ARIZONA - Target practicing in the desert

[bcevans]

I read that it is ok to go out to the desert and target practice if the land is run by BLM. If the land is part of the arizona department of fish and game, then it is not ok to target practice.

1) Is this true?
2) Does anyone know where to get a map that show which land is BLM land?

Thank you.

 

[armoredman]

BLM land is OK last time I checked, but I quit going to wildcat ranges some time ago. Law says 1 mile from an occupied structure, (used to be 1/4 mile but was changed), it's OK to shoot.

 

[avs11054]

Dunno...I went quail hunting in the Tonto National Forrest one time and saw obvious signs of target practice (multiple shotgun hulls in one spot along with shattered clays not too far away). I mentioned something to a friend when I got back, and he said they aren't supposed to do that there. I didn't know that. I have numerous friends who say they go out into "the desert" to shoot. I'm not sure what they mean by that.

 

[sonick808]

be mindful, there are gangs coordinating thefts and stick-ups of people shooting in the desert. I used to shoot in the desert out by Florence but it's been a couple years so I've forgotten the exact route. I stick with the range now; Rio Salado usually. Sure it's not as convenient, , but at least I don't need to bring 3 friends, with 1 always rotating as armed guard. 2-3 times I was out there, there were some sketchy gang bangers types coming out and just magazine dumping and smoking weed. No thanks. If they don't ruin it, the environmentally irresponsible types do; shooting pc's and tv's and leaving them, that really pisses me off.

 

[danez71]

I read that it is ok to go out to the desert and target practice if the land is run by BLM. If the land is part of the arizona department of fish and game, then it is not ok to target practice.

1) Is this true?
2) Does anyone know where to get a map that show which land is BLM land?

What you wrote is true. Contact your local BLM office for maps.... for a small fee.

 

[Blackrock]

The DeLorme Arizona atlas shows State, BLM and National Forest lands.
Here in Fort Thomas we have an informal place where we locals go to shoot. Good or bad it is still only two miles from my house and very seldom do I see anyone else there. If I do they are usually other shooter friends.
I do feel uneasy going down range to check targets leaving my rifles on the bench so I am always carrying when I do so.

 

[Mainsail]

Ahhhh, the Arizona desert. Back in the early 90s I flew a mission out of Charleston to Yuma to practice some high altitude CDS drops. Some big-wig wanted to know if the C-141 could drop MREs from 17,000 feet (so as to stay out of range of the Serbs’ AKs) like the C-130s, so we flew down with some practice bundles and a couple life support techs (high altitude, remember?). I knew AZ had some good gun laws so I threw my Ruger Super Single Six .22 revolver in my ‘checked’ bag. We had some discussion of the legality of it all, one loadmaster saying it was illegal because as a crew member I don’t have to process through the PAX terminal, myself and the other Flight Engineer believing it to be legal because it wasn’t in any of my bags that I kept with me in the flight station (used to be the cockpit but times they were a-changin’). I think the pilots were trying not to have an opinion. Anyway, we took the .22 and threw it up on the dashboard of the rental car and drove out into the desert somewhere to shoot cans. We had a great afternoon and no drama whatsoever, well, until we inadvertently strayed into California- but a quick u-turn took care of that. Those were different times…

 

[avs11054]

Ahhhh, the Arizona desert. Back in the early 90s I flew a mission out of Charleston to Yuma to practice some high altitude CDS drops. Some big-wig wanted to know if the C-141 could drop MREs from 17,000 feet (so as to stay out of range of the Serbs’ AKs) like the C-130s, so we flew down with some practice bundles and a couple life support techs (high altitude, remember?). I knew AZ had some good gun laws so I threw my Ruger Super Single Six .22 revolver in my ‘checked’ bag. We had some discussion of the legality of it all, one loadmaster saying it was illegal because as a crew member I don’t have to process through the PAX terminal, myself and the other Flight Engineer believing it to be legal because it wasn’t in any of my bags that I kept with me in the flight station (used to be the cockpit but times they were a-changin’). I think the pilots were trying not to have an opinion. Anyway, we took the .22 and threw it up on the dashboard of the rental car and drove out into the desert somewhere to shoot cans. We had a great afternoon and no drama whatsoever, well, until we inadvertently strayed into California- but a quick u-turn took care of that. Those were different times…

While reading your post, I forgot all about shooting in the desert...I was wondering if MRE's could be dropped from 17000 feet!