Tucson is a great place to be a shooter. Ranges are close to town, the weather allows shooting most of the year and Arizona law is friendly to gun owners. This page lays out the site in the order most people need it.
1. Pick a place to shoot
There are three main options around Tucson: staffed public ranges, member clubs that welcome the public, and open public land where shooting is legal. Start with the Shooting Locations overview or the Tucson Range Map, then dig into the type that fits.
- Public Shooting Ranges: Southeast Regional Park, Three Points, Ajo and Sierra Vista
- Privately Owned Ranges: club ranges like Pima Pistol Club
- Indoor Ranges: air-conditioned lanes for summer afternoons
- Arizona Trap and Skeet: clay fields for shotgunners
- Archery Ranges
- AZ Public Areas: national forest, BLM and state land
2. Know the local rules
Every range posts its own rules, and range officers have the final word. On open land, shooting is legal in many places but not everywhere: Tucson Mountain Park, for example, is closed to shooting outside its range. Read Arizona Gun Laws for carry, transport and prohibited places, the F.A.Q. for quick answers, and the Timeline for how the state’s gun laws got where they are.
3. Bring the basics
- Eye and ear protection (required at every staffed range)
- Water, more than seems necessary, plus sunscreen and a hat
- Targets and a stapler, unless the range sells them
- A card for range fees (Pima County ranges are cashless)
- A bag for brass and trash: leave the desert cleaner than you found it
Range commands, etiquette and summer heat tips are on First Range Visit and Safety.
4. Find a gun show or a shop
The AZ Gun Shows section covers the shows at the Pima County Fairgrounds and around the state, with locations, promoters and the gun show calendar. AZ Gun Shops covers local stores, and Manufacturers introduces the gun makers based right here in Arizona.
5. Get involved
Clubs, matches and classes are the fastest way to get better. See Shooting Events, AZ Shooting Clubs, the AZ Shooting Calendar, Training and Classes and Youth and Family Shooting. Ready to hunt? Start with Hunting Basics. For training, the network’s After Action.net covers firearms classes and schools, and Gun Calendars.com tracks 2A events and firearms history dates.
Watch: Tucson shooting videos
Keep exploring
- Timeline: shooting history in Tucson and Arizona
- Manufacturers: Arizona gun makers
- Arizona Gun Laws: carry and transport in plain language
- F.A.Q.
- Tucson Shooting Blog