Data requests

[Mark_Mark]

Can’t discharge firearm in the county where I live and much further out yes the woods IF you have permission and know the owner…I have neither.

I bet there is a federal outdoor range near you. They are usually hidden and un-manned

 

[Mark_Mark]

We got a couple acres across from a parkland. Can’t cross fence line without it being a felony let alone discharge a firearm. Back of us and across the fire road are private farms. We all get together pretty regular and usually do some plinking. Serious hunting when needed to clear out the coyote and boar hogs. Every once in a while a ranger will show up to remind us about how serious an offense it is to hunt on their property. Kinda funny and sad at the same time.

Wild Hog BBQ with vinegar & peppers

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Wild Hog BBQ with vinegar & peppers

Yeah, Baby!!

 

[ballman6711]

I bet there is a federal outdoor range near you. They are usually hidden and un-manned

I lived in Northern VA most of my life, and unfortunately there are zero outdoor ranges, federal or otherwise, until you get about 60 or 70 miles outside of D.C.. I would think the nearest one to @CQB45ACP would be Clark Bros, a gun shop and outdoor range. It's an ok place, but wouldn't be my first place to go shooting.

I currently live in the Beckley, WV, area and luckily there is an outdoor unmanned range about 20 miles away. The people there are usually pretty friendly and more importantly safe.

chris

 

[Mark_Mark]

I lived in Northern VA most of my life, and unfortunately there are zero outdoor ranges, federal or otherwise, until you get about 60 or 70 miles outside of D.C.. I would think the nearest one to @CQB45ACP would be Clark Bros, a gun shop and outdoor range. It's an ok place, but wouldn't be my first place to go shooting.

I currently live in the Beckley, WV, area and luckily there is an outdoor unmanned range about 20 miles away. The people there are usually pretty friendly and more importantly safe.

chris

I grow up going to those federal outdoor ranges. One was so unsafe that the planned on shutting it down, until they found money to hire full time RO’s.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I grow up going to those federal outdoor ranges. One was so unsafe that the planned on shutting it down, until they found money to hire full time RO’s.

The nearest public range to me is in the Ocala Forest, about 75 miles. It used to be a hazard but I hear they cleaned it up starting a few years back. Not worth driving 3hrs

 

[CQB45ACP]

I lived in Northern VA most of my life, and unfortunately there are zero outdoor ranges, federal or otherwise, until you get about 60 or 70 miles outside of D.C.. I would think the nearest one to @CQB45ACP would be Clark Bros, a gun shop and outdoor range. It's an ok place, but wouldn't be my first place to go shooting.

I currently live in the Beckley, WV, area and luckily there is an outdoor unmanned range about 20 miles away. The people there are usually pretty friendly and more importantly safe.

chris

Yes, Clarke brothers is okay, but it’s quite a hike—a difficult 35 miles. Only federal land around here has an office building on it so they really frown on shooting

Like most of us, where I live is tethered to where I worked and that’s DC. Once I retired we couldn’t think about moving until the boys were on there own. (I didn’t even start shooting a lot till they left anyway.)

But where to go and what are you giving up vs. gaining? Should’ve moved to a rural county where I could shoot off my deck. Kinda too late now. So indoor ranges are my lot in life.

Although the Isaac Walton league is a possibility.

Beckley is a great place to live as is much of WV. My last boss lived in Martinsburg and commuted to DC. It was a painful experience if she called you while she was driving to or from. You knew you were in for a looong conversation.

 

[CQB45ACP]

That is less than a 20% reduction from the Max suggested load. You might be being a bit overly cautious, but you do you...

I owe you an apology. I curtly dismissed your comment. I just read in Lee’s second addition (page 81) a discussion on reducing charges and it says “A very conservative guideline would be to limit charge reduction to 20% for the slowest powder on the Burning Rate Chart.” And it goes on discussing reducing powder amounts.

Anyway, I was wrong and your comment wasn’t out of line at all. Still not sure I would’ve followed it without a specific reference, but that’s me being cautious.

 

[ballman6711]

Beckley is a great place to live as is much of WV.

It is beautiful here, weather is not bad, we can get a lot of snow though. And we have a lot of meth addicts in town, but I'm a bit out of town so we usually don't see them here.

I just read in Lee’s second addition (page 81) a discussion on reducing charges and it says “A very conservative guideline would be to limit charge reduction to 20% for the slowest powder on the Burning Rate Chart.” And it goes on discussing reducing powder amounts.

Looking at my notes, I have downloaded W231 in the 45acp using a 230gr HAP bullet. I worked down as low as 4.4gr (Hornady's 10th shows a minimum of 5.0gr). So that's a 12% reduction in powder BELOW their minimum, but I also seated the bullet farther out by 0.045" further reducing pressure. My notes indicate that although the rounds worked in my gun, the gun (3" Kimber 1911) seemed to cycle slowly, the rounds produced a lot of smoke, and accuracy at 27yds was pretty bad.

Hornady's max charge for the same bullet/powder combo is listed as 5.7gr, so I was about 23% below their max listed charge.

So it can be done, but I don't really recommend it.

chris