I hate public ranges.

[Henry Bowman]

I second what Mad Man said, only louder. It's not the noobs - it's the old-timer, know-it-all, unwritten (and stupid written) rule enforcers. Drives the noobs away. Guess they don't care.

The club has over 3,000 members (I'm told the largest in the country), but it's easy to find very low traffic times on the ranges. So they're not hard up for members and a large number come once a year or less. And all those paying members make the facilities fairly nice (though rigid).

 

[PaladinVC]

the most explosive things I've ever shot are cans of shook-up root beer.

I found about half-a dozen cans of ancient Iron City beer in the basement, easily a decade old. I'm not a fan of antique beer, so we took them out the the range, gave them a good agitation, and put .38 special full wadcutters into them from about seven yards. I wish I had one of those super-slow-motion videos of that happening.

During the winter, the local gravel pit allows recreational shooting, since neither the pit nor the adjacent township complex is in use, and the nearby population is low. I don't think I've seen other people there more than three or four times in as many years, but it's always neat to see the casings left behind. Lots of shotgun shells, buckets of .22 brass, and the occasional treat, like a dozen or so .50 AE casings or some .22 Hornet. I only ever leave .22 LR and 9mm behind, and that's just because I can never find the 9mm in the snow.

 

[c-bag]

The local "shoot through the tube" public range that's 10 minutes from my house just closed last month for a $1.4 million renovation
Fortunately when it re-opens in November it will have 33 rifle/pistol stations, a voice activated trap range, concrete traps/baffles, bathrooms, a range office, and possibly even a coccession stand with snacks, ammo and targets!!!
The only thing that worries me is that they may have some "no rapid-fire/ no draw-and-fire" rule.

 

[artherd]

which is totaly fine till tehy start shooting my target.

Hey, YOU started it!

I don't even like people, let alone public ranges. I'm opposed to the ranges on two fronts:


1) Stupid rules 'for my safety'. Like no rapid fire, no drawing from retention, etc. I suppose I understand their need (ease of identifying idoits), but I do not like it.

2) Stupid/unknown people, with guns.

Give me a BLM range with nobody around for miles anyday of the week.

 

[clipse]

I knew in the end you and your father in law would love shooting at the range!

I meant that public ranges are not for us. sorry for the confustion.


clipse

 

[angrywalkindude]

I live in East Texas and I like to shoot at the National Forest shooting area. There is hardly ever anyone there and its free. Plus you can shoot any gun at any target. There was a couple of class III guys out there one day and they were shooting .308 AP. rounds through targets made of 3/8 steel plate? The bullets would go through the plate and buzz off into the trees. I have never had a problem with anyone there. Safety is always important to me.

 

[clubsoda22]

As in, only three rounds in a magazine at a time? Wow, I can imagine my hands just blackening from all the residual powder I'd end up getting on them from playing mag-swap-and-load constantly. Ugh.

Oh, and one of the local private ranges only allows a single round in the magazine. I decided not to join because i didn't buy an AK-47 to shoot single shots. Most of the ranges around here are pretty good. PA is a very gun friendly state too,

 

[Rocko]

As in, only three rounds in a magazine at a time? Wow, I can imagine my hands just blackening from all the residual powder I'd end up getting on them from playing mag-swap-and-load constantly. Ugh.

The more you tell me about PA here, the more I'm convinced that you should get the hell out. ;-)

Well... what he's refering to are the ranges operated by the game commission. These are open to the public and free of charge. However, I think we need to define what we mean by "public" range. There are several ranges that I know of in PA that are privately owned, but allow the general public to shoot for a daily or hourly fee. IMHO, "public range" is any range that does not require any sort of membership to shoot, so no, there isn't a 3 round limit at all public ranges in the state - just those run by the game commission.

Rocko

 

[clubsoda22]

and, of course, the ones run by the game comission is only a 3 rd limit when there's someone around.

 

[Jamie B]

Countin' my blessings!

Guess that I am extremely lucky...I have 110 acres in Southern Ohio, and I can shoot when and how I want at anytime.

There are 2 local ranges that I have been to, but this is the exception rather than the norm - there are too many boneheads!

I took the NRA basic pistol class at the indoor range near me for the OH CCW permit requirements - the range officer teaching the class swept me 4 times with the "empty" Kimber he was holding during his safety talk!

Guess that I will continue to count my good fortune that comes with acreage!

Jamie