What's the nearest open-air shooting spot to oregon city?

Peak_oil · Feb 14, 2016

I don't know where to go. This week, I want to break in a couple purchases and see how they work. What's close to Oregon City? No offense to the Clackamas Sheriff's range, but I want to shoot for free.

Thanks for any recommendations. I hear there's some kind of goodwill that we can earn by cleaning up at gravel pits. If that's the case, plz direct me to a place where I can clean up and give firearms enthusiasts a good name.

Roop · Feb 14, 2016

900 Court St NE, Salem

Joe13 · Feb 15, 2016

Forestry land.

etrain16 · Feb 15, 2016

I haven't tried to find a good outdoor spot near Oregon City in years. You're going to have to drive a while to find anything. There used to be a few spots in the forestry land as @Joe13 mentioned, but they're not really anywhere near Oregon City. More likely you'll have to head out past Estacada or well beyond Beavercreek, say out off Hillockburn road. We used to shoot those areas years ago, but it's been a long time. I belong to a range now partially for convenience (much closer to home) and partially because there were some scary folks that always managed to show up at those spots.

I grew up in Oregon City and we could drive all of 10 minutes and shoot easily, but urban sprawl has made that impossible now.

One more option is to see if you have any friends in unincorporated Clackamas County (outside the OC limits). It's still legal to shoot on your private property, so long as there is no potential danger to persons or property off your land. I know a couple of folks with property like that, but they're further away than my range, so I don't bug them.

That said, good luck getting folks to give up specific spots, save for the well known ones out on the way to the coast, many folks keep them a fairly guarded secret, kind of like their hunting grounds.

bnsaibum · Feb 15, 2016

If you haven't already you could try doing a search for some variation of 'shooting areas' on the forum. This might already be covered.

Peak_oil · Feb 16, 2016

etrain16 said:
One more option is to see if you have any friends in unincorporated Clackamas County (outside the OC limits). It's still legal to shoot on your private property, so long as there is no potential danger to persons or property off your land.

Amazingly enough, I might be able to do that in my back yard. Part of my property is in OC, and part is in Clackamas County. I'd be an bubblegum if I did it because I'm in the middle of town, but it would be legal.

etrain16 · Feb 16, 2016

Peak_oil said:
Amazingly enough, I might be able to do that in my back yard. Part of my property is in OC, and part is in Clackamas County. I'd be an bubblegum if I did it because I'm in the middle of town, but it would be legal.

I'm in unincorporated Clackamas County too, with enough room to shoot at least pistols, but too many neighbors close by that would cause me no end of grief if I tried. Air guns have never been an issue though.