Rifle Ranch: A Target-Rich Environment in South Dakota

By Roger Eckstine

What does it take to become an accurate long-range rifle shooter? In a word, practice—practice by shooting targets placed farther and farther downrange. You must be willing to challenge forces of nature such as gravity, wind and light along with the distractions of breath, heartbeat and state of mind. Unfortunately, not many shooting ranges offer the challenge of shooting beyond 100 yards. And even when it does, the targets are still set at a predetermined distance and the moment of opportunity is endless. The best practice that can be had under these conditions would be to arrive on a windy day and try to predict when and how to deliver a shot to point of aim.

Another solution is to go hunting. But, most types of game present few opportunities and are usually slow moving. That’s why I like prairie dog hunting. There are lots of prairie dogs to shoot at, they move quickly and unexpectedly and are small. If your first shot is at a near target they duck underground only to appear further away. Standing on their hind legs they’re about the size and shape of a fat Coke bottle. But, they don’t always stand up. And when they do, the different shades of fur can be deceiving against the surrounding foliage.

The prairie dog is a heck of a shooting-technique teacher when they’re in a classroom such as the wide, open spaces of a place like Rifle Ranch in White Owl, South Dakota. White Owl is situated in the northcentral area of the state about 3 hours from Rapid City, east of Deadwood and past the motorcycle haven of Sturgis.

The Rifle Ranch covers 17,000 acres in a part of the country where people are independent but always available to their neighbors, too. They still find dinosaur bones in the area and nobody is really sure just how many ICBM missile silos are beneath the ground. On the ranch there is a variety of fish and game plus a brand new 6-bedroom lodge. Your host, Brent Hoffman is an expert guide and shot caller.

Rifle Ranch offers a 1200-yard range that stretches from about 100 feet above the road and across a pasture ending at a grove of trees by a river bed. In addition there’s 1500-yard on another part of the property. Each range challenges the shooter with steel humanoid targets of different sizes placed every 100 yards downrange. But, there are no shooting benches save for the ones mounted in the back of Brent’s “Zebra” truck or, at the sight-in range. Prone is a favorite shooting position at Rifle Ranch and the ranges stretch over valleys and gorges that introduce updrafts, mirages and changes in light. If you fancy yourself a long-range shooter, this is heaven.

Rifle Ranch recently hosted a shoot for wounded soldiers allowing them to get back into the field for some fun. Brent and the good people from Black Hills Ammunition supplied the ammunition, food, lodging and the additional manpower to show them around. Last June my wife and I spent a week at the ranch shooting, fishing, and communing with the spirits. Oh, yes there are spirits. This is Indian country and there are many points of interest such as knobs and mesas where tribal elders sat in council beneath the sky. Several other elevations are permanently scarred by fires set to relay smoke signals. And then there are the slate walled shelters cut into the side of hills abandoned long ago by homesteaders desperate to own land no matter how hard the earth.

Just about any rifle will do for a trip to rifle ranch, but on each of our visits we chose to rent one of Brent’s in-house rifles. My favorites are the .223 SPRs built by Allan J. Brown of Indiana. Brown is the favorite builder for many soldiers and police snipers, and if you’ve not heard of him before maybe its because his clientele wants to make sure he doesn’t get so busy that they’ll have to wait for service. Spotting scopes, bags, prone mats, binoculars, range finders are all supplied but bring your favorite gear if you like. The three meals a day cooked at the lodge plus a stocked fridge will definitely take care of your dietary needs.

A typical day at Rifle Ranch goes like this. Up at sunrise (which may be about 4:30 a.m. since you’re pretty far North) a full breakfast is served. Then off in the truck with a pair of shooting tables mounted on the bed. The sight-in range will be the first stop on day one but thereafter you’ll travel over access roads both plain and sometimes scary to the training range or directly to a dog-town.

A dog town is a field that is overrun with sandy looking mounds connected by a network of underground tunnels. Atop these mounds is where the prairie dogs do what they like to do best, bathe in the sun. They usually duck into the nearest hole on each shot but often run to another mound offering a moving target and a real test of skill. Whereas prairie dogs carry disease such as plague, casualties are left to the animals that make up nature’s cleaning crew, which is pretty handy.

At Rifle Ranch you never have to reset a target or go down range. Target distance on a prairie dog hunt may be a few yards from the truck or as far as 400 yards away. Brent Hoffman provides expert ranging for scope adjustment and that’s an art in itself. You can shoot as long there’s daylight or as long as your ammunition supply holds out. Much to the delight of hunters that typically may not expend more than a 20 round box of ammunition over a weekend’s hunt 350 rounds a day on a prairie dog hunt is not unusual.

Back at the lodge there’s a mudroom with separate wash and dry facilities for outerwear. Downstairs are more bedrooms and additional laundry facilities. Dinnertime is served at a long wood table so you’ll have to give up your recliner to take part in the repast and general “debriefing.” Meanwhile the sights and sounds of wind and wild animals can be mesmerizing.

Plans for the next day’s shooting are often tailored to answer a specific question. Such as, how far is the longest shot I can make with my rifle. The luxury of having two long-distance target ranges means you can test hold-over and adjustments in repeatable circumstance on demand rather than waiting for the appearance of a live target. If, as they say, every shot is a lesson then doing so with expert guidance across landscapes that are visually overwhelming and steeped in lore makes every shot at Rifle Ranch a lesson you’ll never forget.

Brent Hoffman provides expert ranging for scope adjustment and that’s an art in itself. The Zebra truck is a convenient launching pad for making long shots.

Spotting scopes, bags, prone mats, binoculars, range finders are all supplied but bring your favorite gear if you like.

At Rifle Ranch, you never have to reset a target or go down range. Target distance on a prairie dog hunt may be a few yards from the truck or as far as 400 yards away.

This is Indian country and there are many points of interest such as knobs and mesas where tribal elders sat in council beneath the sky.