Free gun range exist anymore?

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PigeonMan

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Jun 13, 2019
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Taco city, United States
I remember growing up as a kid there were free gun range and anyone can go out and just shoot whatever they want. No hidden fees, no membership. Just bring your own gun and target and you are set.

Now I can't find any free gun range at all where I live. The ones I can find are $20 per person or have to pay $250+ for membership. I do not want to join any gun club. I just wanna go out and shoot and see how accurate my gun is. Anyone in the st paul/Minneapolis area know any free outdoor gun range one can go shoot without being a member of a gun club? Looking for a 100 yard range to test out my guns. Thanks for any info.
 
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Here in Michigan I have Pontiac Lake State Park. The gun range is about 8 or 9 miles from me. 4 bucks and you can stay all day. Or if I visit my daughter near Lansing we go to Rose Lake State Park. It is free. Both places are beautiful. Also archery, skeet/trap and knife/hatchet throwing.
 
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One reason I bought alot of land a while ago. I have 200 yards setup. But I shoot alot and do alot of power burner shooting including machine guns. We have a group where we all own machine guns and the only place we shoot is my property because all the ranges don't let you shoot full auto anymore.

I also will not go to an public range anymore. To many dumb people there doing stupid stuff.

Good luck.



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4 buck seem reasonable price for a day. But these gun clubs located in st paul/Minneapolis wants $20-25 per person. When taking friends and family out shooting, it adds up. Take 3 other ppl with you and that's a $100 just to be able to shoot there. Smh. These gun clubs are rip off. 

Not many ppl own hundreds of acres of land to shoot so we have to use public range. From my experience, people in public range respect each other and no one is doing stupid things. Why would anyone do stupid things knowing other are also armed. Everyone respect each other, call out hold fire to set targets, and everyone goes home safe. 
 
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I have to agree with KENDIVE as far as his comment on stupidity. My son recently picked up an AR, a shotgun, and a pistol and him and a buddy head out to this “free” range area. He gets there early, like really early and never on weekends, as on weekends here come the Escalades pulling up loaded up with folks with “only” AR’s.

There are so many “stalls” with shooting benches in this area. No range master. I’ve known of this place, driven by it, but have never personally shot there and probably never will, as I like a setting that’s organized with a shooting time frame and a range master. 

So here’s where the “stupid people” come in- imagine 20 stalls(guessing on the amount). At best, that’s 20 shooters. At worse, that’s 40 if shooting pistol or shotgun, one guy at each side of the bench standing, right? Now imagine a few carloads of wanna be navy seal guys showing up, toting their non compliant full auto platforms, and what they do so they’re not rubbing shoulders with the 40 guys already there, they step back about 3 steps from the firing line and that’s their spot to shoot from. So what you have is this staggered line of folks shooting. Once my son witnessed that, he looked at his buddy and said we're outta here, shaking their heads cause the stupid people see nothing wrong with shooting from behind you. 

Yup, have to agree with KENDIVE on that one. 
 
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In Ohio there are ranges operated by the DNR. Some have range officers and handicapped accessible with restrooms. I’ve never been to any of the public ranges but they are $5 per day or $24 per year for the permit. All public archery ranges are free to the public. I have one close by and it is nice. Big targets with multiple archery lanes with distances from 10 to 50 yards and elevated shooting platforms with life size deer targets all free. Here’s a link for Ohioans interested in the public ranges. https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/wildlife/wildlife-contacts/shooting-ranges-contact

I have heard of some shenanigans at the public ranges that aren’t staffed. In Ohio in my area most counties or cities around me have a fish and game club and they all have shooting ranges. Maybe there are fish and game clubs or gun clubs around your area. 
 
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We have a few where I am, run by the DNR. Try the MN DNR and see if they operate any ranges. 

Being as you are in the midwest like me, you should be able to find a farm that will let you shoot... start asking friends of friends or make a post on social media asking, offer $50 for the season or something. I know you said you don't want to pay, but that's a heck of a lot cheaper than a range pass and you wont have anyone else around. Almost all of my shooting is done at private property where the owners dont care if I shoot air rifles. Picnic table makes an awesome bench and I can set targets at whatever ranges I want. 



The absolute worst part about those free public ranges are that they are FULL of idiots. Its a lot better this year with the ammo shortage, but last year was nuts 
 
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Is it not a little selfish asking for free access to 100 yard facilities? Any gun club/range worth attending has costs they need to cover i.e. staffing, taxes, insurance. Paying a day fee if you're not a member isn't out of line. I live in the country surrounded by farm fields and can shoot 50yd on my property and extend to 200yd into the fields if need arises. I've paid for this luxury. I can shoot on the neighbors farm if I choose. I help him with field work as he needs it. I've got a number of farms I can shoot on for the last 40 years. I've showed up for a day of having here and there and become good friends with the landowners. There is no free lunch. With the amount of money we drop into our guns and peripherals we shouldn't begrudge paying a little for a safe place to shoot. I pay $10-$20 to shoot at a FT match. A cheap days entertainment. 
 
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Our Department of Conservation has free ranges that are open to the public. As others here have already stated their are to many idiots at these places and I prefer to avoid them. I joined a private gun club and the fee is only 50 dollars a year and well worth it. I go during the week and usually have the place all to myself.

The gun club is for shooting powder burners. I'm very fortunate to be able to shoot my air guns in my back yard.
 
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Been shooting at free public gun ranges in the past for many years growing up and never had a single problem. Everyone knows everyone is armed with firearm and no one willing do dumb things know it will and can get ugly. Idk why most people here experience bad behaviors at these public ranges and want them closed and have these gun clubs ranges where they charge you a fee $20 or more. I guess I'm cheap and don't wanna pay $20 each time I go out to shoot, and when bring friends the cost goes up. Add how many trips a week it adds up fast. That is why i prefer and asking for free ranges so I can go out and shoot as many times as I want. I guess these bad experiences is what shut down most free public gun range. Because I can not find a single free range where I'm located. 
 
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Most of the dealings at public free ranges are lack of gun safety (laying loaded guns around, walking back to truck with loaded guns to get more targets, people shooting at unsafe targets (steel at 15 feet), and lack of coordination when shooting are the big issues here. Every 5 minutes.. "DOWN RANGE" and everyone has to stop shooting so that guy can go put up two targets. 5 minutes later "DOWN RANGE" and everyone has to stop for the guy next to him to go change out a target. 5 minutes later "DOWN RANGE" a guy down at the end has to walk 100yds to replace his target. Its a hot mess. 

There are no staffed people at these ranges around me, so no target checks every 15 minutes.. just whenever you want to go get the target you yell "down range" and go do your thing. Now do the math. You have four 100yd stands, four 50yd stands, and 8-10 people standing a couple feet apart shooting pistols. All of this in a line, with parking right behind. 

Keep in mind, while you are out tending your targets, over half the people just laid their guns down loaded (and some cocked) pointed towards you because they were in the middle of shooting when you called it. The guys with safety in mind are at the pay clubs for the most part. 
 
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The Ouachita Parish Sheriffs dept operates a range in West Monroe, although not completely free, is no cost to seniors, military vets and some others, cannot remember what. Back when I was paying it was $5.00 day as long as you wanted. Range is highly controlled and supervised, and one of my favorite ranges to use. 200 yard max on hi power rifle and cannot remember 25 or 50 on pistol/rimfire side( also small pistol caliber rifles like 32-20, 38-40, 38 special ect)
 
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Most of the dealings at public free ranges are lack of gun safety (laying loaded guns around, walking back to truck with loaded guns to get more targets, people shooting at unsafe targets (steel at 15 feet), and lack of coordination when shooting are the big issues here. Every 5 minutes.. "DOWN RANGE" and everyone has to stop shooting so that guy can go put up two targets. 5 minutes later "DOWN RANGE" and everyone has to stop for the guy next to him to go change out a target. 5 minutes later "DOWN RANGE" a guy down at the end has to walk 100yds to replace his target. Its a hot mess. 

There are no staffed people at these ranges around me, so no target checks every 15 minutes.. just whenever you want to go get the target you yell "down range" and go do your thing. Now do the math. You have four 100yd stands, four 50yd stands, and 8-10 people standing a couple feet apart shooting pistols. All of this in a line, with parking right behind. 

Keep in mind, while you are out tending your targets, over half the people just laid their guns down loaded (and some cocked) pointed towards you because they were in the middle of shooting when you called it. The guys with safety in mind are at the pay clubs for the most part.
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You said it best, Kevin. 



I can almost guarantee also that a high percentage of the folks shooting, have yet to take a hunters safety or firearms safety course. They learned gun handling from one of those popular video games instead. I only say this because I use myself as an example. I’ve taken the course back in 1991. I’ve learned how to reload at a high level. I’m competent with a rifle and scope use. I’ve since attended the hunters safety course two more times, one for my son and a second time for when I signed up my two nephews. I sat in the class for “moral support”, lol. 

But no way can I say I’m an expert at semi auto pistol use, shotgun, and have no idea what an AR feels like. So when I look at these guys just bustin’ out rounds, handling a heavy firing pistol like a 454 casul revolver or a desert eagle 44 mag with one hand and arm out fully extended, I have to wonder if there’s been any formal training. 

Theres no way an organized range with a range master would allow that. 
 
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