> Yes, it turns out it is a lot to ask. The only way to shoot steel is to either start competing, or find a private range, become a member, and go through an onerous steel qualification procedure.
Both of the outdoor public ranges near me have steel targets, I've shot them, and the only qualification procedure was they ran a magnet over my ammo to make sure I didn't have any green-tips
Do you mean something different than literally shooting steel targets? Or what's going on here?
Will clarify the wording in the essay, but most people don't have easy access to ranges that allow that. Pretty cool that you've got good options nearby though!
I feel like this is definitely development-driven... Where I used to live (blue state) some ranges did not do steel, while others did (notable indoor ranges had animated steel targets). Generally however, as long as you went out onto forest service land, you could set up steel, so long as you didn't start any fires. In more recent years finding places to shoot (in general) got harder and harder, as anti-gun bureaucrats/NIMBYs used police to trespass people (aka police giving warnings not to come back or face charges). Where I'm at now (red state), its like going back 30 years in time, nobody minds as long as you're not an idiot.
This may be a piece worth talking about-- those more developed suburban areas (suburban sprawl) creating an inverse correlation between more people needing non-range environments to learn/shoot/practice, and the same sprawl causing more gravel pits and "that place off that road" to get shut down.
> This may be a piece worth talking about-- those more developed suburban areas (suburban sprawl) creating an inverse correlation between more people needing non-range environments to learn/shoot/practice, and the same sprawl causing more gravel pits and "that place off that road" to get shut down.
When I was a kid, we used to go out onto crown land (I grew up in Canada) and just screw around in the forest. Quite literally, just park our car at a random spot on the side of the highway and go in.
I think that this kind of access to the wilderness, without the guardrails of a properly maintained state park, is really important for peoples' development. It keeps them grounded in natural reality, and gives them experience in a (low-pressure) environment where, nevertheless, you are 100% responsible for your own safety.
As an aside, speaking of Red vs Blue... I'm in Austin, the "San Francisco of Texas". And yet, it seems to me that almost literally every person I meet is either pro-gun or open to them. A large majority of the liberals I work with still go to the range after work. I really appreciate how it seems like here, even in the most liberal part of Texas, guns are seen much more as a universal hobby that brings us all together as Texans, instead of as a polarizing political issue
Well, "nearby" the closest outdoor range is 45 minutes away and the closest _good_ outdoor range is almost double that.
But it's more than accessible for a day at the range with minimal planning
It also occurs to me that the steel targets are at a 'private shooting club' that is open to the public. It's still not clear to me how it's private when it's open to the public but that's how they describe themselves. Shout out to Copperhead Creek, fav gun range in tx https://www.copperheadclub.com/
When I first moved here, I asked my new neighbors (an ex EOD guy) where the good places to shoot were. He gave me a confused look, and said "just use your backyard, that's what I do".
Texas is weird, because there's very little _public_ land to go to. Everything is private ranches. So you either use your own land, know-a-guy and use his, or drive out to the sticks and go to a public outdoor range.
Similar but opposite here in Montana. Lots of public lands, but small plots of private land are scattered everywhere. If you don't have the right info then you might end up receiving instead of sending rounds. Corner crossing is a big issue here that needs to be worked out.
I think it depends on where you're located to how easier or hard it might be to shoot on steel. Especially in context of someone new to guns, they may not know where or how to make that happen. Many folks only know an indoor range where you will never get too shoot on steel, and some outdoor don't use or allow it as it's paper only.
I just have steel and go out into the sticks. Most I had to do was check to make sure I was not on someone’s private land. And while not ‘required’, be mindful of fire danger.
Ahh. The way it was written in the newsletter made it sound like you need some kind of special training or permitting to be allowed to shoot steel targets at a range.
IDK, maybe it's true in some states, but here in Texas it's never come up. Truly, the only rule I've ever encountered around steel targets is "no steel core ammo, it damages them"
In a few months, I might have the opportunity to be invited to a famous guntuber's private land. We have a mutual friend planning a Texas visit and I've asked to tag along. If I pull this off, I'll have access to the coolest arsenal and a private range, within 2 hours' drive of my house. Fingers crossed!
Here's some recently-released supporting material regarding newbie AR pitfalls: https://darklordofoptics.locals.com/post/3853911/starter-ars-and-starter-optics
Ok, forgive my ignorance, but:
> Yes, it turns out it is a lot to ask. The only way to shoot steel is to either start competing, or find a private range, become a member, and go through an onerous steel qualification procedure.
Both of the outdoor public ranges near me have steel targets, I've shot them, and the only qualification procedure was they ran a magnet over my ammo to make sure I didn't have any green-tips
Do you mean something different than literally shooting steel targets? Or what's going on here?
Will clarify the wording in the essay, but most people don't have easy access to ranges that allow that. Pretty cool that you've got good options nearby though!
I feel like this is definitely development-driven... Where I used to live (blue state) some ranges did not do steel, while others did (notable indoor ranges had animated steel targets). Generally however, as long as you went out onto forest service land, you could set up steel, so long as you didn't start any fires. In more recent years finding places to shoot (in general) got harder and harder, as anti-gun bureaucrats/NIMBYs used police to trespass people (aka police giving warnings not to come back or face charges). Where I'm at now (red state), its like going back 30 years in time, nobody minds as long as you're not an idiot.
This may be a piece worth talking about-- those more developed suburban areas (suburban sprawl) creating an inverse correlation between more people needing non-range environments to learn/shoot/practice, and the same sprawl causing more gravel pits and "that place off that road" to get shut down.
> This may be a piece worth talking about-- those more developed suburban areas (suburban sprawl) creating an inverse correlation between more people needing non-range environments to learn/shoot/practice, and the same sprawl causing more gravel pits and "that place off that road" to get shut down.
Good framing
Hell, take the gun element out of it.
When I was a kid, we used to go out onto crown land (I grew up in Canada) and just screw around in the forest. Quite literally, just park our car at a random spot on the side of the highway and go in.
I think that this kind of access to the wilderness, without the guardrails of a properly maintained state park, is really important for peoples' development. It keeps them grounded in natural reality, and gives them experience in a (low-pressure) environment where, nevertheless, you are 100% responsible for your own safety.
As an aside, speaking of Red vs Blue... I'm in Austin, the "San Francisco of Texas". And yet, it seems to me that almost literally every person I meet is either pro-gun or open to them. A large majority of the liberals I work with still go to the range after work. I really appreciate how it seems like here, even in the most liberal part of Texas, guns are seen much more as a universal hobby that brings us all together as Texans, instead of as a polarizing political issue
Well, "nearby" the closest outdoor range is 45 minutes away and the closest _good_ outdoor range is almost double that.
But it's more than accessible for a day at the range with minimal planning
It also occurs to me that the steel targets are at a 'private shooting club' that is open to the public. It's still not clear to me how it's private when it's open to the public but that's how they describe themselves. Shout out to Copperhead Creek, fav gun range in tx https://www.copperheadclub.com/
When I first moved here, I asked my new neighbors (an ex EOD guy) where the good places to shoot were. He gave me a confused look, and said "just use your backyard, that's what I do".
Texas is weird, because there's very little _public_ land to go to. Everything is private ranches. So you either use your own land, know-a-guy and use his, or drive out to the sticks and go to a public outdoor range.
Similar but opposite here in Montana. Lots of public lands, but small plots of private land are scattered everywhere. If you don't have the right info then you might end up receiving instead of sending rounds. Corner crossing is a big issue here that needs to be worked out.
I think it depends on where you're located to how easier or hard it might be to shoot on steel. Especially in context of someone new to guns, they may not know where or how to make that happen. Many folks only know an indoor range where you will never get too shoot on steel, and some outdoor don't use or allow it as it's paper only.
I just have steel and go out into the sticks. Most I had to do was check to make sure I was not on someone’s private land. And while not ‘required’, be mindful of fire danger.
That seems to be more of a thing in the Western states.
Ahh. The way it was written in the newsletter made it sound like you need some kind of special training or permitting to be allowed to shoot steel targets at a range.
IDK, maybe it's true in some states, but here in Texas it's never come up. Truly, the only rule I've ever encountered around steel targets is "no steel core ammo, it damages them"
In a few months, I might have the opportunity to be invited to a famous guntuber's private land. We have a mutual friend planning a Texas visit and I've asked to tag along. If I pull this off, I'll have access to the coolest arsenal and a private range, within 2 hours' drive of my house. Fingers crossed!