When Dr. Brewster Higley wrote the poem Home on the Range I’m pretty sure he had Wyoming’s High Bar Homestead in mind. Sitting on 250 acres of not-cloudy-all-day countryside, the retreat offers visitors access to a variety of specially designed shooting courses. And when you’re finished doing that . . .
High Bar Homestead welcomes its guests to a simple-yet-elegant ranch house with Four Seasons-level hospitality. Sold? Unfortunately, this shooters’ paradise is currently open to the public on a limited basis. Its main business: hosting junkets for firearms industry types.
Industry professionals often rent out regular gun ranges to introduce their products to the press, dealers, distributors and other industry members. This usually means a gruesome twosome: La Quinta and Applebee’s. The owners of High Bar Homestead had a better idea. Obviously.
High Bar has hosted events for Volquartsen, Freedom Munitions, Grey Ghost Precision, Hot Shots Calendar (the occasion for my visit), Hornaday, Leupold and Silencer Co. Springfield Armory shot their “Night of the Saint” web series reality show on site. The upcoming “Cabelas Experience” with Magpul was also filmed at HBH.
As befits its ballistic remit, HBH is a suitable distance from its neighbors but close enough to an airport, with town “just” 45 minutes away. The “basic” price (available upon request, ‘natch) includes a private cook, drivers and range safety officers. For an additional fee, the manager can call in any number of specialized shooting instructors from their list of syndicate partners (operators who operate operationally upon request).
That would be one Kelsey Gonzales. The ex-Marine specialized in light armor reconnaissance. He’s now an NRA-accredited range safety officer with a degree in Natural Resource Management and Forestry. Not to mention an avid hunter, preacher and overall bad-ass.
Mr. Gonzales says the eight-bedroom, five-bathroom ranch house can host up to 50 guests comfortably (but then he’s a Marine). The dining/living area is ideal to gather, share meals, drink whiskey and brag about ringing steel at ridiculously long distances.
The property is something of an outdoor museum, littered (in the nicest sense) with old cars and all things Americana. For those who want to pay their respects, a guest shed that holds the remains of the late John Noveske.
This shooter’s oasis includes a coveted 1800 yard (1 mile) shot. There’s also a known distance range with targets spaced at 100 yard increments out to a thousand. For those who prefer to move and shoot, HBH provides a 20-room shoot house and two natural terrain precision courses of fire.
Most of the steel waiting to be rung hails from MGM steel targets but the toys are BYOT. With safety-minded experts on tap, companies booking HBH can design courses using the latest technology to the limits of their imagination.
The owners revealed the most interesting gun they’ve seen at the High Bar: Grey Ghost Precision’s AR pattern rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor with a rifle length gas system.
After four days of shooting (both guns and photos) at High Bar Homestead, I’d only scratched the surface of what’s on offer. The management team at the High Bar Homestead believe by providing customers with great shooting courses, even better food and impeccable living quarters this may become the favorite destination of the shooting industry. I wouldn’t doubt it for a second.
[ED: Ms. Austin was not compensated by High Bar Homestead for this article.]
Here’s this awesome gun playground. Looks nice doesn’t it? Except YOU’LL never get to go! Suck eggs fattie!
Thanks TTAG. Could you just kick me in the balls or steal my girlfriend next time?
Sh!t
I just finished the best laugh I’ve had in a week.
Everybody in the shop is staring at me.
I may have shat myself from laughing.
“Thanks TTAG. Could you just kick me in the balls or steal my girlfriend next time?”
You haven’t married her yet?
Sheesh… 😉
Good lord you sound just like her. 8 years is the bare minimum of a proper courtship.
Oh, BTW, the ‘kick in the balls’ you get for *free* in the comment section…
*snicker*
All I have to say is BAHAHAHAHAHAHA
It’s Wysnowming. It’s 45 minutes from town. For 6 weeks out of the year. The rest of the year it’s only open to polar bears.
April-Sept you’re good to go weather wise. Last year there was 12 weeks of over 90 degrees. Four distinct seasons.
“this shooters’ paradise is currently open to the public on a limited basis. Its main business: hosting junkets for firearms industry types”
High Bar is open to public bookings! Feel free to reach out for for private party details. [email protected]
Unfortunately we are not an open public range that you can just roll up to and shoot.
So, Ms. Austin. Was this partly for a 2018 calendar shoot?
Goes to show – even the 2A community has its interconnected elitist circles where us “common-folk” aren’t allowed to tread. Not surprised; and not really bothered by it either…
EVERY industry (“community”) has that, from trade shows (like SHOT) to facilities of various sorts to membership orgs.
There are many great shooting facilities that are open to the public. Normally I would never post about a ‘competitor’ in the comments section of an article about another company, because I think that’s “icky,” but in this case because HBH is almost entirely B2B I’ll go ahead and bump my Mill Creek Shooting Resort review, since their facilities and classes are open to anyone.
While we have some B2B customers that’s not all we are. We do business with private groups regularly. Any Joe can make a booking, just like Mill Creek although we don’t offer an instructor cadre.
Hardly elitist. You and all your buddies could book a week with us. Just like that. The High Bar is just not a show up and shoot venue.
So can you go inside of Johnny’s Bone Shack, or what? Is he laid up in there in a glass coffin like Lenin, or is he just in a regular box like Squire Boone?
My money is on having his corpse turned into a talking disney Animatronic like The Hall of Presidents, but he talks about ballistic coefficients and chamber reaming instead of political platitudes. Ah, a man can dream…
ashes
Johnny’s bone shack is a mausoleum for John. It’s a place to respect, reflect, remember and to raise a glass. We maintain a close relationship with John’s family and they graciously donated personal effects fitting for the shack, including a an urn with some of John’s ashes. It’s a fun way for us to remember our friend and for those that didn’t know him to pay respect.
They make you sleep in bunk beds at the 4 seasons…?
Who’d a thunk it
Ok so its the Four Seasons in Goldilocks and the three bears version
If Four Seasons ever had bunks these would be the ones. All are Tempur-pedic, queen size with fancy soft sheets picked out by pretty lady. It’s the number one positive Feedback we hear, best beds ever. We even have ear plugs if your bunk mate snores. 😉
A creedmoor AR10 is the craziest thing they’ve seen???
When we’re watching hits at a mile we always smile. Seriously, we find pleasure in the simple things.
High Bar looks to be the former home of DL Sports International Tactical Rifle Championship run by Dave Lauck. The competition was open to Military, Law Enforcement and qualified civilians. For photos, go to dlsports.com look for ITRC. I was present at a few of them.
I don’t recall the cabins being 4 star. Outside looks the same, maybe upgrades have been made. Toilets were outhouses. No running water.
Yes, Sir, the old DL SATA. A lot has changed, a lot. 15 ranges, close to 1000 steel targets, new 27 bed lodge and those cabins are a thing of the past.
I was so hoping to have my next birthday party out here! Seems unlikely…
[email protected]
We can handle your birthday, Easy day. Reach out for a quote on a visit.
I just wanna go to a place where I can shoot a mile without taking a(nother) class and having some windbag instructor tell me my feet are not far enough apart when I am prone. Maybe buy a tag and hunt something with antlers other than a white tail deer. I don’t need 4 Seasons 4 star accommodations but I ain’t sleeping in bunk beds with a bunch of snoring drunks either (for the record I have done both). Any reccos?
Go out to the Great Basin, (Nevada, Utah, southwest WY, southern/southeastern ID, southern OR, northeast CA), set up on some BLM ground overlooking a playa, and you’re done.
Just don’t drive out onto a playa in the spring, or after a 1/4″ or more of rain.
This ain’t rocket science.
When earplugs aren’t enough we offer alternate non 4 star lodging for those looking for a more rustic, private stay.
We’ve hosted a few groups of guys that just want a place to shoot for the week. No instructors, no schedule, just shooting.
Well, when NO ONE mentions costs, has to be an arm and a leg… but nice… HOW MUCH!
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