Moving to Arizona, where to shoot

[DANGERRUSS]

I will be moving from Virginia to the North Scottsdale area of Arizona around the first of the year. I have heard that Arizona is very gun friendly. I wish to know of some places to shoot. I prefer outdoor ranges. I am looking forward to "going west" and hope my wife and little girl like it as well.
Thanks for any responses Russ

 

[stogiegila]

Ben Avery is an outdoor range in N. Scottsdale area (off Carefree Highway).

There is also an very nice indoor range at Scottsdale Gun Club (located on Northsight Blvd). It is also a large retail store and they have many rentals there as well. They also have classes for CCW, Practical shooting etc.

I hope that helps.

 

[denfoote]

Ben Avery is an outdoor range in N. Scottsdale area (off Carefree Highway).

http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/ben_avery.shtml

 

[Palehorseman]

Ben Avery Range for around Phoenix, most anywhere on public land, just don't shoot across roads and within 1/4 mile of an occupied building.

We live in a unincorporated retirement community along the Colorado River and gun shots can be heard most any daylight hours. Sometimes on weekends, it sounds like WW-3 when the Californians come over to their vacation abodes. Those people must very restricted over there for shooting opportunities, for they sure take advantage of the open desert around here.

Also, Arizona no permit required concealed carry law goes in to effect soon, open carry is also legal, so don't be surprised to see people exercising that right.

 

[Hawthorne2k]

Ben Avery is great, but there's also Rio Salado Sportsman's Club, Phoenix Rod and Gun Club and the Joe Foss Shooting Complex. For indoor ranges, Scottsdale Gun Club is one of the finest indoor ranges in the world. It's just unbelievable, like Disneyland for gun nuts. There's also Shooter's World in Phoenix, Caswell's in Mesa and Cunningham's in Queen Creek.

 

[Lee Roder]

The Tonto National Forest is just to the North practically in my back yard. BLM land is all over. And then there's always Ben Avery..

 

[Deathbunny]

Another thing that's interesting is that the community colleges often have firearms classes for cheap. Most of the instructors--at least at Glendale Community College--are actually the same people who teach at their police academy. I only point this out because the introductory course covers most of the firearm laws for Arizona, meets the requirements for the CCW training course, and helps keep you out of trouble.

 

[DANGERRUSS]

Thanks for all the replies and links, it looks like finding places to shoot will not be an issue! It will be nice if open carry is more accepted in Arizona, Here in Virginia it is legal, but the Sheeple get nervous so I mostly CC.
I hope this move will be my last. I started in the "occupied territory" of The peoples Repubik of Maryland. Even in the western part with the Appalachian Mountains all the control was from the mutants inside the beltway. Virginia is much more gun friendly and if Arizona has even more freedoms and opportunity, Then I will truly be home.
Thanks Russ

 

[Hawthorne2k]

It will be nice if open carry is more accepted in Arizona

It is. I myself carry concealed all the time, but I've seen at least a couple of people OC'ing in my local Wal-Mart this past year and no one phreaked out.

 

[armoredman]

Open carried in AZ for many years, no major issues, though I do prefer CCW. Welcome to Free AZ!

 

[C-grunt]

Thanks for all the replies and links, it looks like finding places to shoot will not be an issue! It will be nice if open carry is more accepted in Arizona, Here in Virginia it is legal, but the Sheeple get nervous so I mostly CC.
I hope this move will be my last. I started in the "occupied territory" of The peoples Repubik of Maryland. Even in the western part with the Appalachian Mountains all the control was from the mutants inside the beltway. Virginia is much more gun friendly and if Arizona has even more freedoms and opportunity, Then I will truly be home.
Thanks Russ

It is generaly accepted here. You might get a few people every so often having a hissy fit, but thats not the norm.

Welcome.

 

[Palehorseman]

[QUOTEIt is generaly accepted here. You might get a few people every so often having a hissy fit, but thats not the norm.

Welcome. ][/QUOTE]

Nothing new, I remember back in the 1960s when a an eastern anti gun TV news outlet came to Phoenix and went on a jihad about people buying guns in gun shops, and wearing them openly out the door. They stopped a cop and complained, he looked at the reporter like she was nuts and said, "so what".

 

[06]

My daughter and new son in law just moved to Scottsdale and have been using several ranges. They often go to public land to plink also. They both have their CCPs and are into a dojo also.

 

[avs11054]

While it's a long drive from north scottsdale, The Joe Foss shooting complex in Buckeye, AZ is one of the nicest ranges I've ever shot at. I've never been to Ben Avery, but I hear it is good. I'm not a fan of Scottsdale Gun Club. It's expensive, and they don't have any ranges longer than 25 yards. So unless all you want to shoot is a pistol, or a rifle at very close range, I would not recomend SGC.

 

[JHK94]

I shoot at Rio Salado, and I like it a lot. Shooting on BLM land or Tonto is nice too, but you have to check the rules. There are parts that don't allow target shooting and often large tracts of land are closed to shooting in the summer due to fire risk.

 

[gyvel]

I would stay away from areas near the border. You can get hassled by both sides down there.

 

[armoredman]

The free unsupervised public range in Casa Grande is not bad at all, but best during the week. As the above poster says, I think, don't try to take a gun or ammo to Mexico, or you won't be leaving for several years. If on our side, wear/carry whatever you want, and how many you want.

 

[Palehorseman]

If you are ever in Bouse, stop by the free rifle pistol shooting range there. Most don't believe a little wide spot in the road like Bouse could afford such a set up. And they may partially right, I was told (unconfirmed) that it is part of old army facilities from when Patton trained troops there in the early 1940s for the invasion of North Africa.

 

[arizona98tj]

While a person can hunt (in season and with a license) on Arizona State Trust Land (STL), you can not plink, target practice, etc. on it. STL belongs to the state and is not public land in the same sense as is BLM acres. When you are out in the desert shooting, you can rarely tell if you are on STL or BLM. Mapping the area ahead of time and having a GPS with you will certainly mitigate any possible issues that could arise from accidentally shooting on STL. Another thing to respect/avoid are public lands that have active grazing leases. Ranchers have the right (and often times will) contact the authorities to have you removed should you be there plinking.

 

[armoredman]

One change, the legal distance to discharge a firearm in a municipality now over 1 mile, http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/13/03107.htm&Title=13&DocType=ARS
I cannot find the old limit of 1/4 mile, would suggest if you go shoot at a wildcat range, make sure you are well clear of any dwellings. I remember watching a couple of yahoos years ago down in a wash shooting at targets underneath the bridge I was driving on!

 

[gyvel]

If on our side, wear/carry whatever you want, and how many you want.

Even on "our" side, you will be hassled by Feds in certain areas near the border. Worse, rumor has it the the Zetas (Mexican drug cartel) have put out a "shoot on sight" edict for all Americans encountered in "the corridor," which is the route from the border straight up to I-10. It's situated mostly on barren land and crosses the Tohono O'odham res, passes west of Casa Grande and then culminates in west Maricopa County near I-10, which is the main east-west pipeline for distribution to the rest of the country.

 

[jdowney]

While a person can hunt (in season and with a license) on Arizona State Trust Land (STL), you can not plink, target practice, etc. on it. STL belongs to the state and is not public land in the same sense as is BLM acres.

They never used to bother me about that when I lived there... I guess times have changed Game warden stopped to talk once when we were shooting clays, making sure we weren't hunting.

For the sake of clarity, if you want to camp or hike on STL, you can buy a one year permit for $15 I think it is. The permit does not cover shooting and 4 wheeling and other, non-PC recreational activities.

 

[TheCol.U.S.M.C.]

I new around here, but good to hear your moving to The Great State of Arizona! I'm allways happy to hear new comers to the state if you like shooting hunting and all things gun related you hit the mecca of gun friendly states! Welcome

BTW Ben Avrey is pretty nice, can met alot of good guys too, and there lots of BLM desert shooting spots