SF Bay Area TFLers?

[Guy B. Meredith]

Okay, I am feeling left out here. I know there are SF Bay TFLers. Care to get together at one of the ranges we have discussed in the "Where to shoot rifle in Bay Area" thread?

[chink]

I'm down for that just let me know when and where and I'll try to make it.

[Guy B. Meredith]

Let's collect some preferences on location, format and schedule. Where are we coming from in terms of location? What is the firearm mix for which we would need facilities? I am almost exclusively handgun, but some of the ranges like Chabot make for easy intermingling of 'venues'.

If others on the forum find certain areas more conducive to socializing with picnic areas, list your choice. I regularly travel to several places, so am not bothered by that. Scheduling might require more thought.

For pure beauty Chabot is a good choice. It has a couple of trap ranges, plenty of room for rifle and handgun with flexibility in terms of position, etc., permitted. They have gazebos, picnic tables and a fire ring that might be available. The fire ring is a new item that snuck up behind my back, so I would need to check on the purpose and availability.

However, the socializing areas at Chabot can be cold as everything except for some areas of the rifle range and trap ranges are often in the shadow of the eucalyptus forest. The range is in a state park overlooking Oakland, so picnic areas are available there as well, some possibly with a view of the SF Bay.

At the most extravegant end of the scale it is possilbe to ante up a total of $200 and insurance to rent out one of the 35 lane 50 yard ranges for a day.

The Livermore range is a question mark for me. It has a commanding view of the hills around Livermore and easy access to Livermore wineries (after the firearms are back under lock). Not sure about picnic facilities and only about half of the rifle/pistol area is sheltered. The location on a hillside does leave it open to weather.

The Richmond and Concord USI both have large clubhouses. I would be willing to check on the usage policies. I have not visited the Richmond shotgun facilities, but I believe they are right up on the river next to the San Rafael bridge with a possible view of San Quentin. Concord has very nice shotgun facilities.

I have not been to the Los Altos or Sunnyvale sites. I believe there is one in the Santa Rosa area as well.

If TFL members range over a wide enough area a very interesting range and facilities is the San Louis Obispo Sportsmen (not sure about that name) range just nort of Morro Bay. This is the site of the Hogue action pistol range and is the site of the International Revolver Championship.

[Gorthaur]

Sounds good. I'm in Los Gatos/San Jose.

[SarcasmGuy]

Richmond or Concord would be good for me......I'd be more inclined towards a handgun/rifle shoot .

[chink]

I'm almost next door to Gorthaur, i'm in saratoga. If my stuff doesn't come back from the DOJ soon, I may be a pistol only guy also

[Gorthaur]

You can help me break in my pump-action .308 (Remington 7600).

[E__WOK]

If someone can pick me up, I'm in SF.

[RANash]

I live in Fairfield (halfway between Vallejo and Vacaville) and I work in Pleasanton. I only have handguns, but would love to get together with TFLers at any location in the Bay area.

[Gary H]

San Rafael...but work in San Leandro

[Jim March]

Richmond, Chabot, Concord, etc are all in easy range. I'm in Pittsburg, 10 minutes from Concord USI.

I've got some "weird toys" to bring in the handgun dept . The funniest gun on the planet is "Baby" the 4shot Freedom Arms .22Mag minirevolver with a one-finger grip. Downright eeevil little beast .

Jim

[Guy B. Meredith]

I am right in the middle of the mess in San Ramon so most of the ranges are within a 25 mile radius except for Richmond, which is 40 miles. Give me your vote and let's see if we can start something here. Hmmm almost lapsed into corporate speak and almost used the word 'consensus'. Wash my mouth out with lye soap.

Schedule wise I am good for most 1st and 3rd Sundays or can take a Saturday off from my action revolver practice at Richmond. Most local matches are on the 2nd and 4th Sundays; I will be the Match Director for a revolver only ICORE match at Richmond March 11.

Other set schedule items are March 31, April 1, June 9 and 10.

Ha! I was just going to suggest that the Chabot (Castro Valley), Livermore, Richmond and Concord ranges are all close enough to BART that I could provide pickup for up to three individuals. Then I thought about the image of assorted rifle, shotgun and handgun cases on BART and the impression that would make. Better not go there.

[Jim March]

So long as they're in a locked container, unloaded.

I used to smuggle Ferrets around on BART...man, did THEY get some funny looks.

Jim

[Glock_Racer]

Count me in! Have guns will follow...

BTW I live in the East Bay, Hayward/San Leandro area and can pretty much go to any local range me clunker can take me...

[chink]

Sunnyvale has odd sunday hours here is a link to their web space
http://srgc.simplenet.com/

Don't shoot there often, because it is kinda small

Los Altos is open 9-4 or 9-5 on the weekends. and have a bunch of 100 and 50 yard Rifle stations and i don't know the distance on their pistol stations, then there is the 40 and 100 yard tin can alleys, cuz paper gets boring. only thing is that its a drive Here is some contact info
14750 Skyline Blvd
Los Gatos 95033-9404
(408) 867-3106

I am willing to go anywhere though.

As for when after march is best.

[adad]

Sounds like fun! I'm up in wine country (Napa Valley/Sonoma area) - not too close to anything, but the East Bay and Marin county aren't too far from me. Any chance we could participate in an idpa-style shooting match? I could also go for some trap shooting. Man, that would be a fun day!

[RANash]

Chabot sounds like the best all-around choice, with something for everyone and relatively centrally located.

I haven't been to the Concord Sportmen's Club, but I hear it's pretty good.

San Leandro might be a good choice. The range isn't fancy, it's non-profit, run by the Optimist's Club, so it's inexpensive. It has an outdoor section that goes out to 100 yards and can be used by rifles and handguns both. The indoor section is for handguns only and only goes out to 50 feet (feet, not yards). They allow rapid fire and double-taps.

[Guy B. Meredith]

adad,

We could either start off simple and get to know each other, all participate in an official activity or do a combination.

Simple is either target or something like the tin can alley at Chabot or another range (Los Altos?). I believe it is the third Saturday of the month that 15 or 20 lanes of one of Chabot's 50 yard, 35 station ranges is set up for BYO plinking. That is where I took out my daughter's pager with my Ruger MK512.

Responding to the IDPA query requires a somewhat roundabout response.

Most ranges are pretty tightly controlled for action pistol use. Most will not even allow rapid fire (1 to 2 sec per shot) or double taps, though RANash says San Leandro is okay with it. Concord requires all persons using the action range go through a two day, $20, session that includes an official match.

Chabot is the only location I am aware of with an active IDPA group and I am not sure what they require. It would be easier to accomodate IPSC style rather than IDPA.

Are you familiar with the difference between IDPA other action pistol events like IPSC and ICORE? (Rhetorical question as no immediate response is expected and I will continue..) IDPA emphasizes real world self defense situations and tactics and requires shooting from a CWS rig.

IPSC, ICORE and the rest use pseudo realistic situations and props such as barriers, walls with doors and windows, barrels, etc., but do not require the shooter to use tactics necessary in real self defense situations. The shooter is considered invulnerable and does not make use of shelter, etc. Would get killed in the real world using the same tactics.

There are several ways we might accomodate both action and target. First is for those interested to show up at a regularly scheduled action pistol or three gun (pistol, military rifle, combat shotgun) match and join the target shooters after the match--usually 1:00 pm or so.

The second is something I will have to investigate further. Richmond does, I beleive, allow general public to practice on the IPSC ranges on Saturday mornings and we could build our own scenarios for practice. I normally practice revolver there on Saturdays, so that would work with me.

The third and most elaborate is to acquire $1,000,000 libility insurance and $200 rental fee to rent out one of Chabot's 50 yard ranges for the day for private use.

Chabot has only trap facilities for shotgun, I would need to check out the availability of facilities at other ranges for public use. Concord's USI has great trap and skeet, Livermore several trap ranges.

I am open for suggestions and comments as to what others prefer as I am probably in the best position to be versitile.




[Edited by Guy B. Meredith on 02-28-2001 at 08:18 PM]

[Gorthaur]

The next two Saturdays are out for me, but the Sundays are OK. If we were to rent the range, how much does the insurance cost, and can we do rapid shots, bring popper targets, etc.?

[Guy B. Meredith]

Gorthaur,

March is probably pretty much out for me as well. Have the March 11 match and the Southwest Regional match March 31. At my level I will need plenty of practice just to prevent slowing the regional shooters down too much.

I would need to check on Chabot's insurance and any other restrictions like being required to be part of some recognized organization like LEO, Boy Scouts, USPSA, ICORE, etc.

On plinking days at Chabot you bring whatever you are willing to clean up: poppers, spinners, paper, plastic bottles, your daughter's pager, tin cans, the Energizer bunny, Barney or Tele Tubbie dolls, bowling pins. Rapid shooting is okay on the plinking range.

If we can use the Richmond facility for action pistol, all sorts of props are a available: poppers, papers, steels of different types.

My personal choice for plinking, target and some trap if desired by shotgunners is Chabot. My personal choice for IPSC style stuff is Richmond if I can confirm that they permit guests.

If the desire is to participate in a match and joing target shooters after, then I would check into the IDPA and IPSC groups at Chabot or Richmond to learn whether visiting entrants are welcome. Concord's USI requires participation in the two day class scheduled about once a quarter, but I believe Richmond and the Chabot groups may just require a prematch briefing on holster safety.

The plinking and match activities require separate entry fees. I will check out the current prices. Since I'm a member at three of the ranges and occasional employee at one I haven't the foggiest notion of costs.

[Gorthaur]

Does plinking mean .22?

[Guy B. Meredith]

Plinking means informal targets and includes anything allowed on the range. Not sure about the .50 cal stuff or shotgun. I do know we had someone with a belt fed machine gun, but he was required to shoot single shots.

[SarcasmGuy]

Well.......once again I'll cast my vote for richmond............any weekend being ok by me .

(also pretty sure that they allow guests on ipsc range........but need to attend "orientation" on saturdays.......not sure what that entails)

[adad]

Maybe just an informal target-shooting/plinking session to get to know one another would be a good way to start. Although, if there's a trap facility where we go, I'll have to shoot at least one round of trap!
Richmond is probably best for me. Saturdays are the best day, preferably early; sounds like its going to be April, which is okay with me.

Thanks for the details on IPSC and IDPA; I had somewhat of an idea about the differences but wasn't sure how formal the groups are about guests. At the club I belong to we have "action shoots" that are probably closest to IPSC in style, but anyone can come as a guest of a member any time.

[Glock_Racer]

Richmond, on the IPSC range, sounds good to me. I got my Glock, cocked?, and ready to rock!

Somebody should do a poll (dates and times, what range)and if a majority of people decide on a place and time, then make an official announcement and e-mail everybody that have replied to this post.