Prickly Pear Sportsmen's Association

10/27/2026

PPSA BEAR AWARE NOTICE: GRIZZLY BEAR SIGHTINGS

Prickly Pear Sportsmen's Association would like to remind all members to remain bear aware when visiting our shooting range on McDonald Pass.

We have had two reported/confirmed grizzly bear sightings within the past month. While wildlife is a natural part of our Montana surroundings, these sightings are an important reminder to stay alert and take appropriate precautions.

A few safety reminders for members:

Carry bear spray and keep it readily accessible. Know how to use it before you need it.

Stay aware of your surroundings, especially when walking between shooting areas, accessing targets, or moving near wooded areas.

Never approach a bear. Give wildlife plenty of space and leave the area calmly when safe to do so.

Keep the range clean. Pack out all food, trash, and other items that could attract wildlife.

Alert other shooters/Range Safety Officers if you observe bear activity near the range. Stop shooting safely and follow established cease-fire procedures.

Remember, shooting activity does not guarantee that wildlife will stay away. Remain alert even during an otherwise routine visit.

Our priority is the safety of our members and the responsible stewardship of the beautiful Montana landscape surrounding our facilities.

Please report sightings or concerning bear activity to PPSA so we can help keep our membership informed.

Stay safe. Stay alert. Be bear aware.

Prickly Pear Sportsmen's Association

https://ppsamt.com/

10/14/2026

🍂 PPSA Fall 2026 Membership Update!

Our Fall 2026 Letter to the Membership from the PPSA Board of Directors is now available on our website!

With Montana's big game hunting season approaching, we encourage all members to take a few minutes to read this important update.

Highlights include:
✅ Important range safety reminders and hunting season preparations
✅ PPSA membership growth and range improvements
✅ Highlights from the successful Capital Sports Range Day
✅ Important updates regarding suppressor regulations
✅ Our updated 2027 education and scholarship opportunities

Thank you to our members, volunteers, and supporters for another great year!

Wishing everyone a safe and successful 2026 hunting season!

Read the full Fall Membership Letter here:
https://ppsamt.com/ppsa-fall-2026-update-range-safety-hunting-season-community-news/

As Montana's 2026 hunting season approaches, PPSA shares important range safety reminders, membership updates, highlights from Capital Sports Range Day, and information about its 2027 education and scholarship opportunities.

10/13/2026

2027 PPSA Scholarship Applications Now Available!

The Prickly Pear Sportsmen's Association (PPSA) is pleased to announce that applications are now available for our 2027 scholarships!

PPSA will award **two $500 scholarships** to qualifying high school seniors graduating in spring 2027.

Application Deadline: Tuesday, June 1, 2027. Completed applications must be postmarked by this date.

Applicants should carefully review the scholarship packet for eligibility requirements, required essays, transcripts, recommendation letters, and mailing instructions.

Do you know a high school senior that may qualify? Send them or their family this opportunity!

Download the application and view additional information on our Education page:

https://ppsamt.com/education/

Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with graduating seniors, families, teachers, and school counselors!

Explore PPSA education opportunities—scholarships and fi****ms training. Download the scholarship application and get concealed carry class info.

08/06/2026

Get ready for hunting season!

Join PPSA and Capital Sports this Saturday for an exciting morning at the range. COMPLETELY FREE

📅 Saturday, August 8
⏰ 8:00–11:00 AM
📍 PPSA Range in Helena

Check out a great selection of hunting ri**es, premium optics, suppressors, and am******on from top brands, including R***r, Bergara, Weatherby, Leupold, Vortex, Nightforce, SilencerCo, HUXWRX, and more.

Don’t miss the Nosler ballistic gel demonstration for an up-close look at am******on performance.

Whether you’re preparing for hunting season, considering new equipment, or simply want to learn from knowledgeable people in the field, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

Bring a friend and spend a great morning with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. We’ll see you at the range!

Event details:
https://ppsamt.com/event/ppsa-and-capital-sports-range-day/

Big thank you to Capital Sports for doing this with us. We encourage all of our members to shop local with them!

08/05/2026

Two Great PPSA Events in the Books!

We recently wrapped up both the 2026 Vintage Military Fun Match and the 2026 Ladies Shoot, and a great time was had by all!

The Vintage Military Fun Match brought together 11 shooters using an impressive variety of historic military ri**es, including M1 Garands, Swiss K31s, Swedish Mausers, a Springfield 1903A3, a British Enfield, and a Mosin-Nagant. Congratulations to this year’s winners:

🥇 1st Place: John Vore — Schmidt-Rubin K31 — 344/400
🥈 2nd Place: Gary Burton — Schmidt-Rubin K31 — 265/400
🥉 3rd Place: Jason Swant — Springfield 1903A3 — 245/400

Congratulations also to Chad Adams and Mike Burke, who each won a $50 gift certificate in the participant drawing!

The 2026 Ladies Shoot was another wonderful morning at the range, with 12 ladies joining us for relaxed shooting at paper and steel targets. Thank you to Colleen Phillips, Keeley Radakovich, Jennifer LaPointe, Annette Rinehart, Janean McGuire, Becky Atkinson, Leslie Bass, Alison Clennon, Cortney Bahny, Kenslee Bahny, Divina Sundberg, and Cynthia Moore for participating!

A special thank-you goes to 406 Range for generously donating nine passes for free one-hour range sessions, as well as to the many individual volunteers and contributors who helped make the Ladies Shoot possible.

Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, donated, or helped organize these events. We appreciate the great sportsmanship, fellowship, and enthusiasm shown by our PPSA community—and we look forward to seeing everyone at the next shoot!

Keep shooting, stay safe, and make ’em count!

07/07/2026

Range Impact Update: Lead Mitigation Work
PPSA now has confirmation that lead mitigation work will continue through July 22, 2026. Potentially longer.
The contractor will be working from range to range, so certain ranges will be closed as needed throughout the day. Please expect range closures at different times during the day if you plan to visit.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as this important work is completed. Please keep up to date by following our event page here:

PPSA will begin lead mitigation work on the long range beginning Monday, June 22. This work is expected to continue for roughly two weeks. All ranges may be impacted on different days during this project. At this time, we do not have an exact schedule for each individual range closure. Members shoul...

07/05/2026

PPSA and Capital Sports Range Day is coming up!

Join us Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 8:00 to 11:00 AM for a morning focused on hunting ri**es, optics, suppressors, and am******on performance.

This year’s event will feature:

Suppressors from SilencerCo, BANISH, HUXWRX, Faxon, and more
Ri**es from R***r, Bergara, Christensen, Weatherby, and more
Optics from Leupold, GPO, Vortex, Nightforce, and more
A ballistic gel demonstration from Nosler

This is a great opportunity to learn more about suppressor use in the field, see am******on performance up close, and check out quality optics and fi****ms before the 2026 hunting season.

We hope you’ll join us!

Saturday, August 8, 2026
8:00 to 11:00 AM

Keep tabs on it here:

Join PPSA and Capital Sports for Range Day on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 8:00 to 11:00 AM. See hunting ri**es, optics, suppressors, and a Nosler ballistic gel demonstration before hunting season.

06/09/2026

PPSA Member Update from Board Chair Cory Olson

As we move into summer, we want to thank our members for helping make PPSA stronger than ever.

During the first half of 2026, we have completed several improvements at the range. The downrange light system is working smoothly, the cameras are up and running, new range markers are in place on the pistol range, new benches have been installed, and PPSA is on track to exceed 2,000 members for the first time.

We are also in the middle of our 2026 Postal Shoot competition, and Saturday, June 13, is our 3rd Annual Ladies Rimfire Shoot. Ladies, there is still time to sign up.

You may have also noticed that our website has been completely rebuilt. One of our board members has upgraded and improved the site, modernized the PPSA logo, and helped give the membership better and faster communication.

A few reminders for members:

Please remember that the main gate is not automatic. It needs to be secured open when entering or exiting, and physically shut once your vehicle is through.

Please review the updated rules regarding forced reset triggers, binary triggers, and bump stocks. Only handguns are allowed on the handgun range, and only rimfire fi****ms are allowed on the rimfire range.

Guest passes are required for guests. Each member may bring up to two guests per visit, and members are responsible for their guests’ behavior.

Beginning Monday, June 22, PPSA will begin extensive lead mitigation work on the long range. This work is expected to continue for roughly two weeks, and all ranges may be impacted on different days. Some ranges may be closed for a few hours, a full day, or possibly longer while this work is completed. Please plan ahead to potentially use a different range if you intend to go to the range during this time period, as your ideal one may be closed for the day while we fix mitigate the current problem.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue investing in the range, respecting the environment, and caring for the land we are fortunate to use.

Have a great summer, and we’ll see you at the range.

Cory Olson
PPSA Board Chairman

06/08/2026

Range Impact Update: Lead Mitigation Work

PPSA now has confirmation that lead mitigation work will begin early in the day on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

The contractor will be working from range to range, so certain ranges will be closed as needed throughout the day. Please expect range closures at different times during the day if you plan to visit.

There is a chance the work could continue into the next couple of days, although we hope it will be completed on June 10. No impact is expected before June 10.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as this important work is completed.

05/29/2026

PPSA RANGE NOTICE: June 8–12

PPSA members,

Lead mitigation work is expected to take place at the range sometime during the week of June 8 through June 12, 2026.

This does not mean the entire range will be closed all week. At this time, we expect only certain ranges may be impacted on some day or days during that window. No full range closure is currently expected.

We know this is short notice. The vendor and Forest Service coordination have only provided us with the general weeklong window so far. We will share more specific details as soon as we know the exact day, time, and affected ranges.

Please check the website and Facebook before heading to the range that week.

Thank you for your patience.

PPSA Board of Directors