Local business owner wants to hold shooting competition on Campbell County's recently purchased land

GILLETTE (WNE) — Campbell County was unsuccessful in landing a state shooting complex, but there still may be use for the $10 million piece of land southeast of Cam-plex that the county had purchased.

Peter Angelos, CEO of Omega Precision Firearms in Gillette, and husband of Rep. Abby Angelos, R-Gillette, approached commissioners last week about the possibility of hosting a long-range shooting competition on a portion of the 5,500-acre Spaeth Ranch.

Angelos said he’s not planning to organize a shooting competition here in the very near future, given the dry conditions and danger of fires.

He goes to many shooting competitions in the region, including one close by on private land by Moorcroft. While the events have great turnout, “we struggle with the availability of land close by,” said Angelos, adding that he’d like to see an event that doesn’t require competitors to drive an hour from their hotel room just to get to.

That’s why the Spaeth Ranch is appealing.

It would be a temporary use of the property, and event insurance would be purchased for the competition. Angelos said targets would be hung up at distances from 300 to 1,200 yards, and everything could be taken down in a day. He added that he’d probably limit the event to 100 competitors.

Commissioners told Angelos to work with Public Works Director Matt Olsen to figure out where on the property he’d like to have this event.

This story was published on September 10, 2024.