Central Texas THR members

[thefitzvh]

Well, my time in Iraq is finally coming close to the end. I have less than 2 months left, and a good section of that will be sitting around "waiting" to leave once our replacements take over the mission.

That said, I'm not returning to the People's Republik of California, I'll be moving to austin.

So, my post here is twofold: One, what are some good places to shoot, good CHL courses, gunnie hangouts, etc etc etc.

Two: Anyone here going to need IT people in that amount of time? I have been working in IT since about 1997, nearly completed my degree, and have demonstrated in the past 14 months an uncanny ability to deal with stress and problems (and moronic officers... but i digress). I can send a resume on request.

Oh yeah... also one more question. Anyone here into music / audio production recommend a good place for me to finish my demo? I've got some basic home studio knowledge but the band and I agree that after this long wait we want to get a pro-quality EP out as soon as possible. I googled some studios but couldn't really find any reviews of same.

I've been to packing.org to check out the (much better) CHL situation, and plan on registering for the class asap.

Although, my XD 45 is a tad... big...

Oh darn. I'll just need a few new guns. Drat. I hate when that happens.

 

[Mr Kablammo]

Sir, allow me to be the first to offer you best wishes in a safe return and successful re-location. You will find a number of ranges and clubs in the Austin/San Antonio area. A very good list can be found at www.krtraining.com There are a number of persons that shoot with these clubs that compete at the national level. In this area there are IPSC, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Trap/Skeet, and Hi-Power matches. Also, there is excellent Bar BQ. Also, if you are religious there are churches, masjids, gurdwaras, temples, and synagogues. And the music scene is intense.

Some of the information on the site may be out of date, but you should be able to find a match just about any weekend. And a job. The Austin area is doing much better after the Y2K bust.

Say, are you a yankee? It might just be that Texas is full...

 

[geojap]

Please, no more immigrants from the wastelands of California or the Rust Belt. Hehe, just kidding. Austin is changing rapidly with the influx of people moving here from those places. It's bursting with growth. It's no longer the small, quaint town that it was before Dell and the other IT corporations took off here in the 90s. But you can still find the old, cool, Austin businesses that made this place famous if you know where to look.

Austin is actually a little short on IT folks at the moment. Salaries in IT are at a premium right now (especially when compared to the relatively low cost of living herewhen compared to other major cities). You do need to be an experienced programmer or infrastructure person to get the premium jobs that I'm talking about, but there are still jobs for entry-level IT folks around.

I highly recommend Ross Bransford's CHL class. His website is http://chl-texas.com . I actually just got out of his class this evening.

There are several places around Austin to shoot recreationally or purchase items. McBrides, Academy and the monthly gun show are good places to stock up. Red's, the Austin Skeet and Rifle Range and the Hill Country Rifle Range are all good places to shoot. A new range is opening up on the way to Lockhart.

You can't wiggle a toe in Austin without tripping over some slacker who "works" in the music business somehow. I don't think you will have any problem finishing your Ep when you get here. Just get a copy of the Austin Chronicle (www.auschron.com) and start looking or else look in the Yellow Pages and start calling around.

Good luck with the move. Let us know if you need anything. It's always nice to have a like-minded person moving here and not some Princeton or Yale nit-wit who thinks they will teach us how to do things their way once they show up.

 

[jestertoo]

Thanks for your service!

ar15.com has a forums -> hometown -> texas section that has some pretty active Austin/centex area people. There is a monthly saxet gunshow in Austin, and the ar15.com people have a dinner meet the saturday night of the show.

I second chl-texas.com . That class was fun.

 

[thefitzvh]

Heh. Not a yale or princeton type nitwit. I'm more the "started at state, changed to online to complete degree in Iraq" nitwit.

Thanks for the info. CHL being a priority, it's great to have an idea where to go right away.

It's amazing the change in cost of living from san diego... I paid 1300 a month for an apartment that i could get for 800-900 in austin, and that's if I live directly in downtown.

Cheers folks, thx for the info

 

[beaucoup ammo]

Hey, get home safe and welcome to Texas! I've produced CD's with Dwight Yoakam, Kinky Friedman, Asleep At The Wheel and several others at Bismeaux Studios on Menchaca Road in Austin. The studio is owned by Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel.

All the people are great.. top flight.. and the studio is state of the art. I highly recommend it.

As for ranges, I'm not that familiar with Austin, but if you don't mind a little drive..Hill Country SHooting Sports off Highway 16 in Kerrville is great.

 

[al1599]

Good luck on the move to Austin. I just moved here last year and usually shhot at Red's. There are a number of other great places I've heard of but haven't made it out to yet. Also try to make it to the monthly gunshow in Austin.

 

[Prince Yamato]

"I highly recommend Ross Bransford's CHL class."

+1. Very good class. Great instructor.

Non-membership wise, you'll basically be shooting at Red's Indoor (north or south) or Eagle Peak, which is up north in Leander. There's also a shooting range out in Manor, that I think is closing soon. Gunshop-wise, you want to go to TexGuns (by far my favorite store in Austin), Sportsman's finest, or for AW and Class 3 goodness, TheGunStore, which is north, again by Leander.

For music production, try Tequilla Mockingbird Studios. They had a good rep.

For IT stuff, check out the University of Texas, they generally need IT people.

 

[rangerruck]

lemme see... your an It dude, plus a music geek, and you are going to Austin?
you will literally be trippin over dudes, in the sidewalks going, ..." psst, hey buddy , you into janus, how 'bout flexpos, or Linux?" Next guy will be like,
" next band that sounds like My Moring Jacket, or Snow Patrol, step right up for your big fat , recording contract... extra extra!!!" No worries my man.
From a former Army airborne nut, Texas says hey, and welcome home, to the only state in the land , that is guaranteed to allways be able to fly it's flag, as high as the u.s. flag, and if your takin' bets, we'll be the first to seceed.
Glad to have you back.

 

[cpileri]

central tx

Welcome Home, Soldier!
Remember, no more identifying info: troop movements are classified (OPSEC).

If you'll take info from a 'moronic officer', I recommend driving up to Kempner near Fort Hood (Killeen, abt 1 hour north of Austin) and contacting Lloyd Leppo for CHL class as well as for the Copperas Cove Shooting club that meets on his land. He sponsors a match; either 3-gun, or something similar, monthly. I dont go very often, but i had fun last time I went!

His email is:LNL80388ATaolDOTcom , or at least is was. Change the AT and DOT to appropriate symbols, of course.

Mr. Leppo has a 'one-stop' operation. he will bring you over early, get your application filled out, paid for, and fingerprint and photograph you right there. Then you take his course and qualification shoot. Done.

Also, SpreadfireArms who posts here, is a CHL instructor who lives closer to Austin, and is a first class guy. I like him alot, and would recommend him very highly.

If you are not set on Austin, look North to Round Rock or Georgetown and you might like it better than the 'Keep Austin Wierd' crowd.

And again, welcome HOME!

C-

 

[db_tanker]

Speak with MatthewVanitas as he is local there in Austin and also works at UT, IIRC as one of the shooting club instructors...not sure about that but he should know some folks around the UT campus and get you a leg in the door.


Also there is this

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=249173

quatin was another member you might want to talk to...I believe he works for a reaserch facility (don't quote me on that...this was lunch convo and was paying attention with one ear and listening to gun stories with the other)

A small list of Austin shooters that you might want to PM or such...don't count me as I just drive back and forth from the piney woods.

good luck bro and welcome back!
D

 

[Shipwreck]

Hey, let me welcome you back home. The time will pass before ya know it...

I'm in Central TX too, but am in College Station - 2 hours away from Austin (TX is damn big)