Public Ranges

[G Dog]

The last time I visited a public range, about four years ago, I about had a nervous breakdown.  It was unnerving.  Of course there was no range boss but a couple crews of local slack jaw growers were in attendance with new trucks and new .40 Sigs.  They went through a hundred rounds in about ten minutes and when they weren't clearing jams they were rapid firing.  They actually hit their targets a couple of times ... as in twice. Mostly, they just sprayed the hillside. When these guys were trying to clear jams (they had a lot of jams) they would muzzle sweep everybody.  An experienced shooter was there with his young son and forcefully talked to them about how to clear jams and where not to point guns.  They got huffy and left.  Later I found five fresh rounds of .40 they had dropped.  Either they were too lazy to pick them up or didn't even know they had dropped them.  I won’t be around that sort of shit, it could kill a guy - dead as pork. 

I prefer to get far from the madding crowd when at shooting.  The idea is to have fun and not be stressin other people’s bad habits and potentially lethal ignorance.  A well-regulated range with an alert range master is OK but I’d rather be alone or with trusted companions.  There is a lot of BLM land here so it’s easy to get out of the way.

[Len]

Glad you survived. These issues don't seem to happen around BP and CAS sites.

[G Dog]

True.  Those boys are shooters and know how to act.  Some adult supervision doesn't hurt any, either.

This is California though, we have a bit of everything here.

[Omnivore]

I spoke with a guy recently about all this.  We're both long time shooters and have had all too many, similar experiences at shooting ranges.  One suggestion that came up was that no one gets a key to the range without going through an orientation, to see that they're handling guns safely, aren't abusing any range equipment, etc.  When I was president of a local gun club, we had everyone sign a rule sheet.  Of course it's one thing to sign a piece of paper, and quite another to actually behave yourself.  If the range is out in the county, as ours was, then people can, and do, just walk around the gate, go in and wreak havoc.

The other, massive and very common problem, is people leaving junk at a range, whether it be a formal range or any place in the county that happens to be a decent place to shoot.  All the best places to shoot in my general area have been shut down for that reason.  I hate to say it; too many shooters are lousy rotten stinking pigs.  Don’t be that guy.  I always took all my trash and junk out when I left, and some more besides, but that didn’t prevent the nice places from being posted “No Trespassing”.  There was still a “critical mass” of stupidity. Don’t get me wrong; I like blowing up used appliances as much as anyone, the difference being that I’d cart the junk and litter out with me, and pay the fee to take it to the dump.

I can’t help wondering how much of that abuse is intentional, perpetrated by someone who hates gun owners.  Doesn’t matter though; if all the real shooters were careful to leave the place clean when they left, a few saboteurs would be unable to get the place shut down.

[Bishop Creek]

I have to admit, I haven't shot at a range since the 1970s. Like G Dog, I mostly shoot on BLM land out in the boonies. I did have one incident about 10 years ago that made me a bit nervous.

I was out by myself shooting my Remington when a truck drove by me with three men in the front seat. Unusual to see anyone else in that particular spot where I was and they drove to the backside of the 15 foot high natural berm I was using as a backstop and proceeded to fire what sounded like high caliber rifles at the other side of the berm, in my direction! After I heard a couple of bullets buzz by over my head I was out of there as quick as you can imagine. They may have been drinking as one of the passengers appeared to have blood shot eyes as they passed me coming in.

[mazo kid]

When I'm not shooting at my place, we sometimes go to a public range about 45 minutes away. Usually not too many people there during week days. One time there was a dad teaching his young son how to shoot. There was a jam (AR15 type gun) and the kid just spun around before dad could stop him. There were a bunch of us ducking! That was the only time though. There is a dumpster provided (I pick up lots of empty cartridge boxes!) but there is still a bit of trash left on the ground. Yep, some people are just pigs.

[mike116]

This is what BLM land looks like around here.   I got tired of looking at messes like this and hauling a truck load of other peoples trash home with me so I don't attempt to shoot on public land anymore.   The place was relatively clean when these photos were taken.  Usually there is several old appliances and hundreds of aluminum cans.    The scrap metal scavengers must have been there recently.
      

[Mad Dog Stafford]

I know, some people are just bad at shooting trash and don't clean up after them self......

I always make a box with phone books in it to save all the lead and bullets.

I do pick up most trash out there when I shoot. 

[TinMan2]

Have to relay something that I experienced a few years ago.  Where I lived in West Virginia I had access to two public ranges.  Both of these ranges are on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's).  Public hunting land.  I made it a habit to go to the ranges during the week or VERY early before the stupid bunch gets out of bed.  Now these ranges have rules and regulations that the local rangers or PD can write tickets for.  BUT when alone, even when the rule is to ground your firearm and leave all weapons at the butt when checking or changing targets.  Do not do this when alone or when all folks go down range.  Put you gun on safe, leave it loaded and take it with you.  Look up "Beech Fork gun range and preacher".  This guy was an acquaintance of mine and we had shot together before.  I was at the same range the day before he was killed, alone and shooting.  This could have been me.  NEVER EVER leave a gun unattended.
I was at the range I shoot at now Palachucola in Garnet South Carolina.  Another unsupervised range.  I drove up about a month ago and 5-6 guys were 100 meters down range and there were a minimum of 10 AR's and M14's sitting on the butts unattended.  I could have scooped up a 1/2 dozen and been on my way out and they wouldn't have even seen me.  I challenged these guys when they came back from their targets and you would have thought I was the stupid one.  I do not care where you are or what you are doing DO NOT LEAVE A GUN UNATTENDED.  Please, Mike

[rdstrain49]

Seems to me that if the anti-gun folks want to get serious, all they have to do is visit a public range.  After hearing what some of you have experienced at public ranges, it would be easy to become anti-gun.  Sure glad I have my own ranges.

[Kaeto]

The only outdoor range I shoot at is run by the Mi D.N.R.  It is manned and is very nice. Only paper targets or clays if skeet shooting are allowed and no human shaped targets. It has 10 ft, 50 ft, 100 ft, and 200 ft ranges, A skeet and trap area. Shotgun patterning range, and archery range. The rifle and pistol ranges have covered shooting points. and the newest addition is indoor toilets.

It's called the Sharonville shooting range.
Here's some pics

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x883cdb7894b76dfd:0x52b2d07da11bad6b!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4shttp://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10363_56074-274040--,00.html!5ssharon+hollow+gun+range+-+Google+Search&imagekey=!1e1!2shttp://www.michigan.gov/images/dnr/Sharonville_Shooting_Range_17_379934_7.jpg&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_NzC2-nZAhULr4MKHYO0DnoQoioIqwEwCg

[Hawg]

I'm glad I shoot on my own property. No idiots other than me. Nobody to criticize my safety habits or lack thereof and if I don't want to pick anything up I don't have to.

[G Dog]

The only outdoor range I shoot at is run by the Mi D.N.R.  It's called the Sharonville shooting range.

Hi Kaeto -      That looks like the country club of ranges.  A public facility like that would never happen in California.  This state authorizes expenditures only in opposition to shooting sports and would never budget expenditure to actually further the activity.  Sacramento hates all gun enthusiasts and anyone slightly to the right of Mao Zedong, so only via the private sector would we ever have a place like Sharonville Shooting Facility.  Michigan did good.

That wooden sign - Dept. of Natural Recources could use a spell check, though.  Other than that detail the place looks near perfect.

[Kaeto]

And it's paid for exclusively through Hunting License Fees.  No tax dollars are spent on it.

[LonesomePigeon]

G Dog, there is an outstanding public range in San Luis Obispo, California. Staffed, covered, bathrooms, a rifle/pistol with steel and/or paper from 7 yards out to 750 yards. A skeet/trap range, an archery range, special muzzle loader range, cowboy action range and long range rifle which I believe goes out to 1,500 yards. http://slosa.org/

I'm not sure if this is true but what I heard was the land used to be privately owned and the owner gave the land to the state on the condition that they would maintain it as a shooting range forever. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the range is closed California Fish & Wildlife does environmental studies out there.