Gas Prices and Range Trips

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Flame Red

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I am sure it is just not me, but maybe we can all complain here. I have a range that is about 15 minutes away but it will be closing in the near term as they are building a retirement community down range so it is only a matter of time before some fossile anti complains and we get shutdown. :fire:

My only aternative is a range I belong to that is about an hour's drive away. I used to go there every couple of months but not any more. And I can't see driving down the dirt road with a Prius! Plus my 50 BMG won't fit! And yes, the $40 in gas does not compare to the cost of ammo.

Any of you found good solutions or any gone ahead or have any of you replaced your trucks to make range time travel more reasonable? To me it just doesn't make economic sense to get rid of a truck that is paid off, and replace it with something that is going to cost me a $600/month payment - especially since I expect to be layed off and replaced with a [explitive deleted] guy from India any day now. I can buy at least six tanks of gas for $600/month.

What to do?
 
First, I hope your range stays strong.
Second, perhaps you can petition to change city/town laws to prevent them from being able to kick you out as you were there first and they knowingly built next to the range.
Third, leave empty casings near the buildings, then when they sue for shooting at their buildings, you can have lots of gun experts laugh at them. Okay probably not a good idea to do, but I'm sure they'll do it themselves.
 
helps to make sure that all prospective owners of the new community are advised according to law of the gun ranges prescence;.....and sign that they were advised.
 
The place I shoot at (mostly steel and IDPA matches) is 60 miles away. You bet your arse that gas cost is a big consideration for me now. Add to that the increasing cost of ammo.

For a routine IDPA match it costs me about $65 between gas, match fee, and ammo. Getting to be too expensive now to go.

Greg
 
Gotta buy a property near the place you shoot... then complain, "There isn't enough shooting going on!"

The house I'm buying is across the street from a ~100,~200,~300 yard range that the police and locals shoot at.
 
I have the fortune of having a nice indoor range halfway between work and home.

Now if I want to go longer range shooting, that's a 45 mile round trip <sigh>.
 
A hard case and a roof rack should cure that problem.
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Hmmm - how about just a roof mount? I think the state troopers might be a little peeved. LoL.

I can see it now, it falls off on the road and makes the news. Or gets stolen when we stop for lunch.

I just hate the thought of a 'station wagon' - or then call them 'cross overs' now. I would rather walk. Besides, the difference in gas miliage is not seem to justify the expendature.
 
Well I've never had a truck to start with but even with reasonable gas mileage it costs me about $25 to get to much of a place to shoot. Add another $20 in to pay for range fees. $45 before ammo does make it harder to shoot as much.
 
I have slowed down my shooting due to gasoline and factory ammo prices.

My favorite range is an outdoor range about an hour's drive away. I have an indoor range within walking distance of my house. i don't have a membership there any more. The lighting is poor and it is handgun only. 22 rifles are okay.

I shoot less. I fish less. I hunt less. I drive less. Some say "less is more" but not for me. :)
 
I can see it now, it falls off on the road and makes the news. Or gets stolen when we stop for lunch.
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Sorry Flame, I was thinking along the lines of straight there and straight back. Stops in between weren't considered.

Still, I have carried an entertainment center - broken down in it's box, which was 5 ft x 18 in x 6 in - home from the store inside a '77 Toyota Celica. ( with two of us also in the car ) So I'm pretty sure I could figure out how to get a .50 cal gun inside a Prius. :p


J.C.
 
i understand your position...gas prices suck. plain and simple.
I guess looking at things a little different may help....
I am a tightwad by nature, if theres a penny to be saved i'm all over it.

gas is roughly $4 a gallon...
trip to the range you said is about an hour away...so approx 120 miles round trip...
average car gets 30mpg...so 4 gal. of gas.
so $16 in gas to get you there and back.

approx.cost of eating out ...approx $5-10/meal depending on the restraunt.

approx cost of a bottle of soda at store..$1

eat in a couple times a week, limit soda a bit...your range trip is covered in no time.
i don't know about you, but i would rather shoot my firearms than have a big mac from mc.ds anyday.

were you really complaining about gas mileage/cost while owning a prius?????
my wife had a rental prius for a week, put many many miles on it and she said that it cost her $8 to top the tank off....
could be worse, we could have to afford the gas while driving an escalade!!!!

good luck with your local range...i hope that it stays open.

my wife always knows when i'm planning on a big range trip...i stock up on bread and sandwich supplies first!!!!
 
My trip to the range, thank god my outdoor range is paved. Well my range car is either my BMW or my wifes mini van. Yes i find i am going less. Heck i just filled up my wifes car this morning. It cost $70.00 Now her car will last for about 2 weeks. mine gets filled twice a week mine is around 60. Man thats a lot of money. Seems like i am using the resources i have. Meaning i am loading my own with all my own components. As so i do not spend any extra money. My range time sadly has gone to about once a month. However i take plenty of ammo and make a full day of it. My range is 20 miles away.
 
Hasn't anyone tried taking thier motorcycle to the range, (with rifle & pistol cases strapped acoss thier backs)? Thier better on gas ya' know! :D
 
Closest range for any long range shooting is about 40 miles for me. Dues went up to 150 year so even though I may not get there but 4-5 times a year its the only game around. Gas (diesel) cost is not a factor, if I want to go I shall.
 
A few years ago the local BP club I shot at had a shooter who would show up on a motercycle, a large Harley!! He would pack both saddlebags with shooting supplies and a pistol or two, and strap a flint Longrifle with a 44" barrel AND a double barrel 12ga with 30" barrels across his back!!! Told me he has never been stopped, but had a Sheriffs Deputy follow him to the range once!:evil:

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas
 
I can shoot 25yd .22 outside my back door. Maybe 50yd but I have to make SURE any flyers won't hit anything important!

I don't even know where I could shoot long range around here. Many folks have enough property, but not me.

If I knew WHERE to go I'd get there you can believe me!
 
The gun range I go to is about a 10 minute drive away. I've thought about biking to it, but don't like the prospect of hauling a Nagant with ammo on a bike. ;)
 
At current Diesel Prices + Ammo Prices + My Current Pathetic Income
I can only afford a trip to the BLM land I shoot on maybe once a month at the moment. :(
 
.. on an alloy horse I ride

bike2-2.jpg

I've taken my Mosin down there many times. This summer I've got a BOB trailer that's made the task even easier. It's about 30 miles roundtrip and makes for an excellent Saturday or Sunday outing. I get my exercise and my shooting together.
 
Grab a friend or two and split the cost. That's what I do.

By the way - your truck must have some tangible value. What sort of (practical) vehicle less the value of your truck would require you to make a $600 payment? I'm just glad I purchased a fuel efficient car five years ago despite the fact that fuel was well under $2.00/gallon at the time...
 
My range is (or was) 35 miles away. Between gas and ammo costs, yes, I've cut back on my weekly range trip. Doesn't help they just closed the range :mad:

Anyhow, I'm not allowed to shoot firearms where I live, but I am allowed to shoot air rifles & pistols, so I accumulated a Beeman R7 rifle, an Izzy 46M 10m pistol and a S&W CO2 revolver and manage to get my daily fix that way. Just a few rounds per day off my porch, making each one count. Takes 10-15 minutes, AND they've already paid for themselves in saved gas and ammo. I do a lot of dry fire practice as well.

I like to ride my bike, too. I ride to work 2-3 times/week. More saved gas, PLUS, I noticed a lot of wheel weights along the road, and given the price of lead, I've been stopping to pick them up whenever I can. Eventually, I'll take them and my saved rimfire brass to the recycling center. Cleaning up, keeping fit and making $$ doing it!
 
Do you have to have a brand new truck? You have a Prius, is it your daily driver? Why not put aside 3 or 4 grand and buy a nice little used fuel efficient truck to beat around in? Something like a used 4cyl. Ranger, or Nissan, or Tacoma; and sell your other truck.
 
Why not put aside 3 or 4 grand and buy a nice little used fuel efficient truck to beat around in? Something like a used 4cyl. Ranger, or Nissan, or Tacoma; and sell your other truck.
Click to expand...

Most people who have Fullsize trucks have them for a reason, the smaller fuel efficient ones just won't do the job required.
 
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