Moving to Oregon

[blarby]

So, looks like the wife and I are going to be lucky enough to get out of california.

We'll be moving to the Portland area in Oregon, and I've been doing some research looking for ranges.

Not having a lot of luck.... The one I contacted yesterday doesn't allow rapid fire( which i'm not opposed to generally) but when I contacted them they stated their definition of that was "firing another shot when your last rounds brass was in the air" Kind of hard to teach/practice defensive shooting with that in mind.

Furthermore, they outlined that picking up brass isn't allowed. They back this up by stating that they consider it shoplifting, which is normally a misdemeanor... however, when they contact the police which they will do, most of the offenders are usually in possession of firearms, making this a felony encounter.


SOOOO.... not so friendly.

Anyone know of any ranges in the portland area that are a little more....shal we say relaxed ?

 

[Joeyp]

Hi Blarby,

I unfortunately just moved from Portland, OR a little over a year ago. I really miss it. When I lived there I was a member of the Johnson Creek Gun Club.

It is on the East Side of Portland near Clackamas. This is a very low key club. I hate to call it dumpy but it kind of fits. It is an indoor only range with about 10 lanes. The maximum distance is 50 feet.

The thing I liked about it was that it is a members only range and there was no range officer. You have an access card to get into the range and you could go any day of the week between 9:00am -8:00pm. You could actually shoot until 10:00pm but your access card will not get you in after 8:00pm.

If you are able to shoot weeknights I would often be the only person at the range. There is a rule that you were supposed to have the target at the back of the range 50Ft but I found this often was not enforced if everyone was in agreement that it did not bother them. I was often alone so I could pretty much do what I wanted.

The range is not much to look at and it is in a kind of sketchy neighborhood but I never had anyone mess with my car or me in the 5yrs I went there.

Fees were 120.00 / year and you had to be a NRA member. This place is not going to win any beauty contests but I enjoyed shooting there.

 

[bruzer]

I am in Southern Oregon so no help on ranges up there. Did join a local range myself so if you need to practice on your way to Portland stop on by.
Mike

 

[Cougfan2]

The two best clubs in the Portland area are the Tri-County Gun Club in Tualatin and Douglas Ridge Rifle Club out east of I-205. I was a member at Tri-County for a number of years, but switched over to Douglas Ridge a few years ago. Tri-County has arguably some of the best facilities in the Northwest. Douglas Ridge Doesn't have quite as nice facilities as Tri-County, but it also has one of two 1,000 yard ranges in Oregon.

PM me if you would like more info and I will give you my cell number so we can talk

 

[blarby]

Thank you very much for the info !

Tri-county looks like an excellent ( albeit pricey) facility.

I thank you all for your input !

 

[rsrocket1]

Ah Oregon.
We went on a family vacation there last year.
No sales tax, ability to buy a gun in a grocery store and no waiting period.

The only downside is having to wait for a gas station attendant to pump your gas.

 

[joshk-k]

The English Pit, which is on the east side of Vancouver, WA (just across the river) is where I go to shoot. It's publicly owned, $15 to get in. They have 25 yard handgun, 50 yard rimfire, and 50 and 100 yard centerfire ranges, with covered benches. I like it a lot.

Josh

 

[blarby]

@ josh

This is the one I kinda mentioned In the first post.

http://www.englishpit.com/BrassCollection/index.shtml

This kinda frightens me.

 

[OregonJohnny]

Tri-County Gun Club is actually in Sherwood, not Tualatin, but that doesn't matter. It's a great facility, with a ton of land, different ranges, plenty of activities, etc. 1 major downside (in my opinion) is their handgun range. It is outdoors (under cover), and the closest distance you can place a target is 25 yards! That's great for bullseye shooting, but for self-defense practice, and general handgun shooting, it's lousy.

There are actually quite a few places to plink informally once you hit State Forest land. Gravel shooting pits in Tillamook State Forest are about a 30-40 minute drive west of Portland, and there are also quite a few pits near Estacada, about 30 minutes east. These areas can get crowded with unsavory characters (especially in late winter, when the gravel roads into the areas are covered in snow and everyone stops at the first few pits they can get to).

I have always favored remote public land to ranges when it comes to shooting. If you're willing to put some more planning into it, and drive about 45 minutes outside of the city, you can be alone in the forest with nobody telling you what to do, and nobody acting like a fool in the stall next to you!

 

[blarby]

Good to know.

Shooting is a little more allowed in Oregon, so I hear..... are there certain rules or lack thereof as to shooting on public land ?

 

[ClintB]

I use public land as well, just a short drive from home.

No rules other then 'pick up your trash'!

Many places are so well used and some folks shoot up all kinds of trash and leave it. It makes us all look bad.

 

[blarby]

So totally legal to just haul out the ordnance to the roadside drive in and mow down the cardboard zombies ?

really ?

 

[parsimonious_instead]

blarby:

Yup... that is frightening. First of all, how do they tell if you're picking up your own, or someone's brass that has bounced into your lane? Second, what if you're just doing the right thing and helping clean up brass in general - something that I've personally done because it's the right thing to do - extra effort to keep the place clean for everyone. Third, that warning about taking brass becoming a possible felony is pretty harsh. Could the operators of that range really sleep at night knowing that they created a felon for taking some brass? How about just simply revoking their range membership? Is it me or are we losing our sense of proportionality in this country?

 

[joshk-k]

It's not like that, in reality there. Having shot there plenty of times: You are more than welcome to retrieve your own brass for reloading. No one has a problem with that. They collect and sell all other brass to put a few bucks in their operating budget. No one has a problem with that.

It is way more laid back than you all are imagining. Unless it's really busy, they have a range officer in a booth up on the hill supervising the ranges, not hovering over your shoulder, checking to make sure that you're picking up the .38s that you shot and not those of your neighbor.

Anyway, I highly recommend it. I think you'll like it. Plus, you don't have to buy a membership. You can go and spend $15 and see if it's what you're looking for.

Josh

 

[blarby]

Unfortunately, the fact that they are able to casually imply that they have no problem turning you into a felon for using their facilities puts them on my "no-go" list.

I'm sure they are really great people, but that's a rough speech to start a relationship...even if it is just meant to "scare folks honest"

It "scared me away"

Feel free to let them know that next time you are there for me...I'll never get the chance to bring it up to them. Wouldn't want to accidentally get that line of questioning turned into badgering, then assault, then felony assault

 

[OregonJohnny]

So totally legal to just haul out the ordnance to the roadside drive in and mow down the cardboard zombies ?

Yes, on BLM and State Forest land, (and I believe National Forest Land) you are legally allowed to shoot. Most of these areas are well off the highway, and half the year, you'll need a good 4 wheel drive truck to get to some of them.

There are a few rules. This is from the Oregon Department of Forestry website:

"(9) Target Shooting.

(a) No person shall place targets on live trees or shoot live trees for any purpose.

(b) No person shall shoot across or along any road or trail.

(c) No person shall shoot carelessly, recklessly, or without regard for the safety of any person, or in a manner that endangers, or is likely to endanger, any person or property.

(d) Persons engaged in target shooting shall remove from State Forest land all shell casings, targets, and other debris resulting from their use.

(e) No person shall shoot targets other than those commercially manufactured for the specific purpose of target shooting, except for paper targets privately manufactured by the person or people engaging in target shooting.

(f) No person shall shoot glass of any kind as a target.

(g) No person shall shoot appliances, furniture or other debris determined to be garbage or refuse by an enforcing officer.

(h) Target shooting and other shooting related activity will be prohibited from one half hour after sunset to one half hour before sunrise."

Now, I can tell you from visiting many different gravel shooting pits in both the Tillamook State Forest and the Mount Hood National Forest, that there are a good number of shooters who do not follow ANY of these rules. It makes the rest of us look bad, especially the discarded computers laying around and the once healthy fir trees that look like a 1920's mobster after an FBI raid.

I've been shooting a few times when Sheriffs trucks are driving around these gravel roads, and they don't ever stop or hassle me. The trick is finding a good hidden spot with a decent backstop far away from all the other crazy people.

 

[Evergreen]

Tri-County is a good club.. The Action Range allows you to do almost anything you want, including rapid fire of pistols (not rifles). The only downside of the action range is it is uncovered and if it is raining, you cannot really use it. Since, we get a lot of rain in Oregon, I would say it is only accessible half the year. However, in Summer, it is great. In order to use the Action Range, you need to take a Defensive Handgun I Class or the equivalent NRA certified course. It is a bit of a pain to do this, but you do gain some good knowledge from the classes and its just a one day deal. After that, you can use the action range forever.

I'm in the process of moving, but sometime around Mid-April I am planning on going back to Tri County and can get you in as a guest at the Action Range. Ask around, and I am sure some other Tri-County member would be happy to get you in as a guest. Forget the Tri County covered pistol range, it is useless, unless you are into long range pistol shooting. For typical pistol work, the 25/50yd distances are not practical.

There is also a 24-hour 365-day indoor .22 range on the facility which is real nice to use during those late nights you want to unload some rounds or during long bouts of nasty weather.

Tri County really is the best club in the Pacific Northwest in most cases. It is a bit burdened with lots of rules, but safety is not a bad thing. There is also the Douglas Ridge rifle range near Eagle Creek if you are over on the eastside.

 

[blarby]

Well I'll be.

Thanks fellas

 

[Nushif]

Portland may not be the best place to look for a range in the first place, tbh. I've heard nothing but bad reviews about pretty much anything gun related coming out of Portland.

The good news is ... when the snow on Mary's Peak melts you have a quarry all to yourself (unless one of use others is there 8) ) with a bit of a drive ... but if you wanna make a day of it, it's worth it. If you need directions there, PM me. Although probably any Oregon shooter would know that spot.

Maybe you could look for something closer outside of Portland and more towards the Corvallis, Eugene Area? Lebanon has a slightly dingy, but very homey range indoors. And they do allow rapid fire.

[edit]

The only downside is having to wait for a gas station attendant to pump your gas.

YES! That is so annoying. >.<

[/edit]

 

[Evergreen]

Nushif, I beg to differ.. As far as cities go, how many cities have a large shooting facility like Tri County just 15 min from the downtown? Unless you live in some very rural area, you won't find a better range, especially with all the accommodations. You have up to 600 yard range, action bays where you can do whatever you like, indoor .22, skeet/trap , etc.. I have researched ranges all over the place and cannot find any that are as nice and as conveniently located as Tri-County.. Sorry, I don't buy the naysayers. Also, I believe Tri-County is still taking new members.. Many clubs near large cities don't even take new members.

If you want to do a bit of a drive, The Dalles Rifle and Pistol Club I hear is quite empty most of the time and has some decent facilities available.. I am planning on becoming a member since I will be living in the Gorge.

 

[blarby]

Thankfully, we aren't moving into Portland proper, but in to the gresham area.

I understand that gresham has a certain "character" about it...but I was born and raised in Detroit, got transplanted to East Baltimore, and for the final leg of my tour settled in Oakland ....so I have my doubts on the grittiness of anything the pac northwest can chum up.

I have a close friend who lives in eugene- he says there is plenty out near him, I intend to find out !

In a couple 8 weeks or so, those who have offered- expect those private message boxes to start lighting up....thank you for all of your help !

 

[Nushif]

Dunno about Portland still ... the only exposure to the Portland "gun scene" consisted of a gun shop and it was almost as bad as the Philomath one.
Another club here towards Eugene is the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club. But the entrance fee is kinda steep for you know ... something 45 minutes away, I think. They do hold the yearly machinegun shoot though.

 

[OregonJohnny]

I understand that gresham has a certain "character" about it...but I was born and raised in Detroit, got transplanted to East Baltimore, and for the final leg of my tour settled in Oakland ....so I have my doubts on the grittiness of anything the pac northwest can chum up.

Well, as long as you move to Gresham with this attitude, you'll be fine! Gresham certainly isn't Beverly Hills.

And Gresham is actually very close to the Estacada area entrance to the Mount Hood National Forest where there are plenty of informal gravel pit shooting sights.

 

[blarby]

Gravel pit shooting sites = what i'm looking for.

Ranges I typically like to pay a mild entry fee to meet n greet new folks, and salvage

 

[twisterx44]

Blarby!

Welcome in advance to the great state of Orygun! My parents live in Portland, which is where I grew up. I'm now in Eugene for school, but I am in both Salem (for Army National Guard training) and Portland do visit my folks. Eugene has two good ranges I frequent without any hesitation. Portland is a little tougher. TCGC, as mentioned, is the best choice but there is a membership fee. Browns Camp, about 45min from Portland, has multiple rock quarries that I used to shoot at as a teenage. You do always run the risk at a rock quarry of other people who may not be as safe or pleasant as you. I stopped going there when a group of guys in their 20's rolled up with some shotguns, clays, and 40oz bottles of beer. They didn't bring the beer to shoot at them either. As soon as I saw alcohol consumption and the discharge of firearms, I left! I hope the Sheriff busted them, but who knows.

Anyway, if you are in the Eugene area, There are two good ranges, one I go to for handguns, one for rifles. They both can be used without being a membership, one costing 10 and the other 15 I believe.