Member
Join Date: November 23, 2008
Location: Longview, TX
Posts: 311 There's the mentioned Lock and Load indoor range in Tyler. Been there once, nice place. Bring money.
The East Texas Rifle and Pistol Club is just down the road a piece from Tyler right off I-20 between Longview and Kilgore. NRA membership required. It's outdoor with covered shooting spots. Very reasonable, can't remember exactly how much. I do most of my plinking type shooting on the Sabine River. There's a first class sporting clay range west of Kilgore, Prairie Creek Ranch about a half hour from Tyler. There used to be a range just outside the loop in Tyler but I've never been there. You'll get used to the fact that a 30-60 minute drive ain't nothing in Texas.
Welcome to Texas, we don't care how you used to do it in California.
All good info, I live in Jacksonville, about 25 miles due south of Tyler. I have a membership in the Highway 31 shootiing range, yes on hwy 31, south of Tyler, just outside Chandler. It's about a 45 min drive for me, but the only range for rifles around. They have 25,50,100, 200, and I have been told if it is not too wet, a 500 yard range( have not seen that part). Also a dedicated 25 yard pistol range. Across the creek is an area for practical pistol type shooting and if this is not in use there is a permanently mounted trap for very informal clay birds.
Lock & Load is ok but I do not care for indoor. It's owned by a cardiologist, who is also an excellent photographer. He took the pictures that made international news when the space shuttle Columbia broke up over E. Texas. A large piece landed less than 1/4mile from my house, and was guarded by state troopers for seveal days until it was picked up.
Purchasing firearms is no problem here, especially if you have a Texas CHL. With it you just fill out the 4473, pay, and take it with you, No background check.
Most police officers I know are fine with concelaed carry, just let them know. Had one chastise me lightly because I left it in the car while shopping for a safe where he was learning to be a locksmith on the side. Said it did'nt do any good in the car if i needed it elsewhere. Before we had CHL, I was called in to our ER, the hospital where I am a pharmacist. One of the officers was working security and we got to talking, and I told hime coming up there I carried, again no problems, just told him my attitude was that if stopped I would simply be courteous so as not to give any reason for a search and he replied that was the thing to do.
You are moving to a good area. Tyler is ok for shopping, Mac's gunshop downtown has been there for years, he is a serious collector of Parker shotguns. There are a couple of good new shops, a couple down on hwy 155 south and on on the NE loop called Hot Rod Arms, which deals mostly in police/tactical type( I picked up some stripped lower receivers for some AR builds there) and a Gander Mountain which has a good selection.
If you do not want to go to Dallas, Shreveport, La is closer and easier to get around in, at least I know the town better having spent a few years in the USAF Res over at Barksdale AFB. Just east of town at Haughton, off US Hwy 80 is Jim Clark's( now deceased) place, being run by his sons and daugher. Good for 1911 work and they have branched out int custon 10/22 and AR 15 types. Last time I was there the showroom was like a museum. A bit west in Terrel is a little shop, called Chadicks, Hershel Chadick deals in high grade and vintage shotguns, Parkers, LC Smith, Fox, British, and European. I have handled a couple of Parkers there that were priced at about $130,000, way out of my price range but the nice folks let me handle everything there as much as I wanted so I could determine what I might want.
