Anyone live where they have Public Shooting Ranges?

[dcb188]

This topic did not fit well anywhere else.
In my area there are plenty of shooting ranges, but they are anywhere from $100 to $200 a year.
I was traveling thru West Virginia a couple of years ago and noticed signs pointing off the rural road to "Public Shooting Range" and had never heard of such a thing. Went up, no one there, targets there, so I did fire off a couple of rounds etc.
I would be interested to know if there are any in the state where you live, to see how common or uncommon they are. A place where you just drive up and shoot, no range master, no admission, no gates, nothing. Thanks in advance.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

Yup, we got a few in Ohio. I dont really recommend them, but we got 'em.

[buckeye .45]

Ohio has somewhere between 8-10 public ranges, 5 bucks a day or 25 for a year (unless prices have increased since I've been away). Some of them are nicely set up ranges with benches and an overhead shelter, with different ranges set up for targets, and range officers. Some of them are a couple benches and the side of a hill cut out.

They also usually have a shotgun range where you can hand throw/machine throw clays, which are also unsupervised.

Edit, SIXTO beat me too it. They aren't that bad SIXTO, I've shot at em a lot when I didn't have other options, you just have to figure out when not to go there, like the weekend before deer season.

[dcb188]

The ones in West Va had benches and overhead shelters and looked real nice. Targets were professional ones and set up nicely etc so I was surprised to see a Public Shooting Range at all, after seeing only private ones or real restricted semi-public ones here with locked gates etc

[SIXTO]

Edit, SIXTO beat me too it. They aren't that bad SIXTO, I've shot at em a lot when I didn't have other options, you just have to figure out when not to go there, like the weekend before deer season.

No, they are not horrible (some are really nice) and I'm glad we have them, but I'm spoiled and hate shooting next to/with people I dont know. I've gone a few times just because, and each time I leave scratching my head wondering why I subjected myself to that torture.

Ohio did just build a really nice trap range, I'm itching to go try it out... but I wont be caught dead there on a weekend.

[SIXTO]

Ask away devil dog. Where is that new trap range at SIXTO, maybe I'll try it out while I'm home in the summer.

I dont know what town its in, but its right along 75 well north of Dayton... I noticed it when I was heading up to the lake. I'll get you some info, gimme a minute.

*** I goofed, it isnt the States range, its Ohio Trap Shooting Assc.***

[pgrass101]

I use a Public national forest range.

[SoFloAuthor]

I do not know of any "free-range" shooting areas in SoFlo, unless you go out into the Everglades.

There's Markahm Park in western Broward County and Trail Glades Range in western Miami-Dade County....both County owned, outdoor ranges. I've used both. (shot a Barrett .50 at Trail Glades). They had shade, benches, chairs..."professionally" run, emphasis on safety. Inexpensive to use as well.

Lee County on the west coast has a "public"/police range, but I understand they require you apply and submit to a background check before you can use the facility....I have not shot there.

[pgrass101]

There was one by Anniston that I used when I worked for the Army Depot there.

Here's the one between Auburn and Montgomery

[crzy4guns]

Yes and it across state lines, but they will allow anyone to shoot there. Parmalee public shooting range.

[packinnova]

This topic did not fit well anywhere else.
In my area there are plenty of shooting ranges, but they are anywhere from $100 to $200 a year.
I was traveling thru West Virginia a couple of years ago and noticed signs pointing off the rural road to "Public Shooting Range" and had never heard of such a thing. Went up, no one there, targets there, so I did fire off a couple of rounds etc.
I would be interested to know if there are any in the state where you live, to see how common or uncommon they are. A place where you just drive up and shoot, no range master, no admission, no gates, nothing. Thanks in advance.

Berkely Springs maybe? If you were in that area it would probably have been the public range at Sleepy Creek WMA. I drive up there every now and then on a weekend. It's about a 45 minute drive for me though.

[HKR]

Georgia DNR maintains a few.

[Juggernaut]

I used to go to Chickahominy WMA range, but they got rid of the pistol range and only allow shotgun and rifle like at Amelia. Now I have only gone to Amelia this year. There are ranges across the state, some had pistol ranges, but the VDGIF put the kibosh on pistols because the use of the ranges had strayed from the "original intent" of the ranges as being for sighting in hunting weapons.

[B52]

We have quite a few in Arizona, I usually go when I need to shoot my 12 gauge or 50cal.

[mavrik46]

Most of the Wildlife Management areas here in Alabama have shooting ranges. You need either a state hunting licience or a Management Area Licience to use them. There is also a super nice public range in Cullman that I use most of the time. Maple Ridge Gun Club. $15.00 a day and they furnish the targets and a golf cart to get from the club house to the range.