Whitefish Rifle & Pistol Club

The Whitefish Rifle & Pistol Club was organized as a competitive shooting club in 1963 and chartered with the National Rifle Association in 1965 with 23 members. In those days, dues were $6.00 per year.

Indoor smallbore rifle and pistol practice was held at the Whitefish National Guard Armory. Outdoor shooting was held on a club member's private land.

WRPC members worked with the Whitefish Rod and Gun Club to construct a 200 yard range on a DNRC lease near Skyles Lake west of Whitefish, MT. In 1967, this public range was closed due to protests from local home owners. Once again, Whitefish Rifle & Pistol Club returned to shooting on a club member's private land.

Later in 1967, Keith Svee, then club president, worked with the DNRC to find a large enough tract of state land with no homes in the area. The KM Ranch Road property (located between Whitefish and Kalispell and currently still in use) was surrounded by state land and owned by the Somers Lumber Company. The close proximity to the three towns of Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell, made it an ideal location for a shooting range. The lease was signed in 1968 for 13.5 acres of this land. At this time, membership dues increased to $25.00 per year.

The range was open to the public until the mid 1970's when vandalism forced the club to request permission from the DNRC to gate and lock the entry road to the range.

By 1976 the club's membership had grown to 69 members.

In the late 1990's additional acreage was leased from the DNRC for a 1,000 yard rifle range. At that time, a 50 yard pistol only range was also constructed. The 1,000 yard range remained open until 2007 when it was recently closed due to safety concerns.

Smallbore (.22) rifle and pistol practices and competitions are held at the North Valley Shooting Foundation Gallery (Indoor) Range. As the NVSF Range is not owned by the Whitefish Rifle & Pistol Club, shooters pay a fee to use the NVSF Range.

Over the years, membership growth has peaked at 450 members. Today, there are 370 active members of the Whitefish Rifle & Pistol Club.