Any Range/Club In Washington where I can Shoot My Pistol How I want?

[4Freedom]

I have been quite dismayed at the lack of nice shooting facilities in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The good ranges are all capped out and have long waiting lists and all the open ranges have such strict rules that it makes them almost not worth shooting at. I have called Renton Fish & Game, Marysville , WCW in Kenmore and all the clubs do not allow any type of pistol shooting ,except bench shooting. All the gun clubs in Idaho and most in Oregon allowed me to shoot my pistol free-style, such as draw/shoot, run/shoot or whatever. How am I suppose to train with my pistol if I am not going to train for a real life defense situation? To me draw-shoot is the only real practical way to train with a pistol, as that is how I would need to use it in a SD situation. Most of the guys at the ranges tell me they are afraid I will shoot myself in the knee or foot and that is why they won't allow people to do it. I guess they feel gun owners are not to be trusted and need to be protected from themselves. I hate all these BS rules. I took an 8-hour defensive handgun course at Oregon FIrearms Academy that got me certified to use the action range at Tri-Country gun club, but most of these Washington clubs say they will not recognize it. They say you have to become a range safety officer or be certified IPSC shooter and have people monitor you if you ever do any free-style shooting at their ranges.

Anyway, the only club so far that allows people to shoot pistols is Custer club in Bellingham. I am thinking I may relocate up in that area, but I also may be stuck living in Seattle too. Does anyone know any clubs in the Seattle/Tacoma area where you can do free-style pistol shooting/draw/shoot, without being confined to a bench or stuck doing cowboy action or IPSC stuff, which I really don't have time or even want to do.

Thanks for the help.

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[CasualShooter]

Take a look at the uspsa club locator. Some of these list themselves as Practical shooting clubs.

<broken link removed>

 

[Jammer Six]

You took an eight hour class and think we should trust you? Speaking as an instructor, that's pretty funny.

It's not about your knees. That's probably the last thing they care about.

You'll have better luck the day you start working with the program, and looking for the reasons things are the way they are.

 

[4Freedom]

You took an eight hour class and think we should trust you? Speaking as an instructor, that's pretty funny.

It's not about your knees. That's probably the last thing they care about.

You'll have better luck the day you start working with the program, and looking for the reasons things are the way they are.

You think people can take a one hour conceal carry class and be trusted to carry guns? Perhaps people shouldn't own or carry guns, unless they are law enforcement.. Anyway, you really just can't trust people with guns, period.. Where there is gun owners, there will be accidents and negligence.

Nonetheless, Draw and shoot and practical pistol shooting are important skills that any gun owner needs to learn. I and a majority of pistol owners are not training for competition, but for self-defense. In a defense situation, I highly doubt my gun will be on the table and the threat will stand still. Sorry, but training with stationery pistol shooting will more likely get me killed in real-life situation, whereas draw-shoot may result more in injury during training. That is the trade-off.

Yeah, I know they don't care about my knees, but rather their own a$$es. That is fine, I just don't want to shoot pistols at those clubs. People who owned pistols for pleasure plinking, rather than a self-defense tool will do fine at those type of clubs. I'd pay extra to find a club that lets me shoot practical/defensive pistol type shooting.

And FYI, I have more training than your average Joe and have been shooting "free-style/practical/action", whatever you want to call it, without any restrictions for years now. You can call any of the ranges I have shot at and verify I haven't shot myself or anyone else yet.. Not to say, it cannot happen.. But, I am not just walking into the range with nothing backing me up at all.

The ranges here in Idaho have no such restrictions. Perhaps the laws in Idaho are different and insurance is cheaper or something. I don't know why, but it seems these restrictions are mostly in the Seattle area gun ranges. Even Tri-County in Oregon let me shoot on their action range with the 8-hour course certification. And, that was unsupervised.

Thanks for the link, CasualShooter

 

[Blitzkrieg]

As for me I never attend urban ranges these days, after several harrowing experiences. It's the forests for me unless I need to sight in a rifle, and that is done at a rural gun range

 

[MarkAd]

When we get the legal issues resolved Kitsap Rifle and Revolver club is exactly what you want.
Sport and National Defense is our motto.

So come on down and we will be happy to help.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

I guess they feel gun owners are not to be trusted and need to be protected from themselves.

They're worried about their own liability.
If you had any idea how much insurance is, and how much it costs them every time a customer screws up, you would be much more understanding.

 

[4Freedom]

You're right.. I apologize for being disgruntled. I understand they face a lot of legal problems and liability issues.. This is a crappy world and nothing is fair. The legal system is obviously to blame more than those hard-working souls who keep the shooting ranges operating. That was wrong on my part to condemn them.

Nonetheless, I am selfish.. I want a range where I can train the way I want. IMO, anyone who conceals a handgun and carries it in a place where women, children or any innocent bystanders are present should train with their pistol exactly how they may use it in that situation. I also have liabilities too. If a customer at the range screws up in the real world, he may face a lot consequences him or herself.

Yeah, I know everyone is trying to survive.

So, please forgive me for the comment I made and I would just appreciate people who can help me find ranges that allow for practical/defensive pistol shooting. Whether people feel it is ethical or not, that I do this type of training in a shooting range.

Blitzkrieg, I would love to find places to shoot in the woods, but I feel around the Seattle area that would be extremely limited. Even in Boise, the government has now shut down a lot of the BLM desert land for shooting and most people are stuck going to the shooting ranges. However, the shooting ranges in the Treasure Valley are very good and mostly unrestricted, except for the basic safety rules.

Thank you Mark for the information. So, your range is not open or operating right now? I'm not quite sure what legal issues you are facing. God forbid, the same thing happens to you as The Dalles Gun Club, which was shut down due to some legal crap. I'd be very happy to check out the range when it is open for business and I actually know where I will be relocating in the area.

 

[Jammer Six]

Up to you.

What you're allowed to do at a given range is, in my experience here in Seattle, based on two things: competence and attitude.

If you go at it the way you're going at it, no, you'll never be allowed to do anything out of the ordinary at any Puget Sound range.

 

[4Freedom]

What you're allowed to do at a given range is, in my experience here in Seattle, based on two things: competence and attitude.

Can you explain competence and attitude for me.

I would like to improve my draw and shoot skills, as well as other practical skills. No, I am not a perfect person, I agree. No, I don't understand the Puget Sound well. I come from an area where rules and restrictions are not much. I guess I need to get with the program and understand I am going to an area with more rules and restrictions.

I agree, I shouldn't condemn people who haves rules and restrictions, they are there because of the environment they are in.

Maybe, I won't find many clubs that let me train how I want. I'd rather not join a club where I have to spends $1000s on training courses or get involved with politics to be allowed to practice draw and shoot.

 

[Jammer Six]

My range will let you draw, if you're a member and you pass a safety check. The safety check is simply demonstrating, in response to commands, that you know how to draw safely. They won't teach you, if you know how, you pass, if you don't, you don't. No shoulder holsters. There's no movement while firing, but practicing drawing is done all the time.

The attitude is cheerful cooperation with the range master and staff. I've been known to buy the guys on duty pizza.

They're in charge, and what they say goes.

My range is Wade's, in Bellevue.

 

[MountainBear]

Just move back to Central Oregon, and you can go back out to the cinder pits and COSSA...

 

[4Freedom]

Jammer, I'd be more than happy to comply with your rules and do whatever types of safety checks or classes your range requires, as long as they don't run me $1000s. Actually, Tri-County required that I take an 8-hour course and it cost me, including ammo, probably about $700 or so, not including gas to Central Oregon.

Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to attend a range that is strict with safety. Actually, I was shooting at one range that was, I could say, hazardous, and I rather have an overly strict range than one that is dangerous. However, there are some skills, I really need to learn and I would want to find a range where I can practice those skills.

Draw and shoot is mostly what I am looking for, as I rarely do run and shoot. That is something I may want to focus more in the future.

I always try to respect the rules of the range. Tri-County probably has some of the strictest range officers I ever encountered. Like one time I was shooting my AR-15 that has a flash hider. One officer said I can only shoot on the leftmost lanes because it looks like a muzzle break, even though the gun was quieter than other guns next to me. Even though I thought it was unfair, I didn't argue.


I'd be happy to check out your range when I come to the area. Maybe I can google to find your website.

 

[4Freedom]

Just move back to Central Oregon, and you can go back out to the cinder pits and COSSA...

I wish I could Bear, dang that was the most awesome range COSSA and the cinder pits really were nice. Sadly, I need to move to Sea-Tac area for IT work. Bend is a wonderful place, but I don't think I can find a job out there. I will have to see how my business ventures fare. Yeah, Central Oregon is a shooter's paradise.

 

[MarkAd]

No one has mentioned USPSA or IPSEC. There are 2 options to improving your skills. There is also SASS or cowboy shooting

 

[Jammer Six]

If you head into Seattle, PM me, and I'll take you there.

 

[FLYPNW]

Competence and Attitude can be summarized [in this case] into one word: HUMILITY. Resign to the fact that while you may or may not have exponentially more experience with firearms than the folks running the range, they make the rules and they can "adapt" them to your needs (in accordance with their liability protection) at their discretion. That means you need to establish a rapport with them, which may require that you quietly and humbly just go with the flow for a few visits, all while making kind and friendly conversation with the staff. After a while they'll recognize you as a good, safe, rule-following, gun-totin', law-abiding, God fearing American citizen and maybe they'll let out a little slack for you. Just ask them after a few visits! Were you in the military, law enforcement, or a shooting competitor? If so, then make this information known in passing conversation to get their confidence and trust in you kicked up a notch.

I would rather shoot at a structured, supervised range than some of those that let people do what they want. While you, sir, may be a safe and competent shooter you must consider that the range staff must consider the lowest common denominator. You never know what moron is going to go into the range and recklessly attempt to do exactly what you are going to do safely. The difference is that you know what you're doing and he's going to kill somebody, or at a minimum scare everyone out of the range. Ever take a first time shooter to the range to just introduce them to the smells, sounds, sensations and basics of pistol shooting only to have some a-hole next to you blasting away with no regard for the people next to them? Doesn't help recruit your new comer to the world of shooting. With that, you should consider that the range staff also needs to ensure their other customers/shooters are comfortable and safe. While you may be a conscientious and safe shooter, accidents DO happen to the best of us.

I hope you find what you're looking for. Try looking east ward...maybe Snoqualmie or North Bend or down in Puyallup or Roy.