Shooting ranges in Delaware: where you can actually shoot

Delaware has exactly two shooting ranges open to the general public, one at each end of the state, and both are run by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. There is no county range system and no membership required at either. Everything else in Delaware is a private club or a commercial indoor range. This page covers the two public ones in detail, then the training you need for a permit or a licence.

Ommelanden, the public range near Wilmington

Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center is on River Road in New Castle, about fifteen minutes south of downtown Wilmington. It is the closest public range in the state to the city and the one that matters most to New Castle County shooters.

What it has. A 25-yard pistol line and a 50-yard rifle line, plus trap, skeet, 5-stand, an archery range and a patterning board.

What it costs. Everything is priced per session rather than per year. The rifle and pistol line runs about six dollars a person for a 45-minute relay. Trap and skeet are about five dollars for 25 targets, 5-stand about eight, archery about three for a half day, and the patterning board is free for a handful of shells.

When it opens. Weekends from 9am to 4pm, and Wednesday and Friday from noon to 6pm, with ticket sales closing an hour before the range does. Call 302-601-6267 first, because weather and event bookings close lines without notice.

Two rules that catch first-timers. Everyone aged 10 and over completes a short safety programme, a video and a quiz, before shooting; it runs daily in the early afternoon. And anyone 17 or younger shoots only with an adult alongside. Fees and hours are reviewed periodically, so confirm them with DNREC before you drive down.

Owens Station, the public range in Sussex County

Owens Station Shooting Sports and Hunter Education Center sits just outside Greenwood in western Sussex County. It is built around clay targets rather than pistol work: sporting clays, trap, skeet and hunter education classes. For a Seaford, Georgetown or Milford shooter it is the nearest public ground. From the north of the state it is about an hour and a quarter. Call 302-349-4334 for the current schedule.

Are there other ranges in Delaware?

Yes, but they are private. Club ranges and commercial indoor ranges are spread across the state, concentrated in northern New Castle County where the population is. Clubs generally want a sponsor, an application and annual dues. Commercial ranges rent lanes by the hour.

We do not list individual private businesses here, because their hours, membership terms and fees change constantly and a stale list is worse than none. Ask at whichever dealer receives your transfer. Counter staff in Newark or Wilmington know which local lane is running and which has a waiting list.

Can you shoot on public land in Delaware?

Do not treat a state park, state forest or wildlife area as an informal range. Hunting happens where it is posted and in season, but target shooting outside a designated range is a different matter, and specific tracts carry specific restrictions. These rules have been rewritten more than once in recent years, so read the current DNREC firearms regulations and the state parks policies before you assume anything about a particular piece of ground.

What training do you need for a Delaware permit?

Both of Delaware's main firearm applications require a certified course with live fire.

The concealed carry licence requires a course covering safe handling and storage, shooting fundamentals and Delaware law on the use of deadly force, with at least 100 rounds of live fire. The handgun purchase permit requires a comparable certified course with the same 100-round live-fire element, and that path is set out on the Delaware gun buying guide.

If you are pursuing both, ask your instructor whether one course can be documented for both purposes, and confirm it with the State Bureau of Identification rather than assuming. Instructors run these courses at private ranges and clubs, often at a rented bay rather than at Ommelanden. Book early, because course dates fill quickly and the 45-day fingerprint window means the application can only be assembled in one order.

Making range time count

Range access in Delaware is rationed by geography, so a session is worth planning. A 25-yard pistol line and a 45-minute relay reward deliberate work rather than volume.

Shoot at distance instead of at arm's length. Draw from concealment if the range allows it. Pattern the defensive load you actually carry rather than only the cheapest case ammunition. If you run a red dot, spend one full session confirming zero and learning to find the dot out of the holster, because most of that work is in the presentation rather than the trigger.

For dry practice at home the rules do not change: no live ammunition in the room, a safe backstop direction, and a fixed end time. Our catalogue carries the optics, lights, holsters and snap caps that make both live and dry practice worth the drive to River Road.

Common questions

How many public shooting ranges does Delaware have? Two, both run by DNREC: Ommelanden in New Castle County and Owens Station in Sussex County.

Do you need a membership to shoot at Ommelanden? No. It is pay per session, open to the public.

Can you shoot a pistol at Ommelanden? Yes, on a 25-yard line. Owens Station is clays only.

Can children shoot there? Anyone 10 and over completes the safety orientation, and anyone 17 and under shoots with an adult present.

Where do I take the carry course? With a certified instructor, usually at a private club or commercial range rather than at the state facilities.

What should I bring? Eye and ear protection, your own targets where required, and the ammunition you plan to shoot. Check the catalogue before you go.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.