Alternatives to Gun Ranges

[AlaskanInTexas]

Where I grew up, the world was our gun range. Now that I am in Texas, it seems next to impossible to find a place to shoot other than a gun range. I sometimes get to go out on private land of friends of friends, but not as often as I would like, and not under my terms. Are there any alternatives? Do any of you pay to use private land (i.e., kick some cash to a rancher to shoot on their land)? I'm half tempted to buy some land out in the boonies to shoot on, but thought there must be a better way. I live north of Plano.

[TomV]

There is some Corps land up on the Red River that gets used as a gun range quite a bit. If it isn't legal, it isn't enforced. People just shoot into the opposite river bank. I haven't done it. I just find the mess they leave when I go scouting the land as a potential hunting spot.

Growing up, we used to go find a spot in the national forest and set up an improvised range. We were always sure of our backstop. Again, not sure if it's legal or not.

[remington79]

I'm currently in another state but we use the nation Forest. There are some areas that you can pull off the road. You'll then have about 100 to 200 yards to shoot and then theres a hill side. Forest Service Law Enforcement just waves and drives on by. All the Forest Service did was put up signs saying to clean up after yourself and to use paper targets. On the radio you hear commercials saying not to you stuff like tannerite on Bureau of Land Management land between (if I remember right) may and October because of the danger of wildfires.

When I was living in Texas there is a little slice of land on the north side of Sam Rayburn that is Forest Service. Some Game Wardens stopped by one time and talked to us. They said what we were doing is perfectly legal. The downside is you're pushing to get 30-40 yards at that location. My wife wants to move back so I'm going to have to do some scouting in the Davy Crockett NF for a place with more room. That is the downside about Texas, there isn't a lot of public land to shoot on and at least in East Texas there aren't many dedicated gun stores. Just a couple of small cramped ones or ones that are mixed in with pawn shops.

[Stripes Dude]

Great thread....any suggestions near DFW?

I'm tired of standing in one spot, taking a second between shots, and having some numbskull next to me shower my face with brass or wave their muzzle around because they don't have the grip strength to pull back the 20 lb recoil spring they stuck in their 1911.

I also don't want to spend six figures on a slice of land out in the middle of nowhere.

[mikeloc]

There is some Corps land up on the Red River that gets used as a gun range quite a bit. If it isn't legal, it isn't enforced. People just shoot into the opposite river bank. I haven't done it. I just find the mess they leave when I go scouting the land as a potential hunting spot.

Growing up, we used to go find a spot in the national forest and set up an improvised range. We were always sure of our backstop. Again, not sure if it's legal or not.

Army Corp of Engineers land is not legal for target practice.

http://media.swf.usace.army.mil/pubdata ... 3-2014.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

15. May I target shoot on Corps of Engineers lands?

Shooting for practice or at targets is prohibited. Discharging any weapon (including archery equipment) is allowed only during authorized hunting activities
and only during the attempt to take game.

[TexasCajun]

Thanks AIT. It's been about 20yrs since I moved back to Texas from Louisiana. One of the biggest things I miss about Cajun country is being able to hop in my car for a couple hour drive for a morning or evening wood duck hunt. Plenty of public land to take advantage of out there. Not so much here. The public land was also great for tuning up new equipment - as long as you let the local game warden know you'd be target shooting and it wasn't an open season. I do miss that stuff.

[Greybeard]

Back in the mid 90s when I was buildng the little indoor range on Copper Canyon Road, there was a nice area of Corps land just west of the Old Alton bridge where all types of shooting was allowed. But then too many yahoos trashed it, put rifle rounds into some adjacent houses and got it closed off for anything except hiking and fishing.

[discoqueen]

For those of you in DFW that are looking for something "different" than your standard stand-still-and-shoot-at-paper-targets range, check out Big Boar Tactical in Aubrey.
It's not a public range, so you'll have to participate in a class or clinic before you can go out there just to shoot (so they can make sure you use safe handling practices).
It's because of this place that I don't care if I ever step foot on a traditional range ever again.

[Cosmo 9]

This is the first year in a long time that I haven't paid for my spot at Micky's.
I will say it can get quite crowded and a little dangerous on the weekends.
If you go during the week it's by far the best place to shoot in the metro-mess.

[Gunner4640]

I grew up in Pa, I walked out my back door and shot in my backyard into the Appalachian mountains, which the trail almost ran through my backyard. I sure miss those days. No i'm not moving back there either

[mr surveyor]

there's been several mentions of shooting on the river. I've been under the impression for the last 10-12 years that shooting into, or across a "navigable stream" (generally a river) was no longer legal. No?

[ddstuder]

You could take out an annual lease for Mickey's Range on the Trinity River - it's very informal with zero facilities, and you're expected to be adult and safe. Cost last time I checked was $300 for the year. You pretty much shoot down the river (up to 400 yards or so till the bend) or into it.

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For info contact Mickey Lowrey at his gun store: http://www.mickeysammodepot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The location is roughly 2 miles east of Wilmer, about 20 miles south of Dallas down I-45

Come on Andy! Don't tell everyone about that spot!

Seriously it is a great spot. I think he limits the number of keys to the gate, but not sure how many he does. I've heard it is limited to 150. I have been going there for about four years now.

[ddstuder]

And Mickey runs the friendliest gun store in North Texas.

Great guy to deal with.

[Oldgringo]

there's been several mentions of shooting on the river. I've been under the impression for the last 10-12 years that shooting into, or across a "navigable stream" (generally a river) was no longer legal. No?

AFAIK, shooting across water is about as legal as shooting across a highway. When did that change?