New Range start up

[GunnyGene]

This is a bit of purely local interest, but my small farming community has been needing a good range for many years. The closest range (private or public) until now has been a 30 mile drive. So one of my neighbors decided to take the plunge and build one. Just found out about it today. YAAAA!! :mrgreen:

It will be a local IDPA range/club, but he's also put in a 275meter rifle range, and is offering a variety of gunsmithing services and courses for young shooters, in addition to IDPA competitions, when he gets it all up and running. I really hope he's successful, since it would be a nice boon to our small community.

He's just put up a brand new website with some preliminary info. https://gunsmithsoutheast.com/

 

[graygun]

 

[Kevin]

I belong to an outdoor range. It’s 70 miles one way. I hope your neighbor is successful! It would be kind of fun to do that, but I can only imagine what the liability insurance is going to cost.

 

[recumbent]

I'm spoiled, I'm a member of Red Brush Rifle Range, it's a 10 minute drive from my house.
All our member have to be an NRA member,we get our insurance from the NRA. I have been a member
for 35 years.
http://redbrush.org/

 

[Pat-inCO]

All our member have to be an NRA member,we get our insurance
from the NRA. I have been a member for 35 years.

You hit all the big items there. All members being NRA members allows the club to
get NRA insurance, which saves a LOT of money. You can still have non members
shoot there (if you have members as RO) and you can have open range days,
as long as they are not all the time.

I just dropped my membership in a club in CO that has that exact same setup.

(the commute to North of Denver to shoot, driving from here, seems excessive :wink: )

 

[nvbirdman]

When our club built a range, we went before the zoning board to get a zoning variance. This is very important, because ten years later when somebody buys an adjacent property and complains about the range we can now say the range was already there and we are in compliance with the zoning.

 

[rugerguy211]

I consider myself fortunate that there have always been clubs near where I've lived.
Currently there are two clubs in my town, and I hold memberships to both.
It's 1/2 mile from my driveway to one club, if I walk through the woods. It's 3/4 mile if I take the "long way" around and drive. The second club is 3 1/2 miles away.
Between the two there is an indoor range (25 yards), outdoor ranges from 50 feet to 600 yards, skeet, trap, action pistol, archery, and fishing.

 

[AJGUNNER]

I consider myself fortunate that there have always been clubs near where I've lived.
Currently there are two clubs in my town, and I hold memberships to both.
It's 1/2 mile from my driveway to one club, if I walk through the woods. It's 3/4 mile if I take the "long way" around and drive. The second club is 3 1/2 miles away.
Between the two there is an indoor range (25 yards), outdoor ranges from 50 feet to 600 yards, skeet, trap, action pistol, archery, and fishing.

I know I would love to have this option.

My current range is a friends 500 acre ranch property that is 5 miles 1 way. It is probably used by 5 to 10 other people, but in 15 years we have never been shooting here when someone else was there. It also get used by The Boy Scouts 2 weekends per year, which I always help out with. We take all our own stuff---benches, targets, shade, TP, hot & cold drinks, etc. We shoot mostly short range pistols, but can get up to 125 yards fairly easy. We shoot targets, steel, cowboy (with 22's), and trap. The only real problem we run into is that once the warm weather dries things out, everyone gets locked out for the summer due to fire danger. This is usually July 4th until late september. Yes it has been 5-6 weeks and yes the fingers are getting itchy. The land owner and family deer hunt it, so we respect them and stay away from early mornings on weekends during the deer season. Myself and friends that utilize the property feel very fortunate to have a great spot so close without knuckle draggers showing up with computers, TV's, glass and other junk to shoot at with their A/K's and bottom feeders. While I can and do shoot at my place, I don't really have a solid backstop. Plus I have neighbors with horses and dogs that can get fairly excited at gunfire. So out of respect for them, I keep my home shooting to a minimum and always call to let them know ahead of time.

One other minor inconvenience is that there can be anywhere from 1 to 6 gates to open and close depending on where the cows are. Just another reason to always offer to drive and not be the passenger/gate guy. :lol: Depending on the season and where the cows have been, we also have to watch for cow pies and sometimes need to bring along a weed wacker. :wink:

Since everyone loves photos, here are a few random pics from past days enjoying the sport we all love. Also an open invite to any forum members that are close or find themselves in the area and want to pop a cap or 2, just get in touch with me.

 

[mexicanjoe]

I have free access to an indoor range just 2 miles from my office; a private ranch 25 miles away with a 20 acre gravel pit ( 24/7 access) , the Sheriffs range 52 miles away, and 24 hour access plus turkey hunting rights on a 5,000 acre ranch just 18 miles from the SO range. Im surely blessed; but when I cowboyed in college the ranch I worked on was 64,000 +- acres , covered in coyotes. We had an abandoned lease road 1 mile long we used to sight in long range shooting.....life was good, ammo was cheap, but the pay was horrible: $300.00 per month......

 

[kmoore]

My club is about 30 miles away, just part of living in a metro area. Just want to mention. I shot rifle competition several times at the Washoe? Co. NV range/county park. The range is owned by the county and under operation by the county parks dept. There is a county employee or more there during the time the range(s) are open. I asked a worker how the range pencils out for the county. He said it is the only county park that makes any money. The rest cost taxpayer money to keep open.
Gunny, I hope that range becomes a big success.

 

[Biggfoot44]

In most urban/ suburban- ish area , 30 miles is close . A range over 200yds is probably min 150 miles . ( Ok , I partly take that back . For the other, other long range venue , requires membership in a Club with severe membership cap, and range access in cpl hour window, maybe once a month .)

On the flipside in actual rural areas , few Clubs or formal ranges , because people just use their own , or friends farm . Until the county gets critical mass of transplanted soccer moms , the county gov't severely restricts shooting to appease the constituents , and the formerly casual shooters find themselves cut out , with oppressive requirements to start up a club/ range under the new rules .

 

[kmoore]

My club gun range has max length 1,000 yards for rifle, even 50 cal rifle. Practice rifle 25 to 200 yd. Handgun is max'ed at 100 yd I believe. Shotgun trap and skeet. Action rifle is also up to 200 yds. Indoor 50 ft handgun and smallbore rifle. It has large power towers along 1 side, a highway on another. The hill is owned by the range. Someday there will be neighbors that hate the sound.

 

[exavid]

I have a county range about four miles away, 13 different ranges for archery, shotgun, rimfire, pistol, long range rifle 300-600yds, up to 1000yds with prior arrangement for competition. Real nice set up $40 per year for family pass, $25 for single. Range open all year during daylight hours. That's beside the Medford Rifle and Pistol Club indoor range. Dues there are $75 per year for family. 24hr access, lighted, heated.
Shooters paradise in these parts.

 

[Xsales]

I have my own private range
80 acres with no structures near by
40 minute drive (I-10) from the house

Taken many family & friends there

 

[gramps]

I own a farm, have had a range from the get go. 120 yd rifle, also a 50 yd archery, and 25 yd handgun. I call it Telgar Farm Country Club for S & Giggles. Life is good!
gramps