sight in their center fire rifles on the pistol bench range. Range Safety Officers will be present on the range during this period.
*UPDATE NOVEMBER 2014
Rifle Range Work and Rifle/Pistol Range Closures
After several years of planning and setting aside funds, the Billings Rod and Gun Club is beginning work on the first phase of the Master Plan. The first phase includes numerous safety improvements to the rifle range, including higher berms and overhead baffling on the firing line to prevent errant shots from leaving the range and impacting our neighbors. Work will begin on the rifle range around the first of December and is expected to last about three months, depending on the weather.
Click here for a rendering of the plan: Rifle Range Plan 2014
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the construction, it is necessary to close the rifle range for the duration of the work. The material for the new berms is being removed from behind the pistol range, so the pistol ranges, including the bays, will also be closed on weekdays for the safety of the contractor. The pistol range will remain open on the weekends. The Board of Directors understand that the rifle range closure will be an inconvenience for some members, and to compensate, we will open the benches on the pistol range to the use of center fire rifles beginning the first weekend in January; the pistol range has target backers out to 100 yards. A Range Safety Officer will be on the range during this period. During the month of December, neither range will be available for the use of center fire rifles while the Board works on certifying several new Range Safety Officers.
The Board will make every effort to keep the pistol range open on the weekends and to reopen the rifle range as soon as we can. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience as we move forward with these necessary range improvements. The Board is very excited about the improvements being made on the rifle range and, in the coming years, on other parts of the Club grounds. The Board has chosen not to incur debt to finance the range improvements and instead the project is funded solely through the use of the money generated from the membership fee increase instituted in 2011. We sincerely appreciate the trust put in us by the Club’s members, and we hope that everyone is as excited about this project as we are. We will send out updates on the construction.
2012
Introduction
The Billings Rod and Gun Club has grown to be the largest gun club in Montana and currently has capped the membership at 2300 families. The wait list was eliminated in 2011. A great deal of activity can be seen around the Club with several of the Divisions taking on expansion projects. However, land use and club management conflicts have consistently arose over the past couple of years. In addition to some internal land use/management conflicts, the adjacent lands surrounding the Club property continue to be developed with homes — and the proposed Innerbelt Loop roadway, which will run approximately ½ mile north of the Club property, may be in place by 2020. On a national basis gun clubs & shooting ranges have been continually challenged to manage their shot fall out, noise, safety and even soil contamination. Many clubs have lead the way with proactive Master Planning programs that have assisted in promoting Best Management Practices of their lands. The end results typically assure long-term viability of their land for use as a shooting range. It is for these reasons that The Board of Directors of the Billings Rod and Gun Club has retained the Foley Group LLC to complete a long range Master Plan for the Club. Foley Group has been involved in public and private gun club planning for over 15 years and recently completed the Master Plan for the new Blue Creek Club south of town.The Master Planning process will involve Five Phases of work that will occur throughout the summer. The process will be overseen by an Advisory Committee that was appointed by President Irv Wilke which includes: John Moorehouse, Dave Mueller, Scott Nielson, Gary Smith, T.J. Smith and Mike Whittington. This group will be asking for your help by communicating your needs and desires for the Club’s future to the consultant – Foley Group. This can be done via any of the surveys links listed on this webpage, or by attending any of the Division or Member meetings. Please check the following links for updates as the process continues throughout the summer.
Master Plan Documents
Property Maps & Plan Updates
Birds Eye Views
- Property from the North
- Property from the Northeast
- Property from the South
- Property from the Southeast
- Property from the Southwest
- Pistol Range from the South
- Rifle Range from the North
- Skeet Range from the South
Interesting Articles and Information
If you have questions or would like to add additional input please contact any of the Advisory Committee members or lead planner – Jim Foley @ jim@foleygroupinfo.com(mention the BR&G Club Master Plan on the subject line).