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Old April 29, 2006, 08:57 PM   #1
Heraclid
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Any Jacksonville, FL shooters?

I'm a newb who picks up my first handgun on Thursday. Really looking forward to all of this but don't know anyone locally who shoots. Wife isn't into guns at all but is supporting my decision to get one better than anticipated. Looking for range suggestions also - I think I'd prefer outdoors so that leaves me just Gateway, but I welcome all suggestions. Thanks!
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Old April 29, 2006, 10:26 PM   #2
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Howdy how Heraclid! Welcome to the forum!

Well, my (Marine) friends and I enjoy shooting at Bullseyes (near Regency Mall). Its a good lil facility and clean of "undesireables".
Also, you more than welcome to come with us (usually 3 or so) and have a grand ole time

Semper Fi!
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Old April 29, 2006, 10:54 PM   #3
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Hi back at ya! First of all, a big thanks for your service. People don't say that enough. Hey, you don't know a guy named Garrett Peck do ya? Used to work with him.

You must mean over at Atlantic & University. I was just there this afternoon putting my first gun on layaway! I'll be picking it up Thursday. May be signing up for some of their classes soon.

Thanks for the invite! If you guys won't be too bothered with a complete newbie, I may take ya up on that some time. I promise, I'm trying extra hard not to be a gun idiot.
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Old April 30, 2006, 07:26 AM   #4
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me jacksonville

i live off of dunn ave here in north jacksonville
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Old April 30, 2006, 07:28 AM   #5
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gateway is the best

gateway is the best place to shoot and i have been to all of them
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Old April 30, 2006, 08:05 AM   #6
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Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club is an excellent outdoor range. Covered firing line and facilities for most rifles and pistols and a shop. I am a member and shoot about once a week. I would be glad to get together with you if you would like. If you want to go, directions are:

1. From 295, exit at "103rd St" and go West towards Cecil Field.
2. When you start to go down a hill towards a bridge over a creek, just before the bottom of the hill, before the bridge, turn right on "Lambing Rd."
3. Go to "Noroad" ( the road is named No Road), turn left.
4 Continue to "Zambito" which goes to the right. Just after the intersection there is a sign on "Noroad" that sez "Dead End". There is also a small sign on a tree that says "Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club".
5 Turn right on "Zambito," continue around the sharp curve to the left and the club is a short way on the right. Once you are on "Zambito" it is almost impossible to miss.

They permit Day Shooters, I don't know the daily charge but it is reasonable. Safety is paramount there and a new first time shooter will have to watch a short video and answer a simple test, as you watch. All the answers are on the video.

Good Shooting and I hope Isee you there.
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Old April 30, 2006, 12:55 PM   #7
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Thanks for your replies!

cwb, I got your message - thanks! I am getting more familiar with the Dunn Ave. area as I spend some time out there for work, usually a few days per month. Usually I'm hitting Normandy the same day(s) so I try to stop by Green Acres on my lunch break occasionally. :-)

tegemu, likewise - thanks for the helpful information! Looks like a really nice and comfortable day to be out there shooting today actually. Waiting for Thursday is killing me. LOL! But now I need to get good ear protection and safety glasses, figure out what ammo I want, probably invest in a good safe or the like, find some good instruction in basic and self-defense, then there's the CWP.

Gateway sounds like my kind of place. Those directions sound vaguely familiar, but I'm thinking it's not anything to do with shooting. Do they fly R/C planes and helis around there somewhere by chance? That would be cool- I could hit two birds with one stone. :-)

I would really appreciate tips on a good instructor if anyone knows one they'd highly recommend. And are the electronic noise-cancelling earmuffs worth it?
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Old April 30, 2006, 01:00 PM   #8
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check ur PM in a sec
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Old April 30, 2006, 01:26 PM   #9
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I like Gateway, even though I had a run in with one RO. (two targes on one stand) I had a few pistols out and a 10mm giving me a fit. Shoot , atempt repair, repet. til fixed.
Other than that it is excellent.

The Bullseye is great too, the guy in the AR dept. knows his stuff. I won a S&W ballcap there.

The other indoor range, I forget teh name (near Downtown) SUX!!
That guy is an asshat.
If you get a chance go over to St. Johns Firearms, those guys are awsome too.
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Old April 30, 2006, 01:57 PM   #10
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Outsider_10fp, I've heard some things about Bullseye (formerly Southside Gun), some good and some not too good. Nonetheless I am buying from there and had a good experience there yesterday. Shooters over on University turned me off pretty fast, and I'm lukewarm about St. Nicholas, but the San Jose store is like 2 minutes from me. I do not know of a downtown range - the only other one besides Gateway and Bullseye that I know is at Gun Gallery on Beach Blvd.

I stumbled across St. Johns Firearms last week while handling some accounts out there with work. I spoke to a guy there over the phone yesterday and unfortunately he said they are looking to close the store down by July and didn't think the owner would want to place an order and increase his inventory but to call Monday and see. Won't happen because I went for the Pro-9 at Bullseye a few hours later. Anyway, I was inquiring about Pro-9's and FNP-9's and he said they didn't have what I was after but they are trying to sell off some remaining FN Forty-Nines. You might get a nice deal on one if that is of any interest to you.
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Old April 30, 2006, 03:47 PM   #11
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Heraclid. PM me and maybe we can meet at Gateway on Thurs. and pop a few caps and then go get a cupa Joe and try to out-lie each other. I would be glad to share my limited knowledge with you.
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Old April 30, 2006, 05:03 PM   #12
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gun shop

the best gun shop in jacksonville is shooters on phillips
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Old April 30, 2006, 05:24 PM   #13
Heraclid
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cwb,

I had a good feeling about them until I got some pretty bad customer service over the phone. Still, it's just one employee on one given day, no one is perfect, and I'm a forgiving sort.

tegemu,

Not sure about Thursday but we'll see... definitely should set something up soon. As for out-lying each other, it's my experience that no one has a good enough memory to be much good at that. :-)
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Old April 30, 2006, 08:44 PM   #14
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Gateway is an excellent range. If you really want to learn to handle your new pistol well, consider some of the action shooting matches they host every month. I shoot the USPSA match there on the second Saturday of each month. They also have IDPA and cowboy action shooting events.

There is no better (and more fun) way to become proficient with your new pistol IMHO.
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Old April 30, 2006, 09:02 PM   #15
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Sounds like a lot of fun, but I want to have a little regular range shooting experience under my belt before I attempt that. I'd want it to be pretty much second nature by then. But maybe I am misunderstanding the wat the matches work. I imagine I'll be doing it at some point. :-)
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Old May 1, 2006, 07:31 PM   #16
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I'm here in Orange Park,I go to a range in Osceola Natl. Forrest,its not as large as Gateway but you don't have a rangemaster looking over your shoulder either,which is what I like,you can shoot what you want,how you want.Let me know if you want directions out there,its real easy to find.

David
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Old May 1, 2006, 08:02 PM   #17
Heraclid
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Thanks - I've seen a reference to the Osceola range once or twice and wouldn't mind checking it out some time. So let me see if I remember this right...

I don't have a CCW permit yet. I can still convey the gun to the range in the forest so long as it stays in a case and put away in the car. I cannot carry it in a national forest though. But obviously if there is a range out there, the range must be okay.

But being brand new to things that go bang, perhaps the structure of a range with a RO would be best for me.
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Old May 2, 2006, 04:36 PM   #18
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Yes,there is a certain road in and out that you must use unless it is hunting season and you have the proper license,but the road that you have to use just happens to be the shortest route there from Jax.
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Old May 3, 2006, 05:35 PM   #19
Heraclid
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adeese660, thanks for the info - I'll have to get out there and do it some time. I love the great outdoors and need to see some more of what is practically in my own backyard. When I do it, I'll let you know.
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Old May 4, 2006, 09:10 AM   #20
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WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!! I got my names crossed
BULLSEYE is the asshat, I meant to say Shooters, over on Beach.
AS why bullseye sux, is because ...
Me and a buddy go in to do some shooting, he is gonna use one of my pistols.
Anyways, we go in, look around, admire his safes, etc.
ME: We'd like to do some shooting.
Him: Do you need to rent one?
ME: No, they are in the truck
Him: Are you packing?
ME: Yes, I have a CHL
HIM: did you see the sign on the door?
ME: I saw about 30 flyers on the door, it is a bit cluttered with stuff.
HIM: If I cant trust you to read the signs, how the F@#K can I trust you to shoot on my range
ME , EXCUSE ME!?
Him: go back out and read teh sign
ME: yeah, ok, you wiat here for me to return!

We hauled ass outta that place. Thtat guy was a real peice of work!

Shooters, on the other hand is great, that is where I won the ball cap.
THose people are excellent, and comaprable prices to what I see across the board.
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Old May 4, 2006, 04:30 PM   #21
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I got the same feeling about Bullseye one time also,they acted like they were the only gun shop around and were doing ME a favor by 'letting' me buy from them,didn't buy and have never been back,its been about 4-5 years now.
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Old May 4, 2006, 09:17 PM   #22
Heraclid
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My in-store experiences with Bullseye have been pretty good, but the best service I have gotten so far isat St. Nicholas in Mandarin. They spent a lot of time with me and they knew I wasn't buying anything that day. The thing there though was that I had a clerk who said he was a revolver guy and was clearly not up to speed on a lot of the semi-autos.

The reason I wonder about Bullseye is not on first-hand experience, but rather because of a report I heard about that had figured out the worst gunstores when it came to their guns later being used to commit crimes. They were one of the worst in the country and had something like 234 criminal traces come back to Southside Gun (now Bullseye) - no other local shop was on the list. I do not recall over what period of time this data was compiled, or what sort of number was considered just par for the course in that line of business. They were also found to be missing some of their guns.

Back when it was still Southside Gun, the owner (along with a handful of other local dealers' employees too) got arrested when a sting operation caught them facilitating (or at least not take proper precautions against) straw purchases. Then they became Bullseye. Seems like their prices aren't that good, but I can't complain much about the help I've gotten there lately. The couple that owned Southside Gun is now divorced, and the wife now runs Bullseye. Maybe they have cleaned up their act too, but I am sort of leary of 'em. I was reluctant to do any business with them but they had what I wanted and it saved me some hassle.

Last edited by Heraclid; May 5, 2006 at 10:29 PM.
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Old May 7, 2006, 02:57 PM   #23
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bump

Just wondering - any more out there?
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Old May 7, 2006, 03:56 PM   #24
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Hi Pal,

The miscreant owner of Southside Gun, a posturing, Wannabe Ole' Tyme Gunslinger and former cop idjit named Wayne, did in fact sell out and leave town. He also had a store on Blanding Blvd which is now another St. Nicholas gun. I do a lot of business there.
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Old May 7, 2006, 05:06 PM   #25
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I remember Wayne being in the news for something relating to his stores,does anyone remember what that was about,if I'm not mistaken,he was arrested,had the feds on him or something.I don't remember,hope somebody does though,I'm really picking my brain trying to figure it out.
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