Shooting in the Wilderness, Is it legal?

[Partsproduction]

I wonder about shooting class 2 NFA weapons in the woods, I don't own any but it's a dream of mine. I assume that call to local LEO's would be wise before heading to the woods, because there are plenty of people who totally freak out if they see even semi-auto weapons anywhere, like anyone with a gun must be a criminal out to shoot up a school.

 

[MarkAd]

"20-yr old crazy gun nut"

You are one. To wit: you have a AK-47. a45-70 ect...

You are also way thin skinned "The r/o said 45-70 is loud" Just say yeap. and keep shooting.
People pawing through your stuff is wrong and them golks should be asked to leave by the R/O or atleast repriminded. but yu have to bring it to thier attention..

Lastly come on down to Kitsap Rifle and Revolver club for a visit. Well worth the drive. If you can own it you can shoot.

 

[FMJ 911]

Does Kitsap Rifle & Revolver club have a "One round in the gun at any one time" rule? if they don't then I'll pay a visit!

 

[pchewn]

Does Kitsap Rifle & Revolver club have a "One round in the gun at any one time" rule? if they don't then I'll pay a visit!

Are there really ranges with this stupid rule?

 

[FMJ 911]

Are there really ranges with this stupid rule?

Yes there are, Check out "Kenmore Gun Range" and "Everett Sportsman's club"

If you ask me, it's a "bad" rule, as "one round in the gun at any one time" only hampers shooting, as you are focusing more on reloading than keeping the gun on target. Why not have a "No more than 5 rounds", or a "No more than 1 round every 5 seconds"? I think a ROF rule would be much better. My M1A is a real pain in the A** to shoot as a single shot. That's why is has a magazine.

 

[MarkAd]

KRRC only allows one round in the CHAMBER at a time.
but full mags and controlled rate of fire are welcome. I can blow off a full 20 round mag in 10 seconds easy.
The only hard fast target rule is NO GLASS,
Check the website Gunsafety.org for infomation.

 

[FMJ 911]

KRRC only allows one round in the CHAMBER at a time.
but full mags and controlled rate of fire are welcome. I can blow off a full 20 round mag in 10 seconds easy.
The only hard fast target rule is NO GLASS,
Check the website Gunsafety.org for infomation.

Now that's what I like! I need to go there.

 

[evltwn]

Well, as someone who lives in the "Wilderness", I would like to jump in to this. All too often we find folks who think a clearcut is a target range, and blaze away. Until the rains recently fell, we have been under a high fire danger alert, which precludes any shooting at all. And lets not forget the distance a bullet can travel, intentionally or otherwise.

As for those who do not like range discipline, and would rather engage in 'shooting parties', you may be putting yourself and others at risk unknowingly, and your reluctance to follow safety procedures might carry over into your 'party', which might not end up as much fun as you thought.

 

[hermannr]

Well, as someone who lives in the "Wilderness", I would like to jump in to this. All too often we find folks who think a clearcut is a target range, and blaze away. Until the rains recently fell, we have been under a high fire danger alert, which precludes any shooting at all. And lets not forget the distance a bullet can travel, intentionally or otherwise.

As for those who do not like range discipline, and would rather engage in 'shooting parties', you may be putting yourself and others at risk unknowingly, and your reluctance to follow safety procedures might carry over into your 'party', which might not end up as much fun as you thought.

I also live on a mountain 20 mles from town, but this young man's real beef was a requirement that you only have one round in any weapon at a time. I personally would think that is unreasonable and would want to go elsewhere. There are some weapons that just do not fuction well as single shots.

As for fire danger, yes, that is a very real concern. Not so much where the OP lives, as to where we live where it is dryer, but even on the wet side, they do have fire problems also. A very relivant point to keep in mind.

 

[cwegga]

Until the rains recently fell, we have been under a high fire danger alert, which precludes any shooting at all.

Do you have a source for a law/regulation about shooting during high fire danger? I've never heard anything similar. Is the worry from people shooting rifles prone and the muzzle flash setting things on fire or the ejected hot brass setting things on fire? I'm just wondering since I have never thought that a gun would start a fire except maybe if you were shooting tracer rounds. That could be partly because I almost exclusively shoot handguns standing when I shoot so there is little/ interaction between my gun and flammable materials.

 

[Nwcid]

Well, as someone who lives in the "Wilderness", I would like to jump in to this. All too often we find folks who think a clearcut is a target range, and blaze away. Until the rains recently fell, we have been under a high fire danger alert, which precludes any shooting at all. And lets not forget the distance a bullet can travel, intentionally or otherwise.

As for those who do not like range discipline, and would rather engage in 'shooting parties', you may be putting yourself and others at risk unknowingly, and your reluctance to follow safety procedures might carry over into your 'party', which might not end up as much fun as you thought.

How does not wanting to follow BS rules = unsafe? I really want to know. What "unknowing risk" would someone be putting themselves in by using firearms as they were intended? If shooting in the woods is so dangerous does that mean you ONLY shoot at ranges with poor rules? The OP NEVER said he did not like safety rules, just BS rules.

Do you have rules on your "wilderness" range when you shoot that you can only have one round in your gun at a time? Do you have a rule allowing how loud of a gun you can shoot? Do you have rules on how many rounds you can fire in a minute?

 

[Buddhalux]

I hope Evltwn never see's an infantry live fire excercise then. We're constantly shooting pop up targets that are 3-4' away from each other. And then there's trench/bunker clearing.....

 

[FMJ 911]

I ALWAYS follow safety rules, who ever thought I wouldn't? I am a safe shooter, and the whole thing about "Shooting Parties" has been misinterpreted, What's wrong with several people getting together for a shooting session? what's wrong about everyone agreeing that "there will be no horseplay here.", why does that seem wrong?

When going to a public range, there are other shooters, and the R/O can't be everywhere at once, and accidents CAN HAPPEN, even at a range. Why should I have to go to a range with strangers shooting next to me, when I can go to a shooting pit or private range with friends I know and trust, where I control the environment 100%.

Again, I'm just trying to explain that I dislike some rules at the ranges I have been to, and will not spend $15.00 for a crappy experience.

If any of you doubt my word, you can go shooting with me, and I'll show you personally just how safe of a shooter I truly am. I can guarantee that you will come off the firing line safe & unhurt.

A little rapid-fire from my Dad's 10/22 never hurt anyone.

 

[hermannr]

FMJ: Don't worry about it, some people only think it is their way or the highway. That is how we got all those nanny state laws.

Anyway, the fire danger concern is valid. Not so much from muzzle blast as from bullets striking rocks and causing a spark., expecially steel case bullets, but even rocks being bounced into rocks, tracer bullets etc.

Now that the rains have started back up this is not a problem, but it sure was a couple weeks ago. I even stopped shooting on my own land becasue of the fire danger over here. That is why DNR wants you to shoot into and earthen backstop. The bullet should bury itself in the dirt and cool quickly.

We have had many impromptu shoots in the back country, it can be a lot of fun that bothers no-one. Just remember to clean-up after yourself.

 

[FMJ 911]

FMJ: Don't worry about it, some people only think it is their way or the highway. That is how we got all those nanny state laws.

Anyway, the fire danger concern is valid. Not so much from muzzle blast as from bullets striking rocks and causing a spark., expecially steel case bullets, but even rocks being bounced into rocks, tracer bullets etc.

Now that the rains have started back up this is not a problem, but it sure was a couple weeks ago. I even stopped shooting on my own land becasue of the fire danger over here. That is why DNR wants you to shoot into and earthen backstop. The bullet should bury itself in the dirt and cool quickly.

We have had many impromptu shoots in the back country, it can be a lot of fun that bothers no-one. Just remember to clean-up after yourself.

I guess you're right, I shouldn't let other people's opinions bother me. I am my own person, and I prefer my own style of informal target shooting.

 

[cwegga]

I guess you're right, I shouldn't let other people's opinions bother me. I am my own person, and I prefer my own style of informal target shooting.

Yeah, don't worry about it. A lot of people prefer to shoot informally rather than at a range. For me the main inconvenience of the local range is the wait to check targets. They only allow one target per frame (so you don't shoot the edges and destroy them, perfectly reasonable) and it is probably 15 minutes plus between cold range times when you can go up and look at your target. I don't own a spotting scope and like to see how I'm grouping. When shooting in the woods, usually with one or two other people we check our targets every other magazine or less. Wanting to avoid some range safety rules isn't necessarily unsafe, but it does allow some conveniences that aren't possible with ranges that can have 15 people shooting at once and need to have rules designed for those situations.

 

[PBinWA]

Gun Groups Decry 'Unacceptable' Proposal to Ban Target Shooting on Western Parkland

I think that article deserves a thread of its own.

Gun Groups Decry 'Unacceptable' Proposal to Ban Target Shooting on Western Parkland

By Judson Berger

Published October 14, 2011


Gun enthusiasts are rallying opposition to a string of new federal proposals that could close off hundreds of thousands of acres in the open West to target shooting.

The proposals from the Bureau of Land Management potentially would outlaw target shooting in swaths of public land in Arizona and Colorado as part of a broader conservation planning effort.

Federal officials said shooters are, under the proposals, being herded to different areas because of safety concerns and because -- at least in Arizona -- they've been leaving trash in public parks and damaging the environment with their bullets.

But the National Rifle Association calls the bureau's response "unacceptable," and gun groups say the government doesn't need to go to such lengths to protect its open spaces.

The land "is owned by the public, and it should be available to the public," said Ed Roberts, vice president of the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association.

The most sweeping proposals are in southern Arizona, where the bureau has proposed closing the nearly 490,000 acres in the Sonoran Desert National Monument to shooting. The agency has offered several different proposals, including the option of making no changes, but the manager of the land said the preferred option would shut out shooters from the monument.

"The monument's not an appropriate place to have recreational target shooting," said Richard Hanson, manager of the land.

The government would still allow hunting, and Hanson stressed that more than 900,000 acres of federal land outside the monument would remain open for target practice.

But Hanson said that in surveying the monument -- which was designated in 2001 -- officials found damage to rocks and cactus plants and other parts of the landscape near target-shooting sites, as well as tons of trash.

"The amount of trash was fairly astounding," he said.

But Roberts said he doesn't think sportsmen are responsible. He said he knows there's trash at the shooting sites but doesn't think the target shooters are the ones bringing it in.

"I can't see a shooter bringing in a washing machine or a computer or bags of trash just to use as a target," Roberts said. Besides, he said, there are existing laws that could be enforced to prevent more garbage in the monument.

"I don't think that closing it ... is the only solution," Roberts said. His group has also expressed concern that the plan would close land to off-road vehicles.

The NRA, which estimated more than 60 target sites are currently used by target shooters in the monument, said the plan is "unacceptable." Other alternatives would leave part of the monument open.

The NRA is urging shooters to attend upcoming public meetings to press for keeping as much land open as possible, in advance of a Nov. 25 deadline for public comment.

The federal government is proposing a range of similar plans for two other areas in Colorado -- one in the northern part of the state and another to the west.

In those cases, the Bureau of Land Management is looking to potentially close off certain areas to target shooting mainly over safety concerns, the bureau's Colorado spokesman David Boyd said.

He said the plans were last completed in 1984, and people are using the land much more than they used to -- for camping, recreational vehicle use, walking their dogs and other things.

The plan for the Colorado River Valley area in the western part of the state covers 500,000 acres; the other plan, for Kremmling and other areas in the north, covers 378,000 acres.

Boyd said most of that would remain open to target shooters, but certain areas should be closed off. "It's definitely a safety concern that we need to address," he said.

In Colorado and elsewhere, shooters already have to follow certain rules, like keeping a safe distance from campgrounds and roads and other populated areas.

Federal officials stressed that the proposals are not final and urged concerned citizens to weigh in as the agency works on the plans into next year. The deadline for comment in Colorado is Dec. 16.

NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons expressed concern that bureau was not offering new sites for target shooters to make up for the ones that could be closed.

"We would prefer them not be closed," she said. "We don't want to see that happen."

Read more: Gun Groups Decry 'Unacceptable' Proposal To Ban Target Shooting On Western Parkland | Fox News

 

[MikeSettles]

"Assault Rifle" vs. "Assault Weapon": Assault Rifle refers to a selective fire weapon chambered for a mid-power cartridge and is in common use by military and police around the world. M-16s, AK-47-series, British L85A1, French FAMAS, German G-36 are all assault rifles. The M14, FAL, G3, Garand, etc. are considered "Battle Rifles" because they use a full-power cartridge. Some BRs are select-fire (G3, some versions of the FAL, for instance) but none are controllable during full-auto, and the ammo is so heavy as to not make full-auto a logistical option. Assault rifles, firing mid-power ammo, can be controlled during full-auto fire, and because the ammo is smaller, full-auto fire is logistically possible.

"Assault Weapon" is a political term used to frighten the uneducated into supporting bans on semi-automatic "sporting" arms which look like "Assault Rifles", and usually function the same EXCEPT that the "Assault Weapon" is semi-automatic only. Commonly, backround video is shown in news stories about "assault weapons" where people are firing submachine guns on full-auto, in order to make people believe that the desired ban is against machine guns.

A note: I have observed that when Fox runs a piece on Fast & Furious, they show a video of machine guns, RPGs, frags, and lots of ammo displayed by Mexican police (guys in body armor, ski masks, holding M4s). The guns "walked" by the ATF, bought from border state gun shops, didn't include any of the above, and this could be used by the antis to claim that Fox is exagerating (sp) the importance of this story in order to attack Holder and the ATF.
I commented to them about this practice, but got no response yet, and they are still using the video.