Carolina on my mind

[xtarheel]

34 years ago I was transferred to the Chicago area. When I retire next year I want to get out of this God forsaken, anti gun, state as soon as possible. I plan to move back to North Carolina. Next month we are spending a week down there looking at three areas, Raleigh/Durham/Cary, Southport, and Morehead City. Which would be the best area for rifle shooting opportunities?

 

[Storz]

Drake Landing is just outside the triangle (near my town, Fuquay Varina) and has a great rifle range, pistol pits and a beautiful sporting clay course.

Come on back, NC is wonderful. Look me up when you're down here. There is a great USPSA match on Dec 1st if you're into that sorta of thing.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Sergei Mosin]

It's been ten years since I left home myself, so I can't speak to the shooting scene, but the Beaufort/Morehead City and Southport/Wilmington areas were my favorite places in the state.

While you were away, Cary came to stand for Containment Area for Relocated Yankees. The Triangle is no longer what it was when you left.

I guess it depends on what part of the state you're from and what else you're looking for.

 

[Inebriated]

Storz... I've heard some nasty things about Drake's Landing.



xtarheel... stay away from Durham and Cary if you care about being in a pro-gun area. Also, look at the Carolina Shooting Club forums to speak to some folks all over the state!

 

[xtarheel]

Thanks for the info. I grew up in Wilmington. Since they put in I-40 that town has vastly outgrown the road network. I beleive traffic is every bit as bad as Chicago. That's why it's off my list.

 

[Detritus]

The Triangle is no longer what it was when you left

It's changed massively since I left and that's only been 13 years now.

Grew up in Durham, then in '99 moved with my folks back to where "the rest of the family" was. Life came along and Now i'm in texas and my parents have moved back to NC. they chose to move to the north edge of the Wake Forrest area (the house is in Granville Co.).

If you're looking at moving to the triangle, look at places kind of on the periphery, avoid Cary for sure. I'd almost suggest adding Hillsborough to your list, just to get away from the whole "welcome to NC, Meet your new neighbors, All true Damned Yankees" problem that i've been hearing friends who moved back after college/first major job complain about.

and yes there is a difference between a yankee and a damned Yankee. the 2nd comes down and then bitches about how things were better up north, or worse yet tries to force things to change to how they were up north.

 

[benEzra]

Which would be the best area for rifle shooting opportunities?

I can't speak for the others, but the closest range to Morehead that I'm aware of is in Havelock, 20 or 30 minutes away. That'd be B&R Range.

http://www.ncsection.org/BRGuns/B&RGuns.htm
www.facebook.com/pages/BR-Guns-And-Range/128197863901209

They have a 200-yard rifle range, pistol range, and shotgun range. Fairly basic but decent. There may be one other that's closer to Morehead, I don't remember. I agree with you re: Wilmington traffic, that is a frustrating city to get around.

If you're into hunting there is a lot of opportunity for that within a half hour of Morehead, as I understand it, since you are pretty close there to the Croatan National Forest.

From reading on THR, it appears there are more shooting ranges in the central part of the state. Morehead/Beaufort are great if you are into boating, though.

 

[bikerdoc]

Check out the more rural counties like Gates, Currittuck and Bertie.

 

[clamman]

A new range has opened up between Beaufort and Havelock off highway 101, which is very close to Morehead. www.sureshotgunsports is a really nice place. 25 yard out to 500, clubhouse and a skeet range. The owners are VERY freindly.

 

[v8stang289]

Of those three I would go With Morehead city (or surrounding areas). I lived in Raleigh for a while during college and while there are a few good gunshops (at least one with an indoor range and machine gun rentals) The rest of the triangle is kind of anti-gun as has been outlined above.
My in-laws live in Morehead and Havelock, so I've spent a bit of time in those areas. As benEzra stated, Havelock has a decent range and isn't too far from Morehead. Also, the proximity to the ocean, sounds, and Croatan natl forest make for plenty of fishing, hunting, or other outdoor activities if you are into that.
I have no experience with Southport, so I can't comment on that area.

Good luck and welcome back to NC!

 

[benEzra]

clamman, thanks, I'll head up there and check that out!

 

[Detritus]

(at least one with an indoor range and machine gun rentals)

Last i heard Davi's had closed their range permanently, few years back some joker used a rental gun to commit suicide on the range and they lost their insurance coverage. last time i was in there i overheard one of the sales guys telling a customer that they were looking into cleaning up and remodeling the range area to a different purpose.
Don't really know if anything went forward on taht front or if they ever got their coverage back, but i doubt it.

 

[Carter]

I just moved to Beaufort County for work in Martin county. There is a lot of country in Martin. So if you wanted to move in that area you'd probably be able to shoot on your own land.

Morehead City is an amazing area as far as the beach, but IDK about ranges.

I can't imagine the triangle being gun friendly at all.

 

[MrBorland]

Don't really know if anything went forward on taht front or if they ever got their coverage back, but i doubt it.

I don't think so. I recall they eventually went out of business altogether.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Davi's closed? Wow. I remember going in there when I turned 18 and thinking I could buy that M9 I'd been wanting...I didn't realize you had to be 21, have a pistol permit, etc. I just figured being 18 meant you could do everything except drink. They were nice about it though, told me to come back in three years. Took a little longer than that but I did finally get my M9.

Just hope you're not too disappointed with the changes. Tom Wolfe was right, you can't go home again.

 

[Detritus]

I don't think so. I recall they eventually went out of business altogether

Doesn't surprise me, the range was the only thing that kept them in business after they moved to their 2nd and eventually 3rd (the big one) locations. the prices were laughably high, and a large portion of the staff had an attitude.

Back when they were in their first location (pre- 1st range) they were OK on price and the staff was friendly (of course i think there were only three people working there back then).
when they moved 1/4 mile down the road to where they set up their first indoor range, the prices went up and the new staff they hired were Young, dismissive, cocky, and seemed to get their gun info from the pages of Soldier of Fortune, and similar publications.
I moved out of state before they moved the final time to that building off Capitol Blvd, and only went in there twice during visits with my parents after they moved back to NC. But the same puffed up attitude and sky high pricing were still evident.

 

[v8stang289]

Detritus, the one I was thinking of is Personal Defense & Handgun Safety Center on Tryon rd in Raleigh. Looks like they have an "interactive combat range" now as well. I went several times to drool over their class 3 stuff. but never used their range. Being a broke college kid it was much cheaper to shoot on my buddies private land on the weekends.

But you are right about Davi's prices being laughable. I remember trying to find a pt1911 when they first came out and they were $100 higher than everyone else.

 

[GoWolfpack]

NC taxes your retirement. Just a thought.


Morehead City is a beautiful area. It's close to the beach, so summers will undoubtedly bring tourons, but it's still a fantastic area.

There are spots in the Triangle area that are nice. My parents live in Rolesville; outside of the huge new neighborhood developments it's nice. Wake County has high property taxes though.

If you want to be close to shopping/big stores/stuff like that, your choices are really Raleigh, Greensboro or Charlotte. If you're used to being close to sports, concerts, big malls, that kind of thing, those are your choices.

If your priority is shooting, head outside the metropolitan areas and buy enough land to build your own range. There are plenty of out of the way spots where you can buy 20 acres for the same price as 1/4 acre near the city. The price you pay will be distance from the kind of city amenities you're probably used to from Chicago.

 

[stickhauler]

All in all, I like your state, but I gotta wonder about your immigration policy. You folks let my ex-wife in there back in the mid 1980's. Clearly ya all aren't real picky about the Yankees you let in!

 

[paintballdude902]

the triangle isnt too bad.... but far from OC friendly.

i grew up in new bern and lived there for 12 years till i enlisted. its not too bad, the bummer of morehead is that its pretty darn boring from nov till april.

id try to find some place near but not in the triangle, it gets u away from the city but not a terrible drive to a decent city to go shopping

 

[Bentonville]

Down 24 towards Jacksonville, between Swansboro and Hubert is a great range called Flatwoods. Probably 30 minutes from Morehead iirc. Welcome home.

 

[Franco2shoot]

Why would you not slip on over the boarder to S.C. where the gun laws are more favorable and the taxes non-existant for those over 65?

KKKKFL

 

[xtarheel]

Thanks for all the info guys. While NC does tax retirement, every thing else seems to be less. I currently pay about $10,000 a year in property taxes here in Illinois from what I see on the internet, the same house in the triangle is about $2,500. A big difference.

Also this is the most gun unfriendly state in the union. The only state with no conceiled weapon permits. It is even against the law to have a bow that is not in a case.

 

[clamman]

Benezra, next time your in Beaufort, if you see a purple S-10 or a black Yamaha Roadstar parked in front of Country-Aire Rental, I'm there. Feel free to stop by.

 

[Detritus]

Detritus, the one I was thinking of is Personal Defense & Handgun Safety Center on Tryon rd in Raleigh

Ah been there, once. It was several years ago, and I imagine that they've likely expanded some since then. or at least I HOPE they've built/added on to take in a larger footprint since the time i was there (around '06). I hear great things about the place.