Public Gun Range in the Hillsboro area

[pinne65]

Once in a wile I do the occasional drive out to Salmonberry road. But it's almost 30 miles out and with the price of gas these days and the time it takes to get there it's far from ideal. And I don't always feel comfortable going there alone. Once some guy sneaked up behind me while I was shooting and started picking up brass.

I'm not getting as much quality practice as I want. It's just hard to concentrate on anything more than 100 rounds at a time. I'd like to go shoot an hour after work every other day or so.

There's at least one in-door range close to where I work / live. But they require membership and that I shoot their ammo. That's just not an option for me. I shoot non standard calibers and have to reload myself.

Once I went to the English Pit in Vancouver just to see. That place was perfect - shoot as much as you want for $16 a day. The only drawback besides the long drive from here was that the maximum range was just around 100 yards. I guess it's ok for sighting in a hunting rifle but probably not enough for competetive target shooting with a center-fire rifle.

I grew up in Sweden in county with less than 50K people and there were at least 3 public shooting ranges, most of them had 50,100,200,300m & 25,50m pistol. Common to all these ranges was that they overshot farmers fields and had some sort of hill for back-stop. That meant that they'd be closed off every once in a while when the farmer was working his fields but other than that mostly accessible.

Watching youtube videos from other parts of the country it seems like there are places like that on this side the Atlantic as well. But just not here within convenient driving distance from Hillsboro.

I used to go and shoot skeet at the Hillsboro club which is great fun and very affordable. (I need to go again soon!) They applied to build a rifle range but didn't get approved. And I can kind of understand why, without any good natural back-stops. However, I think that if you surrounded the shooting positions with concrete walls and roofs or something, it should be possible to limit the trajectories misdirected shots could take.

Just sitting here in the rain - wanting to stir things up, get some ideas started, like-minded getting together...

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[Schwabdl]

tri county gun club its about 20 minute drive from hillsboro its a private club but well worth the 120 bucks a year to be a member

 

[pinne65]

$120 a year, if that's all it's not bad. I'll have to check it out! But I doubt I'd be able to make it there in 20 minutes after work at 5pm though. It just seems like everything is on the wrong side of "town" from Hillsboro.

 

[Benihaus]

even at 5pm 20-35 minutes should be no problem, youd be going all backroads (the biggest stretch at 55 mph) TCGC is a spot you will love!

 

[dmancornell]

FYI, TCGC dues have been raised to $170 a year starting this July.

 

[FarmerTed1971]

Still a bargain.

 

[Bam]

Another option, Chehalem Valley Sportsman Club in Dundee... love the pistol bays, rifle range is only 100 yards during day hours, 200 during early morning hours from a special bench.

Granted it is a 40 minute drive from Hillsboro, BUT it is worth the solitude and not having to deal with a range officer. There are times you have the whole place to yourself and even when others are there I never have felt unsafe.

 

[Iceman04503]

TCGC is a great club to join. Since the yearlu due is 170 effective july 1st, is the initiation fee still 225 before july 1st? Has it always been 225? Id join but driving to sherwood is a hassle and alot of gas for me.

 

[ronin223]

TCGC is very limited and not worth $120 or $170, the 300 range is rarely open, the 200 yard is sitted or bench only.

I doubt it is what you are looking for. TCGC is more geared for pistol shooters or shotgunners.

 

[Iceman04503]

Just got back fom TCGC with a friend whos a member. Its awesome. Love the 50, 100 yd range and the pistol action range.

 

[perkantino]

Anyone know what the deal is with TCGC and their NRA requirement? Do they actually check? Or ask you?

 

[Burt Gummer]

They ask, don't check. They didn't ask to see my NRA card or look me up or anything.

 

[wm36]

You can also join NRA as an associate member (I think that's what it is called) for $10 at the same time you join TCGC. That's what I did.

 

[zdzgo]

I joined TCGC many years ago. At that time, going from Hillsboro to TCGC was pretty quick. Since then it has become so long a drive due to traffic / new signals / rerouted roads that we go years at a time not getting down there - in the 'good old days' I could get there over lunch, shoot, and get back to work perhaps with a slightly long lunch hour, I frequently went after work, got pretty good with a target 22 pistol - was really fun. I finally decided to drop membership when the last set of "lawyer jargon you must sign to remain a member (after 10+ years!)" arrived. I would recommend not joining. The calendar is almost always inconvenient, there are so many 'events' there that it impacts available shooting time. I'm looking for a better alternative (still).