Public ranges around the Seattle area

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Cougfan2

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My son just graduated from college and has moved to the Seattle are (I live in Portland) and I would like to go shooting with him occaisonally when I got to visit him up there. Can anyone tell me of any good ranges with public access in the Seattle/Tacoma area? Thanks in advance. :)
 
If I'm using a public range outside of IDPA it's usually Bullseye in Tacoma or Champion in Kent. The Marksman in Puyallup is a good one as well, I just rarely end up going there. All are good indoor ranges with rentals available.
 
Cougfan2, all the outdoor ranges I know of in and around Pugetropolis are private gun clubs. As SAG says, the indoor ranges at Bullseye, Champion or Marksman are your best bet, unless you want to drive up the 5 a bit to Arlington, nice indoor range there (formerly Arlington Training Center, don't know the current name) or Sam's in Everett.

Of course, if either you or he are retired/active/reserve military, Range 15 at Ft. Lewis has a nice rifle range and the cost of all-day shooting is dirt cheap.
 
Old Dog-

The Tacoma Sportsman's Club is still public (and open) right? I haven't been there in forever.

I'd stay away from Wade's in Bellevue, but that's just because I don't like it and have had bad experiences.
 
You know, I don't know ... haven't been there in ages ... I go to either Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club or one of the clubs up in Kitsap.

Concur w/you re Wade's.
 
Not yet, but Snohomish County is planning a very large (150 acres?) outdoor shooting range in the Sultan Basin, hopefully starting to take shape in 2009. I went to a meeting last month attended by everyone from sportsmen's groups, Snohomish County Sheriff, several area police chiefs, county councilmen, mayors and state senator Val Stevens. They were ALL in favor of this range being built, and hugely supportive of it. It is to be run by or through the county parks department. It is supposed to have several pistol ranges as well as skeet, trap, and rifle ranges out to perhaps 800 yards!
People have been working towards this for over 40 years, and it's finally coming to fruition. Land transfer from Dept. of Natural Resources to the county is almost complete, and now it seems to be just a matter of letting the bueracratic paperwork run it's course.
 
Wow, this is great news for the Sultan site. The sheriff's office is supposed to be putting in a new pistol range at the new county shop site at Cathcart Way and Highway Nine. But I don't think the public will have access.
 
I'll be the dissenter regarding Wade's I guess. They can be a little higher on prices at their gun shop, but I've had only good experiences with their range. It isn't for rifles, but as far as pistol ranges go it's been a good place for me.
 
Tacoma Sportsman's Club is open to the public. they have rifle (200yd), pistol, trap, skeet, sporting clays, and archery there. i shoot there pretty often. they are getting pretty restrictive on the rifle range. no rapid fire, paper targets only, no human silhouettes, no more than 10 rounds can be loaded in a mag.

Paul Bunyan is a private club as is Tacoma Rifle and Revolver Club. gotta be a member or know someone who is to shoot there.

the Marksman is a pretty good indoor pistol range. its only 45 feet long though so you won't be able to practice those 25 yard groups. they have great ventilation and its usually freezing in there. bring a coat. they have a semi-new policy that you have to pay $10 to take their one time range safety course which lasts about 10 minutes then you get a range card and you don't have to sign a waiver every year like you used to.

I haven't shot at the Bull's Eye in a few years but its a pretty nice range. each lane has an enclosed shooting station so you get a lot of muzzle blast in your face. clears the sinuses though. good variety at the gunshop downstairs from the range too.

and as said above, Range 15 (200 yds) is outside of the East gate to Ft. Lewis and is open to the public. they sell very little ammo there but unlike the Sportman's Club, they allow you to load more than 10 rounds in a magazine and you can rapid fire to your heart's content as long as you're safe. i've seen busted up clay pigeons at the target stands out there too so it appears they allow more than just paper targets but check to make sure at the office. Range 15 is my favorite rifle range. they have a pistol range there too with one fixed distance to shoot.

Bobby
 
Outdoors and public

Renton (rfgc) is outdoors, has pistol, rifle, and shotgun facilities, and is open to the public Wed-Sun.

Black Diamond G.C. is open to the public on Wed nights and Saturdays and also has rifle, pistol, and shotgun bays.

-Paul
 
There is a popular outdoor range in the Capitol Forest that's pretty much a free-for-all. This is good and bad, so it depends on what you're looking for or worried about. It's a compromise location between Seattle and Portland too.
 
The Kenmore Range (north of Seattle) is open to the public during times specified on thier website.

http://www.wcwinc.org/range/public2.htm

Question for the OP: Where in the Seattle area does your son live? Given the gridlock we now experience on I-5, it can make a HUGE difference in where you will choose to go shooting. Fortunately for all of us, there are a lot of options - and more coming on line in the near future.

Sam's is another good little indoor range north of Seattle:

http://www.beegc.org/samsgsr/samsgsr.html
 
Renton (rfgc) only allows you to load one round per time for rifles and no rapid fire for pistols...the only reason to go there is if you are doing SAS or IDPA or skeet.
 
rainbowbob He currently lives near Issaquah, but is hoping to find a teaching job around the Tacoma/Olympia area. There seem to be several job openings he is qualified for there.
 
Bull's Eye has a nice selection of rental pistols, more than many other ranges.

Marksman has a selection too but my memory is that they don't have as many choices as Bull's Eye.

Bart Noir
 
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