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where/how do you prefer to practice?

  • Commercial Gun Range

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Membership Range

    Votes: 20 37.0%
  • Personal Range

    Votes: 5 9.3%
  • Shooting at soda cans on a logging road

    Votes: 26 48.1%
  • other, please explain

    Votes: 3 5.6%

  • Total voters
    54
Messages
192
Reactions
2
I am wondering about the benefits of going to a gun range.

Is their any reason that going to a range for practice is any better than driving a few miles out of town and shooting at paper coffee cups and soda cans?

Commerodery is the only reason that I can come up with and I am rather anti-social anyway so that is not much of a selling point for me.
 
I prefer soda cans and tannerite in a pit but am hopefully getting a johnson creek gun club membership soon as I get my dillon setup again and pressing out tons of ammo.
 
If I am going "shooting", I will probably head to the range. If I am going to be mainly "plinking"... then the logging road option is better (and I clean up the mess when done). :s0155:
 
I either shoot at commercial or membership ranges. I like the relative safety they offer over gravel pit ranges.

To be honest, I used to like shooting out at gravel pits and there are aspects of those that I like better than "formal" ranges. However, I've run into too many yahoos out at pits and it's becoming harder to find one that allows shooting anymore. Also, commercial/membership ranges are a shorter drive from where I live now.
 
There is no range around Coos County as of yet, but one is in the works. I look forward to the range, for many of the places I like to shoot are either getting shut down by idiots misbehaving and leaving trash, or are often too crowded to feel safe while shooting.
 
I have a friend with his own range that he gracious enough to let me frequent.
If I didn't, I would seriously consider a membership as driving 40 min. to an hour gets old just to go plinking out at a gravel pit somewhere.
 
I prefer a membership range in that I know it won't be closed based on a logging company's or ranger's whim, as backroads and pits seemingly ever are. I used to go to Larch in the mid-90s, but there was just too many yahoos. Plus, I like to shoot at least 200 yards and I'd rather not be shooting for distance down a logging road...never know whos gonna come around the corner when a bullet is in the air.

I belong to two ranges now, both only about $70 per year. One is here in Columbia Co (OR) the other in Grant Co (WA). I go at sunup and when its raining or cold. Keeps the crowds away and only the die hards show up. I learn lots from them folks.

Keith
 
Off hand... the benefits of a club membership are:

Typically closer and safer (that's debatable) for multiple shooters. People are at least shooting in the same direction.

Shooting with friends and new friends

Club specific priviledges (e.g. can include but not limited to - discounted rates for specific shooting sports, ammo, targets, range fees, and social events)

Keeping a club alive so that you can enjoy having a shooting club near you!

Just depends on your outlook on what benefits you. If you shoot a lot then it's simple.
 
Many pros and few cons.

Covered benches, target stands and known distances. Best part is friends with mostly like minds.

Here is COSSA's newletter (warning some commericial content):

<broken link removed>
 
Reasons I go to my local gun club:

A) close drive.
B) benches are covered by roof, my guns like to stay dry when they can.
C) safe backstop/shooting area.
D) membership dues are low, just high enough to sponser a few events and pay taxes to keep the place open.
E) have met some very nice people there.
 
There are pros and cons to both, but I prefer the woods.

Here are things I like about going out to the woods:

1. It's just me and the woods. I don't go to gravel pits or other popular spots where I'm likely to run into people.

2. I like shooting at things and watching them move. Sounds stupid, I know, but shooting at a bowling pin or a pop can is much more fun than shooting at a paper target.

3. No "range nazis" or other large egos to deal with out in the woods.

4. Nobody tells me to stop shooting so they can go check their target.

5. I can pick mushrooms (gotta know what you're doing here) if the season is right and cook them up for dinner.

6. I can empty a 30-round magazine in 10 seconds and nobody gets all upset.


Things I like about shooting at a range:

1. It's 5 minutes from my house. Woods are an hour or more away.

2. There's a chance I can acquire brass from someone else who doesn't reload but is nice enough to share their empties with me. Just ask nicely.

3. Rain doesn't mean that I have to stop shooting.

Eh, just my $.02.
 
Pits are fun if it's the right one but I really prefer to go to a range because I can actually improve my shooting rather than just make noise.
 
If you live up near Clatskanie, the range there is open (and free) on weekends where no organized events are taking place. That may change when the indoor range is complete. I like my dad's range but two hours each way is too far. I got a membership at ARPC in Albany even though I live in Salem. The Four Corners Gun Club is a waste for anyone under 60 y.o.
 
Belonging to a membership-only range for the first time, vs. a range that has both members and, frankly, Ya-Hoos, the membership-only has a much better bunch of shooters, way more serious and interested in the art/craft of weapons maintenance, tuning, and marksmanship.

There is a lot to be said to be out in a secluded spot and being able to run close-quarter drills, fast reloads and tactics out in the woods, but finding a secluded spot near Seattle-Tacoma, ---good luck. You're in for at least a 3-hour round trip.

Also the members-only club I belong to is run by the shooters who are present, instead of a designated Nazi (such as the near-lunatic at the Renton Fish and Game club).

The only people I've met at the Tacoma Rifle & Revolver club with a bad attitude are the Black Powder shooters, who uniformly act as though everyone is beneath them. Which is ironic considering their choice of obsolete hardware.

If I were living on land where I could shoot out of the back door, it'd be ideal, but where we are in the City, the TR&R club over on Chambers Creek Road is just great and I'm glad I found it.
 
There are pros and cons to both, but I prefer the woods.

Here are things I like about going out to the woods:

1. It's just me and the woods. I don't go to gravel pits or other popular spots where I'm likely to run into people.

2. I like shooting at things and watching them move. Sounds stupid, I know, but shooting at a bowling pin or a pop can is much more fun than shooting at a paper target.

3. No "range nazis" or other large egos to deal with out in the woods.

4. Nobody tells me to stop shooting so they can go check their target.

5. I can pick mushrooms (gotta know what you're doing here) if the season is right and cook them up for dinner.

6. I can empty a 30-round magazine in 10 seconds and nobody gets all upset.


Things I like about shooting at a range:

1. It's 5 minutes from my house. Woods are an hour or more away.

2. There's a chance I can acquire brass from someone else who doesn't reload but is nice enough to share their empties with me. Just ask nicely.

3. Rain doesn't mean that I have to stop shooting.

Eh, just my $.02.


Everything you said is so true and fair. The woods are the best though.
 

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