Appreciating your Shooting Range

[canyon-ghost]

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/2007071.jpg


Took a little drive today to the shooting range, just setting some sights on the Rugers with loads that are duplicated. I noticed not much had been done in the way of improvements recently. I happen to say so out loud to another shooter there. His reply was:

"I'm just grateful that it's here, just like it is!"

I guess he just taught me to appreciate what I have and to count my blessings when I should. Never mind the drought, the weeds, the burnt spots in the countryside, I still have a shooting range I should enjoy.

Just a thought to pass along.

Ron

[OeldeWolf]

I agree with the sentiment. Here in CA, you never know of there is a range where you end up, or how long it will be in business.

[colt 357]

I got a good shooting range at a county park and a good ranger that runs it with a lot of great folks that come and shoot. I couldn't ask for more.

[Harter66]

I sure know it both ways. Our range is honor clean up after yourself, there are a few slobs but for the most part it stays mostly clean. Im the guy that puts up the backer boards and posts. When I say those jack snipes that are there just to blow holes in stuff and shoot the posts deliberately ,really tick me off,its because it ruins it for me and others but because I have to fix it too.

There is the threat of closure if it gets trashed too.

There's a thread close here showing off where we shoot, there are some amazing ranges. Too many require memberships ,work days,and a fee to use it. Maybe Im lucky or spoiled. This is ours and public and free. Its usually about as crowded as the picture.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_123384e43f66114a4c.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1750)

[Ed in North Texas]

I belong to a club with pretty good range facilities. 25 yard pistol (and shorter) through 200 yard rifle, clays, skeet, trap and a hunting archery range. I pay dues and try to make it to any work days held. The club is 35 miles from my place, so I'm expanding my handgun range down back for boolit shooting.

[MtGun44]

We're planning on adding three new 50 yds ranges, extend a 75 yd range to 100 and add
a second 100 yd range. Big improvements coming our way.

Bill

[Hardcast416taylor]

When I was prez. of a club I belonged to I used to stop by on Mon. to clean up the rifle and pistol ranges from what the weekend slob shooters left behind. I`ve not been back to that club for 20 yrs. or so, I wonder if anybody cleans up that range now?Robert

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Wherever you live, be thankful you have a range to ejoy shooting. I have lost four ranges due to closure here in So. CA. The range that Buckshot have to use now is patronized for the most part by nothing but slobs. A large number of them show up with the black guns and blast away without any idea of marksmanship or what it means. Too much spray and pray traing learned from the movies and TV I guess. Earlier this year I went to the trouble of turning a fifteen inch steel disk into a target suspended by chains from steel cement form stakes. The next time we went to the range Buckshot and I took his truck up to the two hundred yard line to set it up. I painted it yellow with a black center bullseye. We had intended to shot it with lead bullets only. It was only a short time before some jerk let fly with some high velocity jacketed rounds. The jerk was a lousey shot because he only hit the disk on the edge. The jacketed rounds tore hunks of metal off the disk. I asked the range officer to use his bull horn and tell the jerks not to shoot other people's targets but he screwed that up and starting making jokes about it. We promply took the steel target down. One of the jerks shots hit the left steel support and bent it so badly I couldn't straighten it. I gave the target to Buckshot.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I am very thank full for for my range access , yes i pay dues , and belong to the rifle club

my dues are easily paid in the gas i save not driving to the free range on state land 45 minutes drive away

my range is a 20 minute drive , and open whenever i open the gate.

the sad part is from my understanding that the land is owned by the widow of the man who started the range , and i fear the day she dies, there are 5 or more groups/ clubs that use the range including the sheriffs department i would love to see the range put into land trust for the continued use by the clubs that currently maintain the range and the sheriffs department.

unfortunately it seems more rifle club members die or go inactive of old age these days than join, gone are the days of a 150 shooters on a Saturday for 22 silhouette matches

[Hip's Ax]

The 600 yard range I belong to was on private land owned by a gun friendly family. Since 1964 (if I recall) this has been the situation. Last year we talked the family into selling us the land, they did not really want to so we had to offer then a lot of money but we got the land, a mortgage and dues for the 1000 members went from $45 a year to $100 but it is the clubs land now. Well worth the investment I think.

[Freightman]

Our club use to be so far out of town the nearest house was miles away, now it is surrounded by houses and more coming. We are looking for a place out farther but with land prices it is difficult. One stray or careless shot will get us shut down, so we screen our members (new) very closely.

[canyon-ghost]

Gopher Slayer, I know what you mean. Since I show pictures of 1/4" and 3/8" steel silhouettes, you can guess how fast a high powered rifle can punch holes in them. We are using surviellence cameras to keep them off the pistol range. It does happen a bit too much.

[Buckshot]

...............Here's some photo's of our old range where me, Gopherslayer, Jon K, 9.3x62Al, and El Pistolero used to shoot. A developer with lots of money sued the range as he didn't want to have to build a soundwall around his developement. The whole thing became a snarly mess. After almost 2 years our appeal still hasn't come up, so it's still closed.

http://www.fototime.com/3A1B23457391FEC/standard.jpg

The range went to 200 meters.

http://www.fototime.com/6EEE9D50B5EFADA/standard.jpg

The pistol line

http://www.fototime.com/E3E7C396D4F6B40/standard.jpg

That pussel gutted rascal would be me :groner:

http://www.fototime.com/221812E1C65D5E2/standard.jpg

Gopherslayer hisself.

http://www.fototime.com/6B26600DAF5E4F4/standard.jpg

9.3x62Al & Gopherslayer

I shot at this range for over 20 years, and EVERY Tuesday for the last 15 years of that time. What a shame! Plus it was only 4.2 miles from my driveway!

..............Buckshot

[Harter66]

Buck Shot,

It seems shooting ranges have joined the ranks of brothels and dog kennels, most people think their a good idea but nobody wants 1 nextdoor,even if it was there for 20 yr before they moved in. I think if a developer were smart they'd build a shooters community nextdoor, you know like a golf community,seems to me problem solved. Well then you'd have folks on about blue vs SS, wood vs glass, no crime or drive by's I'd bet.

[1Shirt]

We have to enjoy, promote, and protect the ranges we have, because of lawyers, developers, tree huggers, PETA weiners, etc. Buckshot's thread shows the reality.
Need more young shooters, more female shooters, and more who support gun rights, shooting sports, hunting, and the constitution.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

support your 4H shooting sports, or other youth shooting sports programs ,in 4h we supply all the equipment all they need is to show up with their good behavior there is a 15-25 dollar registration fee to cover ammo and targets but it hardly covers that at times , we get a fair number of girls , still probably 1 girl to every 2 boys but that's not bad numbers considering. some of our top shooters are girls.

my oldest daughter and i went to the range yesterday , she likes to say she doesn't like to but , put a 22 in her hands and a brick of ammo on her bench , and it seems more like she doesn't like to admit that she likes it because then i would be right again. just that age i think

my son and younger daughter love to go to the range.

my wife , i don't know about her she never wants to shoot any more but will come with to the range some times , I may never understand how you can be at the range and not want to shoot.

[44MAG#1]

I appreciate the range I go to. It is nice, out of the way and well kept. Just a few people in the membership that think it should be their club and would like for it to be turned into a club just for their sport. We have them in all phases of shooting.
Also ones that like to make rules when they don't know what they are talking about and some want rules just to put the thumbscrews on certain kinds of shooting to keep them at bay.
Other than that it is a fine club, well kept, good access and mostly good people.

[canyon-ghost]

Well, our club is good also. There are a lot of things that go on around it but, for the most part, it's nice. I like the 100 meter pistol range, 25 yard concealment range adjoins it. There's a 300 meter rifle range next to it. I am out in the country, six miles from town.

I don't pay dues or do involuntary work days. I'm a life member that mows, paints, and watches over the place, I'm also not the only one that does.

Must admit though, I put in more work on it than most annual members and once in a while show up for those work days. For me, it's pure love of sport and the outdoors.

Ron

[Cherokee]

My club is good and we are making improvements as well. Nice facility and I'm thankful its here. Honor system cleanup, work days, annual fee, etc. but again, its here. Best club I've even been in was DR&P Club near Carrollton TX. They had great facilities.

[crabo]

My club is good and we are making improvements as well. Nice facility and I'm thankful its here. Honor system cleanup, work days, annual fee, etc. but again, its here. Best club I've even been in was DR&P Club near Carrollton TX. They had great facilities.

They have done a lot of nice improvements there lately. The new bathrooms are awesome. The biggest complaint I have is rimfire rifles only. The problem is with the city charter as far as centerfire rifles, but it is a good range.