Gateway Pistol Club

Gateway Pistol Club was organized in the late 1940s/early 1950s and has been a cornerstone of competitive bullseye pistol shooting in the Fargo-Moorhead area ever since. For decades the club operated out of the old YMCA in Fargo, then moved to Island Park YMCA, the Fargo Police Reserve Center on 7th Ave, and finally the Regional Training Center. In 2003, club board members launched a committee to build their own dedicated range.

With technical assistance from the North Dakota Shooting Sports Association and National Rifle Association, plus support from North Dakota Game and Fish, Gateway opened the Red River Regional Marksmanship Center in November 2009. This facility—located in SE Argusville near West Fargo—is now the home of Gateway Pistol Club and serves shooters across the region.

Gateway's members have captured well over 200 state and regional championships in various NRA shooting programs. Recently, two teams and one individual from Gateway won NRA National Indoor Air Pistol Champions.

Gateway has consistently produced nationally ranked individuals and teams. Past and current members have also won National Championships in Light Rifle and earned USAF Distinguished Rifleman badges. The club's shooting resume speaks for itself—if you've competed in precision pistol in North Dakota, you've likely faced Gateway shooters.

Gateway has run an indoor postal match during winter months for over 40 years. These matches attract shooters from North Dakota and surrounding states, making them a regional draw for competitive pistol enthusiasts looking to stay sharp during cold months.

All practice sessions and competitions follow the standard competitive bullseye format:

• •Slow Fire: 3 targets × 10 shots each (10-minute time limit per target)
• •Timed Fire: 2 targets × 6 strings of 5 shots in 20 seconds per target
• •Rapid Fire: 2 targets × 6 strings of 5 shots in 10 seconds per target

Typical course = 90 shots per session

• •New Shooter Advice: Start with .22 cal and stick to slow fire stages for your first several sessions. You'll observe a couple of relays before going live, receive range safety instruction, and be monitored by a non-shooting individual on your first time on the line.

• •Annual club membership: $15
• •Nightly shooting fee: $2.00 (covers targets and required RRRMC membership/range fees)
• •Liability requirement: Only members may shoot

Safety is non-negotiable. Gateway is the only private club allowed to use the Red River Regional Marksmanship Center, and negligent damage or injury would end that privilege. Key rules:

1. Follow all range officer commands without exception 2. Pistols stay boxed/cased until directed by RO 3. Loading/unloading only at RO direction 4. All weapons pointed downrange at all times (neighbor in booth beside you) 5. Malfunction? Weapon stays downrange, raise non-shooting hand, wait for RO 6. Eye AND ear protection mandatory (earplugs + earmuffs required) 7. Minimum 2 shooters present to use range (including RO) 8. Individuals personally responsible for any property damage

• •No conversation with fellow shooters during live fire (distracting)
• •At end of course of fire (~90 shots), all shooters must remove equipment from line at RO direction to allow next relay to go hot
• •If space available, shooters who've already fired may fill in behind new relay

Gateway Pistol Club is part of the North Dakota Shooting Sports Association (NDSSA), a non-profit organization founded in 1951 and the official state affiliate of the National Rifle Association. NDSSA coordinates statewide competitive shooting events across multiple disciplines—bullseye pistol, air pistol/rifle, small bore rifle, high power rifle, and silhouette matches. State championships, records, and junior shooter sponsorship are all managed through NDSSA.

• •National Rifle Association (NRA)
• •Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP)
• •USA Shooting (Olympic shooting governing body)