American Shooting Centers

Spread across 563 acres in George Bush Park near Katy, ASC is a behemoth, and a favorite among beginners and experts alike. Good for both individuals and large groups, the center offers a rifle and pistol range, a trap and skeet range, a hunter’s clays field, and more. “They’ll sight rifles for you, and the distance ranges from 50 to 600 yards,” says local weapons expert Roger Eckstine, author of the Shooter’s Bible Guide to Home Defense, “perfect for training with a hunting rifle.”

Hot Wells Shooting Range

This Cypress-area range was founded by a woman—Mrs. Dallas Lamar—and her husband in the early ’70s, and is understandably female-friendly. Its women’s shooting league, A Girl and A Gun, is a popular attraction, as are the ladies-only and self-defense classes. But Hot Wells is equally popular with the menfolk these days, who come for its beginners’ classes and hunter education course. 

Bailey’s House of Guns

Sure, there are nicer ranges, more modern facilities, and any number of places around town where you won’t need to sidestep roosters and fire ants as you unload into hay bails, but where’s the fun in that? A visit to Bailey’s feels like wandering into a Wild West time capsule, in more ways than one (e.g., avoid the restroom). Family-owned for the past half-century or so, this is the kind of outdoor range people either love or hate. What isn’t a matter of contention: the low prices. “We’re the cheapest game in town,” says owner Bernard Bailey, quoting all-day fees that range from $12 to $14 per gun. “We have a lot of regulars who love us.”

Where’s your favorite shooting range? 

Let us know in the comments!