What Shaw Shooting does

Shaw Shooting is a privately held firearms training company headquartered on a 16-acre facility in Hagerman, Idaho, founded by Houston Shaw in 2012 as the commercial continuation of John Shaw's Mid-South Institute of Self-Defense Shooting (1981). The company delivers structured pistol, rifle, and combined-discipline courses built on the Shaw fundamentals methodology, taught on pneumatic resetting steel ranges, paper target ranges, and specialized tactical environments (CQB, vehicle cover, Traffic Jam/Rifle Mover with 200+ degrees of engagement). A proprietary four-tier standards system — nine drills per tier, requiring seven passes to advance — provides structured progression across accuracy, speed, and weapons manipulation.

The customer base is anchored by U.S. Military units (including USASOC, AFSOC, USMC 4th Recon, and Idaho National Guard) and federal/state/local law enforcement agencies (FBI instructor cohorts, ATF, Riverside County Sheriff's Office, Idaho State Police, Twin Falls PD). Following a 2024 strategic refocus, Shaw Shooting cancelled twelve years of Saturday public civilian enrollment to prioritize military and law enforcement bookings; private civilian instruction is now accepted by appointment only for groups of 1-15.

Revenue is generated through four streams: invoiced LEO POST and FBI Instructor certification courses ($322/day and $650 respectively), quote-based private instruction contracts, on-site lodging (The Lodge, The Hooch, The Rock House, The Clubhouse) bundled with multi-day stays, firearm and ammunition rentals, and an on-site/online Pro Shop selling branded apparel, hats, glassware, books, and accessories. The company markets exclusively through word-of-mouth referrals within the military and law enforcement community, maintains no social media advertising presence, and operates without external investors or disclosed financial reporting.

Name

Shaw Shooting

Legal name

Shaw Shooting

Website

https://shawshooting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shaw Shooting is a privately held firearms training facility in Hagerman, Idaho, offering structured pistol, rifle, and tactical courses for U.S. Military units and federal, state, and local law enforcement, supported by on-site lodging and a branded pro shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Firearms Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Firearms, Range Safety & Less-Lethal Weapons Training (EDAOAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Armed Security & Firearms Training & Qualification (BPAKAOAB), Defensive Tactics, Use-of-Force & De-escalation Training (EDAOAMAM), Law Enforcement / Military / Security Defensive Tactics Training (HSADADAI), Firearms & Ammunition Retail (CRAMAKAA)

Keywords

• Firearms training services
• Law enforcement training
• Tactical shooting instruction
• Firearms education
• Military marksmanship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Hagerman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Firearms Instruction Courses: Revenue from LEO POST courses, private firearms instruction, and military training programs. Pricing varies by course type, duration, and number of students. LEO POST courses invoiced at $322 per day; FBI Instructor courses at $650.
2. Pro Shop Merchandise: Sale of branded apparel, hats, souvenirs, glassware, books, decals, and shooting accessories. Items include hoodies ($60), t-shirts ($25-35), hats ($25-35), glasses ($15-50), and books ($20). Sold via on-site pro shop and online storefront.
3. Firearm and Equipment Rental: Pistol rental at $35/day, Rifle rental at $70/day. Ammunition available for purchase on-site.
4. On-Site Lodging: On-site lodging accommodations including The Lodge (28 people), The Hooch (8 people), The Rock House (4 people), and The Clubhouse. Meal services available by request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Shaw Shooting provides multi-day firearms training programs to U.S. military units and federal/state/local law enforcement agencies at its 16-acre Hagerman, Idaho facility, using pneumatic resetting steel ranges, paper target ranges, and specialized tactical ranges to teach speed, accuracy, and weapon manipulation. The curriculum is anchored in a tiered standards progression system derived from founder Houston Shaw's competitive shooting lineage and his father John Shaw's legacy. Supporting offerings include firearm and ammunition rentals, on-site lodging, and a branded Pro Shop of apparel, headwear, glassware, and books.

Product overview

Shaw Shooting is a premier firearms training facility offering a multi-tiered portfolio of services: (1) structured training programs including LEO POST Courses for law enforcement officers and Private Firearms Instruction for groups of 1-15 clients over 1-5 days covering Pistol, Rifle, or Pistol & Rifle Combination disciplines; (2) on-site lodging and recreational facilities including The Lodge (28-person capacity), The Hooch (8-person bunkhouse), The Rock House (4-person historic cottage), The Club House (gathering/recreation space), and a fully equipped gym; and (3) a Pro Shop retail operation selling branded apparel (hoodies, t-shirts, workout tanks), hats (snapbacks, flexfit caps, performance hats), glassware (beer mugs, cocktail glasses, wine glasses), books (Shoot To Win, You Can't Miss authored by John Shaw), patches, decals, and accessories. The training curriculum emphasizes shooting speed, accuracy, and weapons manipulation using the facility's paper and pneumatic resetting steel ranges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LEO POST Courses Multi-day firearms training courses for federal and state law enforcement officers combining pistol and rifle curricula on paper and steel ranges, invoiced to the agency ($322 per day per the July 2026 course listing).
• Private Firearms Instruction Private 1-5 day firearms training courses for groups of 1-15 clients covering Pistol, Rifle, or Pistol & Rifle Combination disciplines, booked by email with quote-based pricing.
• FBI Instructor Recertification Courses Two-day FBI Instructor Traditional Recertification and Carbine Recertification courses offered at the facility, invoiced at $650 per course with detailed round count allocations of pistol, 5.56 ball, and 5.56 frangible ammunition.
• Firearm and Ammunition Rentals Pistol rental at $35/day and Rifle rental at $70/day with on-site ammunition available for purchase to support training course attendees who do not bring their own weapons.
• The Lodge (On-Site Lodging) Primary 28-person on-site lodging facility with multiple outdoor propane fireplaces, bar, fully equipped kitchen, game room, outdoor hot tub, and vaulted armory for visiting students.
• The Hooch (On-Site Lodging) Three-bedroom, two-bathroom bunkhouse accommodating up to 8 people with screened-in front porch, covered back porch, propane fire pit, and locked bunker garage for equipment storage.
• The Rock House (On-Site Lodging) Historic two-bedroom, one-bathroom lodging facility accommodating 4 people with covered porch and propane fireplace, kitchenette, and laundry.
• The Club House Gathering location with fully equipped kitchen, bar, TV, casino/card games, memorabilia from previous attendees, and a Treager grill for group meals; hosts morning briefs for student groups.
• The Gym On-site gym with collegiate-level machines, 5 lifting areas, TRX machines, treadmills, rowers, assault bikes, jiu-jitsu/boxing mats, showers, changing room, and protein shake bar.
• Pro Shop — Apparel Branded clothing including hoodies ($60), t-shirts ($25-35), workout tanks ($35), and limited edition apparel available in various colors and sizes.
• Pro Shop — Hats Branded headwear including trucker snapbacks, flexfit caps, relaxed fit caps, performance hats, and limited edition leather patch hats ranging from $25 to $35.
• Pro Shop — Glassware & Accessories Branded merchandise including 24oz beer mugs ($30), 16oz beer glasses ($25), cocktail and wine glasses ($20), coffee mugs ($25), 2oz shot glasses ($15), 750mL decanters ($50), tumblers ($20), can coozies ($3), and Crown Royal bags ($5).
• Pro Shop — Books, Patches & Decals Books authored by John Shaw including 'Shoot To Win' and 'You Can't Miss' at $20 each, plus Shaw Shooting patches, decals, and stickers at $3 each.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dramatic shooting improvement reported within first 4 hours of instruction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Safariland Training Group: Larger training-services division of Safariland Group (Law Enforcement brand portfolio) offering standardized firearms and use-of-force training products and services to law enforcement agencies nationally. Comparable end-customers (LEO/military) but a broader-incumbent, manufacturer-anchored model rather than destination-school specialization.

Direct peers

• SIG Sauer Academy: Manufacturer-anchored firearms training school in Epping, New Hampshire, offering pistol, rifle, carbine, and force-on-force courses. Directly comparable in curriculum scope (LEO/Military/civilian), instructor caliber, and brand positioning in the elite-tier training segment.
• Vickers Tactical: Larry Vickers-led premium firearms training brand focused on pistol and carbine courses for military, law enforcement, and civilians. Directly comparable as a personality/pedigree-driven, instructor-led competitive training school in the elite tier Shaw Shooting occupies.
• Rangemaster (Tom Givens): Tom Givens's firearms training school in Memphis, Tennessee, offering defensive pistol, carbine, and instructor certification courses. Comparable in pedigree-based authority, civilian/LEO/military mix, and book-and-curriculum publishing — directly overlapping with Shaw's profile.
• Gunsite Academy: Premier long-running firearms training school in Paulden, Arizona, founded by Jeff Cooper. Directly comparable to Shaw Shooting as a destination facility offering multi-day pistol, rifle, and tactical courses to civilians, law enforcement, and military — with similar instructor-led methodology and range-based curriculum.
• Front Sight Firearms Training Institute: One of the largest residential firearms training schools in the U.S., based in Pahrump, Nevada. Shaw Shooting customer testimonials explicitly compare Shaw to Front Sight, calling Front Sight 'tells us how it's done' while Shaw 'showed us.' Both operate destination facilities with multi-day curricula for civilians, law enforcement, and military.
• Magpul Dynamics: Firearms training program affiliated with Magpul Industries, offering pistol, rifle, and precision rifle courses to civilians and military/LEO. Directly comparable in instructional scope and in blending tactical training with branded retail/content — adjacent to Shaw Shooting's Pro Shop model.
• Thunder Ranch: Clint Smith-founded destination firearms training school in Lake Havasu City, Arizona (previously in Oregon). Offers multi-day pistol, rifle, and tactical courses to law enforcement, military, and civilians — directly comparable to Shaw Shooting in operational doctrine, founder-pedigree model, and SOF clientele.
• Tactical Response: James Yeager-led firearms and tactical training company based in Tennessee, offering pistol, carbine, and CQB courses to civilians, military, and law enforcement. Directly comparable niche competitor with a strong personality-driven brand and online/digital presence where Shaw Shooting has none.

Emerging players

• Sage Dynamics: Aaron Cowdry-led firearms training and content brand offering pistol, carbine, and instructor development courses. Comparable niche competitor with stronger digital/social media presence and a similar curriculum-structure approach to Shaw Shooting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/shawshooting
• Facebookfacebook.com/shawshooting
• Instagraminstagram.com/shawshooting
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/shawshooting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaw-shooting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shaw Shooting