The oldest firearms training school in the world is Gunsite Academy. It was founded in 1976 by Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper and remains a training-only facility to this day. Gunsite is an icon in the firearms world and is a must-visit academy. The list of classes they offer is enormous, and they genuinely have something for everyone. Gunsite amasses 3,000 acres with shoot houses, indoor simulators, massive training bays, long-distance ranges, and more. There is no better feeling than driving through the Raven gate for some of the best firearms training in the world.

Thunder Ranch is a facility that every firearms owner should be familiar with. It was founded by Clint Smith in 1993 and operated in Texas before moving to southern Oregon. The lineup of class offerings includes defensive handgun and shotgun, urban precision rifle, urban rifle night vision, tactical medicine, law enforcement sniper, high-angle rifle training, and more. The ranges at Thunder Ranch are pristine, with not a single piece of brass or trash on the ground.

There are endless training scenarios where you learn to shoot off barricades, around walls, from the ground, through fencing, and more. I was also able to tour the shoot house that Clint designed, which reminds me of the Kobayashi Maru. I have been fortunate to meet Clint and his wife, Heidi, who helped create the current Trauma Block taught at Thunder Ranch. I think more training facilities should be teaching medical training, as gun owners are more likely to need to render medical aid than use their firearms. My experience at Thunder Ranch is one that I’ll never forget and would highly recommend to anyone seeking professional, high-level training.

W.O.F.T. is a unique training facility that focuses on real-life scenario training, while also offering customized firearms training, blade and knife training, hand-to-hand combat training, medical training, and more. The entire W.O.F.T. property is comparable to an island luxury golf resort, but for firearms and safety training. The facilities include an indoor low-light training room, a realistic coffee shop, 50-yard and 100-yard ranges, an indoor classroom, a blade and martial arts training room, and a completely covered shoot house with astroturf flooring.

When you sign up for a class, you get two to three days of education from specialized instructors who are the best in their respective fields. The unique part of the education at W.O.F.T. is that you get training tailored to your level, no matter if you’re an expert in jiu jitsu, a novice with firearms, or a complete newbie to low-light training. The curriculum meets you where you are and builds upon that. Firearms training is essential, but all the other blocks of training offered can also help save your life or help you fight to get to your gun.

ALTUS is an oasis for long-range shooters, with ranges and targets stretching out to well over 1,200 yards. ALTUS is home to custom training classes for military and law enforcement groups, offering an environment ideal for real-world training with varied terrain, constantly changing wind patterns, wooded areas, urban settings, and open field targets. ALTUS is also the home of three national-level shooting competitions and hosts matches year-round for competitive shooters interested in 2-Gun, rimfire challenges, and long-range competitions. It doesn’t hurt that this facility is in Baker, FL, so taking a break for the winter isn’t something they do.

The ranges, barricades, obstacles, and shoot houses are what make ALTUS such a great place to train. Personally, I have had the opportunity to shoot from a bus, from inside a shoot house, on top of the Seekins Precision shoot house, from inside and on top of vehicles, while standing on wobbly platforms, and off numerous barricades at ALTUS. They also have moving targets at distances of 300 and 500 yards, which are excellent for training for PRS-style competitions.

Finally, it’s worth noting that these guys know what they’re talking about when it comes to long-range shooting. ALTUS builds custom rifles using precision parts and offers them in over a dozen different calibers. They work with all the top brands and can help you create the custom rifle of your dreams.

One of the most beautifully built ranges that I have seen is the K&M Precision Rifle Training Shooting Complex. The property at K&M is pristine, featuring immaculately maintained grounds, a stunning Pro Shop, comfortable on-site lodging, and more. There are four towers, six mock-up shoot houses, heated target systems for low-light training, and the most luxurious 8,700-square-foot pavilion with audio/visual automation that makes communicating with hundreds of people a breeze.

This facility is designed for long-range precision training, catering to military personnel, law enforcement personnel, and civilians. The ranges at K&M couldn’t be more different, with ranges built into wooded areas, designed as more urban areas, and vast open fields littered with targets. K&M has everything you could imagine in terms of shoot houses, barricades, targets, and props. The 1,200-yard range features a LONGSHOT target camera system, making it easy for precision rifle shooters to practice their wind calls and dial in their elevation at distance. K&M has automated mover systems at 1,060, 700, 500, 300, and 150 yards, which are a must-have for any PRS or NRL competitor to train for major matches.

The classes offered include a basic and a comprehensive precision rifle course, a competition preparation and mover clinic, a SWAT/SRT/LE Sniper course, a precision long-range hunting course, and more private/custom classes tailored to the individual or group. One of the unique training opportunities at K&M compared to other facilities is their precision rifle hunting training. Hunters who draw Elk tags, or are embarking on a Bighorn Sheep hunt, or want to be able to harvest big game at a distance ethically, can significantly benefit from this experience to all but guarantee they’ll bring home a harvest.

Rifles Only is still on my must-visit list and one I would recommend, as many of my friends and fellow competitors have trained here. Rifles Only offers training dedicated to handguns, carbines, and precision rifles, as well as unique courses in field craft, helicopter platform training, and field medicine. The ranges go well beyond the expected 1,000-yard rifle range or 100-yard carbine and handgun range. The facility features a 350-degree live-fire outdoor range, a town for patrol, foot, or vehicle simulation, two bus simulators with simulated and live-fire scenarios, stalking areas, a 700-yard lighted range with moving targets, and more.

Rifles Only is located in South Texas near Kingsville. If you’ve never shot a rifle in Texas, you'll be surprised to find that one day you could be training in hot, dry temperatures, only to have the next be misty rain with temperatures in the 40s. The high level of winds paired with open terrain makes Texas an excellent training ground for precision rifles. Courses offered include an alternate positions clinic, a mover’s clinic, a tripod use in field environments class perfect for big game hunters, precision and rimfire rifle training, and more.

The Arena Training Facility has hosted numerous events, competitions, and classes, especially for the long-range shooting community. What many people don’t know about Arena is the serious, in-depth training opportunities it can facilitate for the DoD, Law Enforcement, and civilians. They can support the complete kinetic destruction of buildings, targets, and complexes, provide 24/7 training day or night, and build custom sites for counter terrorism and force protection training.

The live-fire shoot house is 7,000 square feet, featuring 256 different house layouts, thanks to multi-configurable walls. It also features a covered and lighted structure for training at any time, regardless of the weather. The Breach Facility spans 22 acres and features a 60-person classroom, MOUT Site, and accommodates live grenade and live fire LAW rocket training. The 2,300-meter range features a 40-foot tower with 10 climate-controlled and 10 upper tower firing lanes, 20 covered berm firing lanes, and a remote target camera system for extreme long-range targets, including those at 1-mile. There are dedicated pistol bays, a multi-purpose range, surveyed drop zones for MFF and Static Line Operations, and mobility bays.

Arena has hosted the Geissele 2 Gun Match, a Quantified Performance match, the Southeast Range Day, and more so far this year. Upcoming classes are scheduled for precision shooting and extreme long range.

Hat Creek Training, located near Riggins, Idaho, spans 5,000+ acres with mountainous terrain, cross-canyon terrain, unpredictable winds, extreme high and low angles for shooting, and more. This place is another one I haven't visited yet, but it will be a dream come true when I finally get the chance. Hat Creek has on-site classrooms and lodging facilities. The natural terrain environment, combined with Idaho's weather, makes Hat Creek a unique place to train competitive shooters and hunters, as they must learn to adapt to the various environmental factors they encounter.

I know friends who have trained at Hat Creek and come back as even better riflemen. The instructors at Hat Creek have military experience, including Special Operations, are competitive shooters in various shooting disciplines, and have real-world experience in hostage rescue, sniping, and reconnaissance operations. As a civilian and someone who is constantly seeking to improve my precision rifle shooting skills, this is the ultimate facility that can take me to the next level.

It is also worth mentioning that Hat Creek Training hosts the invitation-only, four-day North American Sniper Team Invitational for military snipers. Two shooters per team navigate across the 5,000-acre property while carrying all their gear and engage targets at distances ranging from 15 meters to 2 kilometers with pistols and rifles.

Cameo is in Colorado and is a world-class shooting range. It is open to the public, features public shooting bays, and offers long-range shooting bays by reservation. There are archery bays with 3D targets, a sporting clays course, 5-Stand, and long-range precision bays. Some of the educational programs Cameo offers include basic pistol and rifle training, as well as an introduction to competitive shooting. Additionally, they provide hunter education, a hunter field engagement course, and introductory archery classes.

If you’re familiar with A Girl and a Gun, Cameo is the host of the annual National Conference. They have also facilitated “Heligunner” at their facility, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Other events in 2025 have included the UHSS Invitational, the Koenig/Ruger PRS Championship Match, and the 3rd Rock Regional IDPA Championship, with more scheduled to take place later this year. They have monthly matches as well that offer something for everyone to enjoy no matter their experience or age.

Ron Avery and Ken Nelson founded the Tactical Performance Center (TPC) in Salt Lake City, UT. Nelson, a talented shooter and trainer, invented Practiscore, a widely used tablet-based scoring system for shooting sports worldwide. Avery was a police officer, martial artist, and legendary figure in the firearms training industry. He passed away in 2019, but his legacy and curriculum in the training programs at TPC continue to live on.

Courses include Handgun Mastery 1, 2, and 3, Carbine Mastery, Competition Mastery, Defensive courses, and more. While classes are hosted at their facility, the unique aspect of TPC is that they host courses all over the country and internationally. Another unique aspect of TPC is that they have created Challenges, which can be found online and downloaded. These challenges have a specific TPC target, a prescribed start procedure, a clearly stated goal, and a scoring guide.