August 20, 2026

Colfax Sportsmen’s Club Celebrates National Shooting Sports Month Participation

With less than two weeks remaining in National Shooting Sports Month^®, there’s still time for some last-minute participation in this monthlong celebration of the shooting sports. This year’s National Shooting Sports Month tagline, “Let Freedom Plink” commemorates the traditions of marksmanship, responsibility and freedom that have brought generations of Americans together through participation in the shooting sports.

There’s nothing quite like having outdoor facilities to ring in the shooting sports during warm summer days, and that’s exactly what the Colfax Sportsmen’s Club, in Colfax, Wis., can offer to its range guests at the Colfax/Dunn County Shooting Sports Complex. Throughout the summer, the Colfax Sportsmen’s Club maintains a robust calendar of activities across handgun, rifle and shotgun disciplines — including trap, scholastic and action shooting sports.

Colfax Sportsmen’s Club President Cody Berger shared how he’s celebrating 10 years of National Shooting Sports Month this August.

“During August, I plan to take a heavier role in promoting the activities we have going on at the range — on social media — and hopefully draw out more locals and club members who maybe don’t participate as often as they used to, so they come out and visit this month,” he said.

A Worthy Endeavor: Getting People Out to the Range

Berger has found there’s a larger market to tap into, as there are locals just minutes from the range who do not know about the club. One of the most effective avenues Berger uses to “spread the word” on events is by tagging firearm industry companies that sponsor events at the range on social media.

“There are people in town who don’t know about the range but follow the same companies who are sponsoring a match. So, we’ll tag a company that’s sponsoring the event, and if they repost or share it, it ends up helping us a little bit more,” he said. “Having a company or organization share information with their followers, saying, ‘Hey, this is right in your backyard,’ really helps us draw more people in.”

Similar to Freedom Armory, profiled in an article earlier this month, Colfax Sportsmen’s Club uses PractiScore to streamline the experience for those signing up for its events. Berger is able to post events in advance and can share details such as whether registration is required to attend.

“After our match director meeting this past December, I was able to add all of our confirmed events on PractiScore for the year and share which ones didn’t require pre-registration to participate,” he said. “We’ve had people show up to matches just because they saw the listing on PractiScore. Sharing information in general has helped with getting people out to the range.”

Events & Community Involvement

Some of the club’s most popular offerings happen during August, including the annual Wisconsin Speed Freak Rimfire Match. This fast-paced, 10-stage match is a favorite for attendees. This year’s event, held July 31 and Aug. 1, set an attendance record, with each of its shooting divisions recording increased participation over the previous year.

“Having the match finish on Aug. 1, which also included the awards and prize table for competitors, was a great way to kick of National Shooting Sports Month,” Berger noted.

Other top events taking place at Colfax Sportsmen’s Club during National Shooting Sports Month include a National Rimfire League match (Aug. 16), Steel Challenge Shooting Association match (Aug. 16), Practical Competition Shooting League (Aug. 22) and duck flurry trap shoot (Aug. 22).

The Colfax Sportsmen’s Club also has a youth rifle and pistol team, the Colfax Steel Smashers, which practices three times a month at its facility. Berger, who serves as an assistant coach, shared they recently competed in state and national matches in June and July, respectively.

When not competing, the Colfax Steel Smashers are also engaged in the community. They supported the Wisconsin Speed Freak Rimfire Match by purchasing, painting and assembling the trophies that were presented to winners. In April, the Colfax Steel Smashers hosted a fundraiser match and open range for NSSF’s First Shots^® program — which provided hands-on introduction to the shooting sports for residents of Colfax and the surrounding area.

Still Not Too Late to Get Participate!

Even now, it’s not too late for your business to take part in National Shooting Sports Month. Sign up to appear on the national host map and access campaign resources.

NSSF also encourages firearm manufacturers, shooting sports organizations and other industry partners to promote National Shooting Sports Month, share campaign materials and encourage their audiences to participate throughout August. Promotional resources are available through the National Shooting Sports Month toolkit.

The #RangeChallenge has generated a considerable amount of engagement from customers, with range guests frequently posting pictures of themselves and their target on social media. Those using the hashtag #RangeChallenge in their posts are entered to win one of eight $500 gift cards that will be awarded throughout the month. Target packages are still available for ranges and gun clubs that would like to participate. To order a package, contact Zach Snow: [email protected]; 203-426-1320, ext. 224.

For information about participating businesses, the #RangeChallenge, campaign resources and ways to celebrate, visit ShootingSportsMonth.org.