Governor, Senator Fire First Rounds at Wyoming’s New Shooting Complex

Last Saturday, April 25, 2026, the Wyoming State Shooting Complex (WSSC) officially broke ground on what is intended to be the premier shooting sports destination in the nation. Held on the complex’s 2,000-acre site seven miles south of downtown Cody, the ceremony drew community members, elected officials, industry leaders, and shooting sports enthusiasts for a milestone moment in Wyoming history.

The ceremony featured a moment unlike any groundbreaking before it. In addition to a ceremonial shovel in the dirt, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and United States Senator John Barrasso dedicated the land the way Wyoming intended — with a rifle. Using an M1 Garand, the Governor and Senator fired the first rounds on the future complex grounds, symbolically opening a new chapter for the state’s shooting sports legacy. The crowd’s reaction was immediate and electric.

“This is a day that Wyoming will remember.” said Patrick Giles, CEO of the Wyoming State Shooting Complex. “The shots heard round Wyoming weren’t just symbolic — they were a declaration. Wyoming is open for business when it comes to shooting sports, and we are going to build something here that makes the entire state proud.”

$10 Million Challenge Grant from Civilian Marksmanship Program

The groundbreaking also served as the official public announcement of a landmark $10 million challenge grant from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), an organization dedicated to firearms safety, youth, and marksmanship training. Structured as a three-year matching initiative, the CMP will match new private and industry donations to the WSSC dollar-for-dollar, up to $10 million — effectively doubling the impact of every contribution made to the project.

The challenge grant represents the most significant private investment in the WSSC to date and will accelerate the complex’s development into the premier shooting sports destination in the nation.

“This partnership with the CMP is a game changer for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex,” said Patrick Giles, CEO of the WSSC. “With their investment matched dollar-for-dollar, every sponsor, donor, and industry partner who supports this project will now have twice the impact. We are not just building a shooting range, we are building a legacy for Wyoming’s shooting sports community and a destination that the entire country will want to visit.”

Beyond the financial commitment, the CMP partnership includes a CMP retail store within the complex’s event center, shared expertise in both range design and operations, and a collaborative vision that leverages Cody’s unique position as home to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West — which houses more than 7,000 historic firearms at the Cody Firearms Museum.

“World-class does not happen overnight but CMP’s $10m challenge grant insures a faster pace to accomplishing our vision” said Glenn Ross, Chairman of the Wyoming State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board.

The announcement of the challenge grant follows significant momentum for the WSSC. The complex has earned full support from the Wyoming Legislature and Governor Mark Gordon, who have approved a total of $15 million in state funding for the project.

Partnership with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s involvement brings a unique cultural and educational dimension to the project, connecting modern marksmanship with the deep historical legacy of firearms in the American West.

At the heart of this collaboration is the Cody Firearms Museum, which houses more than 7,000 firearms and represents the most comprehensive collection of American arms in the world. Together, the Center of the West and its partners will create a distinctive visitor experience—one that allows audiences to explore the history, technology, and cultural significance of firearms before engaging with the discipline of shooting sports in a modern setting.

“This partnership represents an extraordinary alignment of mission and place,” said Center of the West CEO Rebecca West. “By connecting the unmatched historical resources of the Center of the West with a world-class shooting facility, we are helping to create an experience that is educational, responsible, and uniquely rooted in the American West.”

In addition to its educational contributions, the Center of the West will collaborate with WSSC and CMP to support programming, interpretation, and visitor engagement opportunities that serve a broad public audience, from youth participants and competitive shooters to international travelers visiting the Yellowstone region.

Construction is Underway

The complex is designed to serve elite competitors, recreational shooters, and youth programs alike, with purpose-built venues including pistol bays, rifle ranges, trap and skeet fields, sporting clays courses, archery, and a main event center capable of hosting large events.

Core infrastructure and interior roads now span much of the site, giving contractors access to begin work on individual venues. The design of the action shooting venue, a layout confirmed to meet the requirements of all major action shooting disciplines, was recently approved. Architectural designs of the event center, which will include a retail area, classroom, catering kitchen, and a multi-purpose conference hall for indoor archery and air gun, are in progress. With construction actively underway, WSSC has a goal of hosting the Grand Opening by mid-2027.

[Combination of multiple Press Releases]
Photos by Janet Jones, SnowMoon Photography

This article is proudly sponsored by