Las Vegas: Outdoor Sniper Shooting with Hotel Pickup

4.94

(51 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Someone hands me ear protection and a cold bottle of water before I’ve even caught my breath from the drive out of Las Vegas — it’s only about 45 minutes but feels like another planet once you’re standing in the desert air. The guy next to me, Mike (our instructor), checks if I’m nervous. I say “a little,” and he grins, says most people are until they hear that first “ping” off the steel targets. He’s got this way of making you feel like you’re just hanging out, not about to fire a Barrett .50 cal for the first time in your life.

The firing line is climate controlled, which honestly surprised me — I’d pictured sweating under the sun, but instead there’s this cool hush inside, broken only by the sound of rounds loading and someone cracking a joke about missing on purpose. Mike walks us through each rifle: the .338 Lapua looks almost too serious to touch, but he explains everything without making it weird or intimidating. When it’s finally my turn, the trigger feels heavier than I expected. The recoil is sharp but not scary — more like a jolt that wakes you up. And when that target explodes at 200 yards? It’s loud enough to make everyone laugh and flinch at once.

I didn’t expect to enjoy just watching as much as shooting — there’s something about seeing other people try, cheering them on (or teasing when they miss). Between turns we swap stories over free coffee and hot chocolate in the lounge; someone from Texas tells me he’s shot bigger guns back home but never with views like these mountains behind us. There are snacks for sale if you get hungry, and real restrooms (not those plastic ones). It’s weirdly comfortable for being so far out in the desert.

On the ride back to the Strip I kept thinking about that first shot — how quiet it was right before, then how everything snapped into focus for a second after. If you want an outdoor shooting experience near Las Vegas that actually feels personal (and not rushed or touristy), this one sticks with you longer than you’d think.