New to TN

[itchyTF]

Made the move in Late January to retire. Midway between Knoxville and Bristol. I am disappointed. What could go wrong moving to the country in a gun friendly state? I was told the closest range is 70 miles away! In almost 3 months I've only seen 2 woodchucks and they were by the side of the road. While driving, I'm constantly looking at all the farmland hoping to see a grazing chuck or one standing up. NOT ONE. This is depressing.

I've always wanted a "shop". Now I have the place for one. Got a 2 axis Bridgeport, a PM1340, phase converter, and bandsaw coming next week. Now all I need is an air compressor. I've always had projects that I was able to use friend's machines for. Now I can't think of anything to use this stuff for. A sad state of affairs.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Dang man! You should have used a Realtor that shoots BR.
There are a couple of good rimfire clubs around Bristol and there is Oak Ridge for cf long range stuff. Also, Danny Hensley, who started UBR, is in Jonesville, Va. There's Buckcreek gun club at Somerset, Ky. Gallatin Tn has a club but is shut down because of relocating...still looking for a new place, last I knew.

You're in a pretty active general area for shooting,..just may have to drive a little further than ideal. I'm fairly sure there are some small clubs closer by than these. Maybe someone will chime in that's more from your specific location. You're in a beautiful area, IMO. Coyotes and hawks have taken a toll on groundhogs where I am..Probably the same there, too. Might look into coyote hunting. It's a blast and they're sharp critters. I'm near Bowling Green, Ky...probably about 4 hrs from you.

 

[chkunz]

There are NRA XTC, Mid Range and Long Range matches at the AEDC KD range just off of I-24 exit 117 near Manchester and Tullahoma. The Mid Range and Long Range matches have both conventional and F Class prone shooters. The Gallatin club is famous for bench rest matches and is looking for property to relocate and will probably be convenient to I-40.

 

[itchyTF]

Thanks for the input but that's a bit far for what I need. In PA (where I came from) I was 10 miles away from a nice 300 yd. range. I guess I got spoiled. I used to compete in HP but not anymore. I'm pretty much a varmint shooter but would like a convenient range for load workup. Some varmints would be nice too. Both Manchester and Gallatin are over 200 miles from me.

 

[XTR]

chkunz, he said he's over between Knoxville and Bristol, it's 4 hours for him to get to Tullahoma. It was three hours for me to get there from Oak Ridge.

To the OP, WTF did you expect. A 1000 yard range in every town. By the way, Oak Ridge has one of the best facilities in the US and it's $120/yr. Just don't be a putz and shoot the target stands if you join.

Look around and you may find some you didn't know about. Most people don't know it but the town or Norris has a 300 yard range, pay a minimal annual fee, stop and get the key from the police station. (it's a small town)

Do you realize how few good ranges there are in the world that go to 600, for 1000 yard ranges there are what, about three east of the Mississippi that aren't on a military base? Oh yea, You happen to live slam damn in the middle nowhere that far over in East TN. Not a ton of population to support a range, but if you can't find a place to shoot you aren't looking. (you could go buy 1000 acres and start your own you know)

I just moved from "The Patron State of Shooting Stuff" to NH. I have four total opportunities per yr to shoot 1000 yard matches within 5 hours drive. I can add two more if I go to Canada and stretch the drive to 6 hours. To get any more it takes me to a 10 hour drive (think drive to Memphis from where you are)

Your bitchin' cause the beer's warm and I'm dying of thirst.

It's Tennessee, you can load test in your back yard if you are in the county and not shooting at your neighbors house.

As for chucks, there ain't much on the east side of the state.. if you haven't heard it, "...ground's to rocky by far..."

 

[wvaughn7]

Itchy, I sent you a PM. PM me back and maybe I can get you some information as I'm also from Morristown.

 

[gotcha]

Rome wasn't built in a day. ........... With your soon to be machining capability you'll have something to trade for time at many of the local privately owned ranges in the area. ..... Be flexible, you're not in Pa. anymore Yotes are in abundance in your area and this opportunity will grow as your personal contacts in the area expand. Get out and meet folks at gun shows or shops.

 

[XTR]

In all seriousness if you want to hunt what gotcha says is very important. Meet people, talk to people. There is a lot of land on which you can hunt and shoot that is not a "range" as it were, you just have to meet the people who know where it is.

 

[Tnslim]

Welcome to the great state of Tennessee. Not many earthpigs anymore but plenty enough coyotes to go around. It's much harder hunting but IMO much more satisfying.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

I moved to SW Idaho in summer of 1978 from the StL area. I had been out here three times in the years prior to research the availability of things that interested me. I knew where the ranges were, and had met members of the two R&G Clubs. It makes all the difference in the world.

You just need to talk online with some of the Tennessee members here and things will be fine.

 

[WayneShaw]

Isn't Unaka in your area? Johnson City?

 

[USMCDOC]

Isn't Unaka in your area? Johnson City?

Indeed Unaka is in Johnson City.. Kettlefoot is in Bristol and Cherokee Rod and Gun is in Kingsport. There was a place in Greenville that was doing something, but i have been out of touch on that facility for a while now. Then in the other direction you have Oak Ridge and Volunteer Rifle & Pistol Club that is in Knoxville. Then there is the Asheville Rifle & Pistol Club in Arden NC, Boone NC has the Watauga Rife and Pistol Club, Saltville Va is putting in a 500-600 yard range from what i hear..

 

[Rtheurer]

You know its kinda funny in a way on how those of us on here think. I plan to retire in East TN. So I have been researching and visiting areas that I like. Things I was looking at the top of my list. Where all the Matches are in the area, Land Prices as I want to get as much as possible and terrain features that will support shooting on my own property safely with not a lot of neighbors. In all that searching East of Knoxville never ever came up as a prime spot. If you draw a line from Nashville to Chattanooga to Knoxville..... that is the triangle that is in the Mecca.

to the OP... your out of the best spot by one hour. No point in fusing if some homework was not done. Now I think you need to hook up with some Farmers in the area.

 

[Tommie]

@OP
While doing research about the area (prior to moving there) did someone lie to you or in some other way misrepresent the shooting opportunities?

 

[Greyfox]

Welcome to TN. Sorry it hasn't exactly been what you had hoped for, but then life does have it's disappointments. Actually 70 miles really isn't bad for the drive to an accessible range. Here in Middle TN, we just lost our lease with TVA that we had since 1962. We're having a little trouble finding new ground and I'd probably not be too unhappy if what we do find is a good spot 70 miles away. I could sure live with it. Anyway, as has been mentioned, there are several ranges in your area, most just a bit further than you would prefer. I think you are going to find that there are shooters around and matches to take advantage of if you choose. There is a UBR match every month just up the road in Jonesville VA to name one. There's long range and short range both available, just a little further to drive, but you might admit that the drive will be a pretty one.

Whistle pigs are sparse, it's true, not much can be done about that. Housing and coyotes have combined to knock down the population. But crows are available, just get permission and those coyotes are shootable as well. Also, the deer population is huge and the season long. Welcome.

Rick

 

[300_whisper]

Well you moved south of the mason dixon line so you're already on the right track. I move all over the US so I just make friends with farmers. It's easy to do and tons of great hunting and shooting as a result!

 

[jpx2rk]

I drive about 50 miles one way to ORSA (~ hour drive), so I just plan on spending most of the day there, wife usually ends up calling/texting wanting to know when I'll be home for supper and that my dog is bugging the crap out of her (daddy's girl) and missing me. I may take 2 or 3 guns to do load testing (noob reloader ) which I have found to be extremely fun but very frustrating as well.

I'm retired, so I have the time, the drive does get a bit old, but it works ok. The facilities I use at ORSA are very good IMO and suits my needs. Guess it's a good think I have a truck to haul my stuff when I do go to the range.

 

[XTR]

As for deer, if you haven't had the chance yet to look at the TN hunting laws you should. If you limit out on archery, muzzle loader, and rifle you can take 10 to 13 a yr with no special permits or draw hunts. Now all but 2 or 3 of those have to be does, and you can get most of them in the archery and ML seasons. You can take 4 deer in archery and 4 in ML, and the entire season is either sex, last time I looked. There are weekends in the rifle season that you can take does.

I think TN allows more turkeys than any other state. (I want to say it's like 6 total across both seasons) I never hunted them, but my friend and hunting partner there spent inordinate amounts of time in the woods making strange noises trying to shoot the silly birds.

 

[USMCDOC]

As for deer, if you haven't had the chance yet to look at the TN hunting laws you should. If you limit out on archery, muzzle loader, and rifle you can take 10 to 13 a yr with no special permits or draw hunts. Now all but 2 or 3 of those have to be does, and you can get most of them in the archery and ML seasons. You can take 4 deer in archery and 4 in ML, and the entire season is either sex, last time I looked. There are weekends in the rifle season that you can take does.

I think TN allows more turkeys than any other state. (I want to say it's like 6 total across both seasons) I never hunted them, but my friend and hunting partner there spent inordinate amounts of time in the woods making strange noises trying to shoot the silly birds.

A friend of mine use to hunt all three zones.. and come home with 21 deer a year

 

[XTR]

Unit L over in the western half of the state used to allow 4 does a day, period. A couple of yrs ago they changed that to 4 does a day if you had a permit of some kind. I think a nuisance permit or something like that. The rules change as TWRA decides on population in given areas.

I've left the house with the potential to get into trouble at least once thinking it was a doe weekend, and it was in Unit B but not in Unit A, and living in the Oak Ridge area it is very easy to hunt both depending on which way you turn out of the driveway, Roane is in a different unit than Anderson. When I had my house in Oak Ridge I lived about 500 yards into Roane.