Shooting facility preferences?

[Jack B.]

If you have property you can safely shoot on by all means maintain it. I used to have property that I could shoot on, but times have changed and I am now a member at 2 outdoor ranges and one indoor range. All are well maintained and supervised which I like. If you can afford to belong to an established range I would recommend doing that also. Helps keep you in touch with what's going on in the gun world. Just pick your range carefully, I reload my own ammo and some ranges don't allow that. Plus it's very nice to shoot at a climate controlled range when the weather is crappy. There are all kinds of different venues to choose from.

 

[Dibbs]

One trip to a public range will probably have you RUNNING, to mow your weeds. You will surely appreciate what you have at home, then.

 

[George P]

If I was just shooting metallic like handguns and maybe sighting in a rifle, then I would prefer my own place. My favorite, however, is shotgun and clay targets. The cost of the machines, etc. is prohibitive for an individual to set up a sporting clays course, so I belong to a club. The fact that they also have metallic areas makes it convenient since I do not have the ability to shoot on my own property.

 

[.308 Norma]

I actually enjoy shooting in winter as finding brass in dead grass is easier.

Trust me - finding brass in even six inches of snow can be a pain in the you know what.
Switching to revolvers and bolt action rifles in the wintertime has certain benefits in this part of the country.

 

[bannockburn]

Howland937

Use to shoot outdoors on a friend's farm out in the country. He would mow the lawn the day before then we would set out one of those blue vinyl tarps and we would shoot to the left of it so most of our brass landed on the tarp. When we were done we would pick up the corners so all the brass went to the center and then just sort through it. Mostly 9mm., .45, .223, and 7.62x39.

 

[rkittine]

Shooting from my apartment in Manhattan has to be very carefully done! Pretty much the same thing for my house on Long Island. I have gotten pretty good though with my sling shot.

So for me it is ranges. I belong to 4 private clubs and shot also at about 6 public shooting centers.

Bob

 

[Howland937]

we would set out one of those blue vinyl tarps

I've done that with tarps and it works well, except for when it doesn't pay flat. Yesterday I had a tarp down as much as possible, 4x4 cardboard square, and a jacket hanging on it. In theory, brass ejects against the cardboard, jacket dampens it so it doesn't bounce, tarp catches it. If anyone saw my contraption they woulda thought we had a squatter setting up residence. But the weeds were too high for anyone to see.

 

[I6turbo]

The area we agreed to keep mowed amounts to about 7 acres. Obviously I don't need all of it to shoot on. We still use my grandpa's old Ford 2000 tractor and a 6ft bushhog. When it's knee high it takes about 3 1/2 hours. Tall as it is now, it'll be all day. In contrast, my yard is little over an acre and I'd rather get beat with a stick than mow and trim

I'd mow. I'd rather get beat with a stick than to go to a public range as compared to shooting on my own land.

 

[.308 Norma]

Shooting from my apartment in Manhattan has to be very carefully done!

 

[.38 Special]

After reading posts about people who don't have private access, I guess I won't whine about the tall grass (chest high now)...I'll just make a few lanes, spend about $100 on some gravel and not worry if the rest ever gets mowed again. Be better for the bunnies and handful of pheasants anyway.

Well said.

I live about 20 minutes away from a decent outdoor range where each shooter gets his own 10 yard by 50 yard lane in which to do pretty much what he wants. No caliber restrictions, rapid fire is fine, as is drawing from a holster. You can set up your own targets and move around to avoid "square range syndrome". As long as you don't do anything especially stupid, the R.O. will leave you to it. So I consider myself pretty fortunate.

Having said that, I would trade it for my own personal range any day of the week, and keep it mowed with a smile on my face!

 

[hso]

We typically take turns mowing, but someone missed their turn. For a month now.

What's the price to mow for a year vs. the price of the local range?

 

[CapnMac]

Well, my personal preference is (somewhat) improved outdoor range, with unimproved as second choice (overhead cover and paved shooting point has much to recommend it).
Now, I'd much rather that were on my property than some one else's.

Indoor ranges are sore complicated, and expensive to match.

Here in DFW I drive nearly an hour to a different county to get open air and elbow room (and no restrictions on rifle FMJ). I'd much rather go mow.

 

[Howland937]

What's the price to mow for a year vs. the price of the local range?

Monetary cost is probably $20 in fuel each time, plus hauling the tractor over since anything not set in concrete tends to disappear. Agreement is to mow 1x April, 2x May, June,July,Aug and 1x Sept & Oct. No clue what local ranges charge because I've never felt the need to check into it. Not really sure if there are any nearby.

 

[Howland937]

Guess I'll think of how much it would suck to not be able to stop and shoot anytime I want when I'm out there mowing this weekend
And I'll try not to get frustrated picking up after other people who enjoy the convenience of having access without putting in any effort. Then I can probably get a couple hours of shooting in while the brush pile someone left in the fire pit is burning off.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Shooting from my apartment in Manhattan has to be very carefully done!

 

[old lady new shooter]

Well said.

I live about 20 minutes away from a decent outdoor range where each shooter gets his own 10 yard by 50 yard lane in which to do pretty much what he wants. No caliber restrictions, rapid fire is fine, as is drawing from a holster. You can set up your own targets and move around to avoid "square range syndrome". As long as you don't do anything especially stupid, the R.O. will leave you to it. So I consider myself pretty fortunate.

Having said that, I would trade it for my own personal range any day of the week, and keep it mowed with a smile on my face!

That is a remarkable range, you are very lucky!

 

[.308 Norma]

Things are not quite as rosy about going shooting at the county gravel pit 2 miles from here as I painted them to be in my first post in this thread. I stopped by there this afternoon to try out some Federal 22LR ammo I bought the other day in my 10-22, and in my Glock 44.
The slobs had been there. There were literally piles of shotgun shell cases, broken bottles, shot up beer cans, pieces of what appeared to have been wooden pallets, and 7.62X39 cases laying everywhere.
I took a few minutes and picked some of trash up before I left. But I'm not going to be able to keep up with it forever.
It really ticks me off! We've been going shooting in that gravel pit for over 40 years, and I've never seen it as messy as it was today. Can't people realize that that gravel pit is county owned, and they are free to shoot there until somebody starts complaining? It won't take many complaints for the County Commissioners to have "No Trespassing" signs posted along the road going into that pit.
BTW, my 10-22 didn't like that Federal "Hunter Match" (40gr, 1,200FPS) ammo very much. It failed to eject about 30% of the time.
However, my Glock 44 loved it. That pistol functioned flawlessly with it, and I was actually shooting pretty good groups for a change.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

Don't take for granted what shooting venues you have at your disposal. As time rolls around it is harder to find good shooting ranges where I live and I am talking Virginia. Something I took for granted when I was a kid is now harder and harder to come by.

 

[jmr40]

If I had a place to shoot on my own property that met my needs I'd not join a range. But I'd have to have the ability to shoot out to at least 300 yards. Since I don't have that ability it is worth the price of the private club where I shoot.

 

[daniel craig]

I’d take a little mowing over paying you shoot at the same range some of these unsafe people do. You’re fortunate to have the place to shoot. Mow the weeds.

 

[FFGColorado]

I've never shot in any type organized competition. In fact, I've never shot at an actual range. All of the shooting I've done in my lifetime (except hunting) has been on family owned property, my back yard for .22s, or occasionally at someone else's backyard range. I can shoot on the family owned property anytime I want, but it's getting to be a pain because the weeds are high. We typically take turns mowing, but someone missed their turn. For a month now.
So I'm trying to decide if I enjoy the access I have to shoot in the weeds whenever I want, or would it be better to join a range, pay membership and let them worry about maintenance.
Weeds wouldn't be a big deal, but dang...pretty sure I got poison ivy trying to find my brass.

Yee gads, you are SO lucky. Get or rent a industrial riding mower and get 'er done!! You are a lucky guy to not be at the beck and call of either the County Sheriff, National Forest Service or Mother Nature(dry->fire ban), or have to drive hours to that uncontrolled outdoor shooting area..

 

[Sniper66]

I belong to a great outdoor range and it has been my salvation during these very bad times we are living in. But, have always wished I had land. Tell you what. I'll mow it in exchange for access!! I'll buy the equipment and keep it ship-shape. Plus I'll make sandwiches and invite you to join me on sandwich day!! Will bring beer to toast a good day at the end of our shoot. What do you think?

 

[Howland937]

I belong to a great outdoor range and it has been my salvation during these very bad times we are living in. But, have always wished I had land. Tell you what. I'll mow it in exchange for access!! I'll buy the equipment and keep it ship-shape. Plus I'll make sandwiches and invite you to join me on sandwich day!! Will bring beer to toast a good day at the end of our shoot. What do you think?

That's a pretty good offer. Be a haul over here to South Central Ohio, but all I can tell ya is come on!
I'm gonna try to hit it hard this weekend and get it back up to snuff. Have some storm damage, so a few trees that need hacked up once I mow a path to them. Gotta re-set the flagpole, new flag and solar spotlight. My cousin and I poured a concrete base for the flag pole and made a memorial to our grandma and grandpa, but the pole snapped off at the base. Not sure what I'm gonna do with that part yet. Thinking just a couple shooting lanes first, then sort out the rest.

 

[Mark1964]

Have no property of my own and have shot at clubs and state-owned ranges for years.
You figure out the better from the not-so-good and the best/worst times to go.
At good clubs, you can get into a nice group and try out disciplines and matches new to you.
Sure, I'd rather have a piece of land of my very own to shoot on, but living in town is no reason to stop gunning, IMO. One of the first things I do when I relocate is figure out where I'll be able to shoot.
Currently, I have two club and one indoor range memberships. Total annual outlay for memberships is about $400. Two are within 10 minutes of my home, and the other's about a 35 minute drive. I gun every week.
If you want to shoot, you'll find a way.

 

[bassjam]

And I'll try not to get frustrated picking up after other people who enjoy the convenience of having access without putting in any effort.

That happens at public and private ranges as well. We're suppose to police our brass, but not everyone does. We're supposed to place our targets away from the edges of the 4x8 OSB where the 2x4 frames are, but not everyone does and sometimes the backerboard falls down. We have a rimfire only bay with steel that some morons keep using centerfire in and ruining the targets. And most people I've met are considerate, but just last week some guy felt he was important and wouldn't stop shooting while 3 of us were asking for a cold range. I felt bad for the 85 year old man next to me that had packed up and had been patiently waiting to collect his targets for 15 minutes. I'm sure there's more issues, I've only been a member for 8 months.