Hat Creek Rifle and Pistol Club

Hat Creek Rifle & Pistol Club got its start in the late 1970s when a handful of local sportsmen needed a safe place to sight in rifles and compete. After the US Forest Service shut down their original location, they secured a 200-acre lease from Pacific Gas and Electric in 1980 and built what's now the only managed civilian rifle range in Shasta County.

"The Club is a unique organization that has grown from 'a half dozen people looking for a safe place to shoot' to the most active shooting range in northern California."

That growth shows in their calendar. Hat Creek runs year-round events covering nearly every shooting discipline you can name—and they're not just for members.

Silhouette Competitions: - Small bore silhouette (.22 rimfire, 1/5th scale steel targets) - High power silhouette (6mm and larger calibers at 200-500 meters) - Long range .22 silhouette with period-correct BPCR rifles - Targets shaped like chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams at varying distances

Cowboy Events: - Cowboy lever action rifle (50-200 meter targets, flat-nosed bullets) - Small bore cowboy rifle (.22 LR with tubular magazines) - Pistol cartridge cowboy rifle (.22 through .44 Magnum lever actions) - Cowboy action shooting (period-appropriate firearms from the Old West era)

Hunter's Pistol Matches: - Hunter's pistol with optics (non-bolt action, under 5 lbs, under 12" barrel) - Hunter's pistol open sights only - Small bore variants (.22 rimfire) - Matches run 60 rounds at 40-100 meters offhand

Black Powder & Muzzleloaders: - Percussion and flintlock rifles (iron sights, patched round balls) - Cap & ball or single-shot pistol silhouette - 40-100 meter rifle distances, 20-50 meter pistol distances - First match free for beginners. Youth (under 21) always shoot free.

Military Rifle Match: - Original or replica military rifles from any nation (M-14 latest) - 200-500 meter course of fire (40 rounds total) - Classes: Iron sight, scope sight, and open class - Spotters and spotting scopes allowed

Matches are organized into skill classes: B, A, AA, AAA, and Master. This means you're competing against shooters at your level, not getting stomped by veterans on your first day.

• •First match fee waived ($5 normally)
• •Prize pins awarded for match winners and class winners
• •NRA Grand Slam recognition program for exceptional silhouette shooters
• •Awards for knocking down all targets in a bank

• •Address: North side of State Highway 299 East between Burney and Fall River Mills, CA
• •Serves: Burney, Fall River Mills, Redding, Red Bluff, Yreka, Alturas
• •Membership: Not required to shoot matches
• •Phone: 530-215-3401

Competitors travel regularly from Redding (40+ miles), Red Bluff, and as far as Yreka and Alturas. NRA and California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) sanctioned events draw contestants from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona.

Situated on 200 acres of forested property with heavy undergrowth, the club takes fire safety seriously. After a 2018 fire that damaged part of the range, they implemented strict protocols:

• •Fire extinguishers on each range (placed spring 2018 onward)
• •Shooters walk firing lanes after use to check for smoke or burning undergrowth
• •Smokers must extinguish materials completely and place in fireproof containers
• •NO SHOOTING ON RED FLAG DAYS (mandatory)
• •Violations of safety rules result in immediate expulsion

In 2005, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Resolution 2005-130 expressing "strong support for the continued operation of the Hat Creek Rifle and Pistol Club at its current location." The club is recognized by the NRA and CRPA for promoting competition, instruction, and safe firearm handling.

They're also open to youth groups free of charge and host local law enforcement agencies for training.

While other rural shooting ranges across California have closed due to urban sprawl and rising land values, Hat Creek's isolated location on company land in the Intermountain region gives it staying power. The club operates as a 501(c)(7) nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, reinvesting winnings and donations back into range improvements.