Free gun range exist anymore?

[Spartan]

We have an outdoor 100yd range in MD that is a public range run by DNR. $5 per visit or $20 for the year. That's close enough to free, IMO. I've been using it for years. Prior to Covid it wasn't too bad, but occasionally a 30 minute wait or so to get a bench if going on the weekend. For the 2-3 "Covid years" it was absolutely overrun with people, often teenagers, that unfortunately were often loud, obnoxious, and had no sense of safety whatsoever. When they weren't screaming at each other and taking selfie after selfie, they were most interested in doing mag dumps as fast as they could over and over from their ARs. So not a great environment when just trying to sight in or do some casual target work. I've stopped going, but maybe it's gotten better now. The last time I was there, the teenager at the bench next to mine repeatedly kept sitting his loaded AR sideways on the bench pointing directly at my bench. And I have no doubt it probably had a round in the chamber and the safety off since they have zero safety concern. The first time he did it I asked him not to do that, explained why, and educated him on the need to always keep his gun pointed downrange. He complied but also kept forgetting, and the second and third times he did it over the next 20 mins or so I reminded him getting more annoyed each time. The fourth time he did it, I just got up and left and haven't been back since.

Our nation's current crop of teenagers/20-somethings, I guess they would be called Gen-Z, really do have a knack for ruining things.

 

[Sawney Bean]

Yea it's sad. That's what happen to our good public ranges we had they hired a hole range masters. I can't remember the last time I went to a public range indoor or outdoor.

At least you found you a place to shoot and be able to enjoy it.

Another thing is they don't let anyone shoot full auto anymore so all the full auto shoots happen on my property. We have a group od us that have some cool toys. I have MP5's, M11 and an M16's I know those are not airguns but I shoot everything. Reload all mine own ammo mainly because all the testing I do with subsonic .308, 300, 9mm.

My Favorite gun is my MP5 SD you don't need subsonic ammo. The gun makes them subsonic. HK makes an awesome platform. Best one to take through the kill house. They designed it to run the 124gr nato but works very well with standard 115gr ball.

Enjoy...

I get my full-auto fix with airguns these days as the real thing are too expensive to own and to shoot for me and are also banned in my state. I’ve got a .30 Sidewinder and three BB guns that can shoot full auto and I’m planning on getting more. It would be nice to have the genuine article, but they’re just not attainable for me unless I relocate and spend way more than I’m comfortable on them.

Hopefully that portion of the FOPA will be repealed one day, but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[kendive]

I get my full-auto fix with airguns these days as the real thing are too expensive to own and to shoot for me and are also banned in my state. I’ve got a .30 Sidewinder and three BB guns that can shoot full auto and I’m planning on getting more. It would be nice to have the genuine article, but they’re just not attainable for me unless I relocate and spend way more than I’m comfortable on them.

Hopefully that portion of the FOPA will be repealed one day, but I’m not holding my breath.

Yea it's not that bad. I reload and have tons of supplies. Good for life. I also have full auto airguns.

 

[Bandito]

We have "free" ranges in the state of Misery. But I already paid for them in taxes. Have a close one in Gallatin, Misery. 20, 100, and 200 yards with one bench at each distance. Don't go there close to deer season! Go there off season any weekday. Arrive by 0800 and you will have it to yourself maybe up to 1000. The worse thing happened to me on the 200 yd range late in deer season. Stopped shooting at 200 and a guy drove out from behind the 200 yard target in a crapped out orange fullsize Chevy van. Would he have been a freebie? I glared at him because he was truly "stupid in a NO STUPID ZONE"! Hope he grew old before meeting his Maker. RANT OVER! Be Well, B.

 

[3Crows]

Most of the open ranges I have shot at have been perfectly fine. Common sense applied, without it democracy will fail. I do prefer a range with a gent or lady supervising and clearly the RANGE MASTER, and if he/she/they are wearing a badge, then so much the better.

 

[jetpopt]

The state designated one public, free gun range about 1.5 hr drive from my home. I visited it without gun to check it out. The site is nice, but I don’t go there because there are so many numbskulls with poor impulse control and/or bad judgment running around this area.

A neighbor invited us to use his private shooting range and we have done so a few times. We also belong to a club that allows members to use its ranges. The sad thing is that, despite their very low annual dues, both the indoor and outdoor ranges suffer frequent vandalism.

One of the reasons why I love shooting air guns so much is that I can shoot right on my own property, safely. I can legally shoot PB on it, too, but I would have to make a beefy backstop or berm for those. Not worth it when I can use the air guns instead, without the loud noise, either.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I think a huge part of the problem on large ranges is that as you add more people to the mix the problems and safety hazards will increase exponentially. When it's just two guys out shooting the communication is simple and obvious and there aren't likely to be any disagreements. When you get 20 people who don't know each other shooting at the same time then there's likely to be problems and things that wouldn't be safety hazards with only 2 or 3 guys become serious ones.

 

[Orv]

I think a huge part of the problem on large ranges is that as you add more people to the mix the problems and safety hazards will increase exponentially. When it's just two guys out shooting the communication is simple and obvious and there aren't likely to be any disagreements. When you get 20 people who don't know each other shooting at the same time then there's likely to be problems and things that wouldn't be safety hazards with only 2 or 3 guys become serious ones.

I've been watching this thread unfold with interest. Three years ago as Covid finally ended and returned our freedoms, we decided to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary (although a couple of years late) with a family reunion in Colorado. Our two sons, being career military, hadn't been able to gather as a family in nearly 20 years. Anyway, we were looking for a place to go shooting, so I decided to visit the local sheriff's department to seek permission to shoot. They gladly guided us to a BLM site about 5 miles out where we spent several afternoons killing targets. Oh, by the by, where I live in Southern California, our resort has a 150 yard airgun FT range. 9 seated benches, metal and paper targets open to all. Come be my guest. Orv.

 

[coastal drifter]

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.

I can only imagine the cost of insurance to run a shooting range today. Ive seen some scarry stuff at ranges

 

[uglymike]

I've got a free gun range less than an hour from me. Berms out to 300 yards in 50 yard increments. Several permanent ambidextrous shooting benches on concrete pads. Go on the weekdays early and I got the place to myself. Not uncommon to have muleys, whitetails, or turkeys stroll thru the firing line early mornings. No, I'm not telling you where it is! One of the advantages of living in the middle of nowhere.