Am I unreasonable? Frustrated.

[baddarryl]

Here in SE NC there few public ranges. Two are an hours drive on either side. There are a few other places to shoot, but I wanted a good bench and safe place to sight in a couple of deer rifles and to let my kids shoot a brand new .243 I got them. I have learned that it turns into an all day affair no matter what everytime. We get to the range that I have been to many times over the years. The range fee is $25 and I have never had to pay for my kids before. They are 11 and 12. There is a newer RO there and I got the feeling last time he wasn't too thrilled about the kids. He tried to charge $75 and I told him to forget it. I will be first to concede that I didn't handle it right and just walked off without trying to negotiate, but my experience last time I think told me that would be pointless.

I seems like such an ordeal to go shooting anymore that I am looking at all my gear and saying that is some $$$ right there. Screw it. Other than defense what do I need all this for? I can't justify a private membership that has huge waiting lists anyway. Plus I got lost and couldn't hook up with my buddy for a dove hunt Saturday so never got in the field. Whatever happened to pulling over and taking a few shots?

And the Panthers lost! Aaaaaaaaagh!

[44 AMP]

Whatever happened to pulling over and taking a few shots?

Most places I know that's technically a crime. While I haven't checked all 50, I'm pretty sure all states have laws against shooting from a public highway.

[Mosin-Marauder]

That's the benefit of living out in the boonies, I have my own 25 / 50 yard range in my back yard. If I want to shoot longer distance, I have a 100 yard range and my Cousin has a 200 yard range. Not sure about the public highway thing, but there have been many a groundhog been killed from the hood of a truck pulled off the road near our house. Not on a public road but still.

Nice to see a fellow North Carolinian on here.

[olddav]

I have the same problem, it happens when we live near too many people.
Country life has its benefits.

[g.willikers]

You're living in the wrong place.
In our neck of the woods, and also the previous one, ranges are plentiful and very affordable.
Typically, private clubs charge about $100 per year, and outdoor public ranges are generally under $15 per day.

[wogpotter]

Most places I know that's technically a crime. While I haven't checked all 50, I'm pretty sure all states have laws against shooting from a public highway.

Shooting over, or at one perhaps, but check out NYS! Yep NY! you see "highway hunters" every year there. They walk along the roadside looking for game & as long as they point away from the road its OK.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Whatever happened to pulling over and taking a few shots?

Those days are gone. Sheriff comes quick when informed of shots being fired. (No doubt about that these days.)

For the time being I would suggest you get your name ASAP on that want-to-be club member listing. May seem like a long wait. But over time many ahead of you will removed their names.
I would also suggest making friends with a club member and ask if you and kids could be his guest shooter/s occasionally.
As far as that new RO. Stickler one for not bending the cubs guidelines it appears.

[BarryLee]

Sorry you’re having problems, but just curious if this is a lack of ranges in general or just specifically outdoor ranges. I know around Atlanta there are few places to shoot outside anymore, but still a fairly good number of indoor facilities. While the indoor facilities work fine for handguns they make shooting long guns a little less challenging.

I fear as time goes by more and more outdoor facilities will close for a variety of reasons. I know the anti-gun crowd seems to support any effort that makes shooting more expensive and less convenient. Also, the increased cost of real estate, insurance, taxes, labor etc make running a large outdoor facility more and more expensive.

[baddarryl]

Yes I am talking about outdoor ranges. I have 2 indoor ones within 10 minutes of my house. I grew up shooting outdoors down in Fla so that allures me far more.

At least in NC I was told recently by a law enforcement officer that it is actually technically legal to shoot even from middle of a highway if you have permission or it is legal to shoot into the land you are shooting into. He also added that there is also what is common sense and you could always be charged with 'armed to the terror of the public' which is a very loose law that sometimes they can come up with to harass someone or snatch up an idiot. Disclaimer: I do not recommend this!

[Fishing_Cabin]

OP,

Have you tried to talk to any farmers, or people who own a larger piece of land? In my part of NC I know of several, what I call "farm ranges" which are roughly a private ordeal. Meet together a few times a year to help clean up, etc, and there is no fee required, just don't be obnoxious about stuff. You may be able to ask around and find something similar close to you.

[Mosin-Marauder]

If I remember anything about Cape Fear, it's that there is very little farm land (at least where I was). Soil isn't too great down there. The Piedmont is a different story.

[buck460XVR]

IMHO, shooting from the middle of the road is not a good way to teach responsible gun ownership to a coupla kids, nor is it the best way for them to sight in their new deer rifle.

First off, I would contact the range where the RO was a dick to you. There's always a few ROs, like a few mall cops, that let a little bit of authority go to their head. He may as well have been confused about the range policies and kids. Find out what the policy is and if it's different than what the RO says, get the name of your contact to verify it for him. I wouldn't give up...for your kid's sake. Even a drive of an hour is not bad if you can have a whole day of entertainment and fun. Also, is there public land anywhere close that offers a safe place to shoot. It does not need to be a dedicated range if legal. A portable shooting bench can be had for the $75 the RO wanted for range fees and a shepherds hook and maybe a piece of plywood nailed to a stake is all the target you need in front of an appropriate backstop. Around here small town sportsman's clubs generally have a 100 yard range combined with their trap range. Yearly family dues(I belong to two) run around $25. While I don't use them as much as my own range on my son's property, they are closer and are a good alternative for a short session.

[hartcreek]

All you need is a foldable portable bench and to find National Forest Land. In US Forest Service administered land all you have to do is be 150 yards from a seasonally occupied building or roadway.

[wogpotter]

Is there an Izaac Walton near you? They usually have range facilities.
http://www.iwla.org/

[kilimanjaro]

Just an addendum to Hartcreek's post about shooting on National Forest land. Visit the local Ranger Station or the Forest website and check if any areas are closed to shooting by order. Also, they may direct you to an area where shooting is encouraged.

You can't shoot from or across, or at any road, trail, or body of water, in any occupied area, campground, or in an unsafe manner. Tracer ammo and Tannerite is verboten. Don't shoot the trees or the signs. Simple rules, just enjoy public lands safely and responsibly.

[baddarryl]

Thanks for the replies everyone. There is plenty of farmland out of town so that may be worth a shot.

We do sometimes shoot at the local gamelands, but it is flat for as far as the eye can see. I am not a fan of no backstops. I did go looking for a bench with that thought in mind though today. Maybe some more scouting will provide an appropriate spot.

Yes I am going to call the owner of the range. I have been going there for 20 years and it flat ****** me off. There is another one that we may check out of Friday a bit further up the road.

Funniest part is my kids are better trained than 1/2 the yahoos down there. Last time I was there some dude was showing me his single six and almost shot his girlfriends foot right in front of me while he dropped the hammer on a loaded chamber. Maybe a better place is best.

[1stmar]

Public range near me gets $33 a day during the week and $33 for the first hour and an additional $10 an hour after that on the weekends! They have cease fires once an hour that take 15min. Per person. If I could find a 500 yard range is gladly pay $25 a day.

[baddarryl]

IMHO, shooting from the middle of the road is not a good way to teach responsible gun ownership to a coupla kids, nor is it the best way for them to sight in their new deer rifle.

Notice I was not advocating that. Only making a legal point.

[skizzums]

you can legally shoot all over the place down here. I live in the city, its a 25min drive to nice vast public land. I wish there was an app where people could list good places to shoot........of course, I wouldn't list mine

[g.willikers]

Have you checked with the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Where to Shoot page?
http://nssf.org/
http://wheretoshoot.org/index2.cfm

[buck460XVR]

Originally posted by baddarryl:

Notice I was not advocating that. Only making a legal point.

I noticed, that's why there was a smiley face at the end of my comment. It was a joke son, a joke.

[44 AMP]

Shooting over, or at one perhaps, but check out NYS! Yep NY! you see "highway hunters" every year there. They walk along the roadside looking for game & as long as they point away from the road its OK.

Shooting from a public road is NOT OK! They may not be getting prosecuted (that's your local officers, and an enforcement issue) but its not ok. I grew up in NYS, lived there from 57-79.

You are required to be 500 feet from any public road, unless you are on property you own. It was the law when I lived there, and I doubt they've done away with it. Interesingly, WA (which has a lot more open space than NY,) the requirement is only 50 feet.

I'm not sure where it is in the general code (if its there), but it is in the game laws.

Yes, we had "road hunters" and even "sound hunters" back in the day, too. At best, slobs, not sportsmen, and at worst, a real danger to other people.

[wogpotter]

I'd forgotten the "sounder hunters"
I don't advocate the practice but it happens all the time in Yates & Stuben Co. I never saw anyone get popped for it in 10 years.

[baddarryl]

Quote:
Shooting over, or at one perhaps, but check out NYS! Yep NY! you see "highway hunters" every year there. They walk along the roadside looking for game & as long as they point away from the road its OK.
Shooting from a public road is NOT OK! They may not be getting prosecuted (that's your local officers, and an enforcement issue) but its not ok. I grew up in NYS, lived there from 57-79.

You are required to be 500 feet from any public road, unless you are on property you own. It was the law when I lived there, and I doubt they've done away with it. Interesingly, WA (which has a lot more open space than NY,) the requirement is only 50 feet.

I'm not sure where it is in the general code (if its there), but it is in the game laws.

Yes, we had "road hunters" and even "sound hunters" back in the day, too. At best, slobs, not sportsmen, and at worst, a real danger to other people.
__________________

Like most things that all depends on the State in which you live. Totally confusing to foreigners! In NC you can still hunt the sounds, barrier islands (unless protected of course) and from a road. Again, the latter not advisable.

As this is getting off track I found another range that we are going to give a shot on Friday. Sounds more reasonable and more accommodating to kids. You would think all shooters would want more kids to shoot. They are future voters and we all know we need those.

[buck460XVR]

Yes, we had "road hunters" and even "sound hunters" back in the day, too. At best, slobs, not sportsmen, and at worst, a real danger to other people.

In NC you can still hunt the sounds,

Me thinks you two aren't talking about the same kind of "sounds".........