TX: Where to shoot

[Big Calhoun]

Some great stories in the 'funnest thing you've done with a gun' thread. I feel like I'm missing out as since I've moved here, I've only used indoor ranges.

To my fellow Texans...as I understand the laws here, discharging a firearm in public is only allowed in an unicorporated area where the land is more than 10 acres in size. Is there an easy way to find out what areas are currently unicorporated? I search google ever so often and haven't been able to come up with a map or anything.

On the flipside, I'd also welcome any suggestions for friendly outdoor ranges in the D/FW area.

 

[Imaginos]

Alpine is My Favorite

I don't know where you live in DFW, but Alpine Shooting Range near Mansfield is hands-down the best outdoor range I have come across. They are a private range, gunshop, and kennel, and they operate like they really appreciate their customers.

Alpine Shooting Range
5428 Shelby Road
Fort Worth, TX 76140
817-478-6613
http://www.alpinerange.com/

$8 lets you shoot all day.
Additional targets are $0.15

They also have some of the cheapest CHL classes in the area.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

If you don't mind the drive, Tac Pro Shooting Center has some very nice public facilities. Mutliple tac bays, 100-200yd range with covered firing line and benches. 300-1,000yd range (move the firing line to different berms to increase range), steel, etc.

It is one of my favorite places to shoot even though it is a two-hour drive for me. It is an absolutely great place for training as well.

 

[stdlrf11]

Your best bet would be to get in good with a land owner who will allow you to shoot on their property. When I lived in Huntsville, TX, I rented a house with 40 acres in back and the landlord let me set up a range out back. We'd shoot every day... for free.
I've been looking for land to shoot on near DFW, but most "land owners" have a 1/2 acre lot in the suburbs.

stdlrf11

 

[Big Calhoun]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'm going to check those outs.

stdlrf11, yeah, finding an open place to shoot inside Dallas County is next to impossible from what I gather. The only unicorporated areas I'm aware of in the Dallas areas are over by Oak Cliff and Pleasent Grove. Somehow, I just wouldn't feel safe trying to find someplace out there.

But yeah, even if I have to take a drive to find someplace, that's not an issue -- I like driving.

 

[M2 Carbine]

If it's not too far from you the Parker County Sportsmans Club can't be beat.
http://www.parkersportsman.com/


Most land in Texas is privately owned so it's hard to find a place to shoot.

 

[rbernie]

I spend a lot of time at Garland Public Shooting Range. They have thirty or so active outdoor covered 50 & 100 yard rifle lanes, three uncovered clay throwers, and about a dozen covered pistol lanes (3 yards to 25 yards). They don't have tac bays or falling steel, and they don't allow FMJ on the rifle side. But all in all, it's probably the closest place to left to go shoot.

 

[Big Calhoun]

Cool. I'm on lunch now so I'm looking at the links provided (Thanks again!!) and also doing some more googling. I did come across this site which seems to have some links and information specific to the D/FW area: http://www.inlocalarea.com/DFW/Guns/LinksLocalToDFW.htm

 

[aguyindallas]

Check out www.tdsa.net

Its too far for me, but it might not be too far for you.

 

[RRTX]

don't know where you live in DFW, but Alpine Shooting Range near Mansfield is hands-down the best outdoor range I have come across. They are a private range, gunshop, and kennel, and they operate like they really appreciate their customers.

Alpine Shooting Range
5428 Shelby Road
Fort Worth, TX 76140
817-478-6613
http://www.alpinerange.com/

$8 lets you shoot all day.
Additional targets are $0.15

They also have some of the cheapest CHL classes in the area.

Ya Alpine is great, if you love being hassled when shooting anything that looks evil, not being able to shoot FMJ, firing one shot every 5 minutes, did I mention the idiot range officers....etc. The only thing I'll go there for now is to zero bolt guns and that's only if I don't have the time to go somewhere else. Oh I guess if you like to shoot trap/skeet it's a good place to go, they have a nice setup for that.

 

[Imaginos]

I'm Surprised

RRTX,

I've never had any of those experiences at Alpine.
I see guys with AR/AK/SKS rifles there all of the time.
I see guys on the 30 and 50 yard ranges with their HD shotties blasting away happily.
I practice controlled pairs on multiple targets using my Ruger P90, SP101, and SBH all of the time, and my boxes of WWB are right out in the open for all to see.
I've never heard a harsh word from/to anyone unless some safety issue was involved.

Maybe I just catch them on the right day.

 

[JohnKSa]

Gibson's Outpost on Lawson Road has a 200yard range with no restrictions on ammo that I'm aware of.

It's in this listing along with many others. (Collin County Gun Range is in the list but is permanently closed.)

http://www.kevinholman.com/ranges/

 

[aguyindallas]

My experience with Gibsons is thats its run by one hell of a crotchety old couple. The lady runs the shop and you using up any oxygen in there is a major inconvenience for her. The guy is a semi-range nazi.

The ONLY thing that they have going for them is that they are one of the ranges that does allow FMJ on their rifle range.

I have heard more than one person complain about Alpine though.....

 

[kds99]

gibsons is my go to range, However I will go to quail creek if I feel like heading over to the ft worth side

 

[JohnKSa]

My experience with Gibsons is thats its run by one hell of a crotchety old couple. The lady runs the shop and you using up any oxygen in there is a major inconvenience for her. The guy is a semi-range nazi.

I live closer to Gibson's than any other range and yet I've never shot there because I don't feel comfortable when I'm there. Still, lots of other folks use it, I guess...

 

[vesmcd]

BigCalhoun: Grand Prairie G.C., and Dallas Pistol club are nice facilities inside Dallas County. Both are private membership clubs and allow unsupervised practice. Last I heard, Backwoods and Collin County ranges had been closed down.As far as finding "open land" in Dallas county to shoot on, forget it. It's all owned by somebody. Just because land is not fenced or posted in Texas does NOT mean it's "open". My vote for an informal range goes to TDSA. It has 7 bays(with a plate rack bay and a shoot house) plus a 300 yard rifle range(small,3 shooters). Also, the owner,Len Baxley, will let you shoot anything you can drag in(as long as it is legal and you can safely shoot it , i.e. full auto). Another fave of mine is Johnson County Shooting Sports Association(JCSSA-membership club). Located between Alvarado and Cleburne, just off Hwy 67, south of Dallas, near intersection of 67 and I-35W. Small facility: 15yd bay, 25yd bay, 50yd bay and a really nice 100/200yd rifle range( covered concrete line with 8 or 9 cinder block/concrete topped benchrest tables).
I don't know what you're looking for specifically, but I was born and raised in Dallas and have frequented most of the clubs in/around DFW. If I can be of anymore help, PM me.

Ves McD
(from Oak Cliff, the original O.C.)

 

[M2 Carbine]

I've been to Alpine twice.

I'll never go back.

RRTX pretty much summed it up.

 

[wooderson]

Revive -

Is there a new tactical/training/etc. place going in near the Fort Worth Cabela's (or perhaps one already there)? I saw a flyer about a place but forgot to pick one up before I left.

 

[Snarlingiron]

For trap, skeet, sporting clays, and just plinking with the manual throwers Alpine is fine and the fact that it is only about 20 minutes from my house is also a plus. If I want to shoot anything else, it is Tac Pro Shooting Center. The tactical bays are great. You can actually move, rapid fire, work from a holster, with a long gun for transition drills and the plate racks are always good for some friendly competition. The 100 and 200 yard ranges have covered benches that are made of concrete, and are nice and stable. Want to work prone instead of off the bench, fine. In other words, if you want to do some truly practical drills and practice it is one of the only places I know of to do it. The folks that run it are friendly, and as knowledgeable about firearms and tactical training as anyone you will encounter.

What kind of facilities does Quail Creek have? Their website is virtually useless.

 

[Working Man]

I go to the Elm Fork shooting range off of Luna Rd.
Since they have redone the burms you can shoot "any caliber handgun as long as there is no stock attached".
They are the only place I know of in the area that will let me shoot my .50AE and my BFR .45-70 since Backwoods
closed down .

 

[wooderson]

found it:
Tactical Edge Performance Shooting Center in Roanoke, off 377 south of 114. Scheduled to open Summer '07.

www.tacticaledgepsc.com

I'll believe it when I see it - a 40k sq ft indoor shooting space is mighty ambitious.

 

[NORTEXED]

A couple of months ago while in Ft. Worth visiting, my brother took me up to one close to Cabellas, was that Quail Creek? If so, the range officer was kind of a Nazi also. He really gave us the evil eye for shooting my brothers Alaskan, and while shooting his 450 Marlin, the nice couple at the next bench were interested, so my brother ask if he wanted to try it, and he said sure. While swapping seats, the R.O. came over and said that "letting other people fire your guns was really frowned on" , like since when has that been an issue at a range?? So many of the R.O.'s just go nuts with a little authority, I know they're there to insure safety, but SHOULD REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL OPPINIONS unless asked, right?