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The Texas Firearms Festival is a hit! Last year, over 90 percent of our ticket buyers said they’d be back at Best of the West Shooting Sports for year two. To keep ’em coming to America’s premier “come and shoot it” event – held this year on November 14 and 15 – we’ve added awesome gun makers [click here for the most recent list], moved the Sportsman’s Finest Gun Store tent and the Retail Village to the center of the range (not downrange), created an Action Target/TSRA Competition Zone and improved VIP tickets (now with FastPass line-jumping privileges). Amongst other things. All based on talking to ticket holders on the day and the exit survey. One thing we heard loud and clear . . .
The Festival wasn’t priced for family friendliness.
More than a few ticket buyers told us they had to pay for themselves, their significant other (who wasn’t as enthusiastic a shooter), a younger child or two (sometimes non-shooting) and/or a baby-sitter (definitely non-shooting, unless someone tried to mess with their kids). So we created a less expensive Non-Shooter Pass, priced at $25. That’s $40 less than the $65 Shooter Pass. [NB: Prices will rise as we get closer to the event. But parking is still free.]
There will be plenty for Non-Shooters to see and do at the 2015 Texas Firearms Festival – other than video their significant other grinning like a Cheshire cat. To make sure Non-Shooters get their money’s worth we’ve increased the size of the Retail Village dramatically. At last count, we have over 50 retail tents selling everything from guns to T-shirts to knives to holsters. Master Engraver Otto Carter will be there, showing off his craft. Food trucks? Of course!
Another way we’re helping keep the cost of the Festival down for families (if we’re not including tempting ticket holders with a bunch of way cool tactical and practical stuff in the Retail Village): free admission for children 11 and under – provided they don’t shoot. If parents buy a Shooter Pass for a child 11 or under, the child or children may shoot at the bays – at the discretion of the Range Safety Officer and the exhibitors. My inner ten-year-old is already whining at Mommy and Daddy, if you know what I mean.
We reckon making the Texas Firearms Festival a family-friendly event will set the antis hair on fire and ensure the Festival’s success for many years to come. If there’s anything else we can do to make it so, let us know below. Meanwhile, click here to buy your tickets (if you haven’t already). Remember: Shooter Passes are strictly limited to limit line length. Once they’re gone. that’s it ’til next year.
Anybody here go to this last year? I’m wondering if the shooter pass is worth the price. Thoughts?
Let’s put it this way . . . based on the retail costs of ammo, last year I probably shot at least 3x the admission price. Plus getting to try things you don’t usually encounter, like the Tracking Point AR (which, sadly, won’t be here this year), Barrett .338 Lapua at 1000 yards (OK, it was all dialed in, but still a gas), MP5 with a giggle switch, SlideFire AR’s and AK’s (and they gave you full mags to dump!), plus all manner of suppressed weapondry (pistols, rifles, *and* shotguns). Plus getting to try out dozens of weapons and triggers to see what you really like (in my case, the Walther PPQ showed its worth, and I was able to take one home at a special show price of only $500).
Highly recommended!
There is a slight problem with the scheduling of the Texas Firearms Festival. Okay, make that a huge problem with the scheduling. It is right in the middle of the deer hunting seasons of many states north of Texas. If I have to choose between the Texas Firearms festival and deer hunting, I am going with deer hunting every time.
Of course it is too late to reschedule the 2015 event. Maybe they can reschedule the 2016 event to avoid conflicts with the several million people who hunt every Fall.
…who all, by amazing coincidence are gun owners who might be interested in going to a firearms festival.
Go figure, eh?
This is one weekend. How long is deer season?
The most critical day of deer season is the first day and to a lesser extent the second day. After that the deer are so skittish that it requires exponentially more effort to bag one. At least that is the case in areas with a lot of hunting pressure.
So, I would not want to miss the first two days because those are the most likely days for success. Then I wouldn’t want to miss the remaining days if I didn’t get anything the first two days because a lot more TIME is usually necessary to bag something.
Furthermore, the firearm seasons can be quite short. Some states only have one week. Others have two weeks. It varies a lot. If you only have one week, better make the most of it.
Well, life is full of hard choices. Good luck with yours.
I’d love to go, but I can’t plan that far in advance. Tickets might be sold out before I find out if I’m free. I might still be able to get a ticket though , I know a guy.
“How long is deer season”
Not long enough 😀
^ this guy gets it!
For my family this isn’t a difficult choice, opening day of rifle season is almost as important for our family as all the holidays that follow. Thats why every time you see a post some of us Northern deer hunters are like” pass”. I really want to come to one of these but being as how we eat a lot of venison in my home, I am going nowhere but the woods and work in that 3 weeks (oct 31- Thanksgiving).
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