Where do you shoot?

[fatelk]

I'm sure this has been done before but I couldn't find one.
I grew up on a farm in the country with thousands of acres behind us to roam. When I grew up I moved nearby still with plenty of room and a 100 yard range literally out the back door.
Times have changed. I now have a job in the city, a wonderful wife, and a couple of kids. We live in town (large town/small city, depends on your perspective). Fortunately we live on the edge of town and the gun club I belong to has a very nice 200 yard range 15 minutes away, or I can drive another ten minutes up in the hills to the "redneck shooting range".
I occasionally feel sorry for myself that I no longer have the range out my back door, but reading this forum I realize many people have to go further or only have access to indoor ranges. A friend of mine moved to Virginia and we talk every once in a while. I asked him if he ever goes shooting there and he said he hasn't gone once because it's too much trouble.
"You don't understand, you can't just go up in the hills like you do there."

So where do you shoot?
1> Back 40, hills, desert, old quarry, wide open spaces, nearby and handy
2> Wide open spaces, but not so nearby and handy, have to drive a while to get there
3> Public range or gun club nearby, convenient
4> Public range or gun club, not close or convenient
5> Indoor range
6> I wish I could find a good place

Speaking of the "redneck ranges", the place I go up in the hills is a mess. Does anyone have any ideas on how to discourage the more irresponsible among us from dumping trash and blasting old TVs and computers on public land like this? It really makes shooters look bad.

 

[wooderson]

75% Public indoor range - 25yd pistols/25yd rifles, clean, reasonably friendly most of the time

25% outdoor club - skeet (I think - one of the shotgun sports), pistols and rifles out to a couple hundred.

 

[jrfoxx]

Wilamette National Forest near Lowell--big, never crowded (never even seen anyone else shooting), free, always open, no range rules, any distance I want to shoot... Only downside is the 45 minute drive, but its still worth it until I get a hose and my own land.

 

[busy_squirrel]

40 min. each way in the evening to a heated indoor 25yd. range, OR 55 min. each way to "top of the mountains" public land with no people, no heat, any range I want, shoot anything I want (targets and guns and OTHER explosives)

 

[Wolfpackin]

Living in the Rocky Mtns. of Colorado is definately a benefit when it comes to the shooting aspect of this hobby as there is National Forest, BLM and open space a plenty.
There are several places within a fifteen minute drive, from my house, that are traditionally known as shooting ranges (areas) just a short drive down a dirt road.
I bring an assortment of targets and shoot how I want. Rapid fire, shoot as I unholster, shoot while running or from behind my Jeep.
I voted for the first choice.

 

[FireArmFan]

I shoot in a variety of places. Indoor range in town, nice outdoor range about 20 minutes drive, and the best place to shoot is up at my cabin. I have up to a 100 yards to shoot and have built up a very nice backstop. We can shoot how we want, at whatever pace we want, for no range fee. The only problem is I don't get to go to my cabin too often since it's about 3 1/2 hours away.

 

[Mortech]

I love living in the middle of a tree farm , I walk 100 ft and I can blast away . Or if I'm really lazy I just sit on either porch with my 22 .

 

[DirksterG30]

I shoot at my sportsmen's club - about 25 minutes away, but no indoor pistol range except for matches. Nice thing is it's usually deserted when I go, and I can shoot anything but incendiary/tracer ammo.

I used to shoot at an indoor range 30 minutes away, but that got too expensive - have to use their ammo, no rifles/shotguns. It's also close to a not so good part of town; everytime I went it seemed like they were having a gangbanger night.

 

[tbtrout]

I shoot on the local military base. They have a 200 yd range for civilians. it is the most affordable place to shoot. There are a few gun clubs around but the fees are outrageous. There is a $400 initiation fee and $150 a year to shoot after that. Then there are the caliber restrictons and some of them have one round per mag rules. One I looked at joining which was affordable had so many rules that it did not seem like a fun place to go. At least at Fort Dix when you shoot there are planes doing touch and go's, the Army shoots Howitzers and 50's on the other ranges and it just sounds so good and brings back fun memories And it is affordable, which means more toys and ammo

 

[Ala Dan]

Other

Police Range

 

[El Tejon]

Usually at a gun club, sometimes indoors.

My favorite spot is a gravel pit in a neighboring county. Very safe.

Shooting on public land like out West just boogles my mind.

 

[hso]

Off my back patio.

 

[DesertShooter]

As my nick denotes, I'm a desert shooter. I got tired of shooting at the "formal" ranges about 30 years ago. Cramped shooting lane space, too many "looky-loo's", too many distractions, too many rules, "weekend commando's", having to suck in poorly-ventilated air AND airborne lead particulates, questionable strangers asking "Can I see what that gun feels like in my hand?", etc.

I've enjoyed the great outdoors, and don't mind the lengthy drive to get to remote spots. I combined shooting with camping, and both are great! Sure, I've seen some "questionable" strangers out there, but THEY probably think that my shooting buddies and I are "questionable"! I can shoot at just about anything that I want (over-ripe watermelons, anyone?), and set them up at a "bazillion" yards distance if I want. I can shoot for awhile, cook up a meal, take a siesta, then shoot again. I can shoot at 5:00 a.m., or 12:00 midnight if I want. I can hike around/explore. The air is CLEAN! Camp food tastes great! Sitting around a campfire is a good time to "shoot the bull". For some reason, the "#2's" (taking a "dump") always seem healthier out there, and the aroma dissipates quickly!

The only rules? Well, besides the shooting safety rules, it is mandatory to clean up the camp site before leaving! Even if there were jerks that didn't clean up that were there before you, their junk gets cleaned up, too!

 

[308win]

I have permission to shoot on private land that is not convenient (hour away). I also shoot at private range and public range that are more convenient but more restrictive and don't have long range option (private 25yds indoors) public is approximately 100yds.

 

[PennsyPlinker]

I used to have my own back yard range until the developers came along and built houses on top of my backstop. I had 100 yds marked off, and every increment smaller when I wanted it. The new neighbors weren't impressed with my deadeye aim or the fact that the bullets would still be landing on my side of the property line.

Now I have to drive about five miles of country roads to get to a range where I am now a member. It's not too bad, but it just isn't the same as shooting out the back door if I want.

 

[shaggycat]

I nor my family own no substantial land. I shoot wherever I can for cheap. That means a semi-run down range with cheap membership fees, public ranges, etc.

 

[Essex County]

With 50 acres I can shoot off my deck. More often I drive to my cousin's about fifteen minutes away on the backside of a mountain, a couple of miles from the last telephone pole. We have a benchrest and target frames out to 150 yards......Essex

 

[kludge]

Gun club, semi-nearby.

I wish I could find a place close by where I could shoot at 200, 300, 400 yards.

100 yards with my Savage FP110 in .308 is monotonous.

 

[KaiserBen]

I shoot at the Wake County range, which has 50 and 100 yard rifle ranges and a 50yd pistol range. All indoors, and ~10 minutes from my workplace, ~30 from home. Only restrictions are no .50 BMG, no tracer/incendiary, and please hit the backstop. It's $250/year for unlimited shooting, and you can bring one guest per trip as long as they're not from Wake County or the immediate area (if so, they have to have a card and pay separately due to the range being taxpayer funded).

 

[cookie4u1]

Paid $300 a year for a family membership to a local indoor range.I tried to join a snooty outdoor club but they just made it too hard to join. I then found the Izaak Walton League and now I have a great place to shoot. A steal at around $125 and alot of nice people.

 

[imprezagm4]

Deschutes National Forest, BLM Land, or Ochoco National Forest

 

[MD_Willington]

Two private farms, one is out of the way, one is 3 minutes down the road. We have also visted the indoor range ~ 20 minutes away...

 

[fatelk]

Wow, I didn't realize what a great deal I'm getting at my gun club!
15 minutes away, $100 a year total for my wife and I, indoor range for .22s, really nice covered 100 and 200 yard ranges, pistol range, shotgun range. Plus if you put in 8 hours a year helping on a work party (repairs, cutting brush, cleaning up, etc.) the next year is half that. People with lots of time can put in 40 hours a year and membership is free.

DesertShooter, some friends from work go out to eastern Oregon every year (wide open spaces like you describe), camp, shoot, cook, ride dirt bikes. I wish I was able to go with them; it sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[Limeyfellow]

My brother in law has a 150 yard range on the back of his land so I tend to shoot there. Its a little longer than our local club and I get it all to myself, however its pretty exposed so in the winter requires warm dressing. The club is a little better but to go for a long distance range I have to travel a really far distance.

I also have a gully out back for testing. Its only 50 yards though, but reasonable for .22 and pistol shooting.

 

[oregonhunter]

fatelk
I live in the west linn area, were do you shoot is it at the douglas ridge club. I have been looking at that one and it seems to be affordable.