Outdoor Shooting in Portland Area

[VantuckyGunFan]

New to the Portland area and was wondering what are good ranges that allow centerfire rifle shooting? I'd be willing to drive out to Washington county and such for a good range on a weekend.

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[herrbecker]

Hey there (and welcome). You could start with Tri-County Gun Club in Tualatin. There is also Douglas Ridge out near Estacada. These are the only ones where I have been in the area, but there are others. The ODFW web site has a hunter's access map that now features a shooting range map. Try that as well.
If you are looking for public lands, there are plenty of spots. Beware the areas above Scappoose, since many of these are private/timber lands; they are patrolled by a State Police officer who will issue steep fines to trespassers. There are BLM lands up there as well as state forest lands, both of which are legal for shooting, but make sure you have a clear idea where these are.
Try the foothills of the Cascades, or for S&Gs try the coast range if you like "Deliverance-style" experiences. I personally prefer going out to the Gorge, as there are accessible USFS lands off I-84.
Good luck, and happy shooting!

 

[WebRat]

Ok so it's been a long time since I was out plinking and I was thinking of trying a fire road off of 26 on the way down to the coast but your reply about "Deliverance Style" kind of worries me a little. Is there anything (or anyone) I should know about before heading out?

 

[herrbecker]

The areas in the coast range that are popular with shooters can attract a sketchy crowd: meth heads, drunk yokels, etc. Brown's Camp and the Salmonberry Road are probably the worst for such crowds. Most people I have encountered in the CR were ok, but there also was the ever-present sprinkling of flotsam and jetsam. I swore off the coast range after witnessing one-too-many acts of idiocy and found another spot far away from the mouth breathers.
Also make sure the fire road does not enter private timber land. Those guys can be...unforgiving.