Northern Virginia super-range

[Fly320s]

Anyone know of a large, all-inclusive type range in Northern/Northwestern Virginia. Possibly west of the Dulles airport area, out towards the Blue Ridge mountains. Or to the southwest of Dulles.

I'm looking for a range out there that has a little bit of everything: handgun(open area, bays for competition), rifle (0 - 1000+ yd), skeet, trap, sporting clays, plinking, square ranges for practicing and courses. You know, everything.

I'd like to find one place where I can do all styles of shooting. Right now, I have to divide my time here between two ranges to accomodate the different styles of shooting. One is big, but has only fixed positions for rifle. The other is small and kinda dumpy, but I can shoot and move there.

So, where is the Virginian version of the shooting Mecca?

 

[Chris Rhines]

Northern Virginia isn't a great part of the country for ranges. If there's anything like what you describe, I'd be very surprised (and very interested.)

- Chris

 

[Fly320s]

That's kinda why I'm asking.

I may be moving to that area, so I wanted to see what is available. I couldn't find anything like that via the internet, so I thought I'd ask here.

So, if it doesn't exist, then, "I have a dream.." to build a super-range. I don't know jack about shooting ranges or any related business requirements, but I'm willing to learn if it comes down to it.

 

[XLMiguel]

AFAIK, there's nothing like a 'mega shooting complex' in the area, at least that's open to the public (e.g. the FBI range at Quantico). IIRC, there is an Isaak Walton range near Manassas that has skeet, rifle, handgun & archery; and there's Clark Brothers out towards Warrenton, which is pretty good sized with multiple venues. There's also the NRA range in Fairfax, but it's an indoor 50 yarder, but you can shoot most anything short of a .50 BMG, and it's set up nicely for SD training. I know there are active IPSC/IDPA leagues around, I just don't know where they shoot -

I don't get around too much, I'm sure other local folks can provide some more 411.

 

[kjack]

Super Range

Fairfax Rod & Gun Club is close to what you are looking for (but with 300 yd max range I think), but pricey (and by sponsorship only). When I first arrived in this area, there was a 5 year waiting list. Don't know what it is now.

I won't quote the figures because my memory is fading, but cost was for a full membership. I understand that there is an associate (non-voting) membership available.

 

[phonesysphonesys]

There is a good indoor range in Chantilly. If I remember correctly, it is called The Blue Ridge Arsenal. You can rent there. There is also a indoor range in Annandale across from the Giant Food Store. I use it occasionally when I am in town. The owner collects LE patches. You can try the Bull Run Gun Club.
Last time I heard there membership was full.

phonesysphonesys

Semper Fi

 

[Fly320s]

Thanks, all, but what I'd like is a place where I can shoot rifle, pistol, shotgun on the same field, at the same time if I like. A place where I can practice three gun. A place where I can practice rifle to pistol transitions. And shoot while moving forward, backward, left, and right or while lying down. Freedom of movement, in other words.

Most ranges have designated lanes and fixed shooting distances. That's gets boring pretty quick for me.

If I could find a place like that that also has all of the standard range features, that would be a super-range to me.

 

[JamisJockey]

7500 thread

I may be moving to that area, so I wanted to see what is available. I couldn't find anything like that via the internet, so I thought I'd ask here.

Hey that's just funny. I'm moving there, too. Jan of '08
(But that might move up depending on our new trainees and how many make it). Heading to the Potomac TRACON.
We're actually looking down towards Stafford and Fredericksburg. Not excited about the commute, but I won't be commuting into the District, so it could be worse.

 

[tankertom]

No such animal in this area.

There are indoor ranges and there is a trap and skeet range at Bull Run.

tt

 

[Foxtrot427]

Doubt it. There is an indoor range near me in stafford. I dont know if you can shoot rifle calibers though. I remember asking them about shotguns and you can shoot rifled slugs.

 

[nvshooter]

I used to live in Front Royal, on I-66 at Exit 7. I faced your problem: every piece of land larger than a postage stamp has been owned by someone else for 300 years and they don't wan't you or your vile, murdering gun on it. Clark Brothers is a joke. You have to shoot their overpriced ammo or use their overpriced components in your reloads. And what good is just 100 yards? Add to that you almost need a tee time on weekends to even get on a bench. So I got out of there; I moved to Nevada. Now I have essentially free run of 110,000 square miles of almost nothing on which I can shoot. Just 4 miles from my house is a dry lake that's about half a mile wide, about two and a half miles long and dead flat across the bottom. Can you say "50BMG at 2000 yards?" Shooting to the north, there's nothing to hit for 150 miles, save for the Oregon border. And I think it's desert there, too, at that point. If you absolutely have to remain achored in Northern Virginia (and hate living there), you have my sympathies. If you're flexible in your job and where you can live, come here, to the Reno area. Nevada is growing at a fantastic rate, there is almost zero unemployment and you can shoot just about anywhere. I'll never go back to Virginia.

 

[Furncliff]

Buy land in NV, after the big one you'll own BEACH FRONT.

 

[usp9]

Foxtrot427 There is a Isaak Walton range in Stafford too, off rt. 610. It's only 100 yds, but you can shoot rifles. If you're refering to THE RANGE on rt. 1, they are limited to pistol calibers only.

I'm in Stafford, near N. Stafford High.

 

[Foxtrot427]

Isaak Walton...I think I went there a while ago. A long while. Ill check it out before I get my AR. Thanks btw! Cool to meet another person from stafford too. Figured the range was only pistol cal. I thought I saw ARs and rifle cal guns for sale there too. NSHS! As a Brooke Point student Ill have to ask you to move hehehehe

 

[Cortland]

A place where I can practice rifle to pistol transitions. And shoot while moving forward, backward, left, and right or while lying down.

In other words you want your own private range? After all the only way to have safe forward movement on a range is if there's only one shooter. Once you get far enough south of DC that part of Virginia is relatively rural. Sounds like your best bet is to buy a few acres.

 

[nvshooter]

It was way back in 1979 or 1980. I was working construction labor on a huge farm in Orlean or Hume. Several years later I hear that people can join some kind of club and take out season memberships for shooting groundhogs on those huge farms down that way. I don't know how you'd get in contact with these clubs nowadays, but I thought you folks who live near there might want to know about them...