What has happened to the rifle ranges? All ARs now, no chronographs.

[Intheshop]

Reading this thread makes me appreciate my home range even more. The only problems have been new residents that complain about gunfire. This one fellow even called the game warden to report us shooting because he could hear it from his deer lease and might disturb his deer. The game warden laughed at him and informed him it was perfectly legal to shoot on private property during deer season.

Same here,home range.The one time a neighbor called the warden( my son was blasting a 7 mag)..... the guy is my cousin.We got to yappin about scopes,he stayed for dinner,haha.

 

[alinwa]

Telling competitors not to shoot the turkeys and deer has become a part of our safety brief.

You know how deer POP their heads up every 10-20 seconds?

They'll sometimes get to where we're afraid to finish a group for fear one'll jerk in front of a bullet.

So we shoot a hole thru their ear......try MAKE em a'skeert. My last home range one deer had 3 holes......lol

 

[perry42]

At my local club we have a total of 20 different ranges. From 7yds to 200yds, 22 only to high power centerfire. As an older shooter I prefer week days over the weekends. The 200yd range is where I shoot the most with 6br, 6.5x55AI, and .22 rifles. Being over 75 I tend to take my time and watch other shooters. There are 6 positions going out to 50 yds and roughly 20 positions at 200yds. Most people using the 50yd targets are AR-15 shooters and the occasional bolt action shooter with a new rifle or scope. When seeing some one frustrated at getting shots on paper I have many times struck up a conversation with them and talked about thier rifle and support bags. Lending a decent bag/bags to them and demonstrating the proper use of support for the rifle usually turns an unhappy shooter to one that is glad to see better results on the target. If they show interest in what I'm shooting at 200 yds I let them take a few shots with my equipment. With a Farley joystick front rest and a leather bag rear both centerfire rifles easily shoot under 1" for new to br shooters. When they realize how easy it is to shoot accurately at distance I figure the hook has been set and they will learn how to be accurate, take time, and enjoy hitting a 1" dot at 200yds. I own an AR in 223 and 30blackout and enjoy the low recoil and accuracy possible with parts cobbed together from several different manufacturers. Having a 50yd target look like someone used a shotgun bothers me but the empty cases left behind eases my mind considerably. When the right circumstances arise mentor a new shooter, you will feel good and the shooting sports will benefit.

perry42

 

[dolek]

At my local club we have a total of 20 different ranges. From 7yds to 200yds, 22 only to high power centerfire. As an older shooter I prefer week days over the weekends. The 200yd range is where I shoot the most with 6br, 6.5x55AI, and .22 rifles. Being over 75 I tend to take my time and watch other shooters. There are 6 positions going out to 50 yds and roughly 20 positions at 200yds. Most people using the 50yd targets are AR-15 shooters and the occasional bolt action shooter with a new rifle or scope. When seeing some one frustrated at getting shots on paper I have many times struck up a conversation with them and talked about thier rifle and support bags. Lending a decent bag/bags to them and demonstrating the proper use of support for the rifle usually turns an unhappy shooter to one that is glad to see better results on the target. If they show interest in what I'm shooting at 200 yds I let them take a few shots with my equipment. With a Farley joystick front rest and a leather bag rear both centerfire rifles easily shoot under 1" for new to br shooters. When they realize how easy it is to shoot accurately at distance I figure the hook has been set and they will learn how to be accurate, take time, and enjoy hitting a 1" dot at 200yds. I own an AR in 223 and 30blackout and enjoy the low recoil and accuracy possible with parts cobbed together from several different manufacturers. Having a 50yd target look like someone used a shotgun bothers me but the empty cases left behind eases my mind considerably. When the right circumstances arise mentor a new shooter, you will feel good and the shooting sports will benefit.

perry42

Well said. I feel the same, encouragement works wonders for confidence. Turning a new person on to accuracy will often set the hook. We need all the folks we can get into this sport,starting to look like the cards are stacked against us.

 

[danny]

It happened to the gun magazines, as well.

Danny

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

AR/Auto loaders.

New gun owners = Better for us all. A gun is a gun. Single shot or full auto. All fun.

Just learn to duck the hot brass and double plug the ears for the "pistol" ARs. Lot of flash & shock waves.
Soon or later, your will own an AR 15.

Benchrest- there is a lot to be learned online, till the old guy shows up at your range with his benchrest rifle. I prefer no wind, no sun, and even light rain is ok (covered firing point). No one to bother me.

Almost any weekday and damp weekends in the winter when it’s about 45F are good range days around here. Most central/south Texans think that 45F is too cold to go out unless it’s blue sky sunny and no wind. To move past the 300 yd line we have to qualify by shooting a 5-shot group inside about a 6-8” ring at 300 yds with no other marks on the target. Obviously this isn’t real tough with a bit of practice with even a factory rifle and just decent ammo, but it’s enough to keep the AR shooters down by the 100 & 200 yd lines, so there’s a place for everyone.

 

[Rsadams]

Some common courtesy goes along ways, along with picking up your mess. That means brass and ripping riddled targets off of backers.
It's downright fun watching most zero a rifle scope, I had 3 hour pleasure of watching one try zero at 100 with a 4 moa red dot, oh yeah. Hitting a spot on spot when your dot covers 4"at 100 yards.

I would like to see more of this myself , there's a lot of reloaders were I go so leaving brass is not a big deal , it won't be there tomorrow... Pulling your targets though is my thing , normally were I go it's only bad on the 2 days it's open to the public... This is also when new holes show up in the metal covered roofs...

 

[dolek]

I belong to 3 ranges,never once have I seen a complete stranger personally give another a hard time for shooting an AR platform weapon. Maybe in real life that only happens behind the cover of the internet?

On a related note,one of my clubs is very busy with Cops,LEOs,and some military from Fort Drum...lots of ARs and semi auto pistols blasting away . Because of them and there money our club stays afloat,just saying.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I belong to a club with well over 1000 members. 55%(includes all disciplines including shotgun) of the shooters last year shot at the 5-7-10 yd pistol range. The vast majority of the rest with rifles shot at the 25-50-75 yd range. I very small amount shoot the 100-200-300 yd rifle range. I have tried for yrs to get my wife to shoot bench rest. She is smart and has great attention to detail.She would do great. Doesn't like it. Bought an Ar couple years ago, got her to shoot once, now she would go shoot it every day Says "it"s fun". I think we should just be glad that overall the shooting sports are growing. If it wasn't for groundhog shoots you could count the precision shooters in our county on 1 hand with a few fingers to spare.

 

[jepp2]

Well, I guess most of you would love to be a member at the range I am a member of. 1200 total member, about 5% turnover per year. Average visits per member is like 2.5 annually. We host most all discipline shoots, some monthly.

There are lots of things I could complain about:
-maximum distance range is 200m
-only 13 ranges to choose from not counting skeet, trap, sporting clays, and five station
-you can't start shooting until 7:30 AM weekdays, 8:00 AM on weekends
-everyone must reload because there is rarely an brass to scavenge
-I have only been to the range 23 times so far this year

But personally, I welcome every shooter, no matter what they are shooting. Yes the 50 BMG with the muzzle break did create quite a concussion. I could have just moved over to another range. I would love see some new AR15 shooters blasting through hundreds of rounds at targets. I might shoot less and scavenge brass more.

Why? Because with the attacks we are under by the liberal media, we need every vote we can get. And I believe a vote by a gun owner that shoots, is more likely to preserve the 2'nd Amendment. And that is important to me. So no matter what they shoot, how they shoot it, what gender or race, I welcome them with open arms. And I hope everyone else will as well.

 

[Clark]

1) The range opens at noon when there is enough wind to spoil any 100 yard group.
2) The range is hot for 1/2 hour and cold for 1/2 hour.
3) The range if full and one must wait for a bench.
4) $100/ year is a lot for sighting in a deer rifle.
5) The range is only 100 yards long.
6) 1/2 hour of miserable traffic to get to the range.

I give up.
I go hunting early, set up targets and sight in out to 600 yards.

 

[Ron Blain]

I guess it has been the last 25 years I have been shooting at Kebly's Range which is home to the annual Super Shoot in bench rest and also Kebly's Rifles built on the Stolle (and other) actions. While I am not a bench rest type I enjoy the shooters who also shoot there. Enjoyable people. I have dragged a few AR rifles out there and have seen plenty of them on the firing lines. AR rifles are welcome but if you decide to empty a 20 or 30 round magazine in as many seconds you will be escorted off the range, the place is for the more serious shooter rather than the how fast can I empty a magazine types. I like the place and enjoy the crowd and the ranges are well maintained and clean. The AR rifles and all military rifles are welcome. On a given day I will see a six hundred dollar AR and a six thousand dollar bolt gun side by side.

Ron

 

[Colt Kodiak]

1) The range opens at noon when there is enough wind to spoil any 100 yard group.
2) The range is hot for 1/2 hour and cold for 1/2 hour.
3) The range if full and one must wait for a bench.
4) $100/ year is a lot for sighting in a deer rifle.
5) The range is only 100 yards long.
6) 1/2 hour of miserable traffic to get to the range.

I give up.
I go hunting early, set up targets and sight in out to 600 yards.

I do not envy you. Must be California?

 

[Clark]

I do not envy you. Must be California?

Seattle is like CA, but the weather is worse.
Every day, some parking spot is getting narrower.
Every day, the traffic jams get worse.
It is an economic paradise, but I am retired. I have to live here, near my grandkids.

 

[Papa Charlie]

Seattle is like CA, but the weather is worse.
Every day, some parking spot is getting narrower.
Every day, the traffic jams get worse.
It is an economic paradise, but I am retired. I have to live here, near my grandkids.

Washington! Sadly, the new California. I will be retiring from Everett to Southern Oregon. I have had enough of the politics and taxing in this state.

 

[INTJ]

I recently joined a very safe range just south of Albany, Oregon. Very safe with rigid range rules. The rifle range only goes out to 200 yards which is a downer. I'm the only one there with a chronograph in my 10 range travels. I'm the only guy trying to develop loads for my bolt action that I can see. 90% of the shooters are firing off .223 and .308 ARs. Is this a good thing? I suppose anything and anyone to keep the range going and in action is good but I sure wish there were some bench rest shooters around. I'm a beginner and would be fun to watch the pros.

Just this year I returned to long range BR competition. I did all my load development at Emerald Empire at 100 yds, which is also a little south of Albany. I shot the NBRSA 600 and 1000 yd Nationals last month which was my third match back. If you are systematic you can indeed develop very competitive BR loads at 100 and 200 yds. That said I do plan to take advantage of the Tuesday night sessions at Tri County in Sherwood. There is also an NBRSA Match at Tri Conty May 27th and it would be a great opportunity to see how it’s done.

Concerning ARs, I guess I am like most here. I am not that into them but I do welcome AR shooters as they are the future of our sport. If we are nice and helpful then we may indeed grow them into serious competition shooters.

Blaine

 

[INTJ]

Washington! Sadly, the new California. I will be retiring from Everett to Southern Oregon. I have had enough of the politics and taxing in this state.

Southern Oregon is not what it used to be. I grew up in Southern Oregon, graduated college in WA, and spent the next 24 years in the USAF. I was excited to get a job back home in Southern Oregon after I retired from the USAF, but is is not the same state I left in 1980. WA is also not the same as it was when I left there in 1983.

 

[dickn52]

Many many years ago I carried an "AR" in the woods. Swore I'd never carry another one. So about 3 years ago I was at my club with my 2 shooting buds and of course they whipped out some AR's and started ringing an 8" gong at 100yds. It was fun so I bought one. Three weeks ago I let it go for what I paid for it and a little and bought a Ruger RPR bolt. Now if I want to shoot fast I have to work harder. I also work as a RSO at the club. 1 guy showed with an AR, banged away etc until his first 2 misfires/misfeeds.. I asked him if it brought back memories and he said he'd never had one before. I spent an hour showing him how to take it down for cleaning. Gas impingement system was totally screwed up with carbon etc. We got it cleaned and it worked again. Just ssaying that some people own these platforms because..well they can. They worry me most at the range because they have no idea what they own or what it can do.

 

[Papa Charlie]

Southern Oregon is not what it used to be. I grew up in Southern Oregon, graduated college in WA, and spent the next 24 years in the USAF. I was excited to get a job back home in Southern Oregon after I retired from the USAF, but is is not the same state I left in 1980. WA is also not the same as it was when I left there in 1983.

Sadly I couldn't agree with you more. I grew up in Tillamook and went to college at Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls. It saddens me to see how the state has changed. We are retiring to Oregon because we have always wanted to retire to the coast. Yes there are more gun/tax friendly states but too far from the water for the two of us. I have 4 more years and right now we are looking at Florence. Small enough for us and it has a gun club with a 300 yard range. Not sure how far I will have to travel for any matches, probably some distance. Plans could still change so we will see. I want to be away from people and near matches. Maybe asking too much.

 

[Longtrain]

I belong to a pretty strict club, no blue sky, video everywhere...enjoyable. No unaimed fire allowed.

A prior club was a spray and pray club, shoot as fast and as much as possible.
One day, a father and two sons were getting ready for deer season, father and son walk down range, other son stays at the bench. I told him to open his action to show clear. He said it wasn't loaded, I told him to open the action, sure enough, a 12 Ga slug pops from the chamber. "I didn't think it was loaded" Dumb A$$. The father chewed his butt pretty good, for what good it would do.

Don't shoot there any longer.