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Old October 27, 2012, 03:04 AM   #1
Kirkpatrick
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Looking for gun friendly rural south west

I live in the south eastern United States, or as we simply call it, the South. For the most part this is a very gun friendly part of the country. Lately, I've been hearing the call of the rural south west calling to me. I'm looking for a gun friendly part of the country out there which to relocate. The kind of place where you are left to yourself.

Can any of you good people help me out?
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Old October 27, 2012, 05:46 AM   #2
Baba Louie
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Kirkpatrick
Just about anywhere in the SW actually, save Southern California & So NV perhaps (see below).

AZ, NV, UT, NM, TX... most are very gun friendly and you will pretty much be left to yourself by those who are not, if you choose. You will also find like minded individuals galore once you get here.

Clark County NV (Las Vegas and surrounding cities) does require "Registration" of all handguns... which is a negative for some and the only place in the State with that onus.

Check out the Prescott AZ area for a gun friendly locale. Beautiful country as well.

It is nice to drive out of town into the desert (BLM land) and go shoot. Just make sure to police your trash as a lot of slobs do not around here, which is sad and a crime, but a part of life in my neck o' the woods, er, cactii (southern NV) sadly.
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Old October 27, 2012, 07:20 AM   #3
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drive out of town into the desert (BLM land) and go shoot. Just make sure to police your trash as a lot of slobs do not around here
That is advice we all need to take to heart, no matter where we shoot.
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Old October 27, 2012, 07:56 AM   #4
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AZ and NM. The Whittington Center is in NM.
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Old October 27, 2012, 08:29 AM   #5
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The SW is great! I would leave tonight for there if I could.

For the most part if you stay way from the big cities you'll be left alone.

I don't consider Kali the SW so won't get into that mess.
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Old October 27, 2012, 11:46 AM   #6
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Pahrump is an option, lots of people who just want to do their own thing, about 45min to Vegas, and it's in Nye County(No registration). There are a few good LGSs there too. They've even become more cosmopolitan these days, they have 3 stop lights in town now!

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Old October 27, 2012, 10:07 PM   #7
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For the most part if you stay way from the big cities you'll be left alone
Yes very much so . I live in San Diego 3 min from the ocean and a stones throw from down town .It is amazing how much the culture and mind set changes if you travel just 40 min east or an hour north east . you get a bunch of gun toting horse back riding rednecks .

I think as a general rule for CA . If your by the ocean your in socker mom left coast liberal country . Anything in the eastern part of CA is just the oppisite.

unfortunately we still have some scewed up gun laws
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Old October 28, 2012, 12:06 AM   #8
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+1 on the states mentioned. Only negative for Texas is the fact that there's no public land to speak of except national forests. State forests are pretty tightly restricted due to other uses (Sam Houston SF was closed to target shooting a few years ago).

All other states have lots of BLM and Bureau of Reclamation lands which are pretty much open, plus state lands. Come on out!!
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Old October 28, 2012, 04:02 AM   #9
Kirkpatrick
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Thanks so much for all of this advice. Considering that i'm thinking low lands, AZ & NV are looking particularly inviting.

Thanks again.
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Old October 28, 2012, 05:49 AM   #10
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^^^^^^ Rio Salado opens at 0700

Hope to see you there.

PS: Rio Salado is in Az!!!
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Old October 28, 2012, 12:02 PM   #11
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not much BLM land in NM either. still looking into a place to go plinking in the nearby nat'l forest. allowed, just need to find a good spot for all involved.
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Old October 29, 2012, 12:41 AM   #12
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Are you serious? There's tons of BLM land around Albuquerque, and all the way up to Farmington, what isn't rez land. Most of the land from 550 down to I-40 is BLM with the exception of some Indian lands. Up near SF, lots of BLM around Chimayo, Velarde/Dixon area, and from Tres Piedras across to Arroyo Hondo all the way up to the state line. Some is interspersed with state lands, but it's public land. Pick up a copy of DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer. There's a land-use map inside it that shows the entire state with all public lands marked. These are available for every state and they're very useful.
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Old October 29, 2012, 01:21 AM   #13
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Keep in mind Arizona is a Constitutional Carry state. You can carry (open or concealed) anywhere it's not prohibited to carry. (Still worth getting your permit here, though, since it'll let you go into alcohol serving establishments who aren't flying the "meat bags in here" errr, no guns sign.)

Unless you live in Phoenix or Tucson, you're usually within a 10-15 minute drive to public land (desert) where you can shoot. Plus, there's a plethora of gun shops everywhere and plenty of organized ranges as well.
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Old October 29, 2012, 08:24 AM   #14
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Another piece of 'fly-over-country' -- Oklahoma. Very red, conservative, gun friendly. Open carry to start Nov 1. Plenty of places to shoot.
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Old October 29, 2012, 06:58 PM   #15
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Baba Louie mentioned Prescott, Arizona. I can second that recommendation. Stunning scenery, easy drives to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, etc. Ruger has a plant there. Home to J&G Guns. 2 hours from Phoenix if you simply must have urban niceties like Major League Baseball or the symphony. Limited loon quotient, politically speaking. And it's Arizona. Constitutional carry. 'Nuff said.
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Old November 1, 2012, 05:06 PM   #16
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Don't consider Wyoming...the people here are mean as hell!
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Old November 2, 2012, 04:33 AM   #17
Baba Louie
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Don't consider Wyoming...the people here are mean as hell!
Not to mention blessed with beautiful mountains, wildlife everywhere, and a scarcity of people who are dependant on others. (Jackson Hole is fun to drive thru, but too Oh $o Beautiful a crowd for me at times, what with me not being oh $o beautiful)

But it does get a might windy up thataway, don't it? And your bears... they grow em large up the NW corner of the state IIRC.
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Old November 2, 2012, 09:43 AM   #18
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We have some property just south of Florence, AZ. An hour from Phoenix/Mesa, an hour from Tucson. Land is relatively cheap there right now, but expected to go up with the economy -- if it ever does. We paid $10K for a piece of property that was appraised at $87K in 2005!
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Old November 3, 2012, 08:26 PM   #19
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I am looking in Nevada, Utah, maybe Arizona, and maybe Colorado.
But I suppose Colorado is possibly the least gun friendly, but not hostile.
I hope I'm not stuck here for the rest of my life.
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Old November 3, 2012, 11:56 PM   #20
Craig010
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I'm with Gaerek. I've lived in AZ now for 20 years and it has to be one of the most gun friendly places I've ever lived. Just got my CCW permit, not so much for AZ since it's not required, but to allow me to travel concealed. Only a few states don't recognize AZ's CCW permit. ~Craig
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Old November 4, 2012, 07:34 AM   #21
Baba Louie
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But I suppose Colorado is possibly the least gun friendly,...
Maybe in Denver or Boulder, politically speaking, but I've known and seen several "hippies" with guns elsewhere in the state who are just fine and very gun friendly.

Some of them long haired boys can shoot a little, too. (muahaha)

Big city politics are, well, I won't say idiots are in charge, but like Clark County (Las Vegas) NV, where registration of handguns is required, they're still friendly, they just like to implement their own set of rules.

Some good trout fishing up in CO as well. (it isn't always about shooting at times) Some people even play in all that white stuff they get in the wintertime. Go Figure!
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Old November 9, 2012, 12:33 AM   #22
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Doesnt NV require rifles to be unloaded in vehicles?

I've been around the SW, most of the states arent too hard to get along with, (tho the unloaded rifles thing in NV is a turnoff for me) but think that Az was probably my favorite in several regards, meaning not just about guns.
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Old November 9, 2012, 12:42 AM   #23
sigcurious
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Correct, in NV you can't have a round chambered in a vehicle on or being driven on a public road. Magazine can be full and inserted though.
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Old November 9, 2012, 07:43 AM   #24
Baba Louie
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Doesnt NV require rifles to be unloaded in vehicles?
As sigcurious says, Yeap. My little 94 Trapper rides with me from time to time, magazine full, chamber empty. It does take a second or two to work the lever, don't it?

Only time I have ever been questioned in 34 years of NV residency was a NDOW Officer checking for deer tags and he asked chamber condition. When told chamber empty, mag full, he said okey dokey and we were off again.

Of course, if your day to day actions means you interact with LEOs regularly, you might want to rethink carrying a loaded long gun... but, I will say, whenever I do go out desert way, I almost always have a long gun nearby. Very few LEOs out and about in the desert BLM regions and you're pretty much on your own for good or bad (I tend to think that's a good thing myself)
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Old November 9, 2012, 10:20 AM   #25
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The chamber isn't a big deal, unless you just forgot (I rarely have a round chambered unless I'm planning to shoot right away). I though it couldnt be loaded at all. My info may be dated or incorrect.
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