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Clark
County
Shooting
Complex
by
Bill
Daniels
After
providing
shooters
with
60
years
of
service
the
Las
Vegas
Gun
Club
closed
its
doors
on
December
20th
of
2009.
Don
Carlson
from
Liberty
Hill,
TX,
fired
at
(and
hit)
the
last
A.T.A.
registered
target
thrown
at
the
club.
Over
the
years
the
club,
which
was
originally
named
the
Sahara
and
then
the
Mint,
was
known
for
incredible
shoots
and
over
the
top
prizes.
They
threw
over
40,000,000
targets
to
scores
of
shooters
from
all
over
the
world.
Manager,
Steve
Carmichael
is
part
of
that
trapshooting
history.
As a
shooter
he
set
records,
won
Grand
American
titles,
and
countless
HOA
trophies
around
the
country.
He
will
continue
to
introduce
scores
of
people
to
shotgun
shooting
and
create
champions
with
his
expert
instruction.
Although
the
club
was
built
literally
in
the
middle
of
the
desert,
it
finally
succumbed
to
urban
sprawl.
The
club’s
fate
seemed
to
mirror
that
of
the
Home
Grounds
in
Vandalia.
Just
as
development
was
at
it’s
peak
forcing
the
relocation
of
the
club,
it
seemed
to
slow
to a
point
where
the
club
could
co-exist
with
the
surrounding
development.
However
possible,
the
wheels
of
progress
were
set
in
motion
and
The
World
Shooting
Complex
was
built
in
Sparta,
IL
and
the
relocation
was
inevitable.
Some
shooters
swore
it
would
never
be
the
same
and
it’s
not,
but
different
isn’t
always
bad,
it’s
just
different.
The
same
will
hold
true
in
Las
Vegas,
as
the
multi
million
dollar
Clark
County
Shooting
Complex
was
under
construction,
the
city
refused
to
renew
the
Las
Vegas
Gun
Club’s
lease
ending
an
era
of
shooting
like
non
other.
The
Clark
Country
Shooting
Park
opened
its
gate
to
the
public
on
December
19th
of
2009
coincidently
or
not
one
day
before
the
last
shot
was
fired
at
the
Las
Vegas
Gun
Club.
The
park
is
located
on
2,900
acres
a
half
hour
due
north
of
the
Las
Vegas
Strip.
The
range
offers
rifle
and
pistol,
trap
and
skeet,
and
archery.
Eventually
they
will
have
sporting
clays,
cowboy
action
shooting
and
much
more.
Bill
Schwarz
from
Gig
Harbor,
WA
accepted
the
job
as
Shotgun
Range
Manager.
He
brings
30
years
of
shooting
experience
to
the
line.
His
staff
is
made
up
of
county
employees
and
volunteers.
With
this
in
mind
he
is
focusing
his
efforts
on
firearm
safety.
As
the
comfort
level
increases
they
will
work
on
customer
service
and
getting
ready
for
competitive
events
and
large
groups.
On
the
weekends
the
rifle
and
pistol
ranges
stay
full.
Although
the
restaurants,
gun
rentals,
and
pro
shop
aren’t
there
yet,
it
seems
the
public
is
excited
about
having
a
new
state
of
the
art
place
to
shoot.
The
trap
and
skeet
range
is
only
opened
on
the
weekends
right
now,
but
by
the
time
of
the
Shot
Show
in
late
January
they
will
go
to
the
regular
Wednesday
through
Sunday
hours
of 8
a.m.
to 4
p.m.
The
24
trap
and
skeet
overlays
are
the
finest
I’ve
seen.
They
are
powered
by
24
Pat
traps
and
48
Duomatic
skeet
machines.
The
first
5
fields
have
card
readers
and
the
entire
line
is
lighted.
There
is
more
than
adequate
parking
behind
each
field
with
RV
spots
down
the
whole
line.
Each
parking
area
has
enough
power
to
run
a/c
units,
TV’s
and
probably
an
entire
casino.
Down
below
the
trap
and
skeet
ranges
there
is
additional
RV
spots
with
full
hookups
and
large
shade
structures.
As
if
all
of
this
wasn’t
enough
there
is
an
incredible
view
of
the
Las
Vegas
valley.
The
new
Aliante
Casino
http://www.aliantecasinohotel.com/
,
shopping,
restaurants
and
gas
stations
are
all
just
minutes
away.
For
those
of
you
that
are
nostalgic
and
refuse
to
believe
the
shooting
experience
will
ever
be
the
same
there
is
one
thing
that
hasn’t
changed.
Bob
Taylor’s
Original
Ranch
House
Restaurant
and
Supper
Club
is
located
close
to
the
park.
Although
Bob
Taylor
doesn’t
flip
the
steaks
anymore,
the
look
and
feel
remains
the
same
as
it
did
during
the
glory
days
of
Las
Vegas
Trapshooting.
http://www.bobtaylorsranchhouse.com/
As
with
any
other
gun
club
opening
there
has
been
a
number
of
rumors
surrounding
the
trap
and
skeet
fields.
Let
me
try
to
clear
some
of
them
up.
1. The
trap
houses
are
built
too
tall.
False
–
they
are
well
within
ATA
specs.
There
is a
2%
grade
that
drops
from
the
16
yard
line
that
makes
the
houses
look
taller
than
the
houses
at
the
Las
Vegas
Gun
Club.
2. The
skeet
windows
are
too
low.
False
–
they
are
well
within
NSSA
specs.
The
houses
are
incredibly
well
built.
They
are
constructed
from
decorative
concrete
blocks
and
capped
with
a
tile
roof
that
is
higher
than
most
ranges,
but
the
windows
are
exactly
where
they
are
suppose
to
be.
3. The
skeet
target
windows
are
too
large.
False
–
The
concrete
openings
look
large
to
shooters
who
saw
the
club
pre-opening.
There
is a
stainless
steel
guard
that
is
inserted
in
the
openings
that
makes
them
the
size
skeet
shooters
are
use
to
seeing.
4. There
is a
fee
to
enter
the
park.
False
–
that
was
discussed
early
on,
but
like
many
other
issues
the
range
responded
to
the
wants
and
needs
of
the
public.
5. The
range
is
too
expensive
to
use.
False
–
This
is a
state
of
the
art
facility
that
charges
$6.00
a
round
of
25
for
both
trap
and
skeet.
6. They
will
not
host
events.
False
–
Although
they
are
not
ready
to
host
large
events
during
the
soft
opening,
they
will
be
ready
to
host
events
in
the
near
future.
Much
like
AZ
Game
and
Fish’s
Ben
Avery
Clay
Target
Center
the
government
needs
to
have
an
outside
organization
host
the
event.
These
organizations
are
called
“user
groups”.
This
“group”
can
be
an
individual,
charity,
organization,
corporation,
or
anything
in
between.
It
is a
simple
process
to
fill
out
the
paperwork
and
move
forward.
7. They
don’t
have
voice
release
systems.
False
–
during
soft
opening
the
range
safety
officer’s
hand
pulled
until
they
were
familiar
with
the
game
of
trap
and
the
new
wireless
voice
release
systems
were
properly
installed.
They
are
on
the
fields
now.
8. They
have
a
rule
against
setting
the
gun
barrel
on
your
toe.
True
–
Well,
we
can’t
have
everything
our
way.
This
is
an
excepted
rule
with
the
Scholastic
Clay
Target
Program
and
may
be
something
we
will
have
to
get
used
to.
All
of
the
current
information
on
the
Clark
County
Shooting
can
be
found
on
their
web
site
at
http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/parks/locations/pages/Shooting_Park.aspx
. If
you
still
have
questions
please
don’t
hesitate
to
contact
me
or
Don
Turner
the
Shooting
Park’s
visionary
and
General
Manager.
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