Where can I go camping as well as shoot my Ruger 10/22 safe and legal

[wsnyder661]

Hello All,
I am a retired guy that is new to the plinking hobby. I recently bought a new Ruger 10/22 and put a Nikon scope on it. I wish I could go camping this spring and also shoot my 10/22 where t is safe and legal. I am a responsible guy and will clean up any mess that I make. I live in the Tacoma area and would like to find a camp / shooting area within 75 miles . I would appreciate any suggestions or advice.
Thanks,
Bill

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[ocarolan]

Welcome Bill. I'm not in Washington, but generally target shooting is allowed on:

National Forest and Grasslands (USFS)
National Wilderness
BLM-administered land
State Forestland

It is not allowed at National Parks or many State Parks. Note exploding targets (Tannerite) are prohibited in Oregon and Washington on USFS land.

Each forest has its own regulations. For reference, here are some used by the state here:

629-025-0040
General Forest Recreation Rules
(9) Target Shooting
(a) No person shall place targets on live trees or shoot live trees for any purpose.
(b) No person shall shoot across or along any road or trail.
(c) No person shall shoot carelessly, recklessly, or without regard for the safety of any person, or in a manner that endangers, or is likely to endanger, any person or property.
(d) Persons engaged in target shooting shall remove from State Forest land all shell casings, targets, and other debris resulting from their use.
(e) No person shall shoot targets other than those commercially manufactured for the specific purpose of target shooting, except for paper targets privately manufactured by the person or people engaging in target shooting.
(f) No person shall shoot glass of any kind as a target.
(g) No person shall shoot appliances, furniture or other debris determined to be garbage or refuse by an enforcing officer.
(h) Target shooting and other shooting related activity will be prohibited from one half hour after sunset to one half hour before sunrise.

Federal land regulations are imposed in 36 CFR 26 part A. Generally they state you cannot discharge a firearm or bow as follows:


(1) In or within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area
(2) Across or on a NF road or a body of water adjacent thereto, or in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury
(3) Into or within any cave.
(4) Using tracer or incendiary ammunition.


Note per a 2006 memorandum, "Roads should not be considered inherently occupied areas under 261.10(d)(1)."

 

[erudne]

75 miles from University Place?
State Capital?

 

[The Heretic]

Good luck in the Sea-Tac area.

Lived there for 25 years and it was increasingly less and less possible to do those two things together. Increasing population density caused less areas to be available and more to be closed as more and more people trespassed and left a mess behind. More and more people in urban areas also dislike firearms anywhere.

 

[cwegga]

You should be able to do that out in the national forest on the south side of the Olympics. It is right at your 75 miles but Brown Creek Campground would be a good place to start. You can't shoot at the campground but there are many non-campgrounds in the section of forest along the south fork of the Skokomish there where you could camp and plink most likely.

It is more like 80-90miles but you could also go out past Randle to the south and camp and shoot in the NF there.

Those are a couple of places I've personally gone, but you should be able to look at maps and find national forest to camp in other places too.

 

[68w]

Greenwater area up hwy 410. Went out there deer hunting a couple weekends this season. Quite a few people up there shooting at different little shooting pits along FS RD 70.

 

[wsnyder661]

Thank you for your suggestions , I will check them out............Bill