Cheshire County Shooting Sports Education Foundation History & Facilities
Nestled within the peaceful valleys of the southwestern corner of New Hampshire, the Cheshire County Shooting Sports Education Foundation has provided opportunities to enjoy the shooting sports since 1923. The organization started in 1923 as Ferry Brook Range. The oldest list of members shows us there were 167 members in 1923. In 1936 The Cheshire County Fish & Game Club was incorporated in the State of New Hampshire.
In 2010 the Board of Directors created, the Cheshire County Shooting Sports Education Foundation. The purpose was to promote training and education. Part of the Foundation’s mission is to build and operate an indoor range that will meet the needs of the community. Personal protection and shooting sports are an everyday part of the Foundation members lives and, as such, are traditions that they feel must be passed on to future generations. The Foundation members sincerely feel that they have an individual and collective obligation to ensure that these traditions remain intact, thus preserving our shooting sports heritage forever. In 2015, Cheshire County Fish & Game Club merged with the Cheshire County Shooting Sports Education Foundation as one organization.
The Foundation offers:
- 50 /100 yard covered rifle range
- 200, 300, & 600 yard open rifle ranges
- 100-yard 22LR range with 10 covered firing points;
- 1 covered pistol range with 9 firing points and 2 open pistol ranges
- 3 open training and event pistol bays
- Carbine bay for rifle and pistol calibers
- 1 Trap field, and 1 Five-stand field for shotgun
- Archery ranges including a 3-D course
- “Clubhouse” for classes and meetings, this is where the office is located
- Indoor Range “currently being worked on”
The Foundation hosts numerous activities that utilize these various ranges. For a complete overview of the Foundation activates and facilities map, please visit our website at ccssef.org.
The Foundation has a philosophy of educating our youth about fish and wildlife conservation, and shooting sports as one of our most important tasks. With focus on our youth, the Foundation sees shooting sports activities as opportunities for family interaction. The Foundation wishes to be an innovative part of the community to develop opportunities for a broad spectrum of members to experience the joy of shooting sports. Foundation members know that by cultivating our youth and their families, the community is a safer more responsible place to live, work and play. This also significantly increase participation and acceptance of the shooting sports and creates great family traditions. The men and women that make up the Board of Directors and Officers strive to ensure this philosophy is part of their community and everyday lives.
The Foundation also provides an excellent training facility for 12 different Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement agencies. We currently have 92 active Law Enforcement members as of 2019.
The U.S Army and Coast Guard Academy also uses our facility to train the dedicated Men and Women of our armed services. The Foundation facility is also used by DOD contractors and private security groups that serve the greater Cheshire County area.
The objectives of Cheshire County Shooting Sports Education Foundation have always been consistent with shooting sports education across the nation they are considered as true leaders in their communities. The current Bylaws specifically address these goals:
- To educate the membership and general public in the safe handling and use of firearms
- To promote a more friendly feeling among those interested in shooting sports
- To provide a facility for those interested in firearms training and shooting sports education
- To better educate hunters and fisherman of Cheshire County and the State of New Hampshire